1. Intro to Unit 3 Macbeth: Overview & Portfolio
English 12A
HO:
Analyze Dramatic Structure
THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH SG
ENG 12A U3 Portfolio Persuasive Essay Assignment
Persuasive Essay Outline
Download the documents from the website under U3.

2. Unit Overview
You will read Shakespeare's tragic tale of the rise and fall of Macbeth.
As you read, you will analyze and interpret the dramatic structure of Macbeth, define words in context, and compose a persuasive essay.
Analyze the theme of corruption of power.
While reading Macbeth it would be wise to obtain a video of the performance as you will be asked to watch scenes from the play throughout this unit. This will also aide in understanding the play as you read.

3. Unit Assignments Discussion (U3L3) - Modern Soliloquy - DROPPED
It will still show up in your lessons, but know that you are NOT doing the discussion.
Portfolio (U3L6 & L11) – Persuasive Essay – TOPIC CHOSEN FOR YOU
Does power corrupt automatically? Apply this famous expression to the events and characters in Macbeth. You can focus on a single character or several. You may take the position that it always corrupts, never corrupts, or sometimes corrupts, but be sure to provide textual support.

4. ACTIVELY LEARN: Remember signing up for this???
Actively Learn is a great place to read Macbeth
It has notes on what some of the words mean or what is happening
More helpful than reading it in Connexus

5. Important Devices: Aside and Soliloquy
What is an aside?
What is a soliloquy?
An aside refers to words spoken by a character that cannot be heard by those around him and that reveal his innermost thoughts and preoccupations.
Occasionally the stage directions will say “aside to [another character]” and in these circumstances, only the other character hears these words.
This is true even if the character is surrounded by a crowd on stage.
A soliloquy reveals a character’s innermost feelings and thoughts.
The character is alone on stage when he utters his remarks.
The soliloquy reveals important nuances about character and motivation to the reader or audience.
Two other important devices Shakespeare uses cleverly are the aside and the soliloquy. An aside refers to words spoken by a character that cannot be heard by those around him and that reveal his innermost thoughts and preoccupations. Occasionally the stage directions will say “aside to [another character]” and in these circumstances, only the other character hears these words. This is true even if the character is surrounded by a crowd on stage. A soliloquy is similar to an aside in that it reveals a character’s innermost feelings and thoughts, but unlike the aside, the character is alone on stage when he utters his remarks. Both the aside and the soliloquy reveal important nuances about character and motivation to the reader or audience.

6. Macbeth is the story of a man, Macbeth, whose ambition runs wild.
Show clip on Macbeth by Shmoop
The “bare bones” of the play Macbeth:
Macbeth is the story of a man, Macbeth, whose ambition runs wild.
To become King, Macbeth first kills the current king, Duncan. Then he kills the king's guards in an attempt to pin the murder on them.
Macbeth then plots to murder a nobleman, Banquo, and his son, Fleance, because three witches have predicted that Banquo's off-spring will become king.
After Banquo is slain, Macbeth thinks he sees Banquo's ghost at a banquet.
Later he has the wife and children of a general, Macduff, slain after the three witches warn him to beware Macduff.
In the last act, Macbeth battles Macduff who slays him and displays Macbeth's "cursed head" for all to see.
This is the story of how one murder begets another and how one man's ambitions plague a nation.

