Year 5 - English
Performing a soliloquy in character as Macbeth
Shakespeare's 'Macbeth': narrative and soliloquy writing
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils have their first taste of Shakespearean play scripts. They analyse the witches' prologue of this iconic play as a starting point for writing a narrative opening. Pupils investigate the central character, writing a soliloquy based on Macbeth's famous dagger monologue.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to perform your soliloquy in character as Macbeth.
Key Notes
- A soliloquy shows the audience how a character is feeling at a key point in the play.
- The way the character is feeling must be carefully thought about before a performance.
- Performing a soliloquy requires the performer to use clear diction and expression to bring the words to life.
- Performing requires the performer to use facial expressions and body movements to bring the soliloquy to life.
Vocabulary To Learn
- performance: the act of presenting or reciting in front of an audience, using voice, gestures and expression
- diction: the enunciation of words
- facial expressions: a form of non-verbal communication communicated via the face to convey a range of emotions
- expression: bringing words to life to engage a listener
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may feel they can simply read out their soliloquies.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
A soliloquy shows the audience how a character is feeling at a key point in the play. The way the character is feeling must be carefully thought about before a performance.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'performance'
the act of presenting or reciting in front of an audience, using voice, gestures and expression.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils may feel they can simply read out their soliloquies. Correction: Explicitly model the difference between reading and performing. You could also find some clips of actors performing in a Shakespeare play and discuss why their performance was strong and how that helped us to understand how the character is feeling.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Analysing a scene in the build-up of 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Analysing the main character in 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Exploring characters and setting in the opening scene of 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Generating vocabulary for the opening of 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Identifying the features of a soliloquy Study Guide
- Peer editing a soliloquy based on 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Peer editing the opening of a narrative based on 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Planning and writing the 'against' section of Macbeth's soliloquy Study Guide
- Planning and writing the 'for' section of Macbeth's soliloquy Study Guide
- Planning and writing the closing thoughts of Macbeth's soliloquy Study Guide
- Planning part one of the opening of 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Planning part two of the opening of 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Understanding the context of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Understanding themes, characters and plot in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Writing part one of the opening of 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Writing part two of the opening of 'Macbeth' Study Guide
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