Macbeth Study Guide

Progeny Press Macbeth Study Guide

A classic tragedy full of ambition and betrayal, superstition and murder.

After meeting three witches who prophesy that he will one day become king, Macbeth sets off a chain of chaos throughout Scotland when impatience drives him to kill his friend, kinsman, and king. Now king himself, Macbeth struggles to prevent the rest of the witches' predictions from coming to pass as his authority begins to crumble and his wife slowly descends into madness.

The fires of rebellion ignite throughout the land, and even the seemingly favorable predictions the witches gave him come to have a double edge.

Through William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a tale of betrayal, murder, and tragedy, students will learn:

Author Biography: Learn about William Shakespeare and the fascinating history behind the author and play.

Vocabulary words used throughout the novel, utilizing a variety of activities to stimulate retention and growth.

Literary Techniques: Tone, irony, contrast, character study, aside, foreshadowing, pacing, soliloquy, comic relief, foil, paraphrase, pathetic fallacy, personification, understatement, hyperbole, anaphora, synonym, parallel characters, mistreatment, endurance, metaphor, compare & contrast, extended metaphor, protagonist, tragic hero, antihero.

Moral Lessons and Character Values: King David vs. Macbeth, wise advisors, biblical manliness, true forgiveness of sin, repentance vs. regret, revenge, love your enemies, do not judge others, obeying leaders and questioning or disobeying leaders, boasting and pride is punished, death, anyone can be redeemed by true belief in Christ Jesus.

Activities and Writing Assignments: 1Samuel comparison, report on King James I, map work, world leader history & greed for power, Machiavelli’s The Prince, Scottish Highlands and castles, As-you-read notebook, Essays: temptation or King James I of England, watercolor or drawing art project, perform scene, scrambled quotations, journal entry, eulogy, poem, class discussion/paper about prophecy, discussion of third murder, discuss ghost, write dialogue, creative art activity.

Suggestions for Further Reading:  We include an in-depth reading list of more books by the same author(s) and other books and movies that tie in with, or are similar to, Macbeth by William Shakespeare.

All of the unit lessons are written from a Christian perspective! 

• Age Level = 14 and up
• Book Author = Michael Gilleland
• Book Material = Paperback
• Book Publisher = Progeny Press
• Copyright = c2000
• Grade Level = 9-up
• Condition = New