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Year 5

Planning and writing the 'against' section of Macbeth's soliloquy

I can plan and write the ‘against’ section of Macbeth’s soliloquy.

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Year 5

Planning and writing the 'against' section of Macbeth's soliloquy

I can plan and write the ‘against’ section of Macbeth’s soliloquy.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Macbeth is a highly conflicted character.
  2. A soliloquy occurs when a character voices their thoughts and feelings aloud.
  3. Soliloquies are written from the first person perspective.
  4. The opening of this soliloquy outlines Macbeth's dilemma.
  5. The character's confusion can be illustrated through the use of rhetorical questions and exclamations.

Keywords

  • Soliloquy - an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play

  • First person perspective - the 'I/we' perspective

  • Internal conflict - a struggle within a person's mind over a problem or question

  • Rhetorical question - a question asked to the reader that does not expect an answer

Common misconception

Pupils could get carried away with using Shakespearean style language and use it too frequently, taking away from them showing their understanding of the character of Macbeth.

Use your shared writing section to exemplify only using a few words or phrases to give it a 'Shakespearean feel'. Remind pupils that we still want to include different sentence types to achieve text flow.


To help you plan your year 5 english lesson on: Planning and writing the 'against' section of Macbeth's soliloquy, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

You could use the model in Learning Cycle 2 to read to the pupils after defining a soliloquy in Learning Cycle 1 so they have a feel of what they will be writing early on in the lesson. Alternatively, you could give it to a pupil and ask them to 'perform' it to the class.
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Teacher tip
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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of serious crime
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision required

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
How is a soliloquy different to a monologue?
it always rhymes
Correct answer: it is not said to another character, but it is spoken to oneself
it is an argument between two characters
Q2.
Shakespeare mainly writes his plays in which of these?
Latin
braille
Correct answer: blank verse
Q3.
Iambic pentameter follow which rules?
Each line has ten or eleven words.
Correct answer: Each line has ten or eleven syllables.
Correct answer: There are 5 stressed syllables and 5 unstressed syllables.
Each line starts with the same letter.
Q4.
What is a sonnet?
Correct answer: a type of poem written in iambic pentameter that also rhymes
a monolgue in a play
a type of stage direction in a playscript
Q5.
When might a character deliver a soliloquy?
when they are talking to another character and want to tell them something
Correct answer: when they have a dilemma
Correct answer: when they are experiencing strong emotions such as shock
when they have just woken up
Q6.
Which of these adjectives would you use to describe Lady Macbeth?
Correct answer: ruthless
rational
gentle
Correct answer: manipulative

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these sentences are written in the first person perspective?
Correct answer: I cannot do it!
He is in turmoil.
Correct answer: We would be mad to consider such a thing.
You should be careful.
Q2.
What internal conflict is Macbeth facing?
He does not know whether to tell Lady Macbeth about the witches' prophecies.
He does not know whether to tell King Duncan that Lady Macbeth is a traitor.
Correct answer: He does not know whether to kill King Duncan or not.
He does not know if he should return home or not.
Q3.
Which of the following is a rhetorical question?
Correct answer: How could I do this?
Is he asleep yet?
Do you think he is suspicious of me?
Correct answer: What am I thinking?
Q4.
Which of the following words might Shakespeare have used in his plays?
hiya
Correct answer: thine
Correct answer: whence
cool
Correct answer: hast
Q5.
Which of the following is an exclamatory sentence?
How awful!
Correct answer: What terrible guilt I feel!
What an important night!
Correct answer: How terrible to think these thoughts!
Q6.
What happens after Macbeth decides that he will not kill King Duncan?
Lady Macbeth congratulates him on his decision.
Correct answer: Lady Macbeth convinces him to kill King Duncan.
Correct answer: Macbeth has a visualisation of a dagger that he sees as a sign.
Macbeth tells King Duncan to leave immediately for his life is in danger.