Hello, my name is Ms. Grant.

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

We're gonna be looking at Macbeth, specifically act three, scene two, and the plotting of Banquo's murder.

I'm gonna be your support and guide as we go through today's lesson.

I'm really looking forward to hearing all of your ideas.

Let's get started.

So by the end of today's lesson, you are going to be able to explain the parallels between act one, scene five and act three, scene two.

We're gonna look at both of these scenes in more detail.

We're gonna think how are they the same? How are they different? Why are they different? Some keywords that we're going to reference throughout this lesson to help us achieve our objective.

They are parallels, mirrors, personify, humanity.

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

Read through them.

If you want to spend more time with each of those definitions, pause the video at the end of the next slide.

Our lesson outline for today, we are going to first of all look at the Macbeth's as monarchs, and then we're gonna finish off today's lesson, looking at the parallels between act one, scene five and act three, scene two.

Let's start off with the Macbeth's as monarchs.

Here are some moments when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth think about the idea of being monarch.

Banquo says Macbeth is wrapped by the prophecies spell bound by them.

When Macbeth is promoted to the Thane of Crawdor Macbeth says the greatest is behind.

He's anticipating becoming King.

Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth about the greatness which is promised thee.

Lady Macbeth is equally excited.

She's excited about the golden round the crown when she hears about the prophecies in act one, scene five.

Lady Macbeth calls being king greater than being great glamis or worthy Crawdor.

And Lady Macbeth anticipates sovereign sway and masterdom.

I'd like you to discuss how do the Macbeth feel about the idea of power and status? How might you predict that they will respond to being monarchs? Use the evidence on the slide to support your discussion.

Pause the video and discuss the question now.

Some lovely discussions looking back at moments in the play when the Macbeths are still excited about the idea of becoming monarchs and excited is a word that lots of people used.

You can also see that Lady Macbeth is really excited about the idea of power and lots of people focused on the final quotation, "sovereign sway and masterdom," the idea that she's excited about being in control.

Some other people notice that this word "great" comes up all the time.

"Greatest is behind," "Greatness is promised thee," "Greater than being Glamis or worthy Crawdor." So they really think of it as the best thing, an aspiration by which they are really, really excited.

This is the first thing that Macbeth says when he's alone, just after becoming King of Scotland." To be thus is nothing but to be safely thus.

Our fears in Banquo stick deep." I'd like you to discuss how does Macbeth actually feel as King of Scotland? He was excited about it, but how does he actually feel and why do you think he feels like this? Pause the video and discuss this question now.

Lovely to hear people looking at a short bit of the text in such detail.

And you're right, he does not feel stable.

He does not feel happy despite his excitement about becoming monarch.

He says, to be thus is nothing.

He feels nothing being monarch.

And the reason for this is very clear.

He's worried about Banquo because of course the witches said to Macbeth, "You will be king." But they also told Banquo that his children will be kings and that's what Macbeth is focused on and why he does not feel stable or happy.

Later to Lady Macbeth, he says, "Better be with the dead whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace than on the torture of the mind to lie in restless ecstasy." I'd like you to discuss the same question again.

Looking at this bit of text now, how does Macbeth feel as King of Scotland and why does he feel like this? Pause the video and discuss the question now.

Some fantastic discussions there looking at this bit of text in a lot of detail.

And he seems to have become more intensely unhappy and some focused on this first phrase from the quotation, "Better be with the dead whom we, to gain our peace, have sent a piece." He's thinking about the idea that it'd be better to be dead, to be with Duncan rather than to be alive and to feel so unstable as he does as monarch.

He's he feels at the moment that he's being tortured and this strange phrase at the end, "restless ecstasy." Ecstasy feeling sort of excitement, true happiness, but it's not true happiness.

It is actually sullied a little bit by the fact that he feels restless because he's so nervous about the idea of Banquo and Banquo's children becoming kings.

So all the excitement about becoming monarch, it hasn't been realised.

He's unhappy, he feels unstable.

This is the first thing Lady Macbeth says when she's alone just after becoming Queen of Scotland.

She says, "Nought's had, all spent where our desire is got without content.

'Tis safer to be that which we destroy than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy." I'd like you to discuss how does Lady Macbeth feel as Queen of Scotland and why does she feel like this? Pause the video and discuss the question now.

Some lovely discussions looking at Lady Macbeth who like Macbeth, does not feel happy as monarch despite her excitement about it.

