Reasons for selection and synopsis
Returning home from battle, power-hungry, ambitious Macbeth meets three evil witches who tell him that he will soon be king.
Macbeth immediately tells his scheming wife, Lady Macbeth, who pressurises him into murdering the current King Duncan. Macbeth
soon finds himself trapped in a web of deceit, murder, guilt and madness until a final battle reveals the truth behind the
prophecies, as foretold by the cunning witches. This is another excellent adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most popular tragedies.
Before reading…
Ask the children to look at the front cover. What do you think the book will be about? What things can you see on the front cover?
What sort of story will it be? Who might enjoy it?Now read the blurb – where any of your predictions correct?
How do the reviews on the back persuade you to read the book?
Cast List
This play is set in Scotland. Can you locate Scotland on a map?Look carefully at the cast list. Draw lines to match the name of the
character to their role in the story.
The Three Witches Thane of Glamis and General to KingDuncan
Macbeth Wife to Macbeth
Lady Macbeth Also known as the Weird Sisters
Banquo King of Scotland
King Duncan General to King Duncan
Malcolm and Donalbain Thane of Fife
Macduff The King’s sons
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.
(First and Second Witches; I.i)
How many witches are there? What do you think they are doing?What might they be plotting?
What do you think their role might be in the story? What battle might they be referring to?
Can you transform yourself into a witch to recite this? How might a witch move/act/speak?
Pages 7 – 15
Vocabulary
What does ‘gloating’ (pg 7) mean?
Look at the illustration of the witches on page 7. Can you think of three adjectives to describe them?
Can you find an example of a simile on page 8. What does it mean? Is it effective?
Find and copy a word on page 11 that means the same as ‘weak’.
Try performing the chant on page 15, beginning “All hail, Macbeth…” Can you
make it sound frightening, threatening and spooky?
What does the word ‘thane’ mean?
Infer
What is the weather like on the battlefield? How do you know?
What do you think the crystal allows the third witch to do (pg 9)?
Read page 11. Why do you think Banquo isn’t smiling?
How do you know the horse is scared on page 12?
What might Macbeth be thinking and feeling on pages 14 and 15?
Predict
Read to the end of page 9. Who do you think is coming?
Read to the end of page 11. Do you think Macbeth will become king?
Explain
In the play, when Banquo sees the witches he says, “What are these/ So withered and so wild in their attire/That look not like th’ inhabitants o’ th’ Earth/ And yet are on ’t?” Can you explain to a partner what he might be saying about the witches? What is an ‘inhabitant o’ th’ Earth’ and why don’t the witches look like one?
On page 12, the hags’ robes are ‘streaming like tattered flags in the wind’. Why do you think the author has chosen this simile? Where else might we see ‘tattered
flags’? (An interesting link to make here with the battlefield!)
Look at pages 14 and 15. How does the author make the witches seem mysterious
and scary?
Retrieve
How have the witches remained undetected all day?
Which two sides are fighting in the battle?
The second witch has a tuft of black hair sprouting from her chin. True or false?
What are the names of the two Scottish generals?
Use the information on page 10 to draw and label a picture of Macbeth.
Summarise
Can you make a list of all the witches you know, that appear in films and stories?
What role do witches play in stories?
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