In this lesson we look at Mary's confrontation with John Knox and her marriage to Lord Darnley. There is the Mary-Knox debate and part one and then the question of marriage and it's implications in terms of Mary's claim to the English throne.
The students will experiment with the letter-writing episodes between Mary and Elizabeth and Mary's disagreements with Elizabeth's choice of a husband for her. Drama skills in this lesson are improvisation and debate devil/angel technique, landscape of emotion.
It is highly recommended that at least some of the students research the life of John Knox, a whole topic in itself and some background information about him would really fire-up the Mary-knox debate section. Students will be able to appreciate that Knox was a skilled manipulator and also that Mary had a mind of her own and would not be dictated to by him or Elizabeth. Students will also empathise with Mary's situation, ask themselves what would they do if they were Mary, Knox or Elizabeth and discover the power of attempted persuasion and pressure.
