Macbeth

Use these activities to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

ACTIVITY 1: “Wielding Witchcraft”

In this activity, students will reflect on the influence of the three witches in the play and, working in small groups, write and perform a scene in which they visit a character other than Macbeth and change the course of the play.

The three witches wield immense power over the trajectory of the play. Discuss the influence of the three witches on the character Macbeth and the series of events in the play. Where does their power lie? How do they use it? Why do they use it? What other characters could they influence? Imagine a prediction they could make to another character that could change the events that unfold.

PART 1: Write a Scene

• Brainstorm with your group another character whom the witches might visit to change the plot of Macbeth.
• Write a scene in which the witches visit the character.
• Write in the voice of the characters.
• Include details from the setting of the play.

PART 2: Perform Your Scene

• With your group, practice performing the scene.
• Perform the scene for the class, and discuss with them how the visit by the witches altered the outcome of the play.