As an introductory lesson to Shakespeare’s Macbeth with my Year 3 students, the students were split into 2 groups of 10 and tasked with performing different versions of a condensed version of Macbeth, “The 32-second Macbeth”, available from the Folger Shakespeare Library. The lesson objectives were to help the pupils understand that plays are written to be performed and that different interpretations of the same play would influence the the way it is performed. To better illustrate this point, the groups were given different interpretations of the cause of Macbeth’s downfall:
1. Macbeth’s downfall was caused by his own greed and ambition.
2. Macbeth’s downfall was manipulated by Fate and the Three Witches, and was therefore inevitable.
Students were tasked with preparing a performance that would clearly illustrate their given interpretations.
As the class is generally vocal and eager to perform, they were engaged in the performance activity. In terms of the effective delivery of their given interpretations however, the quality of work was varied. It was consequently important that a teacher-led class discussion was conducted after their performances to evaluate what was effective or ineffective about the performances and how it could have been improved.
This is crucial to ensure that it is not just fun: " It was consequently important that a teacher-led class discussion was conducted after their performances to evaluate what was effective or ineffective about the performances and how it could have been improved. "
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