1. Warm-up – write and share a response
Macbeth Reading 9 Date:
Objectives
Read Macbeth Act 5 scene 1-4
Understand what’s going on in the story.
Mark important quotes and complete exercises.
Warm-up – write and share a response
What is the difference between confidence and overconfidence? Give examples.

2. Today’s Reading Act 5, Scene 1, ( 4.30 minutes)
Because of her guilt, Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking and spilling her guts.
Act 5, Scene 2, (2 minutes)
The thanes of Scotland gather to rebel against Macbeth and join Malcolm.
Act 5, Scene 3 (3 min)
Macbeth gets reports on 10,000 soldiers coming his way and frowns.
Act 5, Scene 4 (2 min)
Malcolm shows how smart he is and fulfils one of the witches prophecies.
Audiobooks at Ends at 12.00

3. Notes – Act 5 Scene 1
A doctor and a gentlewoman servant discuss strange behaviour coming from Lady Macbeth. She has been sleepwalking, which is described as a very unnatural event by the doctor. They wait to see if it happens again and it does.
Lady Macbeth enters and it becomes clear she is experiencing all the bad things she and Macbeth have done while she sleeps. She tries to wash blood off her hands, which she said was easy to do earlier. She talks about the plan to kill Duncan, how she manipulated Macbeth and shows she feels guilty for all the deaths they have caused.
The doctor and gentlewoman know they should not be listening to this, that it is dangerous to know this and that she needs a priest, not a doctor, to confess her sins to. They also pity Lady Macbeth who is unable to live with what she’s done.

4. Notes – Act 5 Scene 2
The thanes of Scotland (generals, commanders, leaders) have gathered in open rebellion against Macbeth. They await the arrival of Macduff and Malcolm, who they consider now the rightful king.
They plan to gather at Birnam Wood (Apparition 3) with Macduff, Malcolm and an English army. One thane, Menteith, discusses the power that vengeance has given them. Malcolm and Macduff want revenge so much, the thanes believe that dead men would rise up to fight again for them.
The thanes regard Malcolm as a medicine, able to cure the country from the disease that is Macbeth, who has taken defensive positions around Dunisnane castle.

5. Notes – Act 5 Scene 3
Macbeth is in his castle as Malcolm’s forces advance toward Scotland. He refuses to hear any reports, such is his overconfidence from the witches prophecies. He dismisses any threat from Malcolm who was of course born from a woman.
Reports come in that many soldiers are abandoning Macbeth to join Malcolm. Macbeth gets angry at the messengers cowardice but then starts to worry himself. Ten thousand English soldiers are approaching and Macbeth realises that he might lose the throne. He knows that no noble, comfortable life awaits him in old age.
Macbeth insists on putting on his armour to prepare for battle. Before he goes, he asks the doctor about his wife though and is annoyed the doctor cannot do anything. He tries to make himself feel better with the Birnam Wood prophecy.

6. Notes – Act 5 Scene 4
Malcolm has arrived in Birnam wood. He instructs every soldier to cut a branch from the trees to use a cover for a disguise. Macbeth will not know how many are around his castle until it is too late then.
A report arrives that Macbeth is holed up in his castle. Malcolm acknowledges that that is Macbeth’s best hope; a long siege in which he stays protected. They discuss how so many have abandoned Macbeth and any who remain are heartless individuals.
This scene shows Malcolm to be a smart tactician and also fulfils the prophecy; Birnam wood is coming to Dunisnane.

7. Time for Reflection - pair work
Write down the quote below and what you think about it.
“The thane of Fife, had a wife – where is she now? What
will these hands ne’er be clean? (Act 5, scene 1)
“Now does he feel his title
Hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe
Upon a dwarfish thief (Angus about Macbeth, Act 5, scene 2)
Write and perform a scenario / story about the following, based on what happened in the play but about yourself. Everyone knows the bad things you have done. Your friend is so guilty about them, he is announcing it all while sleepwalking. You are aware that people are coming to punish you. Your mood is swinging from confident to worried as you try to tell yourself that you’ll be ok.

8. Cooldown
If you knew a game was rigged and you would win no matter what you did, would you play the game any differently?
Try and give examples from different types of games / sports / competitions / work.