Shakespeare Schools Festival Blog: Macbeth by Miss Griffiths https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG Miss Griffiths / Miss Jim en-us 2017-09-21 16:10:41 UTC 2026-01-27 04:22:06 UTC hello@padlet.com Blogging Task (due: Monday 25th September) Ms_Griffiths https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/189825465 Each week, you will reflect on your experience taking part in the Shakespeare Schools Festival. You must evaluate how you have developed and refined your use of theatrical skills.

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Model blog from a student from last year:

The character I play in 'The Merchant of Venice' is called Shylock, he is a Jew living an area which has a lot of antisemitism. He is a character with many different personalities and this means I have to use a range of theatrical skills to portray my character to the audience. 

I started the process by focusing on my use of vocal skills. For example, the way I have approached this character is by emphasising on words that are related to money and riches by using the skills inflection and intonation. This is to show his love and obsession with money. I have done this by exaggerating on a simple word like "ducat" by slightly raising my voice when speaking. I have also used the drama skill of projection to emphasise my unfathomable love for money and how much I prioritise wealth over anything. 

The impact, on the audience is that they can understand Shylock's infatuation with money and how he is living up to the normal Jewish stereotype set in the 20th century.

]]> 2017-09-21 16:12:45 UTC https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/189825465 Symrah https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/190376233 The character that I play in 'Macbeth' is a murderer. I kill Banquo on behalf of Macbeth. This means that I have to use a range of vocal and physical skills. I started off by practising the way I enter and exit the scene. I decided to enter the scene in a malicious but hurried way. This is because I play an evil character but I am also a character of low status. This means that I have to be a little bit fearful of Macbeth since he is a character of high status and is also my boss in terms of the task he is asking me to do. I am also going to exit the scene in the same way. This is because I am trying to get the task done as soon as possible as I am getting paid for it and, as said before, I am a little bit fearful of Macbeth. The impact of this is to reiterate the fact that this play is about money and power. It also shows that although my character should be brave since he kills people, he can also be a fearful of other characters because of the hierarchy. 

Miss Griffiths says:

WWW: Brilliant, Symrah. You have a clear understanding of your character and how to create an evil and manipulative character.

Target: Reference a range of theatrical terminology including vocal and physical skills. See the theatrical skills checklist to develop your use of this vocabulary.   

 Literacy:  Use a full range of punctuation and challenge yourself to use a semi-colon. 

]]> 2017-09-23 11:31:10 UTC https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/190376233 Shakespeare Schools Festival. https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/190381809 The character that I am playing in the Shakespeare play called "Macbeth" is Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is a character with many layers. She can be very manipulative towards her Husband (Macbeth) and she can also be very powerful in the way she presents herself in the society this play was based in. There are many different theatrical skills I have to focus on with my character. These theatrical skills will help me portray and develop my character for the audience's understanding. 

One of the things I had to mainly focus on with my character is the use of vocal skills. This is needed to portray my character towards the audience. Throughout the play I have to use a variety of different tones in my voice. This is because my emotions change throughout the play. Also I have to portray my character. As Lady Macbeth is a woman I have to show that I am powerful and that I can accomplish anything that a man can do. I have refined these skills by going over my lines and translating them in modern English. This has helped my understand the true colours of my character. Also I have use the drama skill of pace to emphasis specific words I think that are important. 

The impact on the audience is that they understand how Lady Macbeth feels in a world of male domination. 
Mandeep Kaur

Miss Griffiths says:

WWW: Excellent Mandeep! You have demonstrated your clear understanding of your character and the context of the play. You have explained how many of your acting decisions are made with your audience in mind.

Target: Reference a full range of vocal and theatrical skills, for example, your use of inflection and intonation in your voice.

Literacy:  Use a full range of punctuation and challenge yourself to use a semi-colon. 

