Show what the servants are doing on the great day.
Create the jobs in action for servants to represent work being done for the banquet.
Use a mime loop.
In groups create an occupational mime but represent it in four to six stages. Then organise it so that you all finish where you can start the same sequence again easily and seamlessly and loop them until stopped.
Look at them and what they show.
(Later, see structure point 12, when Macbeth’s guilt is recognised, the loop will be revisited and changed as the activity would now be seen through Macbeth’s eyes, coloured by his guilt and his evil ... e.g. chopping vegeta- bles becomes a stabbing motion.)
3. The focus of the drama
TiR as the Chief Steward to the King:
I felt I had to come to warn you. You are the most trusted servants. As you know this is the most important banquet that has happened for a long time. He has invited all great people to celebrate this most important time in his life now that he has become king. However, it’s important that you know that he’s not in a good mood this morning. Make sure that everything is prepared, everything in its place and everything done in the right way. He is sure to come down to check on things. We have known each other for a long time. We must look after each other, protect each other’s backs. He will be looking for me – I must go. Be careful! He’s wanting it all to be just right.
4. TiR as Macbeth
The group go back to the representation of the activities. During the prepa- rations enter TiR as Macbeth in a foul mood ... walk through the activity stopping and staring but not speaking. Look towards the chair set up with the gold cloth on the throne. Survey it ... silence. If they have only covered one chair, which is fairly certain, you declare, Where is the place for my great Queen? I shall assume that you have not got to the point of putting it in yet ...
Look at the servants and see if any apologise and set to remedying the situ- ation. If they are too awestruck, come OoR and negotiate what they think they should do/say to cover the mistake.
Exit Macbeth.
Mime loop
TiR Steward establishes tension of expectations
Macbeth
The main focus for the role is the paranoia and the guilt that the play works on.
This behaviour by Macbeth is represented by his oppression of the servants.
There is no way they could be expected to have created two thrones and the teacher does not tell them to, but that only reinforces how Macbeth is.
ROLE BRIEF
TiR Macbeth raises tension
5. Sociogram – showing reaction to Macbeth at this stage 6. TiR as Chief Steward returns
Gather the servants round. Has he been in? What was he like?
Introduce the story of the chambermaid:
I have grave news, which only serves to show how difficult the time is for us and how uncertain his behaviour.
The Queen’s chambermaid was slow in clearing her mistress’s chamber this morning and he visited to check the room. Unfortunately there were remnants of her Majesty’s supper; there was bread and wine left on the table. There were crumbs and spilt wine and a used knife left lying in the spilt wine. He saw it and, according to the girl, who arrived then, he went livid white and cried out that it should be removed at once. He is vowing to punish the girl for her idleness. He said he will have her hand cut off. I hope I can intercede for her but we all must be very careful now.
There is the need for us all to keep an eye on the King.
End of Part one PART TWO
7. Recap last session 8. After the banquet
Narrate: The next morning the servants gathered round the great table to be addressed by the steward.
TiR Steward: We have to think about what happened last night. Your work was excellent and the banquet was a credit to you all. It was not your fault that things went wrong.
As it was reported to me, because I was not in the room at the time, some of you will have seen it, our Lord was not himself. He was the last person to come to the banqueting hall, his was the only seat empty. The assembled company were all expectation as he approached the table. And then he stopped and as it was reported to me ...
Describe the report of Macbeth at the banquet. Use language from the text, but mediated in the delivery because it is as reported rather than as deliv- ered in an acted speech by Macbeth, so if the teacher stumbles it does not matter because the Steward is trying to remember.
He looked at the empty throne and then he said:
Thou can’st not say I did it ... Never shake Thy gory locks at me ...
Then he paused and seemed to remember himself and turned to the guests and said:
Do not muse at me, my most worthy friends:
I have a strange infirmity, which is nothing To those that know me.
‘Macbeth’ 183
TiR Steward reflection in role and further stimulus
TiR introduces text from the play
But again he turned to the throne and, his face ashen, he cried out:
Avaunt and quit my sight!
Let the earth hide thee!
Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold.
At this point the Queen seemed to recognise that all was not right and intervened drawing him away and urging the rest of the company to finish the meal without them.
It was a sorry meal with much speculation by the lords and ladies present and they dispersed early.
9. Servants discuss what they have seen with the Steward What does this mean? What has he seen?
The class need to be led through what the words might mean (either in role as the Steward or out of role). What does he mean by ‘gory locks’? What is on the throne, etc.? They may know the play in which case they may add from this knowledge. They do not need to know the play and will work their way towards the idea of someone having been killed. Classes have suggested he killed the previous king, which is useful. They do not need to work out that it is the ghost of Banquo on the throne, as in the play.
