Your task...
Congratulations! You've been hired to defend one of the following notorious villains throughout literary history. We have read a number of Shakespeare's plays this year, and the following list asks you to choose from the worst of the worst Shakespearian villains. In order to successfully clear your villain's name, you must examine the supporting documents to formulate an opening statement for the jury. In doing so, it is important that you focus on what they have "allegedly" done, their motivations behind their actions, and how those actions affected those around them (other characters in the text). In order to present the best defense, you must have a solid understanding of your villain's "criminal" actions. You are to compile your evidence and your opening statement into a case file for your client and for the court, which you will email to the "judge" (the teacher). Your opening statement must be at least two pages, double-spaced, and you must have at least three supporting documents to add to your case file. Good luck!
Choose one of the following villains to defend:
Claudius from Shakespeare's Hamlet, accused of killing Hamlet's father and taking over the throne
Edmund from Shakespeare's King Lear, accused of framing his brother as a murderer and betrays his father
Lady Macbeth from Shakespeare's Macbeth, accessory to King Duncan's murder
Choose one of the following villains to defend:
Claudius from Shakespeare's Hamlet, accused of killing Hamlet's father and taking over the throne
Edmund from Shakespeare's King Lear, accused of framing his brother as a murderer and betrays his father
Lady Macbeth from Shakespeare's Macbeth, accessory to King Duncan's murder