2. Give a brief explanation of Elizabethan constructions using overhead.
3. Go around the room again (in the opposite direction so students will be reading different lines), only this time have each student read until she encounters a long pause (colon, semicolon) or full stop period, question mark, exclamation point). Ask after the reading: "What's going on here: Who are these people? What clues do you get about them and about the action?"
4. Try another round, this time letting each student read until the passage indicates a change in the character who delivers the lines, whereupon the next student in the circle begins reading. As students read, they should try to use their voices to convey the mood or emotion suggested by the words. Ask questions that are more specific: "What do the witches look like and what is the 'charm' they refer to? What predictions do the witches make for Macbeth and Banquo, and how do these men receive them? What news do Ross and Angus bring Macbeth and Banquo?"
5. Assign two students to each part (Witches 1, 2, and 3, Macbeth, Banquo, Ross, Angus. Get one "cast" up on its feet and up in front of the class. Ask these students to read the script aloud. Then ask the second cast to do the same. As each cast reads, try some variations:
Cast One: Macbeth and Banquo are confident men who eagerly follow Witches 1, 2, and 3 around the room, hungry for news. The witches avoid their pursuit, finally vanishing.
Cast Two: Turn out the lights and have Macbeth and Banquo enter looking fearful. They jump in fright when the witches appear. The witches' pursuit of them causes them to retreat coweringly.
6. If time permits, do the scene a third time with student suggestions.
7. Ask which variation worked best and why. Explain that tomorrow's lesson will deal with the play from the beginning and provide background information that will lead to a better understanding of the significance of this scene's events.
Homework Collected: None
Homework Given:
Persuasive Research Paper: Research Check Day, February 24th,
1st Draft Due: March 10,
Research Portfolio Due: March 17,
2nd Draft Due: March 24,
Final Paper Due: March 31,
Reflection Paper Due: April 14
Handouts given out: None
To Read: None
