Macbeth - Act 1 Scene 5 (2 LESSONS)

Two complete lessons focusing on Lady Macbeth and the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 5. The lessons are loosely based on the ‘Ready to Teach’ Macbeth book adapted with activities/information I have found to work well over the years.

The first lesson is guided by a ‘big question’ - who is Lady Macbeth?
It begins with a rapid recap retrieval task before considering the stereotypical role of women. Following this a short clip allows students to identify the personality traits of Lady Macbeth, and how she subverts the idea of the stereotypical woman. A guided annotation of select quotes allows students to consolidate their knowledge before they finish by answering the big question guided by ‘what, how, why’ questions.

The second lesson looks more closely at Act 1 Scene 5 and the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. A ‘taboo’ starter activity is fun for the students yet provides ample opportunity to check for understanding or gaps in knowledge. Act 1 scene 5 will then be read in full, before students work individually or in pairs to analyse quotes from the scene guided by a ‘quote analysis template’. This serves to encourage students to also consider links to other characters or scenes in the play, as well as identifying contextual details and what has just happened in the scene. Whole class feedback allows students to share their ideas in a safe and supported way, before the lesson is brought to an end by the answering of the ‘big question’. There is also a challenge task, which could also be set as homework. This looks at whether LM is the key driving force in the relationship and is a ‘to what extent do you agree’ question.

A copy of the scene is included, as well an annotated version for teacher reference.
I hope it saves you some time.

I’d love a review if you found it useful, thank you :)