PLANNING WHOLE-CLASS LEARNING • THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH, ACT IV
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?Summary
As Act IV begins, Macbeth is with the witches, who conjure up
three apparitions. The first specter warns Macbeth of the threat
posed by Macduff. The witches’ second apparition tells Macbeth he
should fear no man born of woman. The third apparition predicts
that Macbeth will lose his throne when Birnam Wood comes to
Dunsinane, his castle. Based on these prophecies, Macbeth believes
that he cannot be defeated. Then he asks the witches about their
prediction that Banquo will be the father of a line of kings, and
they show him a line of eight kings, all of whom look like Banquo.
In England, Malcolm is convinced of Macduff’s loyalty, and the two
make plans for attacking Macbeth in Scotland. In Scotland, Macbeth
has Macduff’s wife and child killed to prevent the witches’ prophecy
from coming true.insight
In Act IV, Macbeth continues to strive to control the future by
seeking out the three witches to learn more about their prophecies.
The witches’ predictions are intentionally ambiguous, and Macbeth
interprets them as favorable to his wishes. Ironically, Macbeth believes
that the witches’ prophecies will help him control his future while they
actually guarantee its failure.The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act IV
Connection to the essential Question
Macbeth’s belief that the witches’ prophecy guarantees the future of
his reign as Scotland’s king undermines him by creating a false sense of
invulnerability and by allowing his unfettered ambition to lead him to
commit further irrational acts.Connection to Performance Tasks
Whole-Class Learning Performance Task Students will observe that
Macbeth’s misinterpretation of the witches’ predictions makes him more
vulnerable and reveals his inability to control his future. Macbeth’s past
evil actions spur his out-of-control ambition and lead him further astray
from the future he seeks.Unit Performance-Based Assessment Students will note that in Act IV
Macbeth’s continuing belief in the witches’ prophecies and their
resulting havoc are further indications that humans are incapable of
controlling the endless unraveling of events in time.aUdio sUmmaries of
Act IV 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.314A UNIT 3 • FACING THE FUTURE, CONFRONTING THE PAST
LIT17_TE12_U03_A4_WC_INTER.indd 1 25/03/16 4:12 AM