Macbeth teaching pack

Last updated: 15/11/2023
Macbeth cover
Main Subject
Key stage
Resource type
Teaching pack

Murder and madness; perfect for engaging your KS4 students!

Designed for the GCSE English Literature specifications for AQA, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC Eduqas, this pack will develop your students’ critical reading skills ready for the exam.

‘In writing this pack, I aimed to make the resources as varied and interactive as possible, drawing on my own teaching methods and my deep knowledge of the text. I firmly believe Shakespeare texts are accessible to all students and should not be taught solely in a desk-bound manner. This pack offers a menu which teachers can select from and there is something for every learning style.’

Angela Topping, writer

Comprising 25 creative lessons, exam-style questions and resources, the work has been done for you.

What's included?

  • 25 lessons
  • exam-style questions for the relevant exam boards
  • activities to develop students' critical reading skills in preparation for the GCSE exam.

What's inside?

Introduction (page 3)

Specification summaries (pages 4-7)

Act 1 (pages 8-47)

  • Lesson 1 - the battle in the background (Act 1 Scenes 1–2)
    • Resource - Captain's speech
  • Lesson 2 - the weird sisters (Act 1 Scenes 1-3)
    • Resource - witches in art
    • Resource - the weird sisters
  • Lesson 3 - the world of men (Act 1 Scenes 2-4)
    • Resource - Prophecies for Macbeth and Banquo: Act 1 Scene 3
    • Resource - ‘Stars, hide your fires’ freeze frame
    • Resource - ‘Stars, hide your fires’ reward certificates
  • Lesson 4 - Lady Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 5)
    • Resource - impressions of Lady Macbeth
    • Resource - the evil within
    • Resource - ‘O, never shall sun that morrow see!’
  • Lesson 5 - to kill a king (Act 1 Scenes 6-7)
    • Resource - equivocation quiz
    • Resource - Lady Macbeth’s equivocation
    • Resource - Macbeth’s soliloquy
    • Resource - Act 1 Scene 7: persuasion
    • Resource - persuasive techniques in Act 1 Scene 7
  • Act 1: Exam style questions

Act 2 (pages 48-82)

  • Lesson 6 - Preparing to murder a king (Act 2 Scene 1)
    • Resource - is this a dagger?
  • Lesson 7 - the aftermath of the murder (Act 2 Scene 2)
    • Resource - ‘The trial for murder’ role cards
    • Resource - Who is responsible for the death of King Duncan?
  • Lesson 8 - Hell’s Gate (Act 2 Scene 3)
  • Lesson 9 - The loss of the king (Act 2 Scenes 3-4)
  • Lesson 10 - Shakespeare’s language (Act 2 Scenes 1-3)
    • Resources - levels of language
    • Resources - themes in the play
  • Act 2: Exam style questions

Act 3 (pages 83-125)

  • Lesson 11 - King Macbeth (Act 3 Scene 1)
    • Resource - Losing a friend
  • Lesson 12 - the murder of Banquo (Act 3 Scenes 2-3)
    • Resource - Ambush!
  • Lesson 13 - the banquet and Banquo’s ghost (Act 3 Scene 4)
    • Resource - banquet jigsaw
    • Resource - the banquet scene on screen
    • Resource - the banquet scene in performance
  • Lesson 14 - plots against Macbeth (Act 3 Scenes 5-6)
  • Lesson 15 - imagery (Act 3)
    • Resource - imagery treasure hunt
    • Resource - bird spotting
    • Resource - analysing imagery
  • Act 3: Exam style questions

Act 4 (pages 126-158)

