Hello, my name is Ms. Grant.

I'm so glad that you have decided to learn with me today.

We're in the unit "Macbeth: Lady Macbeth as a Machiavellian villain." Today we're going to start reading act three.

I'm so excited to hear all of your fantastic ideas.

I'm gonna be your support and guide as we journey through this lesson together.

Let's get started.

So by the end of today's lesson, you're going to be able to explain what happens in act three, scenes one to three of "Macbeth." We're going to read these scenes where the Macbeths are monarchs, we're going to consider how they feel about having the power and status, which they so seem to desperately want in act one and act two, so much so that they committed the act of regicide.

So we're gonna explore these scenes in detail today, and you're going to have a thorough understanding of act three, scenes one to three.

There are some keywords which we're going to reference throughout this lesson, which are gonna help us unlock the learning.

They are legacy, barren, sceptre, metaphor, and scorpion.

Their definitions are going to come up one at a time on the next slide.

If you'd like to spend some more time with our keywords and their definitions, pause the video at the end of the next slide.

So our lesson outline for today, we're going to start off by looking at the characters of Banquo and Fleance.

And then we're going to finish by answering this question, how is Macbeth changing? Let's start off by looking at the characters of Banquo and Fleance.

I'd like you to discuss this question.

Cast your mind back to act one, scene three.

What did the witches tell Banquo in act one, scene three, and how might Banquo's prophecy make King Macbeth, he is now King, it's act three, he has been crowned, and how might Banquo's prophecy make King Macbeth feel? Remember that the first witch said to him, "Lesser than Macbeth and greater." "Not so happy, yet much happier." "Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.

So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo." Pause the video and discuss the question, what did the witches tell Banquo in act one, scene three, and how might the prophecy make King Macbeth feel? Pause the video now.

Well done for casting your mind back to act one, scene three, and looking at Banquo's prophecy.

Here are some ideas you might have had.

The witch's prophecy is that Banquo's children will be kings.

So Banquo won't be king, but his children will be kings.

Macbeth repeats, "Your children will be kings" twice in act one, scene three, showing his focus on this part of the prophecy, as well as the idea that he himself will be king.

So Macbeth's prophecy unsettles him and he contemplates regicide and he talks about it with Lady Macbeth and they do decide ultimately to commit the regicide.

But his focus is split slightly because he does remember that Banquo's prophecy is that his children will be kings.

And this seems to unsettle Macbeth even before he has committed the regicide.

In act three, scene one, Macbeth is king of Scotland.

He isn't happy.

Instead, he focuses on the threat of Banquo.

He says, "To be thus is nothing." To be king is nothing.

"But to be safely thus.

Our fears in Banquo stick deep.

There is none but he whose being I do fear.

They, the witches, hailed him father to a line of kings.

Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown and put a barren sceptre in my grip, thenceto be wrenched with an unlineal hand.

No son of mine succeeding.

If it be so for Banquo's issue have I filed my mind; for them the gracious Duncan have I murdered?" Let's have a look at some of these words in a bit more detail.

So fruitless, it means pointless, futureless.

Barren, infertile.

Sceptre, a sceptre is an ornamental stick, which is given to the monarch.

It's meant to symbolise their power.

So I'd like you to discuss now that we've looked at some of those words in a bit more detail, and we've read this moment from act three, scene one, how does Macbeth feel about his legacy, what he's going to pass on after he has died? Pause the video and discuss this question now.

Well done for looking at this quite complicated speech from Macbeth in such detail.

Here are some ideas you might have had.

Macbeth sees no legacy for his reign.

He and Lady Macbeth have no children and he uses this metaphor.

"They, the witches, have placed a fruitless crown on my head.

They put a barren sceptre in my grip" to describe his reign as having a clear ending.

He knows that his reign will end.

Unlineal means not a descendant of Macbeth.

Filed, in this case, means destroyed.

So let's look at this moment from the speech again.

"To be thus is nothing," Macbeth says, "but to be safely thus.

Our fears in Banquo stick deep.

There is none but he whose being I do fear.

For Banquo's issue have I filed my mind; for them the gracious Duncan have I murdered." I'd like you to discuss how does Macbeth feel about his current status as monarch? Pause the video and discuss the question now.

Some lovely discussions there exploring Macbeth's feelings in his current status as Monarch.

So lots of you said he feels unstable, insecure, he feels paranoid and he feels all of these things because of Banquo.

He says, "Our fears in Banquo stick deep." He doesn't feel safe.

"There is no one but Banquo whose being I do fear." But at the end of this speech in act three, scene one, he's also aware that his peace of mind has been destroyed because of the murder.

So that also increases his feeling of instability.

He says he's murdered gracious Duncan, and he did it for no reason.

He just did it for Banquo's children.

So he has some self-awareness in act three, scene one, which is also contributing to his unhappiness.

He realises that his mind is not what it was.

"Have I filed my mind?" He's destroyed his mind.

A check for understanding.

In act three, scene one, Macbeth worries about his legacy, but enjoys the power and status of being monarch.

Is this true or false? Pause the video and select your response now.

Well done if you selected false.

Now I'd like you to justify your answer.

