Character Diary Assignment While reading Macbeth, you will all be completing a character diary!!!! Here’s how it’s done….

What exactly is a character diary? Before you begin this assignment, it is important to remember the purpose of a diary. People use diaries to write their innermost personal feelings and secrets. Most importantly, diaries reveal much about this person's inner feelings, motives, and reactions to events in their life. This project will allow you to "become" one of the characters from the novel and demonstrate, to me, your expert understanding of his or her character.

Grading This will count as a test grade. Every entry that is assigned must be completed to receive full credit for the diary. Be creative and have fun! This is your chance to show me how you are interpreting the play and how you analyze what your character is thinking, feeling, and doing. Lots of creativity and detail makes for stronger grades. Keep in mind!!! In addition to this assignment you will still have a unit test on Macbeth at the end of the reading. There will also be quizzes that will be given after reading each act in the play.

You will pick you own character!!!! Macbeth – hero/villain of the play, war hero Lady Macbeth – wife of Macbeth, partner in crime Banquo – best friend of Macbeth, loyal soldier Witches – 3 weird sisters who put the plot in motion with their prophecies Lennox – fellow soldier, nobleman, observes the events around him, acts manipulatively at times, plays both sides Malcolm – son of King Duncan and heir to the Scottish throne

How to make your diary? I am providing all of the materials necessary for creating your character diaries. You will have a piece of colored cardstock that will serve as the cover for your diary and blank sheets of paper that will be stapled to the inside of your diary that will serve as your diary pages. You will need to write your name and the character that you are choosing for the assignment on the front cover of your diary.

Introduction-First Writing Assignment Free write about your character – What are his/her likes and dislikes, problems, hopes, fears, goals? What do you imagine this character looks like, sounds like, and dresses like? Why might your character want to create a diary?

Things to keep in mind while writing….. Macbeth: War hero, worthy gentleman, friend of the King, but after witches’ prophecies – his mind starts changing along with his character (use for hopes, fears, goals, problems) Lady Macbeth: Wants her heart to be hardened, calls Macbeth a coward; she is more of a “man” than Macbeth at this point. What might her fears, goals, and hopes be? Banquo: Notices Macbeth in deep thought over the prophecies – what might he fear? He has also received prophecies – what could be some of his goals or hopes? Lennox: Friend of Macbeth, not a main character at the moment. However, has been in battle – relate time in battle to hopes, fears, goals (peace in Scotland, end to battle, etc.) Witches: Have planted a seed of ambition in Macbeth. As he changes, they are assured that their incantations are at work in Macbeth. What could they fear? What could they be hoping for? What problems might they encounter? What are their goals? Malcolm: A prince; Has just been told he will succeed the throne after his father. What problems might he encounter? What might he fear, hope for? What could be a goal for Malcolm?

2nd Diary Entry What happened today in the life of your character? Macbeth: Has just murdered King Duncan! He is troubled by his actions and can’t bear to even see Duncan’s dead body again. He makes a mistake by bringing the daggers back with him instead of leaving them with the drugged guards. His hand are covered in blood, and his wife simply says, “Wash your hands, and we will be clean of this.” He is paranoid, yet able to act as if he had no involvement. Towards the end of Act II, he kills the guards to cover up what he has done. Now, he is on his way to Scone to be named King of Scotland! Lady Macbeth: The king is now dead, and Lady Macbeth has just shown us that she has a weakness. She was unable to kill the king because he looked too much like her father. However, when Macbeth comes back and says he can not bear to see the king’s dead body again, she tells him his heart is white (he is a coward) and goes back to plant the bloody daggers on the guards and smear blood upon their faces and hands. When everyone finds out that the king has been murdered, she’s a “lady.”

Things to keep in mind while writing!!! Banquo: Has just learned of the king’s murder. At the beginning of Act II, Banquo tells Macbeth he will speak with him about the witches as long as he does not lose any honor in discussing it. Banquo has his suspicions of how Macbeth has been doing do well for himself lately. He has seen the witches’ prophecies come true and can’t help but wonder what will come of his own prophecies. He has not been able to sleep much due to thinking so much about the witches’ prophecies. Lennox: Has arrived at Macbeth’s castle to learn that the king has been murdered. Before now, Lennox had been away, but has now come to meet with the king. Now that the king is dead, everyone is wondering who the murderer is. There are rumors flying around about the guards….Malcolm…Donalbain….bribes….etc. Lennox isn’t quite sure what to believe. All he knows is that the king is dead and Macbeth will now be named king. Macduff states his opinion by saying he doubts Macbeth as a king. Could this influence Lennox’s opinions?

More things to keep in mind while writing entry #2! Witches: Although we do not see the witches in Act II, they are still up to no good. Use your imagination. Could the witches have been watching the murder of the king? What might they say to themselves once Macbeth has committed the murder? Now that Macbeth is being named king, what might the witches have in store for him? Malcolm: Has just learned that his father has been murdered! It all happened so quickly, he was not able to even show emotion. He and his brother, Donalbain, decide they must flee in case the murderer is coming for them next. Malcolm flees to England and Donalbain to Ireland. Consumed with grief and worry, what might Malcolm’s thoughts be?

3rd Character Diary Assignment Have your character write a letter to another character. Possible Options: - Banquo to Macbeth - Lady Macbeth to Macbeth - Macbeth to Banquo - Lennox to Macduff - Witches to Macbeth - Malcolm to Macduff

4th Character Diary Entry Write down a quote from your character and have your character write in response to what he or she said.

5th Character Diary Entry Have your character write a poem or a song. Be creative!!!!

6th Character Diary Entry What is your character feeling as a result of his/her actions?

7th Character Diary Entry What music or television shows might your character enjoy listening to or watching?

8th Character Diary Entry What is something surprising about your character? Discuss this from his/her point of view.

9th Character Diary Entry Pick a specific scene. How does your character feel that he/she contributes to this scene? What are his or her actions and why? Also, explain how your character is relating to other characters on stage at this time.

10th Character Diary Analysis 1.Have your character talk about how he or she has changed throughout the play. 2.What are your character’s thoughts on the overall events of the tragedy of Macbeth? What does your character feel is in the future for Scotland? *Macbeth – discuss his feelings of the overall events. What could he have done to change the events of the play?

11th Character Diary Entry Choose from the following conflicting aspects that Shakespeare uses throughout the play and discuss how your character demonstrates both sides: ambition/duty, bravery/fear, strength/uncertainty, good/evil, and fair/foul.