Mrs Macleod has been looking at the Scottish Play with 4M. Here is her description of what happened.

We have been studying Macbeth. The boys have learnt quotes and acted out the play. They made a study of Act IV, Scene 1 from Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

They considered how Shakespeare created a mysterious, foreboding atmosphere.

They commented on the setting, the language used, the rhyming pattern and the metre of the poem.

Then they had the opportunity to write their own spell in the style of Shakespeare.

And here are two good examples:

Witches' Spell!

Round about the cauldron go,

Here’s a spell with evil flow;

Venison of antelope, lung of goat,

Corpse of human, on tower smote.

Leg of toad, covered in sweat,

A pair of pants in urine wet.

Flea of dog, fish’s fin,

The resulting explosion will create a din.

Brain of bird, spore of fern

For these ingredients, fate is to burn!

Poke a blister, feel the pus,

Inhabitants of the Earth shall tremble before us.

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble,

Fire burn and cauldron bubble!

As te storm rages on, join us in our evil song!

Claw of rat, eyelash of dog,

Membrane of pig and innards of frog.

Stir once, stir twice and stir thrice,

Add some eyes and tails of mice.

Egg of platypus, black adder’s tongue,

Get them from a place far flung!

Udder of cow, carcass of gnat,

Gill of fish and wing of bat.

For a charm of powerful trouble,

Like a hell-broth, boil and bubble

Double, Double Toil and Trouble,

Fire burn and cauldron bubble!

Add some vampire’s blood,

For otherwise, the charm’s a dud.

H Kanabar (10.05)

Witches' Potion

Round and round the cauldron go

Into the pot goes pixie toe

Bones of giants and fishes liver

Cats claw that makes you shiver

Eye of badger, mouth of snake

So chuck it all in for us to bake

Wing of an owlet, tail of a bat

Heart of an adder, an ear of a rat

Double double toil and trouble,

Fire burn and cauldron bubble

Add some fairy dust

Grate some mammoth tusk

Let it all set and throw in some slime

Then sprinkle a bit of enchanted lime

Double double toil and trouble,

Fire burn and cauldron bubble

 E Thayan (10.06)