This is Macbeth

Using the Film as a Review for the Text

This is Macbeth can be used effectively in your classroom in a variety of ways.  You may prefer that students first engage with the text directly; in this case, try watching sections of the film after the students have read the corresponding parts of the play.  This is Macbeth follows the act and scene structure of the play, and the scene being discussed or enacted is always indicated in the lower left of the screen.  If your class is reading Macbeth over the course of several weeks, you might show just a scene or two at a time from the film, leaving time afterwards for discussion or related activities.

Things to try: Before they watch the film, ask your students to identify moments in the play where they would like to be able to stop the action and ask the characters some questions.  Where would they stop, and what would they ask?  This is Macbeth will certainly represent some of these moments, but not all.  Have your students extend or redo the interview in an improvised sketch afterwards.  This will help the students enter directly into the motivations of the characters, exploring the conflicts they face as the narrative progresses.

Using the Film as an Introduction

If you know your students will be struggling with Shakespeare’s language, and are looking for ways to help them engage, you might show parts of the film before the students begin reading.  The interviews are an excellent way to familiarize your students with the basic plot and themes of each scene, and they explore a great deal of Shakespeare’s text.  When your students begin reading, they will already have some understanding of key passages, and be able to make better sense of Shakespeare’s complex dialogue.

Things to try: After your students have watched part or all of the film, and before they have started reading the play, have them make a list of the characters, identifying character traits and details that we know about them.    As they read the play, students can flesh out this list, noting when and how we learn about the characters.  How does Shakespeare reveal personality through his language?  What is left undetermined for the actor and director to decide about the characters?