16 Villains do it better!
164-176
Présentation de l’unité
Cette unité se propose d’étudier le lien très étroit entre les
personnages populaires de la culture anglo-saxonne et l’évo-
lution de la société. On s’intéressera ici à l’évolution du mythe
traditionnel du héros de fiction, personnage à l’évidence moins
populaire de nos jours face à la vague d’antihéros et méchants
qui inondent nos écrans. Puisque l’axe 5 traite de « Fictions et
réalités », l’idée est de revenir sur les raisons socio-culturelles
qui expliquent l’arrivée massive de personnages plus sombres
et fracturés, et le culte qui en résulte. On se penchera égale-
ment sur le lien étroit qui existe entre la culture britannique,
plus précisément son héritage shakespearien, et le personnage
du « méchant », souvent interprété par des acteurs britanniques
au cinéma américain. La dernière double page permettra aux
élèves de mettre en voix des monologues de méchants célèbres.
Ceci est un bon entraînement pour le Grand Oral (apprendre à
occuper l’espace, intonation, souffle…) et pour l’évaluation de
l’expression orale en continu des évaluations communes (EC).
Les Your Project proposés ici vont permettre de travailler au
choix avec les élèves l’interaction orale (jouer un dialogue entre
un(e) héros/héroïne et son ennemi(e) juré(e)) ou l’expression
écrite (soumettre à une maison d’édition un projet de « roman
double ») en fonction de leurs centres d’intérêt ou de l’activité
langagière à renforcer.
EXTRAIT DU PROGRAMME DE TRONC COMMUN (B.O.)
Axe 5 : « Fictions et réalités »
Quels sont les modèles historiques, sociaux ou artistiques dont
chaque population a hérité et quels sont ceux qu’elle recherche ?
Pourquoi se reconnaît-on dans une telle représentation et comment
reconstruit-on son propre modèle éthique, esthétique, politique ?
Les récits, qu’ils soient réels ou fictifs, écrits ou oraux, sont à la base
du patrimoine culturel des individus et nourrissent l’imaginaire col-
lectif. Comment sont véhiculés les croyances, mythes, légendes qui
constituent le fondement des civilisations et transcendent parfois les
cultures ? Les figures du passé demeurent-elles des sources d’inspi-
ration et de création ? Comment les icônes modernes deviennent-
elles l’incarnation de nouvelles valeurs ? Les mondes imaginaires
offrent à chacun l’occasion de s’évader de la réalité tout en invitant
à une réflexion sur le monde réel : comment la réalité nourrit-elle
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_185-256.indd 239
la fiction et comment, à son tour, la fiction éclaire-t-elle ou fait-elle
évoluer la réalité dans une aire culturelle donnée ?
Mots-clés en lien avec l’unité : littérature / mythologie /
légendes / science-fiction / héros / super-héros / figures
tutélaires
PARCOURS EXPRESS
Chaque double page peut être étudiée indépendamment en
fonction des appétences des élèves et le temps consacré à
l’étude de cette unité. Toutefois, en fonction du projet choisi,
nous conseillons de suivre les parcours détaillés ci-dessous :
Your Project 1:
1 Good old Heroes : Documents 1 et 2.
2 The Rise and Celebration of Antiheroes : Documents 1 et 3.
4 A look at the Best Villains of All Time.
Your Project 2:
1 Good old Heroes : Tous les documents.
2 The Rise and Celebration of Antiheroes : Documents 1, 2 et 4.
3 Great Britain and the Cult of Villains : Document 1.
image d’ouverture 164
Présentation du document
Légende du document : The opening picture is taken from the
TV series Good Omens, released in 2019 and inspired by Neil
Gaiman’s famous novel: Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate
Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (1990).
On pourra fournir aux élèves les informations suivantes quand
on le jugera nécessaire.
The TV series Good Omens tells the story of the birth
of Satan and the arrival of the Apocalypse in a funny and
satirical way, breaking all the clichés about good and evil,
since an angel (Aziraphale, on the left-hand side of the
picture) and a demon (Crowley, on the right-hand side),
will cooperate in order to sabotage the coming of the
end of times. The story aims at rewriting the archetypes
of the hero and his villain, since both characters are
equally attractive and loveable.
