Blogger #7-30 11/29/18

Aim: How do the symbols in Act II, scene ii, contribute to the work as a whole by illuminating tone, mood, and the theme of Macbeth?

     Do Now: Prepare for HOT SEAT by adding ONE MORE thought- provoking question to your list! Remember what creates an insightful question (ANALYSIS=What is IMPLIED = What we can INFER) - Start with HOW and WHY to get the most out of your questions.

(the hot seat characters should prepare)

Hot Seat Characters

Lady Macbeth

Macbeth

Two Guards

King Duncan

Host

Audience - asks the questions

The Hot Seat begins with an reenactment of Act. 2, Scene 2, in which the class (audience) has to take notes on.

"Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep!" 

(Important Quote) Consider the symbolism associated with this statement.

     > Sleep symbolizes a "little death", and the most vulnerable state of humans. Macbeth takes advantage of this and kills Duncan in his sleep.

After the scene ends, the characters take their seats, and we begin our discussion by asking specific characters insightful question about the scene, or events leading up to that scene. 

Some of the Questions and Answers:  

~  Questions directed towards Lady Macbeth ~

- Why did you marry such a coward?
Lady Macbeth: I didn't know how big of a coward he was when we got married

- What is up with the birds? Owls, chickens, ravens, and crows?
Lady Macbeth: The ravens and crows symbolize death, which stand for Duncan's death. The chicken represents my husband, since he is a big coward.

- Why weren't you okay with killing Duncan who resembled your father, but okay with murdering your own child?
Lady Macbeth: It was a moment of weakness.

~ Questions directed towards Macbeth ~
- Do you support your wife, and her ideas?
Macbeth: Of course, I'm very proud of her and I know she wanted to murder Duncan for my sake.

- Did you kill Duncan to prove your masculinity, or did you do it for yourself to be king?

Macbeth: Both, since my wife thinks she's a better man than I am, and I also want to be king

-Do you plan on following through with the plan?

Macbeth: Yes, as we already killed Duncan, might as well follow through. We shouldn't be going backwards or else all our work will be in vain.

-Did you promise your wife to kill Duncan?

Macbeth: and that to

~ Questions directed towards King Duncan ~

-How does it feel to be betrayed twice?

Duncan: Obviously not great, Macbeth was suppose to be my loyal commander, I don't understand why.

-Having been killed because of how trusting you were, if you could go back, would you have ruled your empire more strictly?

Duncan: No, it was because I was a kind ruler that people loved me.

~ Questions directed toward the 2 guards ~

- Why were you slacking on the job?

Guards: We were working so hard, and at first we were refusing the drinks, but Lady Macbeth requested we drink so we did.This is the first time a King has died, and we will do a better job at guarding for his son.

-Why weren't you suspicious of Lady Macbeth? Guards: She seemed perfectly sane, and she offered us drinks like she was rewarding us for working so hard to protect the King.

Class Blogging 7-29 11/27/18

Aim: What are the major symbols in Macbeth and how do they create allusions and connections?

Do Now: Review through Act I of Macbeth and find ANY symbol being used. Write down: 1. The symbol, 2. The quote, 3. The line reference. Turn to a partner and teach each other about how your symbols are being used and how it contributes to the meaning of the text.

-Today, we talked about symbolism and how it is used in quotes of Act I of Macbeth. Some symbols mentioned during the group discussion were water which represents life, the number 3 which is a very powerful number in literature, darkness which symbolizes evil, and milk which represents nurture, care, and motherhood.

-In addition to this, we started reading Act II Scene I of Macbeth where we left off of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth previously plotting to kill King Duncan.

-In Act II Scene I, a new character, Fleance, is introduced.

-Many symbols were discussed in Act II Scene I, such as darkness in which it represents evil and the propechy of Macbeth troubles Banquo causing him to be unable to fall asleep. Previously before, Macbeth had thought about what the three witches who recited the prophecy and lied to Banquo, going against what he had said earlier about being completely open and trusting one another.

