Macbeth Vs. The Crown: A Mock Trial

 

Due: Thursday APRIL 13th

 

As our end of the unit project, we will be putting Macbeth and Lady Macbeth on trial.

 

The Charges are:

 

Macbeth:

Regicide

5 counts of murder in the first degree

Attempted murder of a child

 

Lady Macbeth

Conspiracy to commit regicide

Accessory to regicide

Accessory to murder in the first degree

 

What this means is that as a class we will be performing a full, dramatized, Mock Trial. Everyone will be cast in a role and MUST participate in order to get full marks.

 

Because Ms. Nishi knows that not everyone likes to vocally participate, she will be collecting your notebooks to look for evidence of note-taking and written participation AFTER the trial.

 

You will have 2 full blocks (April 11th and 12th) to build and form your arguments.

If necessary, we will recess over the long weekend (April 14th to the 17th) during which time the jurors will look over the arguments and present their decision on Tuesday April 18th.

 

The roles for the trial will be split into 5 groups:

 

Macbeth’s Defense team

Your responsibilities as a defense team include:

  • Convincing the jury that Macbeth is NOT GUILTY
    • This can be done by:
      • Step one: Discrediting the witnesses.
      • Step Two: Introducing a new suspect.
      • Step three: Discrediting the evidence.
    • The evidence in this case will ONLY come from careful analysis of the text and class notes.
    • Macbeth and his wife will be tried separately in order to use their testimony against each other. It is up to you who your new suspect is and whether it is Lady Macbeth or someone else.

 

  • 2 lawyers
    • There will be two lawyers involved in the trial: a first chair (the lead attorney who addresses the jury and presents arguments) and a second chair (who helps the lead attorney, examining some of the witnesses, and presenting the opening statement or closing argument).

 

  • 1 paralegal
    • There will be 1 paralegal involved in the trial who will aid in investigating the text, looking for evidence, and assisting in developing the arguments and cross-examinations.

 

  • 1 investigator (For blocks 2 and 5 only)
    • Because blocks 2 and 5 are larger classes, each defense and prosecution team will have an investigator whose responsibilities include looking closely at the text for evidence to support your team’s arguments.

 

Lady Macbeth’s Defense team

Your responsibilities include:

  • Convincing the jury that Lady Macbeth is NOT GUILTY
    • This can be done by:
      • Step one: Discrediting the witnesses.
      • Step Two: Introducing a new suspect.
      • Step three: Discrediting the evidence.
    • The evidence in this case will ONLY come from careful analysis of the text and class notes.
    • Macbeth and Lady Macbeth will be tried separately in order to use their testimony against each other. It is up to you who your new suspect is and whether it is Macbeth or someone else.

 

  • 2 lawyers
    • There will be two lawyers involved in the trial: a first chair (the lead attorney who addresses the jury and presents arguments) and a second chair (who helps the lead attorney, examining some of the witnesses, and presenting the opening statement or closing argument).
  • 1 paralegals
    • There will be 1 paralegal involved in the trial who will aid in investigating the text, looking for evidence, and assisting in developing the arguments and cross-examinations

 

  • 1 investigator (For blocks 2 and 5 only)
    • Because blocks 2 and 5 are larger classes, each defense and prosecution team will have an investigator whose responsibilities include looking closely at the text for evidence to support your team’s arguments.

 

The Crown / Prosecution

Your responsibility is:

Convincing the jury that BOTH Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are GUILTY of the charges:

  • This can be done by:
    • Playing on the emotions of the jury
    • Focusing on Duncan and Banquo’s good character
    • Emphasizing the heinous / terrible nature of the crimes (killing a king, a mother, a child, and attempting to kill another)
    • Emphasizing the human nature of Macbeth’s actions despite the supernatural elements of the play and discrediting the supernatural elements of the play.
  • 2 lawyers / 2 Crown prosecutors
    • There will be two lawyers involved in the trial: a first chair (the lead attorney who addresses the jury and presents arguments) and a second chair (who helps the lead attorney, examining some of the witnesses, and presenting the opening statement or closing argument).

 

  • 1 paralegal
    • There will be 1 paralegal involved in the trial who will aid in investigating the text, looking for evidence, and assisting in developing the arguments and cross-examinations

 

  • 1 investigator (For blocks 2 and 5 only)
    • Because blocks 2 and 5 are larger classes, each defense and prosecution team will have an investigator whose responsibilities include looking closely at the text for evidence to support your team’s arguments.

 

The Witnesses

Your responsibilities include:

  • Formulating your testimony strategies with either the defense or the Crown
  • Preparing your testimony through careful examination of your character within the text
  • Extensively knowing your character, their motivations, and their personalities as shown in the text.

 

  • Macbeth (Defense witness)
  • Lady Macbeth (Defense witness)
  • The 3 witches (Defense witness)
  • The Ghost of Banquo (Crown Witness)
  • Macduff(Crown Witness)
  • Murderer 1 (Crown Witness)

 


 

The Jury

Your responsibilities include:

  • During prep time looking at and analyzing evidence of BOTH sides within the text.
  • During prep time looking at and analyzing the character evidence within the text.
  • During the trial listening to BOTH sides, taking careful notes, and asking questions when allowed.

 

  • 4 jurors (Block 4)
  • 6 jurors (Block 2 & 5)
    • *Within those jurors, they will pick a foreperson to speak on behalf of the juror in the proceedings.

 

Mr. Birch will be playing the role of Judge and Ms. Nishi will be the omnipotent presence in the courtroom.

 

In order to maintain the integrity if the mock trial those on opposing council (i.e. defense vs. the Crown) are not allowed to talk about the case with one another.

 

On that note, the jury cannot talk about the case with either parties and, if possible, will be separated during preparation time.