Shakespeare's Macbeth - Act 4 (Daily)

60 mins

Supernatural. By Act 4 Scene 1 the witches’ power over Macbeth is apparent. This extract will focus on the witches’ characterisations and of Jacobean attitudes towards witchcraft. It will also encourage students to consider how stage directions, songs, gesture and meter impacts both meaning and performance.

60 mins

Fate and Self Control. Macbeth’s discussion with the witches goes badly. Instead of receiving the reassurance that he had craved, the witches reveal that his actions have merely served Banquo’s line of succession, not his own. We will consider the importance of references to time, fate and self-control during this hour.

60 mins

Innocence and Loyalty. This harrowing scene brings Macbeth’s monstrously guilty choice to ‘surprise’ Macduff’s innocent family into reality onstage. We will consider the significance of innocent characters in the play, before discussing instances of symbolism, the importance of tone of voice and boy actors in this class.

60 mins

Honesty and Monarchy. This scene is a pivotal moment for our understanding of Malcolm’s nature. In Act 2 he was innocent, young and honest. By Act 4 he reveals wisdom by not trusting everyone's word at face value as his father Duncan had. We will focus upon listing, personification and important links to elsewhere.

60 mins

Guilt and Revenge. The end of Act 4 reveals painful events for Malcolm. Having read the extract aloud we will consider how Malcolm and Macduff handle their grief differently, focusing upon tone of voice, personification, the motif of birds, references to religion and their separate ways of avenging injustice.