Macbeth Introduction

Student Copy: Large Print (20pt)

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Do Now: Shakespeare’s Language

Shakespeare invented many phrases that were new to the English language! Common phrases such as “wild goose chase” or “break the ice” first appeared in a Shakespeare play.

Phrases We Owe to Shakespeare

Directions: Fill in the blanks to complete these famous phrases.

1. Knock, knock! Who’s

2. Heart of

3. Set your on edge

4. Faint

5. So-

6. Riddance

7. Fight fire with

8. Seen days

9. Too much of a thing

10. Send him

11. Wear your on your sleeve

12. Not slept one

13. what may

14. For sake

15. The game is

16. What’s done is

17. Full

18. Laughing

19. Green monster

20. Baited

21. Vanished into air

22. Be / end

23. Out of the of death

24. Dead as a

25. A of work

26. a pickle

27. Fair / foul

28. Brave world

29. Make your stand on end

30. truth

31. The world is oyster

32. Wild chase

33. Break the

34. Breathed his last

35. Off with his

36. low

37. of hearts

38. Love is

Lesson Focus

Focus: We will soon begin reading Shakespeare’s Macbeth. This play has had a great influence on modern characters in movies and TV. Let’s explore its influence today.

Part #1: Trailer Analysis

Clip 1: Official Trailer (1:44)

Based on what you saw, what do you notice?

Clip 2: Opening Scene (4:59)

Based on what you saw, what do you notice?

Part #2: Why Denzel Washington’s Macbeth Felt It Was Important To Bring In A Slew Of Black Actors

By Mike Reyes (published December 28, 2021)

Image: Scene from The Tragedy of Macbeth (A24)

The past and future of representation in Shakespeare meet in The Tragedy of Macbeth. Representation, both on stage and screen, is a frontier that we’ve seen continually revolutionized in the modern era of entertainment.

For director Joel Coen and star Denzel Washington’s Shakespearean Production, The Tragedy of Macbeth, it was important to bring in a slew of Black actors who could further diversify the cast of this latest retelling.

The reasons for that importance was both in the name of increased accessibility to the material and to keep future generations on the path to do even more.

Variety recently reported on quotes from Denzel Washington himself, as well as his co-stars In The Heights’ Corey Hawkins, The Queen’s Gambit’s Moses Ingram and The Good Fight’s Sean Patrick Thomas, from events and interviews surrounding the release of the Apple Original Film.

On the more technical side of things, the increased representation of Black actors in Shakespeare is what Denzel Washington cites as the reason for casting actors like Hawkins, Ingram, and Thomas in The Tragedy of Macbeth.

In his own words, the Academy Award winner and veteran of tangling with The Bard’s words sees the opportunity as a repayment to those who came before him:

"They’re classically trained, like I was classically trained. Like Paul Robeson was classically trained before me. Like James Earl Jones was classically trained. Like I watched James Earl Jones and Robeson, and not that they’re watching me, but I’m in that position now, and now it’s their turn."

With Denzel Washington playing Lord Macbeth himself alongside Francis McDormand’s Lady Macbeth, this new retelling has already struck a blow for that very cause.

But bringing in Corey Hawkins and Moses Ingram as Lord and Lady Macduff, as well as Sean Patrick Thomas as Monteith, allows the next generation of Black actors to do what Washington feels he’s done with his own performances.

To that effect, Ms. Ingram spoke from her own experiences and provided a very similar call to that of Denzel Washington:

"I remember feeling that Shakespeare wasn’t for me, for somebody who looked like me. But I think it’s important to see people of all ages in different colors, tapping into the stories that look like the world that we live in. If we can get past the barrier of the language, we’ll find that a lot of it is very timely."

As Mr. Washington turns his focus to more passion projects in this era of his career, it looks like he’ll be working with more Shakespearean material in the future.

It’s another opportunity to pave the way for even more actors of all ethnicities to approach such projects, providing a vital current of change in an industry that’s trying to move in the right direction.

Comprehension Questions

1. Why was it important to the artists who created and acted in this adaptation of Macbeth to represent diverse backgrounds in the cast?

2. Based on what you have read in the article, why does Macbeth make such a powerful story in the present day?

Final Reflection Prompt

Why do you think Macbeth is still such a commonly referenced piece of literature? What are you most excited about reading in Macbeth?

Macbeth Intro Large Print Handout Revised

Macbeth Intro Large Print Handout Revised

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