]]> 2017-09-23 11:57:50 UTC https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/190381809 Vanessa https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/190425599 The character a
I play in 'Macbeth' is 1/3 of the witches. The witches are very malicious and devious characters and are seen to be the trouble makers or the    'bad guys; a use of  voice and large and creepy gestures are the main component in accomplishing the role in my opinion. In the last couple of weeks i think i have improved with my projection and use of voice still have a lot of developing when it comes using my gestures to show my character more 

Miss Griffiths says:

WWW: A good start Vanessa. You have explained how you have used some physical skills to create your character, such as your reference to gestures.

Target: Provide examples of how you have developed you use of voice projection, perhaps by referencing specific lines.

Literacy: Use a full range of punctuation to develop the structure of your sentences. 

]]> 2017-09-23 15:55:45 UTC https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/190425599 Aliyah- Shakespeare school festival https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/190579718 The character I am playing in Macbeth is Banquo, Lord banquo is a general . During the beginning of the play , he can be viewed as very spectacle as he doesn’t quite trust the witches predictions.
He is a character with a various amount of traits and this results in me having to use a wide range of theatrical skills , to successfully express Banquos true character throughout the piece.

I have begun to focus on my vocal skills. I believe this is a viral first step as it’s important to deliver the lines with meaning. Voice plays a big part of a character as you can vary the way you say your lines. For example, tone, volume intonation and inflection are ways you can use  your voice most effectively.

The way I have approached this skill was by speaking with inflection and intonation , to demonstrate I have authority and a higher status than most of the other characters . The way I use my voice can also indicate I have power. As I carefully think about the  paste, tone and constant pausing to help show this.  Finally, so far my character has come across as very spectacle and suspicious (as mentioned before)... So As I- Banquo ask a lot of questions , i altar my voice. For example “...wither are they vanished?” And “can the devil speak true?” Are two instances where I speak quieter and raise the pitch of my voice slightly,  to showcase the confusion as I question. 

The impact on the audience encourages them to understand my deeper motives , thoughts and feelings towards a certain moment.. all from the use of my voice.

Miss Griffiths says:

WWW: You have demonstrated a clear understanding of your character and explain how you have developed specific skills using theatrical terminology. Well done, Aliyah!

Target: Explain specific examples of lines where you used intonation and inflection to show your authority as a character.

Literacy: Spell ‘sceptical’ outthree times. 

]]> 2017-09-24 16:15:57 UTC https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/190579718 Sephora Nsilulu - Shakespeare schools Festival https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/190595589 The character that I play in the Shakespeare's Macbeth, is Macbeth. Macbeth is a complex character with a powerful position which comes with many expectations and constant pressures.The role of Macbeth has many layers to the role, who starts of as a confident, strong character but then ,due to his  certain actions becomes an agitated,weak leader.

One of the key skills i used to adapt to Macbeths character was vocal skills.This was essential to my role as my character is a powerful man of a high status,who needs a demanding voice with an assertive tone.Throughout the perfomance i would project my voice to highlight that my character was respected and used a stern tone in my voice,when saying my lines.When saying my lines i would also emphasise on certain words in my lines that refer to Macbeths power like when i would say 'speak, I charge you'. I would stress on the word 'charge' to do this. My body language is a key part of Macbeths role, as throughout the play there is a contrast in how Macbeth uses body language. In the beginning he stands in a straight,poised manner however when Macbeth has done a bad deed his guilt gets to him and effects his posture,his posture changes to an anxious and secretive pace which will be shown through his gestures and body language. 

The impact on the audience is that they will see the obvious change in Macbeths movement and gestures from the begining of the play to the end,which differs due to his bad decisions. 

Miss Griffiths says:

WWW: Excellent Sephora. You have identified the complexities of Macbeth’s character and have explained the vocal and physical skills you have been using the create his character. Your examples of posture are very specific and developed.

Target: Reference a full range of vocal skills such as inflection, intonation etc.

Literacy: Check your use of commas and spacing within the structure of a sentence. 

]]> 2017-09-24 17:58:59 UTC https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/190595589 Fatuun https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/190632051 I have multiple characters in the play ,I play the murder and the solder and also donalblain.Every single one of my characters have different states which means I have to be able to change roles quickly,I use different levels in my entrances and exists.And use vocal skills to express emotions,I don't have many lines so I have to use expressions to express my emotions and thoughts, I also play a very noble character donalblain so I have to think about my posture through the role play 

Miss Griffiths says:

WWW: A good start Fatuun. You have identified the varying statuses of the characters that you play and explain how you represent this to your audience.

