Hello and welcome to your lesson today where we'll be exploring the motif of sleep in the play "Macbeth." I'm Miss Sutherland and I'll be teaching you today.

Our learning outcome for today's lesson is to analyse the motif of sleep in regards to Macbeth's guilt.

We have four key words for today's lesson.

The first word is insomnia.

Insomnia means difficulty falling or staying asleep.

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth suffer from insomnia in this play.

Repressed, repressed describes a feeling that you do not express.

So if you never show your jealousy, you could be said to have repressed feelings of jealousy.

Repressed feelings are feelings that you keep under the surface, you keep inside of you and you don't express them outwards.

And we're going to be looking at the possible effects of repressing emotions later in the lesson.

Manifestation is our next word, and manifestation is a sign of something existing or happening, or perhaps a physical representation of something.

And assuage, assuage means to make an unpleasant feeling less intense.

Those are your four key words for today's lesson.

I'll give you a moment to pause the video and reflect upon those four key words now.

Brilliant.

In today's lesson we have two learning cycles.

In the first learning cycle, we'll be exploring the motif of sleep.

We'll be looking at the moments in which sleep is significant throughout this play.

And in the second learning cycle we'll be writing about the motif of sleep and learning how to track this motif effectively.

So let's start off with exploring the motif of sleep.

The first thing I want you to discuss is what consequences does Macbeth receive for his acts of brutality? Pause the video and discuss.

Here are some of the consequences that Macbeth receives for his acts of brutality in the play.

He suffers hallucinations, he cannot pray, he cannot sleep, he falls from grace.

In other words, people start thinking of him negatively.

He's damaged his reputation and he's also murdered by Macduff.

So Macbeth does suffer quite a few consequences in the play for his acts of brutality.

Discuss, what do you think is the worst consequence Macbeth receives for his acts of brutality, which is the most severe and extreme consequence in your opinion? Pause the video and discuss.

Many argue that Macbeth's inability to sleep is the worst consequence for his brutality, surpassing the hallucinations and even his eventual death in terms of severity.

Let's explore why insomnia, the inability to sleep might be classed as the most severe consequence in the play.

First of all, discuss what do you associate with sleep? Pause the video and have a chat now.

You may have said that sleep is a natural human process, that we are the most, that we are most vulnerable and innocent when we sleep because we're unaware of what's going on around us and we are completely helpless in this state.

You may have said that sleep is restorative and healing.

Sleep helps us to function in the best way possible.

And sleep grants us peace.

Overall then sleep is a process that's vital for human function and provides many benefits to humans.

Let's track where the motif of sleep occurs in the play Macbeth then.

Here are instances where Macbeth references sleep.

In act two, scene one, he says, "Wicked dreams abuse the curtained sleep." And that is when he is contemplating the act of regicide.

In act two, scene two, Macbeth hears a voice that says, "Macbeth does murder sleep," and that is said after the regicide.

And in act three, scene two, Macbeth says, "In the affliction of terrible dreams, better be with the dead.

Duncan is in his grave after life's fitful fever, he sleeps well." I now want you to discuss what is Macbeth's relationship with sleep in each of the quotes.

Pause the video and discuss.

Let's start with "wicked dreams abuse the curtained sleep." In act two, scene one, when Macbeth says this, violent thoughts of regicide disturb Macbeth's sleep.

So from very early on in the play, Shakespeare establishes Macbeth as having a rocky, difficult relationship with his sleep.

And he begins to have this difficulty sleeping as he becomes more associated with the act of regicide.

After Macbeth has committed regicide, Macbeth cannot sleep.

He suffers from insomnia.

And in act three, scene two, Macbeth's insomnia by this point is so cruel that he begins to envy the sleep that Duncan is granted in death.

Now let's zoom in to Macbeth's act two, scene two, soliloquy, delivered after committing regicide where the motif of sleep is particularly prominent.

Macbeth says, "Methought I heard a voice cry, 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep,' the innocent sleep, that nicks up the ravell'd sleave of care, the death of each day's life, sore labour's bath, balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, Chief Nourisher in life's feast." The imagery about sleep is very, very vivid and powerful in this soliloquy.

So it's worth unpicking.

Discuss which line do you find the most interesting and why? Pause the video and discuss.

I now want you to discuss based on the text, why do you think Macbeth is so bothered about not sleeping? You can also use some of the ideas of our mind map on sleep to answer this question.

Pause the video and discuss.