She, like Macbeth says, "'Tis safer to be that which we destroy than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy." She's also thinking about perhaps it'll be better to be dead than to be queen, to be king, but to be filled with doubts, doubtful joy.

That phrase kind of summing up how she's feeling now that she has the power that she so desperately wanted.

Let's have a look at Macbeth's feelings about being monarch again.

Remember he says, "Better be with the dead whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace, than on the torture of the mind to lie in restless ecstasy." So looking at these two quotations together, in what ways do Lady Macbeth's feelings mirror Macbeth's feelings? Pause the video and discuss this question now.

Some beautiful discussions there, people noting that just as they were similarly excited about becoming monarchs, they anticipated that it would be great.

Now they are both similarly unhappy about being monarchs.

They feel unstable and they are so unhappy that they actually contemplate the idea of death as being preferable to being mons and not feeling secure.

So a quick check for understanding.

In what ways do the Macbeth's experiences of monarchy mirror each other? Is it A, both wish that King Duncan wasn't dead.

B, both feel content as monarch except for the threat of Banquo.

C, both of them express some envy of those who are dead.

Or D, both feel that monarchy has brought them nothing.

Pause the video and select your responses now.

Well done if you selected C and D, correctly identifying how the Macbeth's experiences of monarchy mirror each other.

Now, Sam said, "For me, the most powerful indication of unhappiness is Macbeth's phrase, torture of the mind.

For a warrior, the idea of physical pain is normal, but this is something new.

The word torture suggests prolonged pain and of the mind shows that it is internal and self-inflicted.

He knows he has no one to blame but himself." This is Sam's idea about the Macbeths as Monarch, specifically looking at Macbeth himself, I'd like you to use the model to guide you to explain which phrase you think is the most powerful indication of unhappiness.

Just as a reminder, here are the quotations.

"To be thus is nothing but to be safely thus.

Our fears and Banquos stick deep." This is from Macbeth.

"Better be with the dead whom we, to gain our peace, has sent to peace than on the torture of the mind to lie in restless ecstasy." Again from Macbeth.

And finally, from Lady Macbeth who says, Nought's had, all's spent where our desire is got without content.

To safer to be that which we destroy than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy." I'd like you to pause the video, use the model to guide you and explain which phrase you think is the most powerful indication of unhappiness.

Pause the video now.

So lovely to hear people really looking at those quotations in depth and also having different ideas about which phrase really focuses on the idea, gives the most powerful indication that the Macbeths are unhappy as monarchs.

Here's some ideas that other students had and you can compare them to your own.

You can add ideas if you wish as we go through.

Jacob said, For me, the most powerful indication of unhappiness is Macbeth's phrase, 'To be thus is nothing.

' In the world of the play, the hierarchy is important.

To say being at the top of the hierarchy means nothing to him, showing just how empty being monarch feels.

Shakespeare makes it clear that Macbeth caress about the hierarchy.

He's a thane and he was previously loyal to Duncan.

So a core value of his has been destroyed through his act of regicide." I really liked how Jacob used really good keywords there, hierarchy and regicide as well.

And Alex said, "For me, the most powerful indication of unhappiness is Lady Macbeth's phrase, 'Our desire is got without content.

' She's a character who was so certain of what she wanted and how to get it.

Unlike Macbeth, she was not hesitant.

So her unhappiness seems even more acute.

She only says this when she's alone.

She doesn't say it to Macbeth.

So she's trying to hide her feelings from someone who once thought of her as his dearest partner of greatness." I really like how Alex has thought about the staging.

So who Lady Macbeth is saying this to.

The fact that she's saying it to no one is quite significant.

So two really nice answers there.

Looking at a small phrase which shows the Macbeths' unhappiness as monarchs.

It was really lovely to hear your responses and see you selecting different moments of those quotations.

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

Let's look at the parallels between act one, scene five and act three, scene two, which is a scene we were just looking at.

After receiving a letter from Macbeth about the prophecies, Lady Macbeth has a soliloquy.

Let's reread the soliloquy from act one, scene five.

Lady Macbeth says, "Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty.

Make thick my blood, stop up the access and passage to remorse that no captious visitings of nature shake my fell purpose nor keep peace between the effect and it." I'd like you to discuss the following three questions in relation to Lady Macbeth's soliloquy in act one, scene five.

What is she asking the spirits to do? What emotion does she no longer want to feel? And why doesn't she want to feel this feeling? Pause the video and discuss these three questions.

Pause the video now.

Here are some ideas that you might have had.