Target: Provide specific examples of the vocal theatrical skills you used to create each character. 

Literacy: Look at your use of punctuation, particularly with your use of commas and spacing. 

]]> 2017-09-24 22:37:40 UTC https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/190632051 Shahzadi Khan https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/190926124 The character I play in Macbeth is King Duncan's oldest son, Malcom. In the Shakespeare schools festival script Malcom starts to speak after his father King Duncan has been killed but instead of becoming king after his father dies he flees to England from Scotland as he is afraid and also confused about his role. I feel like Malcom obviously has a very high status yet don't use his status for power as his father dies all of a sudden and he's just so confused to what he should do and fears for his life and therefore I feel like I cant be as powerful as Macbeth is even though Macbeth isn't king yet. As Malcom is a confused character he introduces himself with a question, questioning his fathers death and then says he is going to England as he knows or maybe has a feeling that the murderer is still out there and that he can be next in line to be killed. This gives a chance for Macbeth to be king just like he planned and Malcom leaves. However I feel as though when Malcom comes back he has changed completely hes more determined to take that throne that belongs to him and seek revenge from Macbeth and I feel like that is the point where Malcom uses his power, status for justice for his father. Now the theatrical skill used from the beginning of Malcoms character to the end is a change of tone in his voice as more powerful,confident and determined his posture and body language has changed as well. As before his tone of voice is low and sad as he is in grief and also confused and questioning, his posture is also kind of slackened and low due to the death of his father and his confusion. This is what happens to me when playing the role of Malcom ill start of as a person who doesn't use his power very well and flees in fear but ill come back changed and determined with a different posture and a more confident tone to my voice. This would then impact the audience as the audience would most likely view Malcom as some sort of hero and a person who knows what he needs to do for his country and to prevent an evil deed like this happening again. 

Miss Griffiths says:

WWW: Good Shahzadi. You have been able to explain how you have developed your use of posture and tone of voice to portray character status. 

Target: Provide examples of how you have developed you use of theatrical skills, perhaps by referencing specific lines.

Literacy: Use a range of punctuation to develop the structure of your sentences. 
]]> 2017-09-25 16:51:31 UTC https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/190926124 Anisa f - https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/190947440 ssf padlet homwork task


The characters that  have been chosen for is Macduff and the Porter. My two roles that i have been given have completely different types of characteristics, Macduff is a noble man and has a higher status than most people in the play. He has important scenes and differet types of emotion that he shows. I also have a second character called the porter who is quite spooky and old, he has small scenes that can change the whole setting and that what I like about the character.
For both of my characters i have adapted vocal skills more because when i am playing the role of Macduff i have quite a higher voice than others and i am more confident in myself when i am talking in the role of Macduff, when i am playing the role of the Porter i see that as challenge and it is quite hard to speak in a certain tone that sounds all weird, in my opinion i find it quite embarrasing and weird and i feel like if i do something that is weird i would get laughed at, which is a weak link for me, i dont really enjoy having to be in the position but in the end of the day it is all fun and everyone just ends up saying good job.
thanks for reading
feedback:
Macduff's voice in most scenes is quite emotional and in most scenes he is quite silent and hedoesnt say much

Miss Griffiths says:

WWW: A good start Anisa. You have identified the varying statuses of the characters that you play and the differences between your roles. 

Target: Provide specific examples of the vocal and physical theatrical skills you used to create each character. You could also reference specific lines. 

Literacy: Use capital letters for names, places and to begin new sentences.  

Don't use slang: e.g. ]]> 2017-09-25 17:30:16 UTC https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/190947440 Aimanah Wahid https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/191387444 The character that I play in Macbeth is king Duncan, who is the king of Scotland. Compare to the rest of the characters in the play he is of very high status.
My main focus was to be able to apply my vocal skills so that the character that I play is believable. This is quite a challenge as Duncan is seen to have a deep voice. To overcome this challenge I have been constantly rehearsing my lines and also trying to understand what he is trying to say. This helps me a lot as I now know how my facial expressions and tone of voice can express how my character is feeling.

