Hello, my name is Ms. Grant.

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

We're gonna start reading the play, "Macbeth." And this is the unit, "Macbeth: Lady Macbeth as Machiavellian villain." It's an absolute privilege to start this play with you today.

We're gonna be reading Act 1, Scenes 1 to 4.

I can't wait to hear all of your fantastic ideas.

I'm gonna be your support and guide throughout this lesson.

Let's get started.

So, by the end of today's lesson, you're going to be able to explain what happens in Act 1, Scenes 1 to 4 of "Macbeth." We have a general introduction to the play, and then we're gonna dive into Act 1.

We're gonna do some reading of this fantastic play, and you're gonna show off your brilliant understanding of the plot points and initial characterization in Act 1, Scenes 1 to 4.

There are some key words that we're going to reference throughout this lesson, and they're gonna help us achieve our objective.

They are ambition, regicide, Jacobean, prophecy, and thane.

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

If you want 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 gonna start off by looking at "Macbeth." We're gonna work out why it is a tale of ambition and betrayal.

Then we're going to look more specifically at Act 1, Scenes 1 to 4, we're going to read those scenes.

And then finally, we're gonna finish today's lesson by discussing Act 1, Scenes 1 to 4.

Let's get started with "Macbeth," a tale of ambition and betrayal.

I'd like you to discuss, "What are the pros and cons of being an ambitious person, or having an ambitious personality?" I'd like you to pause the video and discuss the question now.

Some really interesting discussions there with some people saying, "Well, the pros are you're always striving to be better than maybe you already have been.

And that might mean that you are ultimately very successful in life." And then others noting, "Well, that the con is that maybe you don't feel very satisfied with where you may be currently are, and so you might not be very happy, and if you have an excessively ambitious personality." Those were just some of the ideas I heard during that discussion.

Well, "Macbeth" is a play preoccupied with ambition and betrayal.

The protagonist, the main character, Macbeth, is ambitious, so is his wife, Lady Macbeth.

Indeed, they're so ambitious that they decide to kill their king, King Duncan, so that they can become King and Queen of Scotland, which is where the play is set.

Now, Shakespeare wrote "Macbeth" in about 1606, and the idea of regicide, killing your monarch, it was very topical.

Because in 1605, a group of Catholics had tried to kill the Protestant King James I of England.

Shakespeare also made the play topical by including three witches as characters.

Jacobeans believed in witches and in their malevolent power.

So even though the play is set in 11th century Scotland, it explores ideas that its first Jacobean audiences really cared about.

A check for understanding.

"In what ways was 'Macbeth' a topical play for its first Jacobean audiences?" Is it A, it explores ambition, a timeless emotion, B, it includes a regicide, or C, it is set in 11th century Scotland.

Pause the video and select your response now.

Well done if you selected B, it includes a regicide, showing of your knowledge of that key word, regicide, which means to kill your monarch.

Here are the key plot points of "Macbeth." In Act 1, we meet Macbeth, a noble warrior, and he's told that he will be king by three witches.

Lady Macbeth is particularly excited by this prediction.

In Act 2, Macbeth kills King Duncan, and he and his wife become King and Queen of Scotland.

In Act 3, Macbeth is a paranoid and unhappy ruler.

His relationship with Lady Macbeth deteriorates.

In Act 4, Macbeth sees the witches who give him further prophecies, which suggest he is invincible.

And in Act 5, there's a battle for the crown.

Macbeth is killed and Duncan's son, Malcolm, ascends the throne.

So here are our five Acts of "Macbeth," and a very brief summary of what happens in each of those Acts.

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

So pause the video, match Act 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 to their plot points.

Pause the video now.

Well done if you said, Act 1, Macbeth is told he will be king by three witches.

Act 2, the Macbeth's commit regicide.

Act 3, Macbeth is an unhappy monarch.

Act 4, Macbeth asks the witches for further prophecies.

And Act 5, Macbeth is killed.

Already, you have a fantastic knowledge of the key plot points in this play.

In Act 1, Scene 3, the witches meet Macbeth and give him this prophecy.

They say to him, "All hail, Macbeth.

Hail to the Thane of Glamis." The second which says, "All hail, Macbeth.

Hail to the Thane of Cawdor." And the third which says, "All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter." I'd like you to discuss these two questions.

"What are the witches telling him?" And, "How might he react to what they are telling him?" Pause the video, interact with this first section of dialogue from the play "Macbeth," and discuss these two questions.

Pause the video now.

