Year 5 - English
Planning and writing the 'against' section of Macbeth's soliloquy
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 plan and write the 'against' section of Macbeth's soliloquy.
Key Notes
- Macbeth is a highly conflicted character.
- A soliloquy occurs when a character voices their thoughts and feelings aloud.
- Soliloquies are written from the first person perspective.
- The opening of this soliloquy outlines Macbeth's dilemma.
- The character's confusion can be illustrated through the use of rhetorical questions and exclamations.
Vocabulary To Learn
- soliloquy: an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play
- first person perspective: the 'I/we' perspective
- internal conflict: a struggle within a person's mind over a problem or question
- rhetorical question: a question asked to the reader that does not expect an answer
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils could get carried away with using Shakespearean style language and use it too frequently, taking away from them showing their understanding of the character of Macbeth.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Macbeth is a highly conflicted character. A soliloquy occurs when a character voices their thoughts and feelings aloud.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'soliloquy'
an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils could get carried away with using Shakespearean style language and use it too frequently, taking away from them showing their understanding of the character of Macbeth. Correction: Use your shared writing section to exemplify only using a few words or phrases to give it a 'Shakespearean feel'. Remind pupils that we still want to include different sentence types to achieve text flow.
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
- Performing a soliloquy in character as Macbeth 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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