Link to the trailer:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZSXlNRRoGU
Mise en œuvre
En prenant soin de ne pas révéler le titre de l’unité, on projet-
tera l’affiche de la série et on demandera aux élèves de réagir
afin d’identifier le sujet de l’unité : What strikes you in the
representation of these characters/about the structure of this
picture?
On pourra ainsi commencer à travailler sur le contraste qui est
au cœur de l’unité avec émission d’hypothèses : It may be about
two characters representing Good and Evil… They seem to be
on opposite sides…
Unit 16 239
22/09/2020 12:35
 Cela donnera l’occasion de fournir aux élèves en amont de l’ac-
tivité la prononciation de Evil /ˈiːvəl/, de Devil /ˈdevəl/ et de
Demon /ˈdiːmən/.
Production possible :
What strikes me in this picture is the sharp contrast beween
Good and Evil. Indeed, the picture is clearly divided into two
parts: a bright side with cold and light colours representing
Heaven, and a darker side with warm colours depicting Hell.
What is unusual is the way Evil is represented because the demon
does not look so bad. He looks cooler, more stylish, and less
uptight than the angel on the left hand-side. Maybe it is to show
that the boundary between Good and Evil is very thin/blurred.
En prolongement de ce travail d’ouverture, la bande-annonce
de la série constitue un excellent support pour travailler la réé-
criture de la représentation du héros et de son antagoniste.
On y voit en effet un ange plutôt lâche et délicat, alors que le
supposé démon semble plus courageux et moins ennuyeux.
On pourra justement demander aux élèves de relever ce qui les
frappe dans la représentation traditionnelle du bien et du mal :
What strikes you about the clichés related to Good and Evil?
On verra ensuite si l’image possède les mêmes nuances que la
bande-annonce : It is true that the demon looks more like a rock
star and the angel seems boring and uptight with his cup of tea…
BEFORE CLASS! 164
Présentation du document
La vidéo est accessible au clic dans le manuel numérique élève
et enseignant, ou en flashant le QR code. Comme pour tous
les documents élève, elle est aussi disponible sur le site com-
pagnon de la méthode :
http://113916.eleve.site.magnard.fr/ressources/1689
Bien que le visionnage de la vidéo Before class! ne soit pas
une étape nécessaire à l’étude de l’unité, il permettra de susciter
la curiosité des élèves et d’entrer dans la thématique de l’unité.
On pourra donner aux élèves ces informations sur le document
au moment jugé le plus opportun.
The documentary Necessary Evil (2013) is about some
of the most famous super-villains from the world of
DC Comics and why they are more important than the
heroes themselves, according to some experts.
Link to the trailer:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9peY-v1pfFk&list=PLYq7H1T5S
zMdcHNe4aI4Q-QBv8hE05qY2&index=2
script
Geoff Johns: The best villains are villains you find yourself
rooting for, and you don’t quite understand why.
Kevin Conroy: Almost every villainous character worth
his salt is somebody who believes they’re doing the right
thing.
Villain: If I have the powers of the gods, am I not a god
myself?
Voice-over: Experience the icons that forge the fear.
Guillermo del Toro: You can have a main character with a
hero, but almost invariably the star is gonna be the villain.
Voice-over: The fans that think cruel is cool.
Jim Lee: There’s something appealing about putting on
a costume and just doing what you wanna do.
240 Unit 16
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_185-256.indd 240
Voice-over: And the culture that makes evil entertaining.
Expert: We need those villains for us to understand our
heroes… what they are, and what they aren’t.
Voice-over: On October 25th
Character: Bow down to us or die.
Andrea Romano: They’ll go crazy to get what they want.
Expert 2: They know and enjoy what they’re doing.
Voice-over: Get ready for devilishly delightful insight…
Expert 3: There’s this relishing evil
Voice-over: … into DC Comics darkness.
Scott Porter: Behind every good hero is a great villain.
Joker: Don’t you just love a happy ending.
Voice-over: Necessary evil, supervillains of DC comics.
