1. The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Dramatic role play
The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare

2. Is this a dagger which I see before me?
In Act II of The Tragedy of Macbeth, the protagonist, Macbeth, struggles with the decision to murder King Duncan. As he begins his walk to Duncan’s room, Macbeth “sees” a dagger, which seems to lead him to Duncan.
The tone of this can be classified as frightening and foreboding.

3. Students will be able to:
Objectives
Students will be able to:
Analyze The Dagger Soliloquy focusing on rhythm, tone and imagery.
Perform the soliloquy in mini groups focusing on one tone that will run through the entire soliloquy.
Synthesize which of the tones used was the correct tone after listening to the recording of the soliloquy.
Understand the importance of performance in relation to Shakespeare.

4. DRAMATIC ROLE PLAY
Students will have already read Act I of The Tragedy of Macbeth before beginning this activity. “Choose a situation or event that will be described in the reading students are about to do and prepare a very brief description of it” (Daniels, 2004, p. 111).

5. Dramatic role play
Shakespeare is more effective when he is performed on stage as opposed to read in a text. In order for struggling reader to get the full effect, this activity will be performed on stage. “Successful students consistently visualize what they are reading, while struggling ones do not” (Daniels, 2004, p. 111).

6. Dramatic role play
Simply seeing one another act out this soliloquy, the students will see the passion and execution of Shakespearean performances. “Simple role plays were quite powerful” (Daniels, 2004, p. 111).

7. Dramatic role play
Each group will be required to perform their production on stage, as each group will be performing a different emotion. “Two or three can present to the whole class, particularly if they have developed differing takes on the same situation” (Daniels, 2004, p. 111).

8. Lesson introduction
Dramatic Role Play

9. Connecting to prior knowledge
By Junior year, the students have been exposed to three Shakespearean tragedies. They have analyzed tone and its importance to a soliloquy or monologue. By Act II, the students have read soliloquies and monologues from a variety of characters, but have not seen anything as intense as The Dagger Soliloquy. The students will use their past experience in analyzing soliloquies to help them with this assignment.

10. The assignment
Students will be placed into small groups and will each be assigned a different emotion. Each group will act out The Dagger Soliloquy using that emotion to express tone. Students will take notes on the other groups documenting how that emotion was brought forth and whether they believe it was the true tone of that soliloquy. Students will then compare their notes to the real soliloquy when it is read and analyzed in class.
“Role plays that are carried out before reading are especially effective because they help kids build pictures of the action in their heads, to be accessed as they get into the content” (Daniels, 2004, p. 111).

11. The DAGGER SOLILOQUY
It is the bloody business which informs Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one halfworld Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse The curtain'd sleep; witchcraft celebrates Pale Hecate's offerings, and wither'd murder, Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf, Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace. With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth, Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear Thy very stones prate of my whereabout, And take the present horror from the time, Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives: Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives. A bell rings I go, and it is done; the bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell That summons thee to heaven or to hell.
Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? I see thee yet, in form as palpable As this which now I draw. Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going; And such an instrument I was to use. Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses, Or else worth all the rest; I see thee still, And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before. There's no such thing:

12. HAPPY SAD NERVOUS ANGRY SCARED THE EMOTIONS
“When designing a role play, keep the scene simple, focused on a single problem or challenge. Leave it open for the students to improvise” (Daniels, 2004, p. 111).

13. Print out of The Dagger Soliloquy Notebook Rubric for presentation
RESOURCES
Notecards
Print out of The Dagger Soliloquy
Notebook
Rubric for presentation
Access to school auditorium

14. Promoting active engagement
This activity allows the students to tap into the thinking strategies that can help them comprehend text (Daniels, 2004, pp. 3-4): They will be able to visualize the actual scene in the play. They will be able to make connections to past soliloquies that they have read. They will be able to question Shakespeare’s true intent and whether any of the groups are performing the true tone. They will be able to make inferences on the true tone of the soliloquy based on what they have read about Macbeth and his situation in the previous act. They will be able to evaluate and determine which of the lines is important and which motions and stage directions they should use to emphasize those lines. They will be able to analyze Shakespeare’s crafting of the soliloquy and recall the importance he placed on each passage from past pieces read. They will be able to recall ideas and themes mentioned in the soliloquy to previous events. They will be able to self-monitor how they read and act the soliloquy.

15. DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
Students will be able to choose their own groups.
Groups will be responsible for assigning roles, therefore allowing students a choice in what they would like to do.
Example: The outgoing students may act out the scene, while the quieter students may be in charge of props

16. assessment
Students will be assessed based on their group’s presentation and the role each student played in the presentation using a presentation rubric. Students will also be expected to turn in their notes on the presentations and whether they were able to predict the true tone of the soliloquy from the ones performed.

17. references
Daniels, H., & Zemelman, S. (2004). Subjects matter: every teacher's guide to content- area reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.