Some beautiful discussions.

Great to see people already enjoying the text and looking at this powerful moment from Act 1, Scene 3 with the witches prophecies.

Let's share and collect some ideas.

So the witches are telling him that he is Thane of Glamis, which is his title at the moment.

And that he's about to be promoted to the Thane of Cawdor, and will then become King.

So that is their prophecy to Macbeth.

And Macbeth might feel excited and flattered.

They're all saying "Hail" to him, but he might also feel uncertain because witches are supernatural creatures, so he shouldn't really trust them.

And certainly, that's what the play's first Jacobean audiences would be thinking, witches are untrustworthy.

After these prophecies, Macbeth is indeed promoted to Thane of Cawdor, and it's a reward for his loyalty to King Duncan.

At this point in the play, Shakespeare gives Macbeth a number of asides.

So just after he's been promoted, Shakespeare gives Macbeth a number of asides.

These asides mean that Macbeth can reveal his thoughts and feelings to the audience about what he's been told without the other characters hearing.

So we're getting some of his innermost thoughts and feelings.

He's not only just been given these prophecies, but he's also just been promoted.

So he says, as an aside, "Glamis and Thane of Cawdor.

So I was Glamis, now I'm Thane of Cawdor, the greatest is behind.

So the kingship will come to me." His next aside, "Two truths are told.

It was true that I was Thane of Glamis, it's now true that I'm Thane of Cawdor, as happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme." And his final aside, "If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me without my stir." So three important asides from our character, main character, Macbeth.

I'd like you to discuss these two questions.

"In what ways does Shakespeare signal Macbeth's excitement about the prophecies?" And, "In what ways does Shakespeare signal Macbeth's uncertainty about the prophecies?" Pause the video, look at these three asides, and discuss these two questions now.

Some beautiful discussions there again.

Really nice to see people already engaging so fully with this text.

And looking at this dramatic technique, the use of the aside and thinking, "Well, what can it tell us about Macbeth?" Here's some ideas that you might have had.

So the first aside, "Glamis and Thane of Cawdor.

The greatest if behind." The word greatest suggests he's excited about the idea of being monarch, and anticipates it happening.

"Two truths are told, as happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme." He thinks that what the witches said is truth, he calls it truth, and feels being promoted to Cawdor is merely a prologue, a first step to being king.

So he really is anticipating his ascension to the throne.

But finally he says, "If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me without my stir." And Macbeth does seem a bit uncertain here if he should do anything, and thinks it's probably best to leave it to chance rather than taking any direct action.

So three very revealing asides there, and it was great to hear your engagement with that dramatic technique.

We're gonna move on to our second learning cycle.

We are going to now explore Act 1, Scenes 1 to 4.

Here are the key plot points of Act 1, Scenes 1 to Act 1, Scene 4 of "Macbeth." In Act 1, Scene 1, three witches meet on heath in terrible weather, and discuss when they will meet Macbeth.

In Act 1, Scene 2, King Duncan gives a report of battle in which Macbeth, and another Thane, Banquo, fought especially bravely.

In Act 1, Scene 3, the witches give the prophecies, and we read those prophecies in learning cycle one.

Macbeth will be king, and crucially, Banquo's sons will be kings.

So both Macbeth and Banquo received the prophecies.

Macbeth will be King, but the witches do tell Banquo that his sons will be king.

And in Act 1, Scene 4, the previous Thane of Cawdor is put to death.

He turned out to be a traitor.

So Macbeth, the new Thane of Cawdor, speaks to Duncan, who, remember, is the King of Scotland, and King Duncan praises Macbeth for his loyalty and bravery.

So those are the key plot points of Act 1, Scene 1, 2, 3, and 4 of "Macbeth." I'd like a quick check for understanding at this point.

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

We've got Scene 1, 2, 3, and 4 from Act 1.

Match them to their plot points.

Pause the video now.

Well done if you said in Scene 1, the witches prepared to meet Macbeth.

In Scene 2, there's an account of Macbeth bravery in battle, and Macbeth is promoted.

In Scene 3, the witches give the prophecies.

And in Scene 4, the previous Thane of Cawdor is killed.

Fantastic knowledge of the opening of this play.

Now, we're going to read Act 1, Scene 1.

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

"What is the weather like? And, "What kind of tone does it create?" And the second question, "Why do you think witches start the play, not the hero?" Read Act 1, Scene 1, and afterwards, pause and discuss these questions.

Read Act 1, scene 1 now.