Is it A or B? Is it A Macbeth says, "To be thus is nothing but to be safely thus," showing he can't enjoy his position while Banquo and his son are alive.

Or B, Macbeth says, "To be thus is nothing but to be safely thus," showing he isn't worried about his legacy, just Banquo's sons.

Pause the video and select your justification now.

Well done if you selected A.

Here are the key plot points of act three, scene one and act three, scene two and act three, scene three of "Macbeth." Act three, scene one, part one.

Banquo suspects Macbeth committed regicide.

Macbeth fears Banquo's children will become kings.

Act three, scene one, part two.

Macbeth asks murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance.

Act three, scene two, Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth he fears Banquo and Fleance, but not that he's arranged to have them murdered.

Act three, scene three, three murderers kill Banquo, but Fleance escapes.

A check for understanding.

I'd like you to match the scenes to their plot points.

We've got act three, scene one, part one and two, act three, scene two and act three, scene three.

Pause the video and match the scenes to their plot points now.

Well done if you matched act three, scene one, part one to Banquo and Macbeth are suspicious of each other.

Act three, scene one, part two to Macbeth arranges Banquo and Fleance's murder.

Act three, scene two, Macbeth hides his plans from Lady Macbeth.

And Act three, scene three, Banquo is murdered and Fleance escapes.

Now let's read act three, scene one.

And as you're reading, pause and discuss the following two questions.

In act one, scene five, Lady Macbeth told Macbeth "to look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it." How does Macbeth embody this type of deception with Banquo? Question two, the end of the scene sees Macbeth arrange Banquo and Fleance's murder with two hired murderers.

Compare this moment with Macbeth's performance reported by the sergeant on the battlefield in act one, scene two.

Pause the video, read act three, scene one, and discuss these questions.

Beautiful reading of this opening scene of act three.

I really liked seeing people embody the character of King Macbeth and his worry and paranoia and instability when he thinks about Banquo.

Here are some ideas he might have had in response to our two questions.

So in act one, scene five, Lady Macbeth told Macbeth "to look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it." How does Macbeth embody this type of deception with Banquo? Well, Macbeth calls Banquo "our chief guest" for the feast and I had a lot of people select that quotation, but he knows that he's gonna have him murdered before the feast begins.

He says he hopes Banquo's horses are swift and carry him safely, pretending to innocently ask if Fleance will ride with him.

He deceives Banquo, pretending to be kind, the flower, but really being a threat, the serpent.

And lots of people noted how it was a shame that this relationship between Macbeth and Banquo, who were warriors and battled together, fought together briefly, has now completely broken down, and act three begins with them both being suspicious of each other.

The second question, the end of this scene sees Macbeth arrange Banquo and Fleance's murder with two hired murderers.

And compare this moment with Macbeth's performance on the battlefield in act one, scene two.

Well, in the battle at the start of the play, Macbeth was a loyal and respected Thane.

He killed enemies and traitors of Scotland and he did this in the open.

Now he's intent on killing Scottish Thanes and the future of Scotland, their children.

He doesn't do this himself, but gets criminals to do it for him.

So in both scenes, a murder is being discussed but there are key differences, which means that one is lauded as noble and honourable and the other is seen as deceptive and dishonourable.

So really well done for comparing two moments in the play and using it to help us understand what has happened to the character of Macbeth.

Now I'd like you to read act three, scene two and as you're reading, pause and discuss the following questions.

How does Lady Macbeth feel about being monarch? And Lady Macbeth asked Macbeth, "Why do you keep alone?" And when asked about Banquo, Macbeth replies, "Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed." How is their relationship with each other changing" Pause the video, read act three, scene two, and once you've read it, reflect on these questions.

Pause the video now.

Beautiful readings of act three, scene two, and this dialogue between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Very different from some of the conversations they've had in act one and act two.

It was really nice to see your intonation reflecting the differences in their tone now that they are monarchs and unhappy, rather than focusing on the idea of regicide.

Here are some ideas you might have had.

Lady Macbeth, like Macbeth, feels unhappy.

She says, "Nought had all spent." She feels like she dwells in doubtful joy, despite getting their desire.

And how is their relationship changing? Well, in act one, Macbeth called Lady Macbeth his dearest partner of greatness.

And I heard lots of people referencing that quotation as a moment of real equality and a united moment with this couple.

But now they don't seem to be united at all.

Lady Macbeth asked Macbeth, "Why do you keep alone?" Furthermore, Lady Macbeth had power over Macbeth, goading him to commit the regicide, and now they seem more isolated and Lady Macbeth seems much more powerful.

So Macbeth is the one who decides to kill Banquo.

Lady Macbeth is not involved.

So her power seems to have diminished.

So this moment in the play really shows that their relationship is starting to unravel in some way.

Now let's read act three, scene three, the final scene we're going to read in today's lesson.

As you're reading, I'd like you to pause and discuss the following questions.

As he's being killed, what does Banquo shout and why does he shout this? And what happens to Fleance? So reading act three, scene three, and once you've finish reading, reflect on these questions.

Pause the video and read the scene now.