7. Dramatic Structure of Macbeth

8. Dramatic Structure of Macbeth
Act I – Exposition
characters and situations introduced
The Witches’ predictions - Macbeth meets the witches and hears his prophecy
Act II - Rising Action
complications introduced
The murder of Duncan - Macbeth kills Duncan and his guards, is crowned king, and has Banquo murdered.
Act III – Climax
turning point
The murder of Banquo - Murderers kill Banquo and Banquo’s ghost appears at the banquet. Macbeth begins to act irrationally.
Act IV - Falling Action
all events following the climax
The murder of Lady Macduff - Macduff and Malcolm gather forces; Macbeth foolishly places his faith in the witches’ predictions
Act V – Resolution
the ending You have to read and find out!
Setting
The primary action takes place in various parts of Scotland – a heath; a battlefield; King Duncan’s castle; Macbeth’s castle; Macduff’s castle. The action shifts briefly to England and then back to Macbeth’s castle in Scotland at the end.
A1 – Exposition
As you finish Act I, you will have the chance to look back and analyze the dramatic structure thus far. The first element is the exposition as characters and situations are introduced. The exposition is followed by the inciting incident or event that sets the story on its course. In later lessons, you will address the remaining elements of dramatic structure and apply them to the rest of Macbeth.
This occurred when Macbeth met the witches and heard his prophecy.
A2 - Rising Action
in the first two scenes of Act II, you will discover the effect of their dastardly plan on their mental and emotional states. If you’ve ever become jumpy after reading a tale of terror, or watching a scary movie, you can imagine the paranoia and anxiety descending upon Macbeth and his wife.
Foreshadowing is a literary device that provides hints about what is to happen later in the story. Often these clues are lost on you at the time. It isn’t until later that you will have the advantage of looking back and discovering the connections.
Another essential device that Shakespeare relies upon heavily in Macbeth is imagery. Imagery refers to any suggestion of a physical, sensory object or state evoked by the text of the play.
A3 – Climax
Both types of conflict exist in Macbeth, but perhaps most vividly in the famous banquet scene when Macbeth is unnerved by the appearance of Banquo’s ghost. Throughout the play, there is a recurring conflict of good and evil, the conflict of Macbeth wrestling with his conscience and his desires, and the conflict between Macbeth and all those who oppose his tyrannical rule.
The climax is seen as the point of no return for the main character. Once you have read all of Act III, you will assess where you think the climax falls.
The banquet scene also provides many revealing clues that provide indirect characterization of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. As you learned earlier, indirect characterization can stem from the way characters look, the way they behave, the way they speak, and the way others speak about them. Arguably, all of these elements exist in the banquet scene.
A4 - Falling Action
The falling action consists of all of the events that follow the climax or turning point of the play up until the hero’s death.
you will discover several additional prophecies by the witches that will haunt Macbeth until the end of the play.
Shakespeare often used language to reveal and conceal, to affect the atmosphere of a scene, and to convey emotion and motivation. In Macbeth, the language runs from poetry to prose depending on the character and the circumstance.
Macbeth’s change in attitude toward the witches, and his reaction to their new prophecies.
A5 – Resolution
The resolution concerns the necessary consequences of the hero’s previous actions, including his death. The resolution is characteristically brief. You will also return to an earlier device—dramatic irony—that is perhaps most evident in Act V as you observe the unfolding of the prophecies long before Macbeth does.
you will see the harrowing effect of their past actions on Macbeth and his wife. You will also examine the lessons about life, loyalty, ambition, and honor that Shakespeare incorporates throughout these final scenes.
The dramatic structure of the play consists of several terms you have already studied: exposition, inciting incident, rising action, and climax. What follows is the falling action and resolution.
As discussed earlier, the dramatic structure of the play begins with the exposition or background on the plot and characters, and then turns to the inciting incident or event that sets the story on its course. Now you will turn to the rising action as complications are introduced.

9. Characters in Macbeth
Macbeth - Scottish general ambitious enough to commit regicide to become king
Lady Macbeth – Macbeth’s wife; ambitious; later remorseful
Banquo - General, murdered by hired killers
Fleance - Banquo's son
Duncan - King of Scotland
Malcolm - Eldest son of Duncan, Prince of Cumberland
Donalbain - Youngest son of Duncan
Macduff - General, dedicated to the good of Scotland
Ross - Cousin to Macduff
Lennox - Nobleman, loyal to Duncan
Seyton - Lieutenant to Macbeth
Siward - English Earl, supporter of Malcolm
Young Siward - Bravely faces Macbeth though he is killed in battle
Three Witches - Predict Macbeth's ambitions will soon come true; later predict his downfall

10. The Task
You will write a persuasive essay by taking a firm stance on the prompt and write a 5-paragraph, double-spaced essay supporting your position. Make sure that you have a strong thesis statement at the end of your introduction and clear topic sentences in each body paragraph that provide arguments in support of your thesis. Be sure to provide textual support for each of your claims.
Text: Macbeth by William Shakespeare (found in online textbook)

11. Persuasive Essay: Prompt
Does power corrupt automatically? Apply this famous expression to the events and characters in Macbeth. You can focus on a single character or several. You may take the position that it always corrupts, never corrupts, or sometimes corrupts, but be sure to provide textual support.
Unpack the prompt:
Pay attention to the question or the prompt.
Determine what the question is asking.
Highlight key words and underline important information.
What is the prompt asking you to do?
Highlight the critical information.

12. Persuasive Essay: Prompt
Does power corrupt automatically? Apply this famous expression to the events and characters in Macbeth. You can focus on a single character or several. You may take the position that it always corrupts, never corrupts, or sometimes corrupts, but be sure to provide textual support.
Unpack the prompt:
What is the prompt asking you to do?
How many characters are you going to focus on?
What position are you going to take? Always, never, or sometimes?
How are you going to support your reasons?
What is the prompt asking you to do?
Highlight the critical information.

13. Persuasive Essay: Rough Draft Submission
Rough Draft Submission is worth 10 points
Submit in Lesson 6
Persuasive Outline

14. Persuasive Essay: Final Draft Submission
Worth 24 points
Submit in Lesson 11
Persuasive Essay with CheckMyWork link attached
No link = No grade

15. Looking ahead… Next LiveLesson October 3rd @ 1:30
U3 Portfolio Alarms - Make sure you are staying out of alarm
Contacts: call a teacher (me!)
Attendance: get 28 hours a week and enter daily
Participation: go do a lesson!
Stay if you have questions.