-Finishing Act II Scene I, we have a soliloquy by Macbeth in which we had to deconstruct in our groups. After speaking and listening to other groups, we have confirmed that in the soliloquy, Macbeth is uneasy about killing King Duncan and is almost hallucinating that he did when he says that he sees blood on his dagger and compares the crime to the crime of Tarquín who committed the Rape of Lucrece. Another symbol that we could find was that he compares himself to a wolf who is startled by its own howl when he says that he was shocked that the dagger he was holding could be a weapon of murder.

- In the end, however, after thinking about the murder of King Duncan for so long, Macbeth has finally convinced himself that he will commit the crime and kill King Duncan.

7-27 Blog 11/21/18

Aim: What are the major symbols in Macbeth and how do they create allusions and connections?
Do Now: Quiz! Online

Pair Share: On paper/digitally, write to a note to your neighbors using only images. Trade notes to see if you can understand one another without speaking.

Example of Pair share acitivty

Symbolism in Macbeth 

We discussed about symbolism in Macbeth, For example, white meant innocence and purity and water meant cleansing.

Elizabeth Vesialou Blogger #7-26 11/19/18

Aim: How is imagery used to highlight the motif of promises?

Do now: Review Macbeth's soliloquy, especially the conclusion. How does the imagery in the beginning and end bring Macbeth to his decision? 

We began the class by finishing act 1 scene 7 of Macbeth. In this portion of the reading we learned that Lady Macbeth wants to get the guards drunk to kill the king who is sleeping. She wants to use a guard's sword to perform the task. Macbeth is finding no reason to do this showing a nurturing side while is wife is cruel. This goes back to "fair is foul and foul is fair" because everything is opposite in their relationship. Lady Macbeth is more masculine while Macbeth is more feminine. 

After discussing this scene, we spoke about types of characters in literature. Some types include: 

1. Round character: reader knows a lot about the character. The character is developed physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Examples of such characters: Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, Ralph, Piggy

2. Flat characters: character is only one sided and not well developed 

Ex: King Duncan, Roger, Robert

3.Dynamic Characters: characters that go through a significant change throughout the story

Ex: Macbeth, Ralph

4. Static Characters: characters who do not change in the story 

Ex: Roger

Then, Ms. Fusaro posted a picture on the board and we had a question to answer in our group. We discussed what the meaning of the image was and what in the image led us to our conclusion. 

After talking in our groups, we shared our answers in a class discussion. Some answers included that it could be Lady Macbeth's conscious that is feeling guilty about her murders because of her scared look and stiff body language. Another idea was that the light in the center represented a positive idea that was surrounded by the negativity in the area. To add on, it could be that a Lady Macbeth is pushing her nurturing feminine side away to allow her cruelty and masculine side to take charge. This is expressed in the image because the woman in the background looks very feminine and looks submissive and scared of Lady Macbeth. Also, the man next to her seems to reach out to cover her as if to overpower Lady Macbeth's feminine side. The two people could represent the two parts of Lady Macbeth and how she is trying to allow her masculine side to shine through.

Our last discussion was motifs which are repetition of specific themes that dominate a literary work. So far in this book the motifs are promises, milk, and hands. More accurate description of a motif is in the image below.

Friday, Nov 16

Mrs. Fusaro-Pizzo, Blogger #23
November 16th, 2018
Sophomores, Period 7


Today in class we created a flipgrid with each of our teams. 

Using the vocabulary words for this unit, we were to record a flipgrid creating a song, dance, narrative, poem, or dramatic dialogue. However, most of the groups in our class decided to create a story using the vocabulary words. 

Each story had a minimum of one word per group member. (Ex. 6 members would require 6 words.) Each performance had to have been a maximum of five minutes. 

My group decided to create a story using six words. It followed one of our group members, Thami, as he was sent away by his father to a summer camp in the tundra. Thami could not stand the summer camp and tried to destroy it. He decided he would burn it down. After failing and getting caught, he was trapped in a cave for the rest of his life by the summer camp leaders. 

Other groups created their own stories and you can view them in the link below. 

Watch our groups’ stories here

board view

Blogger #25 Ramim Tarafdar 11/14/18

November 14, 2018

Aim: How does an analysis of Macbeth’s soliloquy demonstrate that he is a round and dynamic character with many layers?