  • Lesson 16 - Macbeth returns to the weird sisters (Act 4 Scene 1)
    • Resource - double, double toil and trouble
    • Resource - Macbeth: a changed man
    • Resource - the prophecies
  • Lesson 17 - Macbeth’s crimes worsen (Act 4 Scene 2)
  • Lesson 18 - England (Act 4 Scene 3)
    • Resource - tyrants
    • Resource - Malcolm and Macduff
    • Resource - Edward the Confessor (1003-1066)
  • Lesson 19 - What is a king? (Act 4 Scene 3)
    • Resource - what is a king?
    • Resource - why does Macduff support Malcolm?
  • Lesson 20 - News from Scotland (Act 4 Scene 3)
  • Act 4: Exam style questions

Act 5 (pages 159-183)

  • Lesson 21 - Guilt will out (Act 5 Scene 1)
    • Resource - sleepwalking torment
  • Lesson 22 - Dunsinane Castle (Act 5 Scenes 2-6)
    • Resource - the army marches
  • Lesson 23 - Macbeth’s character (Act 5 Scene 7)
    • Resource - Macbeth’s rise and fall
  • Lesson 24 - The fall of Macbeth (Act 5 Scenes 8-9)
    • Resource - Macbeth’s courage
  • Lesson 25 - revising characters
    • Resource - Character Top Trumps
  • Act 5: Exam style questions

This is an example of student activity on levels of language in Macbeth:

Levels of language 
Shakespeare’s plays were written to be played in daylight on an open air stage. To give a range of intensity and focus, whereas in modern times a director might use lighting, and a film director would use different shots, such as close up and long shots, Shakespeare uses different styles of language. 

The levels are (in increasing levels of intensity): 
• Prose – most like normal speech, it is often used for comedy characters and moments of relaxed talk. 
• Blank verse – iambic pentameter without rhyme, used for the bulk of a play and lines are easier to remember. 
• Rhymed verse – also iambic pentameter, but with the addition of rhyme.
• Song – used to give texture and variety, rhymed but not usually iambic. Mostly used by the witches in Macbeth. 

Task one:
Prose
The Porter’s speeches in Act 2 Scene 3 are in prose. Read the reasons for this below, and decide on which is the strongest argument for the Porter speaking in prose. Rank these from 1-4 (1 being the strongest reason, 4 being the weakest).
Low born character    
Relief of tension    
Comedy    
Contrast from how noble characters speak    
 
Task two: 
Blank verse
Look at Macbeth’s soliloquy ‘Is this a dagger which I see before me’. Macbeth is under the spotlight here. Why is this written in blank verse? 
List some reasons.    

Rhymed verse
At the end of this speech some rhymes appear. Find them. 
Why do you think they are used? 
    
Task three:
Look back at the dialogue between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth after he has killed Duncan. Using your knowledge, what level of language you do think Shakespeare is using here? 

Macbeth: I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?
Lady Macbeth: I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry.
  Did not you speak?
Macbeth: When?
Lady Macbeth: Now.
Macbeth: As I descended?
Lady Macbeth: Ay.
Macbeth: Hark, who lies i’th’second chamber?
Lady Macbeth: Donaldbain.
Macbeth: This is a sorry sight.

Why do you think he does this? How would you deliver these lines on stage? 

Macbeth pack
£15.00
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All reviews

Have you used this resource?

5
An absolutely fantastic resource that has been my go-to for teaching Macbeth at all levels. Recommended for everyone, but particularly for those who don't feel confident teaching the text and want a very comprehensive resource that takes them through each lesson.

Sarah Riber

04/08/2022

5

31/03/2021

5

28/03/2021

5

31/01/2021

5
An absolutely fantastic resource that has been my go-to for teaching Macbeth at all levels. Recommended for everyone, but particularly for those who don't feel confident teaching the text and want a very comprehensive resource that takes them through each lesson.

Sarah Riber

04/08/2022

5

31/03/2021

5

28/03/2021

5

31/01/2021

5

29/09/2020

5

09/07/2020

5

22/05/2020

5

28/04/2020

5

25/04/2020

This is brilliant. Great activities and the exam style questions will be invaluable. Thank you.

Yvette Mackenzie

21/04/2020