Beginning Your Narrative
01.14 Beginning Your Narrative
Topic:
You are a guest at Macbeth’s coronation; during dinner, Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost. Using first person point of view, write a narrative that tells a story about the events at the coronation.
Characters:
Macbeth |
How would you describe them? |
Why? |
Physical Appearance |
Thin, sleep-deprived, sick, and quiet. Usually strong, funny, and confident, |
He’s been losing sleep over the horrid things he’s done, and is generally worried and paranoid. |
Feelings |
He’s paranoid, terrified, and feeling violently unstable. |
He just ordered his best friend to be killed, and now his ghost is here in front of him. He’s constantly afraid that someone might find out about his misdeeds. |
Attitude |
Quiet, lost in thought, and shifty. |
He just did the worst thing he’s done in his entire life, and his conscience is black. |
Lady Macbeth |
How would you describe them? |
Why? |
Physical Appearance |
Unsettlingly beautiful, but there’s some fearsome strength underneath it all. She looks watchful. |
She’s strong, but now she’s both watching Macbeth’s strange behavior and her guests to make sure they’re not noticing too much. |
Feelings |
She’s nervous, angry, and hopeful. She wants to help Macbeth, but is also annoyed at him. |
She just partook in the murder of the King, now her husband is being crowned. She doesn’t want to be found out, and Macbeth is on the verge of ousting their secret. |
Attitude |
Loud, charming, and kind. |
She’s trying to detract as much attention away from Macbeth as possible, so she’s acting as the host in his place. |
Henry |
How would you describe them? |
Why? |
Physical Appearance |
He’s enjoying himself, but notices Macbeth’s odd behavior. He then begins to look a bit less comfortable. |
He came here for a party, but in the back of his mind there is the still-fresh murder of the King, which leaves a sour taste behind. Macbeth’s odd behavior amps up Henry’s already-high nerves. |
Feelings |
He’s worried, but happy to be here. He begins to feel panicked when Macbeth begins to speak to thin air, and wants to leave before he loses his cool. |
He’s feeling rather high-strung, as is everyone else here, because of the King’s death. He still, however, wants to have a good time, but Macbeth is ruining it and freaking everyone else out. |
Attitude |
Bawdy, loud. Later, becomes nervous and scared. |
He’s having fun, making jokes, enjoying himself. When Macbeth starts to lose his cool, he does, too, and is afraid of the unknown. |
Conflict:
Characters |
Conflict Experienced |
How do they respond? |
Macbeth |
Man vs. Self Man vs. Society |
He’s afraid of himself, but is simultaneously losing that part of himself that is afraid, becoming entirely what he’s afraid of becoming. He’s trying to remain as Lady Macbeth advised him to, but struggles to appear calm before the others. |
Lady Macbeth |
Man vs. Man Man vs. Society |
She has to keep Macbeth in line, but struggles to deal with him. She also has to appear calm, normal, and content to all of her guests. |
Henry |
Man vs. Society |
He has to keep his cool in front of all the others, if he wants to be respected at all in the future. His reputation is on the line, and he believes his safety to be so as well. |
Setting:
Banquet hall with long wooden tables, stone walls, vaulted ceilings, exposed wood beams ceiling. Feels very warm, lots of people around, all drinking, eating, and having a good time. Macbeth’s hallucination cuts through this warmth like a frozen knife, leaving everyone cold and, once they’ve gone, whispering.
Plot:
Exposition |
Rising Action |
Climax |
Falling Action |
Resolution |
A cozy, warm banquet hall, filled with drinking, laughing, eating people. Macbeth sits, surrounded by others in body but completely alone in mind. |
Banquo’s ghost enters the room, and is visible only to Macbeth. He says nothing, only walking towards Macbeth in gruesome peace. Macbeth begins to sweat, and begins to look extremely pale. |
Macbeth begins shouting at Banquo’s ghost as if they were alone, having forgotten that anyone else was there. The room’s cheer and warmth cease to exist, as discomfort and terror grow among Henry and the other guests. |
Lady Macbeth swoops in to try and shut Macbeth up, laughing it off in a attempt to comfort her terrified guests, but her own thinly veiled fear is beginning to show. She then makes everyone leave, but Harold demands answers. |
Lady Macbeth delivers a fearsome threat to Henry, that he’s maybe sticking his snout in the wrong business, and he leaves in fear. |
Voice:
Point of View: 1st Person | |
Tone |
Pace |
Words to Describe the Tone: Panicked, worried, afraid, unsure. |
Fitting Pace: Fast-paced. |
How I will Communicate the Tone: Harold, the character who I am writing as, is feeling the above feelings. |
Why: The narrative’s events occur quickly, so I want the readers to experience them quickly. |
How I want Readers to Feel: I want readers to feel as Henry does towards the scene’s events. |
How I will Create Pace: I will write the events in quick succession. |