Macbeth Pre-reading 2 / Creative writing Date: Objectives Understand the environment in which Macbeth was written. Practise the language of narration and creative writing by writing an essay. (Worth about a quarter of your entire exam – essays are important) Warm –up Each of you has a piece of paper with a different Shakespeare fact. Each of these are numbered. When you say your fact, pick a number. That person says theirs next. (or homework)

One Note today: Write this down Background The play was written in 1606. King James I, son of a Scottish Queen and English King, had been crowned only years earlier. Many people believed Scotland was a small, third-rate, backward land. He strongly believed in witches, demons and their link to treason. This play was written quickly to please King James I. Shakespeare ‘borrowed’ from other stories and current events. It worked. King James I became his patron.

Plot Setting Characters Dialogue Note this on the same page – write essay on a new page Plot You are a Scottish warrior who wants to be king. Method of narration Third person. Telling someone else’s story. Setting Scotland Characters You, a friend, the king, witches Dialogue The witches will tell you the future. Timeframe Distant past - 1600 Conflict/ climax You want to be king. 4 paragraphs, following plot structure.

Plot Setting Characters Dialogue Timeframe Conflict/ climax Note this on the same page – write essay on a new page Plot You are a Scottish warrior who wants to be king. Method of narration Third person. Telling someone else’s story. Setting Scotland Characters You, a friend, the king, witches Dialogue The witches will tell you the future. Timeframe Distant past - 1600 Conflict/ climax You want to be king. Paragraph one – your job to introduce who, where and what.

Go over your junior cert results this week. Reflection Go over your junior cert results this week. When the classes are set and finalised, we can start buying and reading our play. Think about where you are aiming for after 6th year and realise the work you have to put in to get there.