So what she asking the spirits to do? She's asking them to remove her femininity, "unsex me here" and to fill her with inhumanity.

"Fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty." What emotion does she no longer want to feel? She's saying, "Make thick my blood.

Stop up the access and passage to remorse." She no longer wants to feel remorse or guilt.

And finally, why doesn't Lady Macbeth want to feel this feeling? Why doesn't she want to feel remorse or guilt? Sorry for the things that she has done? Well, she doesn't want this connection with her humanity.

She knows that this connection might stop her killing Duncan and she wants nothing to stop her from killing Duncan.

The soliloquy continues.

Lady Macbeth says, "Come, thick night and pall thee in the dumbest smoke of hell that my keen knife sees not the wound it makes, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark to cry, 'Hold, hold.

'" I'd like you to discuss the following two questions.

What does she want night to be wrapped in? "Pall three," that's the the section where she says wrapped in.

And what two things does she want to hide in the thick night? Pause the video and discuss these two questions now.

Fantastic to hear people looking at this second section of the soliloquy.

Lots of people explore the, "Unsex me here, fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty." But this second section is equally as important.

Here are some ideas that you might have had.

What does she want night to be wrapped in? Well, she personifies night.

"Come, thick night." She's talking to it as if it's a person and she's asking it to wrap her knife in smoke from hell.

And what two things does she want to hide in thick night? She wants the night to hide the wound her knife makes in Duncan and the act of regicide to be hidden from heaven so that it can't be stopped.

Now in act three, scene two, another murder is being contemplated.

act one, scene five, Lady Macbeth is contemplating Duncan's murder.

Act three, scene two, another murder is being contemplated.

This time, Macbeth anxious about his legacy is plotting Banquo's murder.

Remember, in learning cycle one, Macbeth says, "To be thus is nothing but to be safely thus.

Our fears in Banquo stick deep." And he decides to do something about these fears.

He decides to murder Banquo.

This is how he prepares.

He says, "Come seeling night, scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day.

And with thy bloody and invisible hand, cancel and tear to pieces that great bond which keeps me pale." Keeps me pale, means keeps me humane.

I'd like you to discuss this question.

How does Macbeth's dialogue here mirror that of Lady Macbeth's in act one, scene five? The soliloquy that we just looked at.

Pause the video and discuss this question now.

Lovely to see people looking at this second bit of dialogue and really thinking about the language mirrors that we can see.

So really drilling down into language.

Here are some ideas that you might have had.

Like Lady Macbeth, Macbeth relies on darkness to hide his crimes.

Seeling means to close someone's eyes to something.

So he asks night to be seeling.

"Come, seeling night." Just like Lady Macbeth says, "Come, thick night." Like Lady Macbeth, he personifies night.

He's asking night to do something for him and he's asking it to violently break his bond with humanity.

"Seeling night, I want you to cancel and tear to pieces.

That great bond which keeps me pale." Both characters asking night to do something for them.

After telling Lady Macbeth, that Banquo and his Fleance lives, Lady Macbeth is worried too.

She asks, "What's to be done." Macbeth refuses to tell Lady Macbeth his plot.

He says, "Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest Chuck Till thou applaud the deed." I had like you to discuss, what are the differences between the plotting of Banquo's murder and the plotting of Duncan's murder? Pause the video and discuss this question now.

Some lovely discussions.

I really like to hear people referring back to earlier moments in the play, really showing off their knowledge and comparing it to where we are now in act three, scene two.

Here's some ideas that you might have had.

Macbeth plots this murder, not Lady Macbeth.

Macbeth doesn't tell Lady Macbeth his plan, unlike the regicide which they executed together.

Lady Macbeth is anxious.

She asks questions.

She's not dominant like before.

I had lots of people talking about Lady Macbeth's dominance in act one, scene seven but here she is uncertain what's to be done.

She does not have a plan.

And killing Banquo won't get Macbeth anything tangible like the crown.

I heard a few people discussing this that Banquo is actually not the threat, it's his children, but also that Macbeth is now focused on the future rather than being promoted in the present.

I'd like you to discuss this question.

Why do you think Shakespeare created these parallels and mirrors? Consider how it might help us understand these two things.

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's development and their relationship with each other.

Pause the video and discuss this question.

Pause the video now.

Beautiful to hear people piecing together all the learning that we've done so far.

Thinking about the language parallels, the differences between act one, scene five and act three, scene two, and starting to think about character development and the relationship that Macbeths have with each other.

Here are some ideas that I heard people talking about.

