Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth reveals the chaos, conflict, and darkness that come from the reckless and relentless pursuit of power. In act I, scene III, the witches reveal their prophecy to Banquo and Macbeth. While the witches’ language is obtuse, with threats and images that seem like metaphor but may not be, it stirs Macbeth’s ambition. He and Banquo are left to discuss what happened after the witches depart—employing metaphors to make sense of the prophecies, their own sanity, and the sudden revelation that Macbeth is now the Thane of Cawdor.

Skills: analysis, drawing inferences from text, close reading, identifying the relationship between words

About This Document

The Owl Eyes Analyzing Metaphor activity gives students an opportunity to practice examining and analyzing metaphors. Students will engage with specific selections of the text and work collaboratively to identify the vehicle, tenor, and implications of each metaphor. The main components include the following:

• A brief introduction to the text
• A detailed handout on metaphor types
• A step-by-step guide to activity procedure
• A detailed answer key for teachers

In completing this worksheet, students will learn to classify and analyze different kinds of metaphors in order to develop close reading skills and draw deeper inferences from the text.