Year 5 - English
Planning and writing the closing thoughts 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 closing thoughts of Macbeth's soliloquy.
Key Notes
- Macbeth is a highly conflicted character whose confusion can be shown through the use of rhetorical questions.
- A soliloquy is written from the first person perspective.
- Soliloquies can feature figurative language.
- Writers can use non-finite clauses to create text flow in their writing.
- This section of the soliloquy is when Macbeth sees a dagger, which he sees as another sign to kill King Duncan.
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
- rhetorical question: a question asked to the reader that does not expect an answer
- figurative language: the use of simile, metaphor and personification to create vivid imagery
- non-finite clause: a type of subordinate clause that can start with a verb in the progressive tense
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils might spend too long drawing in Task A, which is not the point of the task.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Macbeth is a highly conflicted character whose confusion can be shown through the use of rhetorical questions. A soliloquy is written from the first person perspective.
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 might spend too long drawing in Task A, which is not the point of the task. Correction: You could set a one-minute timer for pupils to draw. You could also model sketching a dagger yourself so that they see that it does not need to be perfect.
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 'against' section of Macbeth's soliloquy Study Guide
- Planning and writing the 'for' section 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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