Macbeth is anguished about his insomnia because without sleep he cannot assuage his mental turmoil.

We can see this through his use of healing imagery to describe sleep, he says sleep is a balm, is a bath and is a nourisher.

And the fact he cannot access sleep means he cannot access any of its healing benefits.

So he is left to suffer with his guilt alone and with no remedy.

Now discuss what do you think is meant by "Macbeth does murder sleep?" Can you think about what sleep may symbolise? Pause the video and discuss.

Macbeth has literally murdered Duncan.

Sleep could symbolise innocence and godliness since the sleeping Duncan could have been a personification of both innocence and godliness.

So in killing Duncan, Macbeth has murdered innocence and godliness.

Now I want you to discuss how could insomnia be seen as a manifestation of Macbeth's guilt? Pause the video and discuss.

If we take sleep to symbolise innocence, Macbeth has metaphorically murdered or destroyed his own innocence, thus his insomnia could be a manifestation or sign off his guilt.

Well done on unpicking that very important soliloquy there.

Okay, I now want us to go back to all the other scenes in which sleep is referenced.

If sleep does indeed symbolise innocence as we've discussed, what do these quotes suggest about Macbeth's relationship with guilt at each moment.

Pause the video and discuss.

So in act two, scene one, violent thoughts of regicide disturbed Macbeth's sleep.

So we could say Macbeth is beginning to feel guilty even considering regicide, he's beginning to have haunting dreams about it.

Representing guilt is slowly starting to take effect.

In act two, scene two, "Macbeth does murder sleep." We've already talked about that quote, exposing Macbeth's extreme guilt and his complete loss of innocence.

And in act three, scene two, Macbeth's insomnia is so cruel and that could represent that his guilt is so strong.

His envy of Duncan sleeping in death could represent him wanting to regain his own innocence.

Now let's discuss why do you think Macbeth suffers from insomnia throughout the play? Pause the video and discuss.

Some possible answers.

Macbeth may suffer insomnia because he's having nightmares based on his repressed guilt, based on the guilt that he doesn't outwardly show.

Macbeth could suffer from insomnia because God has withheld sleep as a punishment.

Sleep was often seen as a gift from God.

So this could be an so Macbeth's insomnia could be an example of his divine retribution.

Sleep is a symbol of innocence and peace.

Since Macbeth is sinful, he cannot access peace.

And finally, Macbeth has committed unnatural deeds in the murder of Duncan and indeed Banquo, which leads to a disruption in his sleep and natural human process.

And that's reflected in the quote, "Unnatural deeds do breed unnatural troubles." Macbeth is denied a vital human process, the completely natural process because he committed an unnatural crime.

Let's check your understanding of what we've talked about so far then.

Why is it significant that Macbeth cannot sleep throughout the play? Pause the video and answer that question now.

It's significant that Macbeth cannot sleep throughout the play because insomnia means he cannot gain peace which reflects his guilty conscience.

So all the times in which Macbeth struggles to sleep in this play, all the times that he experiences insomnia, we could read as representing his guilty conscience.

Now I want you to use the following sentence stems to explain Shakespeare's use of the sleep motif and create a written analysis of the quotations.

Your two sentence stems are, just after killing Duncan, Macbeth hears a voice that says "Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep," which, and number two, Macbeth then reflects on the fact that "Duncan is in his grave," and "after life's fitful fever, he sleeps well," suggesting.

Pause the video and analyse those two quotations now.

Off you go.

Let's go through what you may have written.

Number one, just after killing Duncan, Macbeth has a voice that says, "Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep," which suggests the voice is a manifestation of Macbeth's conscience.

Since the voice denies him sleep, we can view sleep as a symbol for innocence and Macbeth's murder of it shows that he has not only murdered innocence personified when he killed Duncan, but he has also murdered the innocence within himself.

Thus, his divine punishment is insomnia.

Number two, Macbeth then reflects on the fact that, "Duncan is in his grave, after life's fitful fever he sleeps well," suggesting that only the innocent will be granted rest and peace.

This could be why Macbeth is envious of Duncan's sleep because he knows he will not sleep, never being able to reach true peace or comfort again due to him being stained with guilt after committing a sacrilegious murder.

So, so far we've been exploring the motif of sleep from "Macbeth" and we've gathered that insomnia reflects Macbeth's guilt whilst sleep reflects innocence, peace and godliness.

Let's move on now to writing about the motif of sleep.

Let's put all our ideas to good use now.