A key skill I think that I have definitely worked on is my spatial awareness. When we started to block the opening scene of the play, we had difficulty positioning ourself as an ensemble. After doing a range of activities with my drama teachers I think that I am more aware of my surroundings whilst I am on stage. I can't wait for the final performance

Miss Griffiths says:

WWW: Good Aimanah! You have identified the status of your character and have explained how you have tried to refine your theatrical skills in rehearsals.

Target: Provide specific examples of the vocal and physical theatrical skills you used to create each character. You could also reference specific lines too.

Literacy: Challenge yourself by using theatrical skills terminology throughout your reflections. ]]> 2017-09-26 17:44:35 UTC https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/191387444 Aliyah FEEDBACK RESPONSE https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/191869414 CORRECTION:
An example when I demonstrated the use of inflection and intonation is when I say “if you look into the seeds of time and say which grain will grow and which will not. Speak then to me. Who neither beg nor fear. Your favour not your hate”. This is reference to nature is banquo comparing seeds to human. Banquo is indicating that the witches can who will live and die. This is important to translate to the audience through the use of my inflection and intonation. I use this to vary the pattern of my voice, keep the audience alive and keen to know more 
But also effectively help the audience and yet myself to grasp a sense of the story line through my expression and emphasise on keywords. 

Sceptical 
Sceptical
Sceptical 
 

Thankyou for all your feedback ms Griffiths]]> 2017-09-27 20:19:09 UTC https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/191869414 Green pen improvement- Mandeep Kaur https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/192151562 The tones I have to use in the play range from happy-sad. But one of the lines were I use more of a sinister tone is the quite: 'Come you spirits. That tend on mortal thoughts.' I really like this line as I can play a range of different tones with it. I have chosen to do it in a evil manner so that I can portray my charcter effectively. Even though, it is only one line it can have a very big impact the way i deliever the line.]]> 2017-09-28 16:10:35 UTC https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/192151562 Taiya https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/192209883 In this play i have multiple characters both of my characters are high status and are introduced closer to the end of the play , the characters of which i play are Fleance and Sidward. Both of the choosen characters have a high status.I do not have many lines but the lines of which i do say i will make sure that my face is controlled and my voice has a medium tone. I want to audience to understand my role and the part of which i play and the reason for why i have this character.]]> 2017-09-28 17:59:26 UTC https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/192209883 response https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/192770019 I will use key language such as intonation and inflection when describing the vocal skills. Macbeth uses inflection when saying important lines to stress on key words that will shape the play as a whole.]]> 2017-10-01 15:25:20 UTC https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/192770019 Symrah *edited* https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/193075438 The character that I play in 'Macbeth' is a murderer. I kill Banquo on behalf of Macbeth. This means that I have to use a range of vocal and physical skills. I started off by practising the way I enter and exit the scene. I decided to enter the scene in a malicious but hurried way. This is because I play an evil character but I am also a character of low status. *I am going to walk in with a straight posture to show my respect for Macbeth but some people may think that I am a character of high status because of my posture. This means that I have to convey my status through my facial expressions. I have to show that I am a little bit fearful of Macbeth since he is a character of high status and is also my boss in terms of the task he is asking me to do.* I am also going to exit the scene in the same way. *I am walking fast* because I am trying to get the task done as soon as possible as I am getting paid for it and, as said before, I am a little bit fearful of Macbeth. *I don't think my character wants anyone to know that he has fear so he is going to try and maintain eye contact with Macbeth. I don't want him to look at the floor because it would show Macbeth that he is scared and it might raise doubts about him being able to kill Banquo.* The impact of this is to reiterate the fact that this play is about money and power. It also shows that although my character should be brave since he kills people, he can also be a fearful of other characters because of the hierarchy.]]> 2017-10-02 16:04:02 UTC https://padlet.com/Ms_Griffiths/SSFMACBETHBLOG/wish/193075438