Do Now: With your groups - Review
Read the remainder of Act I, scene V (after Macbeth walks in) To be completed after reading Lady Macbeth’s “Come You Spirits”

I.v
1.When does King Duncan plan on visiting and departing Inverness (Macbeth’s estate)?
           He plans on staying the night and departing in the morning.

2. Explain the Lady Macbeth’s intentions and plan when she states about King Duncan: “O, never / Shall sun that morrow see!”
           Lady Macbeth intends on murdering King Duncan when he comes to visit her estate thus he wonʼt live to see another day.

3. Explain Lady Macbeth’s ​figurative language​ when she explains: “Look like th’innocent flower, / But be the serpent under’t.” What is the meaning? What is the ​biblical ​​allusion?
          The quote means that although something can look innocent, it can having evil lurking in the shadows that is left unseen, which alludes to the Bible and the story of Adam and Eve, when the serpent tricked Eve into eating fruit from the forbidden tree in the garden of Eden..

4. How does Lady Macbeth’s statement compare with King Duncan’s from scene iv: “There’s no art / To find the mind’s construction in the face”?
          Lady Macbethʼs statement is similar to King Duncanʼs as he also
speaks of how it is not possible to determine a personʼs true intentions from their facial expressions and body language.

I.vi
5. What commentary are Banquo and King Duncan making about the ​atmosphere​​ of the castle? What ​mood does this create? How does it compare and/or contrast to the knowledge of the audience?
          Banquo and King Duncan attribute the castleʼs atmosphere as pleasant, delicate and welcoming, which is as far off as can be since Lady Macbeth is patiently waiting to kill Duncan

6. Explain the culture of ​xenia​​ as demonstrated between Lady Macbeth and King Duncan?
           The culture of Xenia is a Greek term form “hospitality” which means that any guests in oneʼs home should be treated with the utmost respect and care, which Lady Macbeth demonstrates by stating that everything leading to Duncanʼs arrival, even the most trivial matters were tended to twice.



Read Aloud- Complete Scene VII
Focus: How does Lady Macbeth choose to execute her plan? How does Macbeth feel about the choice he is presented with?

Macbeth worries about the consequences that may occur should he murder Duncan. An eye for eye.
He uses a metaphor for horse spurs to show that he has no immediate reason to urge him to murder therefore he does not wish to kill someone purely due to ambition. There is simply not enough reason and too many consequences  in order for him to go through with the murder.

Lady Macbeth in turn criticizes and judges Macbeth for not having the guts to go through with his plan. She simply says he has a weak will. She states that he would only be a man if he actually did it. In fact he would be even MORE of a man should he do it - a king.

Greg Sarn Blog #24

Today in class we were posing for our tableau’s. Every group went up and posed for a photo, using props, attempting to show what was happening in the Macbeth soliloquy with Lady Macbeth, without moving. After every group went the class would give them glows and grows. The purpose was to help students learn to describe complex scenarios without using words and images, as well as to learn how to accept criticism, and build off of it.

Blogger #22 Trent McGovern

Trent McGovern
Mrs. Fusaro-Pizzo, Blogger #22
November 8th, 2018
Sophomores, Period 7

Aim: How can we assess Shakespeare's perspective of Medieval & Elizabethan gender roles through an analysis of Lady Macbeth?

Do Now- Pair Share Review
"Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires" (1.iv.57-58)
What does this quote highlight about Macbeth's characterization? How is he in comparison to Banquo?

Before starting the lesson, we discussed this quote from yesterday's reading and what it meant for Macbeth's character.
-He doesn't want what he desires to be shown to everyone.
-"Black and deep desires" This shows how even though he does have these thoughts of murdering the king, he still knows they are inherently bad and evil thoughts to have.
-There are universal concepts of light and dark.
      -People look up to the "stars" like the universe would have a better understanding than us
           -Macbeth wants his true desires to be hidden by darkness, not have a light shined on them by the "stars".
-King Duncan has the "divine right" to be king. Macbeth killing him would go against the universe, or the "stars".

Do Now- Team Share
How can we summarize what the roles of women were during the Elizabethan era? Were they different in Medieval times?