That both characters excitement and anticipation about monarchy has disappeared when faced with the reality.

The greatness they anticipated is actually a reality of instability, fears, and doubts.

Macbeth is increasingly isolated, deceptive, and inhumane.

So before, he was really relying on Lady Macbeth, even if we thought their relationship maybe you might argue that it wasn't very good for each other, that Lady Macbeth goaded him into doing something, they were very united as a couple.

And Lady Macbeth seems much less confident.

There is a mark change here with Lady Macbeth's character, their relationship with each other.

Well, Lady Macbeth now seems to depend more on Macbeth than previously.

Previously, she was the one who had say, "Stick your courage to sticking place." "Screw your courage to the sticking place," sorry.

And saying will not fail.

But now, she's asking questions, "What's to be done about Banquo's murder?" And they're keeping secrets from each other.

Lady Macbeth, lots of people noticed Lady Macbeth hides her feelings.

She doesn't actually say how she's feeling to Macbeth.

She sort of puts a brave face on it.

But Macbeth, he's not hiding his feelings.

He's hiding his actions.

He's not telling Lady Macbeth that he's going to kill Banquo.

Fantastic discussions there.

Really thinking about language, but also thinking about the actions and in both scenes to help you understand these characters and their relationship with each other even more.

A quick check for understanding.

Act one, scene five and act three, scene two parallel each other, but A, Lady Macbeth is now inhumane.

B, Lady Macbeth is now less dominant.

C, the personification of night is absent or D, the Macbeth's relationship with each other has altered.

Pause the video and select your responses now.

Well done if you selected B and D.

They do parallel each other, but Lady Macbeth is now less dominant and the Macbeth's relationship with each other has altered.

I'd like you to complete the table below, showing the parallels and mirrors between act three, scene two and act one, scene five, as well as the differences.

You can see the table below.

There's one column for parallels and mirrors, and then one column four differences.

When you are doing your table, I'd like you to consider how the Macbeths feel about their current status and their future crime, the death of Banquo.

What crime is being plotted and why, and the way they express themselves through their language.

Pause the video and complete the table now.

Lovely to see people synthesising all of their knowledge from the very beginning of this lesson, looking at the Macbeth's anticipation of monarchy, how they feel when they are monarchs.

And then comparing those two scenes, you've really gathered together a lot of information, a lot of analysis about this play and started to think about why there are these parallels and mirrors and why there are these differences.

Here are some ideas that you might have had.

You can add them to your responses to your table as we go through if you wish.

In both scenes, a murder is being plotted.

Duncan and then Banquo and his son's, Fleance, the Macbeths are behind both murders and the emerging those to whom they should be loyal.

Remember that Banquo and Macbeth were very close at the beginning of the play.

The language of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth mirrors each other.

It was lovely to see people using that word in their table.

And both personify night and make demands of it.

Thick night and seeling night, both explore ideas of hiding and deception.

Again, I had a lot of people looking at that language and really doing some lovely language analysis to help us understand those Lady Macbeth soliloquy and then Macbeth's speech.

Both characters want to rid themselves of their humanity and are violent in their desires.

Macbeth says, "Tear to pieces, the great bond which keeps me pale," and Lady Macbeth demands, "Fill me with direst cruelty." Now let's look at the differences between act one, scene five and act three, scene two, rather than the parallels and mirrors.

Some differences.

Banquo and Fleance are the targets, not Duncan, killing them is about protecting Macbeth's legacy, not about an immediate and present promotion.

Macbeth plans and orchestrates this plan, not a Lady Macbeth.

She seems to have lost control and some dominance.

Lady Macbeth's speech is a soliloquy, suggesting she needs to hide her desires.

Macbeth says his out loud to her.

Perhaps humanity is only a feminine trait.

It was really nice to see people thinking about the dramatic device of the soliloquy and thinking what this might mean in terms of Lady Macbeth feelings.

Well done for completing that table in such detail and having such an in-depth understanding of act one, scene five and act three, scene two, as well as the character of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

In summary, dramatically, act three, scene two mirrors act one, scene five, with a death being plotted.

However, roles have been reversed and Macbeth seems to be in control in this scene.

Both characters appear uneasy during this scene.

Power and status have not led to happiness.

Mirroring Lady Macbeth's "unsex me here," Macbeth seems to want to rid himself of his bond with humanity.

Thank you so much for joining me for this lesson.

It was lovely to hear such intricate, detailed, and analytical ideas about these two scenes.

I look forward to learning with you again soon.