Even if they only get a vague idea that Macbeth is mad and guilty that is fine.
10. The Steward provides more evidence
TiR: I have received other evidence that something is amiss. The Queen’s cham- bermaid, who is under threat from the King gave me this. She found it in her lady’s chamber. If you cannot read I will tell you what it says.
He produces the letter sent by Macbeth to Lady Macbeth at the beginning of Act 1 scene V. Copies can be handed round, one between two or three, written out in a suitable hand.
Discuss what this shows.
(Optional: In groups OoR design a tableaux to show what they think was happening at this moment and what this shows about Macbeth.)
They met me in the day of success: and I have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire to question them further, they made themselves air, into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who all-hailed me ‘Thane of Cawdor’; by which title, before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with ‘Hail, king that shalt be!’ This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewell.
TiR introduces further text from the play
If the servants suggest they suspect ‘murder’ the Steward can introduce a note of scepticism:
I cannot believe that our King could have done such things. How can we be sure?
We are in great danger if we are right or if we are wrong.
How do we cover up and pretend nothing has happened? What do we do for our- selves? See what ideas you can come up with. I must get about my business. I will talk to you later tonight.
He hands the letter to one of them and leaves them to discuss their next step.
11. The servants are threatened with discovery
As they are discussing, change roles to TiR Macbeth and stand far across the room from them as though you are in another room, looking about and walking up and down.
There are no servants? Why is the palace empty? Why should I be shouting for servants? You should be here to see me now.
The servants have to deal with this moment. Go OoR if they struggle to overcome the shock of the challenge and negotiate how they might get round it.
As an example: in one session as the class all stood tense and unsure of what to do, one pupil took the initiative, strode quietly over to Macbeth and said, Sorry, your Majesty, but we thought the banquet was such a success, we were planning the next one.
The TiR Macbeth was able to relax and reply, Your loyalty is admirable but you should not all be unavailableand exit.
There was an audible sigh of relief from the class.
12. Repeat mime loop and develop
Now, when Macbeth’s guilt is recognised, repeat the mime loop and redo the original but work on it to change it as the innocent activity would now be seen through Macbeth’s eyes, coloured by his guilt and his evil, for example, chopping vegetables becomes a stabbing motion.
Start the loop normally and show how it changes as Macbeth enters.
13. Macbeth comes looking for the letter
TiR: Gather all you servants. I have serious business. My lady is missing a letter from her chamber. One of you must know of this. It is deadly secret and if you know you must return it, telling no one of its contents. I will be very angry if it is not found at once.
Do you all understand? I will return shortly.
OoR: What do they do? Return it secretly to where it belongs?
14. Set up the Queen’s bedchamber
Choose a volunteer servant to return the letter.
One thought, one action direction of the returnee from the door of the room. At a critical moment TiR Macbeth enters. Forum theatre is used to deal with that moment.
‘Macbeth’ 185
TiR presents a challenge for the group
Mime loop revisited
TiR challenge to the servants
Define the space technique
15. Ending possibilities
OoR: This King is not worthy of leading the country and he threatens us all. The servants all rise up against him. How do we show his overthrow?
The class work to find a theatrical form to symbolise the end of Macbeth.
Introduce symbols that can be used in the representation; the themes and symbols in the play suggest possibilities – the gold-covered throne/candle in a candlestick/a red cloth.
Possibilities
● Five movements and single statements using the symbols.
● Tableau with captions.
● 30-second scene involving figures important in Macbeth’s downfall – Macbeth, a ‘weird sister’, his wife, the dead King, the servants.
● Sociogram of the servants showing them surrounding the body of the dead Macbeth.
A whole group tableaux at the coronation of the new King, with an image of the overthrown Macbeth involved somewhere.
Theatre form to embody ending
Structure summary
1 Negotiate doing drama.
2 Introduction.
OoR: What must it have been like to be a king 500 years ago?:
Look at a picture of Elizabeth I or Henry VIII and an Elizabethan banquet.
They are instructed to work together as a class to set out the banquet room.
Create the jobs in action for servants to represent work being done for the banquet. Use a mime loop.
Look at them.
3 TiR as the Chief Steward to the King.
I felt I had to come to warn you. It’s important that you know that he’s not in a good mood this morning.
4 TiR as Macbeth in a foul mood.
Where is the place for my Queen?
5 Sociogram to show thoughts about Macbeth at this point.
6 TiR as steward returns.
Has he been in?... What was he like?
Introduce the story of the chambermaid.
End of Part One