Introduction to Macbeth (Exploration of Context, Analysis of Themes and Paragraph Guidance)

These resources have been developed to assist teachers in introducing a study of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" to both KS3 and GCSE pupils. They allow pupils to engage with the world of Shakespeare and his play in an accessible manner, and stress the relevance of both Macbeth and his wider works in contemporary times.

Included in this bundle:

1. Introduction to Shakespeare (PPT)- explores the life and works of Shakespeare, evaluates the impact of Shakespeare on the modern world and tackles and pre-conceptions pupils have of Shakespeare.

2. Macbeth Plot Summary (PPT)- an accessible and concise summary of the play with visual aids.

3.Macbeth Context (PPT)- explains the social and historical factors that influenced the writing of Macbeth, including King James I and The Gunpowder Plot.

4. Gender Context (Doc)- explains the gender roles of men and women in Early Modern England and the conventional views on masculinity and femininity.

5. Macbeth and the Witches (PPT)- explores the Early Modern view of witches and compares it with pupils' contemporary view of witches.

6. Macbeth Themes (PPT)- a detailed exploration of the key themes in Macbeth: Ambition, Fate, Deception and Guilt.

7. Macbeth Motifs (PPT)- a detailed exploration of the motifs in Macbeth: Blood, Darkness/Light, Hallucination/Madness, Prophecy, Children/Family.

8. Macbeth PEED Paragraphs (PPT)- a guide to help pupils structure an analytical response to Macbeth, with an accompanying sample paragraph.

9. Macbeth: The Witches (Doc)- a literary and linguistic analysis of the witches in Act 1 Scene 1.

10. Macbeth Question Worksheet (Doc)- guided questions to assist pupils in their analysis of Act 1 Scene 1.

11. Macbeth: Key Quotes and Themes (PDF)- a series of key quotes and themes that will allow pupils to ascertain elements of the plot and meaning in Macbeth.