Such a pleasure to hear people with such fantastic intonation reading the opening scene of this play.

Lots of you noted that it's very, very short, but that does not impact how powerful it is.

Let's have a look at these questions.

Here's some ideas you might have had.

So, "What's the weather like?" And, "What kind of tone does it create?" Well, there's a storm, which creates an ominous and scary tone.

There are lots and lots of different productions of "Macbeth," who really lean into this ominous and scary tone.

And then the second question, more reflective, "Why do you think witches start the play, not the hero?" I had a range of ideas, some of them suggesting that maybe this signals how much power the witches have, not just in this scene, but over the course of the play and the character's lives.

Let's move on to Act 1, Scene 2.

You're going to read this scene, and as you are reading, you're gonna pause and discuss the following questions.

I'd like you to describe Macbeth's reputation, and then I'd like you to think about how is Macbeth's capacity for violence emphasised.

Pause the video, read Act 1, Scene 2, and discuss these questions.

Pause the video now.

Again, lovely to see people reading this text with such fantastic intonation, and seeing some acting as well, particularly for some of those really powerful images in this scene.

Let's have a look at the answers to these questions.

So here are some ideas you might have had about Macbeth's reputation.

Macbeth has an excellent reputation as a really ruthless warrior.

And lots of you notice that he's called brave, or he's called noble, or he's called worthy.

So he seems like he's got an absolutely amazing and very respected reputation in the world of the play.

"How is Macbeth's capacity for violence emphasised?" Well, the brutality with which Macbeth fights is emphasised when we hear he unseamed someone, he cut them in half, and displayed their head for all to see on battlements.

He's described as using his sword to carve his way through the enemy.

And it was really nice to see people selecting really short moments, really short quotations from Act 1, Scene 2 in order to answer those questions.

Let's look at Act 1, Scene 3.

You're going to read through this scene, and as you're reading, pause and discuss the following questions.

"What do the witches tell Macbeth and Banquo?" We've already discussed some of this in our first learning cycle.

And then the second, "How does each thane.

." Remember Macbeth and Banquo are thanes Scottish soldiers.

"How do they respond to these prophecies?" Read Act 1, Scene 3, pause the video and discuss these questions.

Pause the video now.

Lovely to see people using all that work from learning cycle one in order to help them access Act 1, Scene 3 and answer these questions.

Here's some ideas that you might have had.

So, "What do the Witches tell Macbeth and Banquo?" Well, Macbeth is told that he will be King, and Banquo is told his children will be kings.

"How does each thane respond to these prophecies?" Well, Macbeth seems really excited about the prophecies.

He asks the witches to stay and tell him more.

Banquo describes Macbeth as a rapt, spellbound by them.

Banquo seems a bit more hesitant.

He calls the witches devil, and is more worried about Macbeth's rapt reactions than his own prophecies.

And it was really nice to hear people talk about the contrasting reactions of Macbeth and Banquo, and how those contrasting reactions might help us understand the characters at this early point in the play.

Finally, for today, let's look at Act 1, Scene 4.

And as you're reading this scene, you're going to think about these two questions.

"Why was King Duncan so angered by the previous Thane of Cawdor's treachery?" And secondly, "How does Duncan treat Macbeth and Banquo?" I'd like you to read through Act 1, Scene 4, pause the video and discuss these questions.

Read through that scene now.

Lovely to see people reading through that scene and thinking so thoughtfully about these two questions.

Here's some ideas that you might have had.

"Why was King Duncan so angered by the previous Thane of Cawdor's treachery?" Well, Duncan says, "He was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust." Lots of people picked out this quotation and looked at that word, "trust." King Duncan is a trusting king.

And so the betrayal of the previous Thane of Cawdor is very deep, hence why Duncan has him executed.

And, "How does Duncan treat Macbeth and Banquo?" He treats them with honour and respect.

Macbeth is worthiest, Banquo is noble.

And he says, "I will labour to make thee full of growing." So he wants them to continue to flourish in his kingdom.

Lots of people actually contemplated Duncan as king and said he seems like a good king.

He punishes those who displease him and who can potentially destroy Scotland.

And he honours those who seem to be working in Scotland's favour.

Some people also noted the irony that Macbeth has now been promoted to being Thane of Cawdor after he is heard these prophecies and been so interested in them.

And people referencing the discussion we had in learning cycle one about those asides and Macbeth's ambition.

So the scene is set for very interesting play and development of this character.