Dan DiDio: The hero has to win every time, a villain only
has to win once.
Voice-over: October 25th
Mise en œuvre
Ce document vidéo est proposé afin de travailler en classe
inversée et de partir des réactions des élèves en tout début de
séquence. On recueillera leurs impressions et on leur deman-
dera de partager les éléments de compréhension orale relevés
autour de l’importance des antagonistes dans l’univers des
comics (Why are villains “necessary” and what differentiates
them from heroes?).
DIFFÉRENCIATION
Les élèves en difficulté au niveau de la compréhension orale
auront l’occasion de partager les adjectifs qui apparaissent à
l’écran lors de la diffusion de la vidéo.
Pour aller plus loin, les élèves donneront aussi des exemples,
et pourront arriver avec une présentation de leur « méchant »
préféré de l’univers anglo-saxon avec quelques arguments.
In the video I learnt that villains are as popular as their more
virtuous counterparts (for example, the Joker is extremely
popular). The culture of comics makes evil entertaining and
necessary to the unfolding of the story.
On pourra aussi les faire réfléchir sur cette citation célèbre
d’Alfred Hitchcock, ce qui représenterait un entraînement
intéressant à l’oral du baccalauréat : “The more successful
the villain, the more successful the picture.” Do you agree?
Use examples from the English-speaking world.
165 1 Good Old Heroes
Cette page présente le monomythe, ou « Voyage du héros »,
de Joseph Campbell. Ce concept définit les caractéristiques
du héros/de l’héroïne classique et les différentes étapes par
lesquelles il/elle passe. Ce concept a inspiré un grand nombre
d’auteurs et de réalisateurs. C’est un angle d’attaque intéres-
sant pour traiter de la représentation traditionnelle du héros
qui est parfois vue comme répétitive, et qui, par conséquent,
est totalement bouleversée par le personnage de l’antihéros.
Notons qu’il sera nécessaire d’avoir étudié le monomythe de
Campbell pour étudier le texte de Tolkien, ou alors on distri-
buera aux élèves la photocopie du cycle du voyage du héros
(p. 241).
22/09/2020 12:35
 1 The traditional myth of
hero/heroine by J. Campbell
165
Présentation du document
Il s’agit d’un court film animé qui explique le concept du
monomythe de Campbell à travers des héros de la culture
populaire que les élèves ne manqueront pas de reconnaître
(Harry Potter, Bilbo Baggins, etc.).
On pourra fournir aux élèves les éléments suivants si on le juge
opportun.
The video entitled The Hero’s Journey is an animated
film showing the steps of the monomyth with the help
of various examples taken from fiction.
Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) was an American profes-
sor of literature who coined the term “monomyth”, or
“hero’s journey” in his 1949 book, The Hero with a Thou-
sand Faces, to describe an archetypal narrative in which
the protagonist always follows the same pattern (start-
ing in an ordinary world, being called to adventure and
helped by a mentor, crossing a threshold into an
unknown and dangerous world in order to defeat evil:
the recipe of the making of a hero…). George Lucas him-
self acknowledged that his Star Wars trilogy had been
greatly influenced by Campbell’s monomyth, especially
with Luke Skywalker’s journey.
script VIDEO N°30
This is the Hollywood guidebook for heroes. You will learn
the secret truth behind most blockbuster movies. They
basically all follow the same 12 steps, also known as the
hero’s journey.
Every hero’s story starts off with some sort of nobody
living in an ordinary world, but by following the white
rabbit, he will get the call to adventure. At first, he can’t
be too eager, he must refuse the call. Running away from
his destiny, he will stumble upon a mysterious old guy
who will turn out to be his mentor. Now, he’s ready to
cross the threshold. Where he’s going, he doesn’t need
roads. Of course, he will be tested, and he might need to
win the game to gain new allies, and enemies.
He must overcome his fear by entering the inmost cave.
Here, he will face his supreme ordeal, which will change
his life forever.
After defeating some bad guy, he’ll receive his well-de-
served reward, and because he can, he will be flying the
road back. But before realising there is no place like home,
our apprentice must resurrect as a new person. Eventu-
ally, our hero will return to where he started. But things
will never be the same again.
