Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

Elements of Fiction in
Macbeth
Mr. Coronel
Grade Levels: 11-12

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

Content Standards

 Content standards covered for this lecture:  Objective:

 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL11-12. 3) Analyze the
impact of the author’s choices regarding
how to develop and relate elements of a
story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how
the action is ordered, how the
characters/archetypes are introduced and
developed)
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL11-12. 4) Determine the
meaning of words and phrases as they are
used in the text, including figurative and
connotative meanings; analyze the impact
of specific word choices on meaning and
tone, including words with multiple meanings
or language that is particularly fresh,
engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare
as well as other authors)
 Studying English involves the culmination of
various analyzing techniques. For this lecture,
we will be discussing the elements of fiction,
and how these elements can be found in
Macbeth.
 The Elements of Fiction are the building blocks
of all storytelling, so possessing a fundamental
understanding of them will help students in
their academic career.
 Students will utilize gathering, analyzing, and
communicating skills for this lecture.

Here I am establishing the content standards we will be covering for this lecture. I am
also stating the objective of this lecture as it is tied into one of the plays we would
read in the class. Macbeth is known to be a cornucopia of themes, and characters.
Tying the elements of fiction along with Macbeth will allow students to better grasp
the content, it’s purpose, and how it can be interpreted.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

Before we get into, think about these

questions:

 Why do you think we read Shakespeare today?

 Shakespeare wrote plays, but what kind of stories did he tell with them?

In this slide I am asking a couple educational hook questions that will start the
lecture. The first one, “Why do you think we read Shakespeare today?” is to get
students thinking about why so many of his 16th-century texts are still read today.
This will help students think critically about the content covered in class and any story
beats contemporary writers may be using today. The second questions: “Shakespeare
wrote plays, but what kind of stories did he tell with them?” makes students think
about why he wrote the stories he did in his plays. This will then get the students to
think about why Macbeth is filled with deception and killing. The final slides tie into
this question.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

The Language of Shakespeare

 Shakespeare wrote in what is called “Early Modern English”

 “Early modern English,” or EME, was not very different from our current
“Modern English”

As a primer, I introduce the concept of “Early modern English.” Introducing Early

modern English allows for students to grasp the idea of how similar our English was
to Shakespeare’s English.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

The Language of Shakespeare cont.

 Shakespeare used a mix of words, both old and new words.

 Shakespeare’s words were understood by the lowest peasants and the
highest nobles.
 This gave Shakespeare’s the capabilities to be spread by all, no matter the social
class.

In this slide, I continue speaking about the various types of words Shakespeare would
write. How he would mix both old and new words in order for people of all social
classes. Shedding light on this fact allows students to begin to think about how
Shakespeare’s could have spread. Inserting this clip-art allows for student to visualize
what a quill and parchment would have looked.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

The Language of Shakespeare cont.

 During Shakespeare’s time, everyone was in love with English.

 No grammar, punctuation, or spelling rules!
 The language evolved as new words were made up

 Shakespeare’s language reflected his freedom and

enthusiasm over experimentation.
 Many popular sayings used today are from Shakespeare,
some people just don’t know it!
 “Neither here nor there”- Othello and the Merry Wives of Windsor
 “Send him packing”- Henry IV, Part I
 “Wild-goose chase” – Romeo and Juliet

This slide, which concludes Shakespeare’s language, inserts a key concept to

students; The reason for his mixture of words. Here I explain to students that
Shakespeare’s freedom in language reflected his freedom and enthusiasm to
experiment. How his creativeness pioneered the English language. I also throw in
the idea of modern-day sayings and phrases that are quoted today without knowing
they are Shakespeare. This second fact allows for students to think about how 16 th-
century English has been passed down from ages ago and are still used so heavily in
our daily speech.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

Elements of Fiction in Shakespeare

 Unlike the Historical plays like Henry III, Henry IV, and Henry V, Shakespeare
wrote many plays of fiction.
 For this lecture, we will focus on his works that are based on fiction as they
will tie closer to what we will be discussing.

This slide marks the transition from speaking about language, to the elements of
fiction found in Shakespeare. The reason for this, as declared earlier, is to instill the
idea that Shakespeare’s tales are things that spread like wildfire. His stories and
sonnets were absorbed by the masses, and the elements of fiction covered in these
coming slides will expand on the widespread elements of fiction found in his work.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

Elements of Fiction in Shakespeare:

Setting
• What does setting provide?
• A setting affects the plot by giving environmental context.
• This can provide historical context.

• What is a background considered in Fiction?

• The backdrop for the action.

The first element of fiction discussed in this slide is Setting. Here I discuss how
setting provides historical, and environmental context of any story. Without setting
there is not world for fiction to take place in. After instilling this concept, the
following slide explicates Macbeth’s setting as I align it with the pieces that make up a
proper setting. This slide features a visual aid to depict the importance of setting.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

Elements of Fiction in Shakespeare:

Setting cont.
 Macbeth is set in 11th-century Scotland.
 The play opens right after Macbeth leads King Duncan’s forces to victory.

