PLANNING
Whole-Class learning
PerformanCe Task
In what ways does
Macbeth attempt to
control the future and
to bury the past?UniT PerformanCe-Based
assessmenT
What is the relationship
of human beings to time?essenTial QUesTion:
How do our attitudes
toward the past and
future shape our actions?The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act II
Connection to essential Question
Act II of the play connects to the Essential Question, “How do our
attitudes toward the past and future shape our actions?” Macbeth’s
final decision to murder Duncan and achieve his desired status as king
sets off the chaotic events that follow. Macbeth’s act unleashes the
tumultuous future and disturbs the natural order of things. It would
seem that the gates of hell, referenced by the porter, have been opened
to the horror of all involved.Connection to Performance Tasks
Whole-Class Learning Performance Task Students will observe that
once Macbeth has murdered Duncan, he is plagued by uncertainty
about what the future holds for him. His obsession with controlling the
consequences of his evil deed grows as he realizes that he must murder
Banquo and his son if he is to maintain the throne.Unit Performance-Based Assessment In Act II of The Tragedy of
Macbeth, students see the unraveling of Macbeth’s plans to control the
succession of kings that will rule Scotland. Macbeth’s murder of Duncan
has overturned what should have been the natural passing of the title to
Duncan’s sons. The text reveals that such disruptions have major effects
not only in the short term but also in the future. The play shows that
humans may take action to bring about the future that they want for
themselves, but they are often thwarted by unexpected events beyond
their control.WHOLE-CLASS LEARNING • The Tragedy of MacbeTh, Act IISummary
As Act II of The Tragedy of Macbeth begins, Macbeth has a vision of
a bloody knife floating above him. Lady Macbeth rings a bell to signal
that everything is ready for Macbeth to kill Duncan. Macbeth soon
enters again with bloody knives in hand. Lady Macbeth berates him
for not planting the weapons on the sleeping bodyguards and does
so herself. Soon Macduff and Lennox arrive at the castle. Macduff
finds Duncan’s dead body, and Macbeth immediately kills the two
bodyguards, claiming that he had a fit of rage when he saw them with
the bloody knives. Duncan’s two sons, Malcolm and Donalbein fear
for their lives and flee, thereby raising suspicions that they were the
murderers. As the act closes, Macbeth is crowned King of Scotland.insight
In the second act, Macbeth’s murder of the king sets in motion the
action of the rest of the play. It establishes the fact that Macbeth is
willing to commit the heinous act of regicide in order to achieve the
future that he desires for himself and his heirs. Lady Macbeth’s chiding
of Macbeth’s weakness and her act of planting the murder weapons
reveal her complicity and lack of basic human emotions.aUdio sUmmaries
Audio summaries of Act II
of The Tragedy of Macbeth
are available online in both
English and Spanish in the
Interactive Teacher’s Edition or
Unit Resources. Assigning these
summaries prior to reading the
selection may help students
build additional background
knowledge and set a context for
their first read.280A UNIT 3 • FACING THE FUTURE, CONFRONTING THE PAST
LIT17_TE12_U03_A2_WC_INTER.indd 1 16-03-25 3:39 AM