Team Share: Each person in the team contributes at least one comment to the discussion. Provide valuable feedback to one another.
























We used this sheet, to which all of the answers are c, to explore what gender roles in the Elizabethan era were like.
-Women were not treated as equal to men
-The role of women was to serve men
-Women were seen as inferior to men
-Elizabethan men were against the ascension of Queen Elizabeth, as they were used to men being above women
-Women were expected to be submissive, obedient, quiet/reserved
-They were were expected to want to have domestic duties, be wives,  and have children
-The idea of women not wanting to be those things was unheard of.

Turn and talk:
With respect to women, what does "milk" symbolize? When defining milk, consider the image of a mother feeding her child; what feeling does that imagery invoke?

The different answers given in the whole class discussion were that "milk" symbolizes nourishment, femininity, fertility, and nature. The feeling invoked by the imagery was calmness, care, love, and support.

Whole Group discussion
Read, Listen, Analyze and Interpret\
Act 1, Scene V
We are introduced to Lady Macbeth. As we read lines 14-28, write and respond: How does Lady Macbeth view her husband? In her opinion, what qualities does he possess, what qualities does he need to obtain? How will she aid him in obtaining those attributes?

-Macbeth respects his wife a lot, calling her "my dearest partner of greatness"
-They clearly have a loving and caring relationship.
-Lady Macbeth believes that Macbeth is too nice and honest to be able to obtain the power that was prophesized.
-He is too cowardly and doesn't have the guts to lie and do whatever it takes to rise to power.
-She plans to help in this aspect, by telling him her ideas about what he has to do.
-She will make sure nothing will get in his way.
-She wants to have the cruelty and bravery that was expected of a man that will help her aid Macbeth.

Finally, we started to watch one of the film interpretations of the scene we just read. While we ran out of time in the middle of it, it helped us to further understand the tone of voice Lady Macbeth was speaking in and the meaning of the scene.

Jade Lombardo
Mrs. Fusaro-Pizzo, Blogger #21
November 7th, 2018
Sophomores, Period 7

Aim: How does Macbeth's multiple or conflicting motivations compared with his interaction with other characters advance the plot or develop the theme?

Do Now: Work with groups to review questions 1 and 2 and answer questions 3 and 4 on the worksheet on classroom.





4. Macbeth states: “Let us speak our free hearts to each other” to Banquo. What is he promising and why is that significant?



-He is promising that whatever happens, they should both speak honestly with each other
-Macbeth is also trying to get Banquo's opinion on what would happen if the king and all of his successors died suddenly, and if they would choose Macbeth as the next king

We then continue to read Act I Scene IV, and continue on to answer numbers 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the worksheet

5. What is the foreshadowing in the lines: “There’s no art / To find the mind’s construction in the face. / He was a gentleman on whom I built / An absolute trust” by King Duncan?


-The King killed the Thane of Cawdor, because he turned out to be a traitor, and Macbeth is planning to be the next Thane of Cawdor
-Macbeth is planning to kill the king and his descendants so that he can become the next king and fulfill the prophecy, which would make him a traitor

6. How does Duncan use metaphor to describe how he feels about Banquo’s accomplishments in the war?


-Duncan is saying that Banquo did his best work at war, and is giving him a pat on the back by saying that Banquo blossoms in war

7. How does Banquo respond? What is his tone?  What can we understand about Banquo’s characterization based on all of his conversations with others?


-He responds that Duncan is benefiting from this blossoming
-He is a bit sarcastic, because while Macbeth is in the same position as him, he gets to be raised to be Thane of Cawdor while Banquo is getting a pat on the back by the king

8. With the line: “Stars, hide your fires; / Let not light see my black and deep desires.” – What do we know about how Macbeth really feels now?


-Macbeth now wants to kill the king to gain his power because of the prophecy
-He is willing to go through anything to fulfil the prophecy, and he is not willing to chance it

How do Macbeth’s Motivation compare to his interaction with different characters?

Kelly Lin
November 5, 2018
Mrs. Fusaro-Pizzo, Blogger #20
Sophomores, Period 7


Aim: How does Macbeth's multiple or conflicting motivation compare to his interaction with other character advance the plot or develop the theme?


