WEEK 1
Introduce students to “The Wanderer” and excerpt from
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles
. Write found poetry and discuss. Explicate for homework. Then read and explicate five of Shakespeare’s sonnets.
WEEK 2
Offer students a synopsis of characters and a scenario: three witches gather and greet Macbeth the thane and his friend Banquo riding back to King Duncan after winning a great battle. The witches greet Macbeth as Thane of Cawdor and then King. When Macbeth meets a messenger who tells him he is actually Thane of Cawdor, he begins to consider murdering King Duncan and tells his wife in a letter. At their home, King Duncan comes for a visit. Macbeth says to his wife, “We will go no farther in this matter.” Write the dialogue which ensues. Perform.
WEEKS 3-5
Read with dialectical notebook and perform the play. Write a compare/contrast essay about persuasion scene.
WEEKS 5-7
Continue reading with dialectical notebooks and performing. Write an essay describing the motivations and development of one character.
WEEK 8
The scene is set for Lady Macbeth’s decompensation: write the scene following “her sense is shut.” Direct and perform. Then read and perform the Shakespeare, explicating, and write found poetry from this scene. Write a compare and contrast essay about one of our classmates’ scenes and the Shakespeare.
WEEK 9
Finish performing and explicating the play. Write an essay: What kills Macbeth and why?
WEEK 10
Introduce Welles as a character. Watch clips from
Lady from Shanghai
with dialectical notebook.
WEEK 11
Watch
Macbeth
in its entirety, occasionally pausing for notes on the left hand of the dialectical notebook. For homework fill in the right side of the notebook. Discuss Welles’ controversial directorial choices.
WEEK 12
Watch clips from
Macbeth,
the persuasion and the handwashing scenes. Discuss Lady Macbeth’s power here and write a paper about it.
WEEK 13
Watch clip from
Seven Samurai
with dialectical notebook as before and discuss warring samurai/tono period in Japan as well as contemporary issues. Paper about violence in the piece.
WEEK 14
Watch
Throne of Blood
with dialectical as before. Explain Noh theater and bring in medieval Japanese watercolors. Paper about the cycle of violence in the film and the film’s argument.
WEEK 15
Watch clips from
Throne of Blood
, again the persuasion and the handwashing scenes. Discuss Asaji’s power within and beyond the film and write a paper about it.
WEEK 16
Opposite hand self portraits within a scene which describes your own relationship with the gender roles to which you feel ascribed. Write an explanation and present.
