Year 5 - English
Planning part one of the opening of '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 use a wide range of vocabulary and grammatical features to plan a narrative opening of 'Macbeth'.
Key Notes
- Writing is most successful when it is planned.
- A narrative opening should engage the reader and describe the setting and any characters who are present.
- This narrative outcome will be written in the third person.
- Using a wide range of precise, ambitious vocabulary enhances text cohesion.
Vocabulary To Learn
- senses: the physical abilities of sight, smell, hearing, touch and taste
- past tense: shows action has happened before now
- fronted adverbial: a sentence starter followed by a comma
- figurative language: the use of simile, metaphor and personification to create vivid imagery
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may find it difficult to recall, define and use different figurative language structures.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Writing is most successful when it is planned. A narrative opening should engage the reader and describe the setting and any characters who are present.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'senses'
the physical abilities of sight, smell, hearing, touch and taste.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils may find it difficult to recall, define and use different figurative language structures. Correction: Provide plenty of additional examples of effective figurative language. A display board or working wall of the different types of figurative language with examples that match the text type will be helpful.
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 and writing the closing thoughts of Macbeth's soliloquy 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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