Background details
established by this opening:
• Time: 11th Century
• Place: Scotland

This slide features a dual-encoding technique by inserting an image from an

adaptated film depicting the opening battle of the play. This slide further discusses
the concept of setting in fiction, and aligns the concept with the setting in Macbeth.
Time and place are identifyed in this slide which allows for students to also visualize
the battle and reason for it.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

Elements of Fiction in Shakespeare:

Character
 Traits- Personal qualities of a
character
 Example: Happy, friendly, selfish,
angry.
 Motivation- a reason for a
character to do something.
 Example: Listening to someone
else over themselves.
 Main Characters:
 Protagonist: Main character in the
story. The events of the story
revolve around them.
 Antagonist: A character that
represents opposition or is against
the main character.

Following the concept of Setting, we discuss the concept of Character in fiction. Here
I discuss traits, motivations, and types of main characters in fiction. Covering traits in
a character helps students associate characteristics with the characters. Was
Macbeth a good leader? Why is Lady Macbeth the way she is? Lady Macbeth’s
motivation can be aligned with the concept of motivation, since her actions are
difficult to decipher. These questions, along with identifying main characters will
come into play in the following slide which features a progress monitoring question.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

Defining a type of Character- You try!

 With a partner, discuss the following questions:

 Why do you think the setting is important?

 Since the play opens with a battle, what does that scene tell us about Macbeth?

 Which character(s) in Macbeth you believe are a Protagonist or Antagonist.

 Remember:
 Protagonist- Story centers around them.
 Antagonist- They work against the Protagonist

This is the first progress monitoring question in this lecture. This question requires
collaboration with students as it asks them to discuss amongst themselves the
previous slides involving character and setting. In their groups they will discuss the
importance of setting. They also must think about what the opening battle tells them
about the character Macbeth. The final question is to discuss which characters they
believe are protagonists or antagonists. A reminder is also listed in case the student
needs help defining what a protagonist and an Antagonist are.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

Elements of Fiction in Shakespeare: Plot

 Although there are hundreds of thousands of unique tales of fiction out in

the world, they all follow the same formula.
 The following modern day features follow this same formula:
 Star Wars
 Game of Thrones
 Avengers: Infinity War + Endgame
 Harry Potter
 The list goes on!

This side introduces the element of plot. Here I introduce the concept of plot
essentially being a formula that leads to a successful story. This “formula,” that I will
discuss in the next slide is found in the many critically acclaimed works I list. The
reason these works are listed is to show the relevance necessary structure in fiction,
and how it can lead to successfully crafted stories.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

Elements of Fiction in Shakespeare: Plot

Five Parts of plot
1.Exposition: The
Beginning, Characters,
Setting & Problem laid out
2.Rising Action-
Complications arise with
the problem, The Plot
Thickens!
3.Climax- Highest point
of interest/suspense,
a.k.a. the Turning Point,
the outcome is decided
4. Falling Actions- events
that follow the climax and
end in resolution
5.Resolution- The
ending, loose ends are
tied up, everything comes
together

The five parts of plot are discussed here. A second dual-coding technique is featured
here which gives the five parts of plot an actual shape. This shape features
Exposition as a flat surface, or a starting point. The second part is Rising action,
which literally elevates the plain towards Climax. Climax is the peak of emotional
tension, or turning point, in the story. The falling action, showing a downward slope
also depicts the restoration of order. The final part is Resolution, which again is a flat
plane, which illustrates restoration of normality. The five parts of plot are also
bulleted to the right with proper definitions for each part.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

Elements of Fiction in Shakespeare: Plot

 Conflict- The problem the main character faces. There are four different types, a
story may have more than one.

1. Character v. Character – External Conflict

2. Character v. Nature – External Conflict
3. Character v. Society – External Conflict
4. Character v. Self – Internal Conflict

The concept of conflict in fiction is mentioned in this slide. Although the five parts of
plot have been identified, the type of conflict in the story must also be identified.
The main character who faces conflict does so in 1 of 4 ways. These 4 possible
scenarios are listed here. These elements of conflict can be applied to any story,
which can help a student identify and pull any other themes like man vs. nature. Or
friend vs. enemy. This concept of conflict will be used in thef following slide for the
second progress monitoring question.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

Now you discuss the plot in Macbeth!

 With a partner, discuss which events in Macbeth represent the following

elements of plot:
 1.Exposition: The Beginning, Characters, Setting & Problem
laid out
 2.Rising Action- Complications arise with the problem, The
Plot Thickens!
 3.Climax- Highest point of interest/suspense, a.k.a. the Turning
Point, the outcome is decided
 4. Falling Actions- events that follow the climax and end in
resolution
 5.Resolution- The ending, loose ends are tied up, everything
comes together

This progress monitoring asks students to quickly identify which scenes best align
with the listed elements of plot. As we already identified the exposition in a previous
slide, students will begin to think about the other elements of plot. Since they are
required to do this with partner, students are encouraged to take 2 elements each in
order to create their answers. Students can also tackle each one of their own.
Specific methods in identifying each of these is not established so that students can
be creative on how they tackle these questions.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

Elements of Fiction in Shakespeare:

Style
Style- How the author writes; The techniques and literary devices they use
to tell stories. Why do they use them?

