Year 10 gathered in the lecture theatre for an exciting afternoon of talks and debating at the inaugural Macbeth Symposium.
The event opened with two mini lectures from teachers on an aspect of the text they find interesting. Mr Muir discussed how the concept of time pervades Macbeth, and Ms Stacey argued for a view of the play as a tragedy of spiritual isolation.
Students were tasked with summarising the key concepts in the talks, identifying the most significant points made, anything they felt needed more development, and a follow-up question – then putting these to the teachers from the floor.
A number of students had been extending themselves by preparing a debate in their own time on ‘Is Lady Macbeth the most to blame for Macbeth’s downfall?’, and this enjoyable yet feisty debate formed the second half of the event. The debate was chaired by Mrs Darcy, with Mrs Haines and Mrs Everling joining forces with students on either side of the debate.
The proposition felt that Lady Macbeth was the most to blame for Macbeth’s downfall because of her emasculation of Macbeth, for making Macbeth dependent on her, for facilitating his emotional and psychological deterioration and for not providing the support he needed.
The opposition argued that Lady Macbeth was a victim of society’s misogynistic expectations of women, that they acted together in mutual agreement, that Macbeth’s ambition and moral deterioration were his own fault, and Lady Macbeth’s story is cut short, leaving her voiceless.
All of the teachers were impressed by the high-level academic engagement of students, whether they were listening, evaluating, questioning or debating. We are delighted by the success of what will become an annual event in the English academic calendar.
