“When shall we three meet again
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
When the hurly burly ‘s done,
When the battle’s lost and won.”
– William Shakespeare, ‘Macbeth’, Act I, Scene I.
In the spirit of “spooky fall” what better text to teach students than Shakespeare’s “Macbeth?”
Read the online version of MACBETH
Before we begin, how do we determine what grade level Macbeth is appropriate for? First, we need to find the readability of the text. When searing the Lexile score, Macbeth ranges between 810L – 1000L. Other quantitative measures such as the Flesch Reading Ease score tell us the readability on an easy to hard scale. Macbeth scored 76.1 which is considered “fairly easy to read.” This makes this text appropriate for 4th-5th graders. Personally, I read this text as a high school senior because of various qualitative, quantitative, and reader and task elements that work to increase the text complexity. Let’s examine these together.
Macbeth contains text complexity that is associated with the different themes and symbols presented in the text. According to GenerationReady.com, “The qualitative measures of text complexity requires an informed judgment on the difficulty of the text by considering a range of factors. The Standards use purpose or levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, as well as the knowledge demands as measures of text difficulty” (Hervey).
The structure in Macbeth makes this a more complex read for students. Students have to read the dialogue between several characters and understand different literary devices such as foreshadowing that takes place within the play. Macbeth is a complex character and reveals inner struggles through a dramatic monologue.
Language conventionality and clarity is another factor that increases the challenge for students. Literary devices such as metaphor, simile, symbolism, and darker themes make this text appropriate for more mature grade levels such as 11th or 12th grade. The language may also be a challenge for students since the way characters communicate in the play is not parallel to how people might communicate in more modern times like today.
Knowledge demands can also make this a challenging text for students. Despite being fictional, the locations within the play such as the setting of Scottland are real. Having a discussion with students about the different geographical locations that are presented in the play may increase their awareness and understanding of the setting of the play.
Levels of meaning or purpose within the play can have several layers as there are several themes. For example, Macbeth has themes associated with greed, power, and murder. These can be more mature for students to discuss and how they provide a deeper meaning to the play.
In this article, I will introduce some creative ways that generate excitement about teaching Macbeth and how you can get students engaged deeper into the text.
1. Set the Tone!
Play some creepy music as students walk in to get them curious about what you will be teaching next. Here is an example from YouTube of a Macbeth Soundtrack.
Also, another great way to get students interested in a Shakespearean text is to compare it to a more modern-day association. Check out this modernized Macbeth text from Amazon!
2. Create a Shakespeare Scavenger Hunt
Hide things around your classroom that specifically relate to the play, Macbeth. This is a fun way to get students curious about what these objects have to do in the story or what they could foreshadow or predict about the play. You can find physical objects or draw your own!
Here are some examples:
- Dagger
- Bloody hands
- Castle
- Cauldron, broom, or other witch characteristics
- Crown
3. Create a PowerPoint with Bitmoji
Make a Bitmoji classroom that features a Macbeth presentation. After students are familiar with each act, they can use your presentation as a model when they create their own bitmoji classroom of key scenes, symbols, and figurative language that stands out to them. I have includes an example of a student’s Macbeth presentation. You can have students create a Prezi, PowerPoint, or Google Docs on Macbeth where they could talk about their favorite scenes, quotes, figurative language, etc. I will include my Macbeth bitmoji classroom and my own Macbeth presentation below! This is a fun and interactive way to encourage student creativity while including multimodal elements within your lesson.
Macbeth Bitmoji classroom click HERE!
Macbeth Presentation click HERE!
I hope these ideas can help inspire you to create a fun and engaging lesson for Macbeth!
Happy teaching!
Sources and additional resources for further lesson planning preparation:
Hervey, Sheena. “A Beginner’s Guide to Text Complexity.” Generation Ready, 13 Apr. 2021, www.generationready.com/white-papers/a-beginners-guide-to-text-complexity/.
