Act 5, Part 2: "A tale told by an idiot"

Well, we've arrived at the end. Today's assignment has three parts:

Part 1--Your character needs to explain what has happened in the closing of the play. How were they involved? What do they think about what happened? How do they react? Predict what will happen now that Malcolm is the king. Will Scotland recover from Macbeth? Find a picture, video, meme, or GIF to include in your post. Make sure it fits the actual actions of the final act. YOU MUST COMMENT ON OTHER BLOGS. Some of you have not been making as many comments as you ought to.

Part 2--Write a SECOND blog entry, kind of like an epilogue. Imagine you are are a year or two after the end of the play. Where are you now? What is your character up to? How have they changed? What are they planning on? What's next for them?

Part 3--Off the blog, write me a letter. In this letter, offer your thoughts to me on this project. What went well? What was difficult? What should I do again? What should I change? How could I make this better? Use correct letter writing format, including salutation and closing.

Act 5, part 1: "What's done cannot be undone"

We are drawing to a close. Macduff has succeeded in persuading Malcolm to return to England, and we have seen some concerning behavior from Lady Macbeth. Macbeth himself seems to believe he cannot be defeated. But we know that the end is drawing close, and there is a lot of action yet to come.

World's End Close in Edinburgh, Scotland

So what has your character been involved in? What do they know? What might they be unsure of or what do they worry about? Explain the events of the play from their perspective, including their insights and feelings about these events. Look into their mind for what they are most concerned about as things move forward.

In a second paragraph, describe what they hope will happen, and what they think will happen to Macbeth (sometimes "hope" and "think" mean two different things). Please spell check and use good writing skills. Ms. May is watching!

Act 4, Part 1: "O Scotland, Scotland!"

Start by summarizing some of the events you were part of or know about. By now, word of the death of Lady Macduff and her children has made the rounds and everyone knows--except those in England (Macduff, Thane of Fife, I'm looking at you). The witches have been involved in everything, Macbeth has sought out the witches and sent murderers to kill Macduff's family, and Macduff has gone to try and convince Malcolm that Scotland needs him--with interesting results.

This is pure truth.

So now what? 

No, really: What do you think will happen next? What makes you think that? What plans should your character be making? What stands in the way of what your character wants? How might they be able to overcome those obstacles? What 👏happens👏next👏?

For fun, go find a pertinent picture and include it in your blog post. It can be a meme or a regular picture, but make it relevant. 

Is this what Macduff's home looks like now?

Act 3, part 2: "By the pricking of my thumbs..."

Life in Scotland is growing ever more tense. Dinner parties are nice, but ghosts are not. At this point, everyone has different goals they are working on.

In addition to summarizing the action of the play, write what your character is most concerned about. Explain how they feel, what they worry about, what they are planning for, what they hope will happen in the future, and what they predict will happen to them and to others around them. The final thing your entry should include is a simile or metaphor comparing your character to something that will help us better understand your character's mental or emotional state. Personally, my excitement at reading your entries has me filled with chills, as though Banquo's ghost tried to give me a hug.

Don't forget to comment on other blogs. Your job is to interact in a way that fits your character's personality. And HAVE FUN!

*Note: Spelling and grammar are still important aspects of your writing, with some exceptions for creativity.

Act 3 part 1: "To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus."

Good morning, you villainous, onion-eyed barnacles!

Things are really getting interesting now: Macbeth is plotting further murders, Ross and Macduff seem unsure about this new king, and there's a banquet on the way. So much to do! Before you do any of it, however, double check any posts of yours with comments. Respond to any that need responses. Check out a blog you haven't seen before and leave a new comment. Then...

Write a blog post about your character's place in this world. How are they holding up? What are their worries or concerns? What do they look forward to? What plans are they making? Use a quote from the play (only from what we've read so far) to help describe what is going on and what you are doing about it all.

For fun, add either a meme or a GIF to your post that helps describe your character or the events they have been involved in. For bonus points and to prove you are really paying attention to the assignment, leave a comment on this entry.

Act 2: "There's daggers in men's smiles."

We have finished Act 2, and not all is well in Scotland. People are headed in various directions, all with different motivations. Your assignment is to write from your character's point of view about his/her motivations or reasons behind their actions. What is it that they want most? Why? What are they doing to get what they want? What obstacles are in the way of what they want? How can they possibly get around these obstacles?

Remember: Not all characters know all of the details. Make sure you write your posts such that you stay true to your character's knowledge. Witches and (newly-minted) ghosts, however, now know and see it all.

When you finish your blog posts, go through and read the comments people have left on your blog and respond. Go and read other characters' blogs and leave them comments. Stay in character and only use the Shakespearean insults if you have to get sassy.

Is this a dagger I see before me...?

Good morning, Noblemen and women of Scotland! So much has happened, and so many... interesting decisions have been made. If you did not have time to complete Wednesday's assignment, please finish that assignment before you move on to this assignment. (Scroll down to see previous entries and assignments.)

Your assignment for Friday is as follows: Please write a blog entry of two paragraphs.

Paragraph one should discuss the events of the play so far. Paragraph 2 should be YOUR character's reaction to those events, and a prediction about what they hope or think about the future.

Once you have written both paragraphs, please comment on a minimum of THREE different blogs. Then respond to comments on YOUR blog. Don't forget to share the love (it is Valentine's Day, after all) and visit some blogs you haven't previously visited.

Because this is an interactive blog and part of the modern world of communication, find a meme that fits the events so far and include it in your blog post.

Act 1 Assignment

Students:

Your assignment today has two parts: post and comment.

1. Post: Look at the events of the FIRST act, through the start of scene 5 of Macbeth. Blog about those events as if you were either 1) there, or 2) heard about it from someone else. Remember that some events NO ONE except the few involved would know about. For instance, ony Macbeth and Lady Macbeth can blog about their plan to kill Duncan. The rest of you can blog about common events like: the traitorous Thane of Cawdor; the fact that Macbeth becomes Thane of Cawdor; the events that take place in the king's castle; etc. What would you say as that character? What would seem to make sense to that character? What events seem weird or unusual? Write and post, and don't forget to give your post a title.

For bonus points, include some sort of an (appropriate) image that fits with the events your character is familiar about.

2. Comment: When you finish your posting, look at a few other blogs. Read their posts. Post a comment. Remember that if they talk about an event your character technically knows nothing about, you should be confused by this. You should comment on at least two other blogs, or more if you choose.
If you notice that one blog is getting a lot of comments, comment on a different blog also.
Consider commenting specifically on the entries of those you are connected to, either by marriage, birth, or profession.

First Assignment

Good morning! Your assignment, should you choose to accept it (and you will), is to personalize your blog. The last student who used it left it the way they wanted it, and they may not have had the best interpretation. Feel free to change:

1. Blog title (we should still be able to tell whose blog it is)
2. Profile information
3. Profile picture
4. Theme

All other parts of the blog should remain AS IS. The window for these changes is 24 hours before I lock the blogs and the only changes you will be able to make will be adding blog posts. 

Use your Dramatis Personae and the textbook for any information you may need. Have fun and try to make it reflect your character!

Welcome to Macbeth!

Students: Welcome to our Macbeth blog project. Check my blog here for updates, ideas, and various links. We will begin working on adding content and customizing the blogs soon. For now, I will simply encourage you to check out the links on my sidebar on the right.