Starter quiz
- What is a soliloquy?
- a conversation between two characters
- a type of poem that is sung in a play
- a character speaking their thoughts aloud in a play ✓
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- In Macbeth's soliloquy, he has thought of the reasons against and for killing Duncan. What happens at the end of the soliloquy?
- He sees a visualisation of a dagger, which he sees as a sign to kill Duncan. ✓
- He decides he cannot go through with murder.
- Lady Macbeth arrives and convinces him not to kill Duncan.
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- Which word in this sentence is a 'modal verb'? Lady Macbeth will never forgive me if I do not act now.
- will ✓
- never
- forgive
- if
- act
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- Which of the following are subordinating conjunctions?
- but
- before ✓
- when ✓
- and
- the
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- Which of the following sentences are adverbial complex sentences?
- After committing this crime, I might never be able to forgive myself. ✓
- I must act at once before it is too late. ✓
- I know what I must do.
- When should I head to Duncan's chamber?
- I will go tonight when Duncan is sleeping. ✓
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- Which of these sentences are written in the first person perspective?
- Do my eyes deceive me? ✓
- He walked towards the dagger.
- You must act now!
- I will do the deed. ✓
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Exit quiz
- How does Macbeth's soliloquy end?
- Macbeth decides he cannot go through with killing Duncan.
- Macbeth sees the dagger as a final sign and he decides to kill Duncan. ✓
- Macbeth is still in turmoil and he cannot decide what to do.
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- Match the figurative language type to the correct example.
- metaphor⇔the dagger is a silent predator ✓
- simile⇔the blade flickers before me like a flame ✓
- personification⇔these thoughts harass me day and night ✓
- What is true of a non-finite clause?
- it is a type of main clause
- it is a type of subordinate clause ✓
- it can start with a progressive tense verb with an -ing suffix ✓
- it does not make complete sense on its own ✓
- it makes complete sense on its own
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- Which of the following are non-finite clauses?
- Flooding my mind, ✓
- , which cannot be real,
- as I remembered
- , leading me to my destiny ✓
- No!
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- Put these events in chronological order in Macbeth's soliloquy.
- 1⇔Macbeth decides that he cannot kill Duncan.
- 2⇔Macbeth persuades himself to kill Duncan.
- 3⇔Macbeth sees the dagger.
- 4⇔Macbeth decides to kill Duncan.
- How do you think Shakespeare wanted the audience to feel at the end of Act I?
- relaxed
- in suspense ✓
- relieved
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Worksheet
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Presentation
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Macbeth is a highly conflicted character whose confusion can be shown through the use of rhetorical questions.
- A soliloquy is written from the first person perspective.
- Soliloquies can feature figurative language.
- Writers can use non-finite clauses to create text flow in their writing.
- This section of the soliloquy is when Macbeth sees a dagger, which he sees as another sign to kill King Duncan.
Common misconception
Pupils might spend too long drawing in Task A, which is not the point of the task.
You could set a one-minute timer for pupils to draw. You could also model sketching a dagger yourself so that they see that it does not need to be perfect.
Keywords
Soliloquy - an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play
Rhetorical question - a question asked to the reader that does not expect an answer
Figurative language - the use of simile, metaphor and personification to create vivid imagery
Non-finite clause - a type of subordinate clause that can start with a verb in the progressive tense
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