Lesson2- ambition

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3

Lesson 2: ambition

Lesson topics

How does Shakespeare use the problem of ambition in his plays?

- MacBeth: good and evil, choices in life

- Julius Caesar: when a bad deed is for the good

Define ‘Ambition’. What does ambition look like?

What are your ambitions?

Listen to the song on the next slide

You can read along with the lyrics in the handout

What is the song about?

In which sentences have you found this?

Back to Shakespeare...

Read act 1 scene 7 in your handout

What is going on? 

What do you think of the choice MacBeth has to make?

What would you do?

Theme: how far do you go before you 'lose yourself?'

What is MacBeth about?

Watch the video. Tip: write along to get a summary of the plot

• Describe the following characters in your own words: MacBeth, Lady MacBeth, Duncan, Banquo
• Each has ambitions. Do they have the power to make their ambition happen? Are they good or bad?

(you can use the character sheet in the handouts to help you)

Types of ambition

Let's look a bit closer at what we just discussed

Read the two other fragments on your handout (act 1 scene 3 and 5)

• what happened?
• how does MacBeth’s ambition develop? 
• how do you feel about this? 

act1 scene 5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN1BfA5YwSM

a discussion and performance

Witches prophecy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vumgtbMObAA&t=24s

the bit that goes before the speech in your handout

Compare: Julius Caesar

In Julius Caesar we find another man who wants to be king: Brutus.  He, too, has long monologues as to why he should or shouldn’t kill Caesar. Read the speech in the handout

• What are his motives?
• Are his motives better or worse than MacBeth’s?
• Why?

Discussion: types of ambition

How do these plays describe ambition? Use these four questions 

• Is chasing your ambition always good?
• And where do you stop?
• If Macbeth believed he was fated to have the crown, can he be credited (or blamed) with ambition in trying to gain it?
• Who made the better choice: McB or Brutus?