Examples:
 Foreshadowing- A hint to the future, a change in setting

 Flashback- A brief return to the past, a change in setting

 Suspense- A feeling of tension the author creates

In fiction, various authors use various styles in their work. Shakespearean plays are
typically linear, however, elements like Foreshadowing and suspense can be found in
them. The concepts of Foreshadowing, Flashbacks, and suspense are listed.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

You try to identify any hints of

Foreshadowing or Suspense in Macbeth

 In a group, discuss and come up with at least 1 example of Foreshadowing

AND Suspense in Macbeth.
 Write down your answers in complete sentences.
 Please note, Macbeth does not contain any flashbacks.

Tip: Think about the

Hurly Burly scene. Do
the witches
Make a prediction?
How do they affect the
plot?

This is the 3rd progress monitoring question. A 3rd dual-coding technique/ visual aid is
here to make students recall the Hurly Burly scene with the 3 witches. This question
once again requires collaborative work in a group to identify 1 example of
Foreshadowing and suspense in Macbeth. The students must write their answers in
complete sentences and will potentially share them in class. I do state the disclaimer
that Macbeth does not feature flashbacks. This progress monitoring question
features analysis, collaboration, and creation.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

The Hero’s Journey Call to

Adventure
Return
(gift of the
goddess
Supernatural Aid
or coming
back with
 Joseph Campbell’s The prize)
Hero’s Journey is a common
template involving the
journey of a main character
in any tale. Does Macbeth’s
journey fit well with this Threshold
Atonement
Guardian(s)
template?

Challenges
Transformation and
Temptations

Abyss
(death &
rebirth)

The Hero’s journey, another template utilized in fiction is found in almost any tale.
Here I insert Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s journey in Smart-Art for an easy-to-read
template. After going over each step in the Hero’s journey, I ask the class a question
that will be touched on at the culmination activity to have them start thinking about
it. The question I ask them to think about is “Does Macbeth’s journey fit well with
this template?”

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

Elements of Fiction in Shakespeare: The

Author’s Purpose
 An author writes for many reasons. An author may give you facts or true information about
a subject. Some authors write fiction stories or stories that are not true. They write these
stories to entertain you. Other authors may write to persuade or to try to get you to do
something.
 Examples of reasons why Author’s write Stories:
 Commentaries on society
 Historical parallels
 Lessons in life
 Personal stories
 Moral stories

The final slide in this lecture is regarding the Author’s purpose. Here I ask students to
think about why an author would write a story in the first place. This slide will also
make it’s way to a culminating question, so I am again asking them to start thinking
about it. One of the culminating questions in this lecture will require for students to
explain why they think Macbeth was written.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

Culminating Activity/ Question -

Writing Activity
 Why do you think Shakespeare wrote Macbeth?

 By yourself, in at least 10 sentences, and in your own words, discuss why you think
Shakespeare wrote Macbeth.
 Consider the following elements of fiction for your answers:
 Themes- What symbols come up often in Macbeth? Why do they matter and how do
they contribute to the story?
 Characters- What do characters do to each other in Macbeth? What motivates them?
 Setting- Since the play takes place in 11 th-century Scotland, what is Shakespeare trying
to tell us with this? Can the events of Macbeth take place in modern-day?
 Author’s Purpose: Commentaries of society, Historical parallels, Lesson’s on life, Moral
stories

This culminating writing activity asks students to think critically about why they think
Macbeth was written. Concepts covered in previous slides will be employed by the
students as they will think about the Author’s purpose. Reason’s for Macbeth’s
creation are realistically unknown, however hundreds of inferences can be made.
The purpose of this exercise is to have students recall the covered elements of fiction,
along with the purpose of fiction, in order to create an answer. Like many questions
in English, there is no single correct answer. Students will need to demonstrate their
analytical skills in order to answer the question appropriately.

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Elements of Fiction in Macbeth

Culminating Activity/ Question - Group

discussion and Presentation.
 Recall the “Hero’s Journey.”
 Do the events in Macbeth fit in the “Hero’s Journey” template?

 Instructions:
 In groups of 5, discuss the “Hero’s Journey” template and identify each event in
Macbeth fits in the template.
 After identifying which scenes go where on the template, you will present your
findings to the class. Explain the reason why each scene goes where you think it
goes. (IE: “I believe the scene where _________ in Macbeth is the supernatural aid
because___________”)

In this final Culminating activity, students will participate in a group discussion and
presentation. They will be given the task of aligning the plot points of Macbeth with
the Hero’s Journey. This activity calls for students to gather the information covered
in previous slides in order to come up with an adequate answer. This group activity
has students gather their collected information for collaboration and creation of a
Hero’s Journey template specifically for Macbeth. This exercise will also allow
students to see how well the Hero’s Journey fits with this play, and how they can
associate it in future texts they read.

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