The Body Keeps the Score

Introduction 

Thanks to advances in psychology, we now know that emotionally difficult or complex experiences have profound effects on our bodies—and that these effects often linger long after the experience has concluded. But even Shakespeare, and Verdi after him, understood how invisible, intangible mental processes of the mind can register in our muscles, bones, and behavior.    

In this activity, students will trace recurring images of blood, sleep, illness, breath, and movement in Macbeth while considering how the opera transforms emotional experiences into sound. Then, they will investigate how the body reveals truths that characters may not yet be willing to admit and create a “body biography” for a chosen character by analyzing the opera’s libretto, composition, and staging.

Steps

STEP 1. EXPLORE

We often talk about emotions as though they exist only in the mind, but our bodies tell stories too. Fear can make our hearts race. Grief can leave us exhausted. Stress can keep us awake. Guilt can linger long after we try to ignore it.  

Guide students in thinking about each part of the body and how it responds under stress. Your mind might race the night before a big test, for example, or your voice might quiver when speaking in front of a crowd. Help students prepare to identify these behaviors and their corresponding emotions using the “Reading the Body” handout included with this guide. Some sample responses are included below:  

• Heart = race when nervous
• Mind = wander when stressed
• Eyes = dart when anxious
• Hands = wring when guilty
• Voice = quiver when under pressure
• Breath = become shallow when scared
• Skin = prickle when alarmed
• Movement = rock back and forth when embarrassed

STEP 2. LISTEN

Lead students through a guided listening of the following three scenes from Macbeth:

Track 7
Act I: “Mi si affaccia un pugnal!”
Macbeth hallucinates the bloody dagger.

Track 8
Act II: “Va, spirto d’abisso!”
Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost at the banquet.

Track 1
Act IV: “Una macchia è qui tuttora”
Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking scene

Begin by reading excerpts from the libretto on the “Text and Translations” handout included with this guide. Then play the audio tracks while students read along with the text. As students listen, have them consider the following three questions independently, in small groups, or as a class:

• What psychological experiences are described?

• How does the music imitate those experiences?

• How might those psychological experiences be expressed physically?

Students can record their observations using the space provided on their handouts. You can provide the Musical Toolbox and/or Opera Orchestra handouts from the “Additional Resources” section of the HD Live in Schools Educator Hub (metopera.org/educator-hub) to guide students’ thinking.

A NOTE TO INSTRUCTORS: This is a great place to pause the lesson. Steps 3 and 4 can be completed during a different session, as long as students (or you!) hold onto their handouts.

STEP 3. CREATE

Once students have analyzed both the libretto and Verdi’s music, they can create a life-size “body biography” for Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, or another character of their choosing. They can use the handout included with this guide to map out their work before moving to life-sized paper.

A “body biography” should demonstrate thorough understanding of the text, insight into the chosen character, and creativity in depicting that insight. Here are some things students might include in their body biographies:   

• HEART: What represents the heart of the person and where should it be placed to identify what or whom the person loves most? What should it look like and what shapes, colors, pictures, or symbols should be included?

• EYES: Where is this person’s focus? What or whom does this person see?

• BACKBONE: What motivates this person the most? What gives them strength?

• HANDS: What does this person hold in their hands, literally and figuratively?

• FEET: On what foundation is this person standing? What are their fundamental values and beliefs?

• BACKGROUND: What elements make up this person’s environment or setting?

• QUOTATIONS: What excerpts by or about this person best represent them?

• VIRTUES AND VICES: What are this person’s best and worst qualities?

STEP 4. REFLECT

At the conclusion of this activity, reflect on the following questions, either in writing or via discussion:

• What happens when someone ignores what their conscience is trying to tell them?
• What happens when the body knows the truth before the mind admits it?

Scaffold

• Psychologists often describe guilt, trauma, stress, and anxiety as experiences that affect both mind and body. Have students research one of the following and compare their findings to a character from Macbeth: sleep deprivation, anxiety, trauma, stress responses.
• After completing their body biographies, students can create an original text that helps us understand their chosen character. Include it somewhere appropriate on the body biography (e.g., a formula poem, a haiku, a paragraph).
• Have students act out what they think is happening in each of the three scenes in this activity, along with the music, focusing on physically portraying the physiological responses they can infer from the text and music.