Brief class activity
In class, we continue to to read Macbeth Act I Scene III and IV with the same student, cast, from the previous blog, bravely and fluently reading out loud in front of the class again.


We then proceed to analyze the wisdom Banquo portrayed during his discussion with Macbeth after their first interaction with the Witches and their 'prophecy'.  He conclude that the Witches might only had given them the truth in order to win their trust and later betray them when they are unguarded against them. From this we conclude that Banquo is a smart and attentive character that is able to see a bigger picture judging by the way he interpreted the reasons the Witches might have presented them with honest truth, the prophecy.

Afterward, we then started to focus more on the change in Macbeth and his 'aside' throughout the play. Paying more attention to who he is directing his speech at and with. For example, his soliloquy and aside with Banquo.



Group Work

1. What does the figurative language used by Banquo in the line “instruments of darkness” imply?

• This figurative languages used by Banquo shows the way he views the Witches with suspicion and by labeling them as "instrument of darkness" he is also implying that they might bring huge calamity or destruction or some extremely huge conspiracies.

2. What is Banquo’s warning to Macbeth in lines 132-139?

• The presence of the Witch itself is suspicious and the fact that they are presenting them, Macbeth and Banquo, with honest fact and truth puts them, Witches, in even more suspicion. He is warning that are trying to gain their trust by presenting the truth but then will betray them later on resulting them facing huge consequences when they are unguarded against them in their most vulnerable state.

By the end of class, and brief analysis on Macbeth soliloquy, we realized that Macbeth is starting to change from a loyal soldier that defends his homeland, and kills his enemies, to someone with great ambition to become a king after he's interaction with the Witches and the 'prophecy'.

“Fair is Foul, Foul is Fair”

Kelly Lin
November 2, 2018
Mrs. Fusaro-Pizzo, Blogger #20Sophomores, Period 7

Aim: How does Macbeth’s multiple or conflicting motivations compared with his interaction with other characters advance the plot or develop the theme?

DONOW: Pair Share
What conclusion did you draw about “Fair is Foul, Foul is Fair” from Your Big Paper/Little Paer discussion?

In class, students volunteered to read out loud Act 1, scene 2, bravely standing in front of the entire class and projecting their voice loud and clear.

As we are reading, we realize the three Witches could change and manipulate nature but they can not killed a man himself with their magic. Connecting it with Greek mythology, we see that Shakespeare was probably inspire by Goddess, for example Demeter, of nature, which is why the Witches power is only limited to nature.

Aside can be soliloquy but soliloquy.

Aside- thinking out loud or conversation with other that is heard by the audience but not meant for other character to hear 

Celina Lin #7-19 Blogger

November 1st, 2018

Aim: How do The Witches set the mood and foreshadow events for the play?

Continuing from the Introduction of MacBeth

Facts about the Setting:
- Scotland was not a traditional monarchy . A king's son would usually get the throne, but under extreme circumstances, the nobles of Scotland could vote for a different successor.

- Scotland is in war in the beginning of the play. Mackdonwald, a rebel tries to overthrow Duncan and make a deal with the King of Norway.

- The rules of the Host and Guest still applies. The rule is that the Host must provide lavishly and the best of the ability for his of her guests. The rule was practiced from the most poor to the most rich. The Host would guaranteed their guest's safety and anticipate their needs and provide them with everything they need. They would treat their guests better than the people living there.

We watched a video on Macbeth and that gave us an introduction to the characters in the book and their roles.

Vocabulary terms for today's lesson:

-daimonic- the crazed passion which drives extreme behaviors
- ananagnorisis- the moment the character realizes he/she has made a tragic error in action/judgement.

Class Discussion: Does the scene appear as you envisioned it? How or how not?
What prophecies do they "hail" for Macbeth and Banquo?

Group Work: Big Paper/Little Paper(The Silent Discussion)
-Each person must respond to the "little paper" SILENTLY by writing his/thoughts on the "big paper"
-No verbal communication
- Respond directly to the quote, respond to a group-mate, make a connection or do it all.