We've been creating a short series of Classic Writers one-shot lessons, and the first is now live: Macbeth's 'Tomorrow, and tomorrow' speech.
We weren't sure this would work as a lesson—on face value it's pretty bonkers to attempt to rewrite one of the most iconic passages in English literature; you're unlikely to come out looking great in comparison. But we've had a crack, and we think we've got a good lesson out of it.
In a nutshell, we help students brainstorm some images around extreme disappointment:
And get familiar with some Shakespearean syntax:
Then draft a speech following an analogous structure:
And finally revise their draft to incorporate iambic pentameter:
The goal is to create an evocative and existentially-disappointed Shakespearean soliloquy along these lines:
The biggest benefit we've noticed from testing the lesson is the pleasure that comes when an unexpected image emerges from the constraints of the meter. Thank you, Mr Iambic!
So if you're doing Macbeth, or even another Shakespeare play, check it out!