Lovely reading of this scene, really getting at the idea of threat because in this scene, Banquo is indeed murdered by hired murderers.

And here are some ideas you might have had about our discussion questions.

Banquo shouts, "Treachery" when he's being killed.

He knows that Macbeth is behind the murder and he also shouts, "Thou mayst revenge," suggesting he wants Fleance to avenge his death, another idea of menace in this play.

And what happens to Fleance? Well, Fleance escapes, thus Macbeth's fears are not over because the witches said Banquo's sons would be king and Banquo's son is still alive.

Well done for the fantastic reading of the opening of act three.

Our second learning cycle today, we're going to consider this question, how is Macbeth changing? We're gonna use all of our reading from learning cycle one in order to help us answer this question.

Now, in act one, scene seven, Macbeth told Lady Macbeth, "I'm settled and bend up to this terrible feat," the regicide.

So he decides I will commit regicide.

I am settled.

He resolves to do it.

Now as King of Scotland in act three, scene two, he tells Lady Macbeth, "O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife." I'd like you to discuss these three questions.

How is Macbeth feeling? Why does he feel like this? And how has he changed from act one, scene seven? Pause the video and discuss these three questions now.

Lovely to hear those discussions.

Always good to be able to look at different moments in the play and use them to help you understand a particular idea or a particular character development.

Here are some ideas that you might have had.

So Macbeth has gone from, "I'm settled and bend up to this terrible feat." I will commit the regicide to now saying, "O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife." So the metaphor seems to express that Macbeth feels his mind is being attacked.

His mind isn't actually full of scorpions, but that is how he feels.

And so he feels like his mind is being attacked.

This might be guilt about the regicide, but it could also be paranoia about Banquo.

There's not just one reason that Macbeth's mind might be being attacked.

Scorpions are filled with poison.

So Macbeth seems aware that his mind is deteriorating.

So that self-awareness that he had in act three, scene one when he talked about "for Banquo's issue have I filed my mind," have I destroyed my mind.

That comes through again in act three, scene two.

He realises that his mind is deteriorating.

Now he feels it is filled with scorpions, with poison.

This unhappiness could be because of the regicide but it also might make us think of the witch's influence and their poisonous prophecies.

So maybe the witches are in some way to blame for the way Macbeth is feeling at this point in the play.

And finally, his mental instability is a change from act one where he seems resolved and determined to go ahead with the regicide.

So "I am settled" is very different to "O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife." Really beautiful discussion there about two short quotations, but really showing a deep exploration of the character of Macbeth and how he's changing from act one to act three.

A check for understanding.

What could the metaphor, "O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife" tell us about Macbeth's feelings in act three, scene two? Select two that apply.

Pause the video and select your responses now.

Well done if you selected B and D.

He feels paranoid and he feels guilty.

I'd like you to discuss this question: how is Macbeth changing? I'd like you to consider these three things.

Firstly, his status.

What has changed about his status from act one to act three? His relationship with others.

You might want to focus on Lady Macbeth and Banquo in particular.

And his identity as a warrior.

All of our discussions from learning cycle One and learning cycle two are going to help you with this final question.

Pause the video and discuss this question using the bullet points to help you now.

Some beautiful discussions there, showing off your fantastic knowledge of the play, but also this character, our main character, Macbeth.

Here are some ideas that you might have had.

So Macbeth's status has increased.

He was a Thane and now he is a king.

But lots of you noticed that this status doesn't seem to have increased his happiness.

Macbeth was once respected, hailed as noble and worthy.

Whilst he's king of Scotland, Banquo already knows that he's treacherous.

So we can see that his reputation is starting to diminish.

Macbeth was close with Lady Macbeth, calling her his partner.

Now they seem much more isolated from each other.

Macbeth was a noble warrior.

Now he finances murderers to kill for him and hides these murders from everyone.

And I really liked how people selected that small plot point or seemingly small that he's hiring murderers to kill Banquo but this is actually very different, and not only from the regicide, which was, of course, immoral and wrong, but he did complete that himself, he did complete that murder himself but now he is financing murderers, criminals to do his work for him.

So a far cry from the battlefield, but it is even different from the regicide.

And finally, Macbeth's confidence in himself has been destroyed.

He's paranoid, unstable, and whilst he knows that he can't seem to stop it.

So really liked how people noticed well, he does seem unstable and paranoid but he also knows that this is how he feels.

So he has this self-awareness, which is also contributing to his unhappiness and his instability.

Beautiful discussion there about Macbeth, this character of Macbeth and how he's changing from act one, this noble warrior to now a king, but an unhappy king, a paranoid king, an unstable king.

In summary, the witches prophesied that Banquo's children would be kings in act one, scene three.

Macbeth, now King of Scotland, is paranoid about Banquo and his son Fleance.

Macbeth arranges to have Banquo and Fleance murdered.

The murderers kill Banquo but Fleance, his son, escapes.

Neither Macbeth nor Lady Macbeth seem to enjoy their status as monarchs.

I've so enjoyed reading act three, scenes one to three with you, and hearing all of your fantastic ideas, especially that really rich discussion at the end about how the character of Macbeth is changing.

I look forward to seeing you next time.