Now, we're going to have a discussion about Act 1, Scenes 1 to 4, and we're gonna focus on the character of Macbeth.

So Aisha and Sam discuss their first impressions of Macbeth.

Aisha says, "I think Shakespeare creates a character who everyone respects.

Shakespeare includes the description of Macbeth fighting to show how important loyalty is to him.

Although he thinks about the prophecies when he says, 'If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me without my stir,' he doesn't seem committed to the idea of regicide at this point in the play.

Ultimately, he cares about Duncan and being a noble thane." So a lovely and very clear and compellingly argued idea about the character of Macbeth, with choice quotations to prove that what she's saying is a valid interpretation of this character.

Now, Sam disagrees and has a slightly different take.

"I think Shakespeare creates a character who is clearly ambitious and deceptive.

Shakespeare includes the asides to show his immediate desire to be king after the prophecies.

Although he fought bravely for Duncan, his brutality just shows his capacity for violence and also arrogance.

He didn't need to display the head for all to see." So, slightly different interpretation there of the character of Macbeth, and this time relying on the asides that we looked at in learning cycle one to bolster that argument.

But both really valid arguments and showing a lovely engagement with the text even at just looking at the early scenes Act 1, Scenes 1 to 4.

Now, I'd like you to discuss, who do you agree with more and why? There's no right answer here, but there might be someone who you immediately think, "Ah, yes, that idea spoke to me." Or, you might have a completely different idea.

I'd like you to pause the video and think who do you agree with more and why? Pause the video now.

Some lovely discussions there showing, just like these two students, you have a fantastic in-depth knowledge of Act 1, Scenes 1 to 4 at this early stage in our exploration of "Macbeth." There's kind of even split there.

Some people saying, "Yeah, I can absolutely see that he's a character that everyone respects." But others arguing, "No, that deception, ambition, that idea spoke far more to me in this play." A check for understanding.

Which of these adjectives could you use to describe Macbeth in Act 1, Scenes 1 to 4? That A, asides, B, aspirational, C, supernatural, or D, deceptive.

Pause the video and select your responses now.

Well done if you selected B and D, aspirational being a synonym for ambitious, and asides A is the incorrect answer because that is a dramatic technique rather than an adjective that you could use to describe Macbeth.

So using the four sentence starters below, I'd like you to formalise your thoughts in answer to the question, "How does Shakespeare present Macbeth in Act 1, Scenes 1 to 4?" Here are the sentence starters.

"I think Shakespeare creates a character who.

." "Shakespeare includes.

to suggest.

." "Although he.

." And, "Ultimately.

." So I'd like you to pause the video now, and using those four sentence starters, formalise your thoughts in answer to this question, "How does Shakespeare present Macbeth in Act 1, Scenes 1 to 4?" Pause the video now.

Lovely to hear such a range of interpretations of this character of Macbeth.

And at this early stage in our exploration of the play, it was also really nice to hear how those sentence starters really helped formalise your answers, and saw you select some really fantastic evidence from those first scenes that you've read.

Here are two more student responses, and I'd like you to compare them to your own discussions.

So Andeep says, "I think Shakespeare creates a character who is conflicted.

Shakespeare includes the description of Macbeth fighting to show how important loyalty is to him, but the asides to show his burning ambition.

Although he seems powerful in the battle scene, he's actually a character filled with doubts.

Hence why he tries to rely on the untrustworthy witches when he says, 'Tell me more.

' Ultimately, Macbeth is confident on the battlefield, but much less confident elsewhere." I really like the use of that adjective "conflicted" there, and selecting evidence to prove why that adjective is apt.

Sophia says, "I think Shakespeare creates a character who is entirely defined by being a thane." Really nice to use that key word there.

"Shakespeare includes the conversation between the Sergeant and Duncan to show how Macbeth is the epitome of a noble warrior.

This gives him his identity and place in society.

Although he appears deceptive at points, his uncertainty about the regicides stems from it conflicting with his sense of self.

Ultimately, Macbeth wants to serve his King, rather than be King." So, I really like that idea, the idea of Macbeth's identity, and using those key words to ground those ideas as well as some well-selected evidence from the text.

In summary, the play includes topics that would have appealed to its first Jacobean audiences.

Ambition is a key theme in the play.

The witches start the play.

The witches prophecy that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and then King.

The witches prophecy that Banquo's sons will become kings.

Macbeth is presented as a loyal thane at the start of the play.

It has been such a pleasure to read these opening scenes of Macbeth with you.

I look forward to seeing you next time.