Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
AQA

Exploring the opening of ‘Macbeth’

I can explore the opening scene of ‘Macbeth’, focusing on Shakespeare’s use of foreboding.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
AQA

Exploring the opening of ‘Macbeth’

I can explore the opening scene of ‘Macbeth’, focusing on Shakespeare’s use of foreboding.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
View new resources
arrow-right

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The opening scene is used to foreshadow events later in the play
  2. The supernatural is an important theme in the play
  3. The witches being in the opening scene illustrates their importance to the plot

Keywords

  • Familiar - When used as a noun, a familiar is a term which refers to a witch’s demon.

  • Foreboding - If something is foreboding, it gives the impression that something bad is going to happen.

  • Staging - Staging is how a play is presented on stage. Staging is influenced by stage directions and directorial decisions.

  • Pathetic fallacy - Pathetic fallacy is the use of weather to reflect the mood and tone of characters and their situation.

  • Ominous - If something is ominous, it give the impression that something bad is going to happen.

Common misconception

The first scene is an exciting spectacle but not important to the rest of the play.

Despite its length, this scene grounds us in the atmosphere and main themes of the play.


To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Exploring the opening of ‘Macbeth’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Spend time on the second CfU of Learning Cycle 2 to draw out this scene's importance, and how the themes it sets up are developed in the play.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

You need access to a copy of William Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'.

content-guidance

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

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

Skip lesson video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
What type of text is 'Macbeth'?
a novel
a non-fiction text
a dialogue
Correct answer: a play
a poem
Q2.
What is 'Macbeth's' genre?
history
comedy
Correct answer: tragedy
Q3.
Who murders King Duncan in 'Macbeth'?
Banquo
the witches
Malcolm
Correct answer: Macbeth
Lady Macbeth
Q4.
In 'Macbeth', the witches tell Macbeth things about his future. What are these called?
plots
Correct answer: prophecies
potentials
predictions
preferences
Q5.
What supernatural event occurs in Act 3 of 'Macbeth'?
Macbeth hallucinates a dagger.
Correct answer: Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost.
Macbeth hears another set of prophecies from the witches.
Lady Macbeth asks 'spirits' to 'unsex' her.
Q6.
Starting with the first event, sort the plot points of 'Macbeth' into chronological order.
1 - Three witches give prophecies to Macbeth and Banquo.
2 - Lady Macbeth helps convince Macbeth to kill King Duncan.
3 - Macbeth kills King Duncan and is then crowned King of Scotland.
4 - Macbeth kills Banquo.
5 - Macbeth demands further prophecies from the witches.
6 - Macduff kills Macbeth.
7 - Malcolm is crowned the new and rightful king of Scotland.

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
In 'Macbeth', how many times do the witches appear?
1
2
3
Correct answer: 4
5
Q2.
What word best describes the atmosphere in Act 1, Scene 1 of 'Macbeth'?
pathetic fallacy
staging
Correct answer: foreboding
witches
storm
Q3.
Which of these was not a common Jacobean belief about witches?
Correct answer: Thought to collaborate with King James.
Thought to meet at night.
Thought to be able to control the weather.
Thought to collaborate with the devil.
Thought to make potions out of body or animal parts.
Q4.
What is the name of the device which sees the weather reflect the mood or tone of events and/or characters?
staging
foreboding
Correct answer: pathetic fallacy
foreshadowing
Q5.
Shakespeare's witches common Jacobean beliefs about witches.
Correct Answer: reinforce, conform to, adhere to
Q6.
Which quotation from Act 1, Scene 1 of 'Macbeth' begins Shakespeare's exploration of the theme of appearances versus reality?
"When shall we three meet again?"
"upon the heath"
"Paddock calls"
"there to meet with Macbeth"
Correct answer: "Fair is foul"

Additional material

Download additional material