February 10th and 12th

We're continuing to read Macbeth. I'll post elements of plot and key events on this blog.

Vocabulary

4B on 2/12

Blog Posts:

2/10: Write about a time when you felt ambitious. Use sensory details to describe the setting and emotions.

2/12: Answer questions from each of the following sections pertaining to Macbeth:

How I read: (choose two items)

1. I got distracted by...
2. I started to think about...
3. I got stuck when...
4. I was confused by...
5. I had a hard time understanding...
6. I'll read better next time if I...

What I read: (choose two items)

1. I predict that...
2. The protagonist (Macbeth) wants/is...
3. The most interesting event in this book so far is...
4. The conflict is...
5. One theme that keeps coming up is...
6. The following quotation is interesting because...

Elaborating on what I think: (choose one)

1. I think______________ because...
2. A good example of _______________ is...
3. This reminds me of__________________ because...
4. This is important because...
5. One thing that surprised me is_______________, because I always thought...

Three questions I have are

1. One_____________
2. Two_____________
3. Three_________________

February 2-6

Wow! What a crazy start to a semester!
We've had quite a few snow days that have managed to interfere with class.

vocabulary

4A on 2/6

We've started reading Macbeth.
We've discussed the following things:

• witches: 
• What do we think about when we think of witches?
• Where do we get the images/ideas of witches that we have?
• Why would Shakespeare choose to open the play with witches? What kind of tone does it set for the rest of the play?

PLOT Act I

• There is a war going on between Scotland and Norway.
• Duncan is the king of Scotland.
• Macbeth is a ruthless warrior that is from Scotland. He fights really well in battle and is merciless.

• Macbeth is given a prophecy (this is your future) by the witches.
• Thane of Glamis (he is already because his dad handed it down to him)
• Thane of Cawdor (the original is going to be executed for being a traitor)
• King
• Banquo is given a prophecy as well.
• Your children will be kings, but you will not.
• Macbeth starts thinking dark thoughts (about maybe killing to be king)
• Malcolm is heir to the throne (his father Duncan decrees this)

• Lady Macbeth reads a letter from Macbeth that tells her about the witches' prophecies.
• She decides that she needs to talk her husband into killing the king.
• She has a few famous lines that are super twisted. She asks to be made more manlike and less sensitive. 
• Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth that she would kill her own baby if she had promised to do so.

PLOT Act II

• Banquo says "we should talk about the witches" to Macbeth.
• Macbeth hallucinates a dagger (first with no blood and then with blood on it)
• Macbeth hears a bell and goes to kill Duncan (or try to...We'll see)

• Lady Macbeth says she would have killed Duncan herself but he looked too much like her father. (What does this say about her character?)
• Macbeth kills Duncan (off stage) and feels lots of guilt about it.
• Macbeth brings the daggers back to their room. Lady Macbeth scolds him and returns the daggers and sets up Duncan's guards by smearing blood on them.
• Macbeth refused to return the daggers himself.