Tracing motifs throughout your paragraphs and essays is a great way to elevate your writing.

When tracing motifs, you should aim to, use multiple examples from across the text, make links between language and structure, and this is a good opportunity to comment on how the motif develops throughout the text.

You can use phrases such as initially, from the outset, turning point, furthermore and finally.

And lastly, you should develop links and inferences between each of your mention of a motif.

When tracing motifs throughout an essay, you can use discourse markers for time and sequence to make links across the text.

For example, first, initially, immediately, after, later, as progresses, and finally.

Let's unpick how to use these discourse markers.

You can use the discourse markers first, initially, and immediately when you are citing the first use of a motif.

You can then use the discourse markers after, later, and as the play progresses, to signify the development of the motif.

And you can use a discourse marker such as finally, to show that you are drawing conclusions about the motif.

Now let's check your understanding of what we've just talked about regarding discourse markers and motifs.

Is this true or false? You should only include one example of each motif in your writing.

Pause the video and answer true or false.

Well done if you said false.

It's false that you should only include one example of each motif in your writing.

Can you now think about why that answer is false? Pause the video and reflect.

Off you go.

It is false because you should discuss multiple examples of each motif using discourse markers to track the motif throughout the text.

Now a pupil wrote the following paragraph in response to the question, how does Shakespeare use the motif of sleep to convey his ideas about guilt? Let's read the paragraph and answer where this answer uses discourse markers.

One of Shakespeare's first references to guilt occurs in act two, scene one, immediately associating insomnia with guilt.

After meeting the witches, Banquo states, "I would not sleep." He then asks God to "restrain in me cursed thoughts that nature gives way to in repose!" The audience might assume that Banquo is perhaps yielding to the witches suggestion, entertain the prophecy that his sons will become kings.

Thus, his insomnia might stem from guilt in having sinister thoughts about how his own sons will become kings.

After this moment, Banquo does not seem to suffer from any insomnia suggesting that the guilt that kept him awake served its proper function.

It acted as a catalyst to prevent sin and brutality.

Discuss now, where does this answer use discourse markers? Pause the video and discuss.

Here are the discourse markers that you might have picked out.

First, immediately, and after.

So we get to see here how Shakespeare initially presents the motif of sleep and how he develops it as the play progresses in relation to the character of Banquo.

Now I want you to write a further paragraph in response to the question, how does Shakespeare use the motif of sleep to convey his ideas about guilt? You should use discourse markers to trace the motif.

Refer to moments across the text, refer to Macbeth's insomnia, and start with the following sentence stem, later in the play Shakespeare also employs the motif of sleep to convey ideas about innocence.

Pause the video and get writing about the motif of sleep and how it links to the theme of guilt.

More specifically, Macbeth's guilt.

Pause the video and get writing, off you go.

Excellent effort there.

You might have written later it in the play, Shakespeare employs the motif of sleep to juxtapose ideas about guilt with innocence and godliness.

Macbeth says that "in the affliction of terrible dreams that shake us, better be with the dead." The terrible dreams that trouble him and prevent sleep may be a manifestation of his repressed guilt after murdering Duncan, innocence in human form.

Macbeth's reflection that he would rather be dead than suffer like this, reflects that rest and sleep are the only things that would bring Macbeth peace, the thing he craves so much.

Shortly after, rather ironically, Macbeth seems jealous of the murdered Duncan who sleeps well.

It is clear that Duncan is able to do so because of his innocence, clear conscience, and godliness, all of which Macbeth lacks, explaining why he's denied sleep.

Shakespeare perhaps warns the audience that the guilty man will be punished, whether by God or his own conscience, by being withheld sleep.

Identify the discourse markers now in that answer.

Pause the video and see if you can identify those discourse markers.

Well done if you found the discourse markers later and shortly after.

They show how the motif of sleep is progressing.

Now I want you to identify the discourse markers in your own work.

Pause the video and highlight the discourse markers in your own paragraph now.

Off you go.

Brilliant effort there with your ideas and your writing today.

Here's what we've learned in today's lesson.

Sleep is a motif in Macbeth associated with innocence.

Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth suffer with lack of sleep, insomnia and nightmares.

Insomnia is associated with guilt in the play.

Insomnia can be considered a punishment that either God or the conscience inflicts, and we can use discourse markers to help us trace different uses of a motif of across a text.

Thank you so much for joining me in today's lesson.

I hope you've enjoyed exploring the motif of sleep in "Macbeth," and I hope to see you in another lesson soon.