This is what we call the hero’s journey.
Résumé des étapes selon le minutage de la vidéo :
00:20 Stage 1: The hero’s ordinary world
00:28 Stage 2: The call to adventure
00:32 Stage 3: The refusal of the call
00:39 Stage 4: Meeting the mentor
00:47 Stage 5: Crossing the threshold
00:52 Stage 6: Tests, allies, enemies
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_185-256.indd 241
01:00
01:05
Stage 7: Approach to the supreme challenge
Stage 8: Supreme ordeal
01:10 Stage 9: The reward
01:16 Stage 10: The journey back
01:22 Stage 11: Resurrection
01:30 Stage 12: Return
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
A. Cette question est de l’ordre du brainstorming. L’idée est
de partir de la représentation que chacun se fait de l’archétype
du héros classique. On pourra ici créer un nuage de mots ou
une carte mentale à l’aide des éléments fournis par les élèves :
qualities, abilities, causes they fight for/against, names of
famous heroes…
A fictional hero, or heroine, is traditionally a brave, selfless and
virtuous person whose life goal is to do good and defeat the
evil forces which threaten his/her world. A hero can be gifted
with extraordinary powers (like superheroes) or not, and can
be helped by partners/sidekicks or mentors.
B. DIFFÉRENCIATION
Pour aider des élèves plus en difficulté, cette question peut se
faire dans un premier temps sous la forme de relevé durant le
visionnage de la vidéo. Puis les élèves pourront venir inscrire
au tableau, dans une horloge divisée en 12 étapes, l’intitulé de
chaque « heure » et apporter des mots-clés ou exemples pour
définir chaque étape.
On pourra aussi approfondir en demandant de lister les réfé-
rences littéraires et cinématographiques qui auront été repé-
rées, et de rédiger une phrase explicative pour chaque étape.
The 12 steps of the hero’s journey are:
1. The ordinary world (examples in the video: The Hobbit, Lord
of the Rings, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) → The hero/
heroine is an ordinary person who lives a mundane and
uneventful existence.
2. Call to adventure (eg: The Matrix) → One day, the hero/
heroine receives a mission, an opportunity or a call for help.
3. Refusal of the call (eg: Star Wars) → At first, the hero/heroine
doubts his/her abilities, and refuses to relinquish his/her
peaceful life.
4. Meeting the mentor (eg: King Arthur) → Usually older and
wiser person gets the hero/heroine to accept/talks the hero/
heroine into accepting the call, and offers advice, or magical
gifts.
5. Crossing the threshold (eg: Back to the Future) → The hero/
heroine leaves on his adventure and enters an extraordinary
world filled with dangers.
6. Tests, Allies, Enemies (eg: Harry Potter) → On his/her way,
the hero/heroine meets allies and builds himself/herself
a team to face ordeals and defeat enemies.
7. Approach to the inmost cave (eg: Aladdin) → At one point,
the hero/heroine approaches his/her supreme ordeal for the
final battle.
8. Supreme ordeal (eg: The Batman) → The hero/heroine
ultimately defeats his/her greatest enemy.
9. Reward (eg: Indiana Jones) → The hero/heroine is rewarded
with fame, gifts or powers for restoring order and peace.
10.The road back (eg: E.T.) → The hero/heroine starts his/her
journey back to his/her homeland.
Unit 16 241
22/09/2020 12:35
 11.Resurrection (eg: The Wizard of Oz) → The hero/heroine
seems to acquire a new life, his/her journey made him/her
change his/her vision of life.
2 The hero’s journey
in “The Hobbit”
165

12.Return (eg: The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings) → The hero/
heroine is home again, only this time, he/she is a hero among
his/her peers, so nothing is quite the same again.
N.B.: Fictional heroines like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz,
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lara Croft from Tomb Raider or Katniss
Everdeen from The Hunger Games also follow the same type
of journey.
En prolongement, une petite activité de rédaction peut être
proposée aux élèves qui choisiront une des références citées
dans la vidéo et réécriront en groupes le monomythe entier
du héros de l’histoire en prenant soin de n’oublier aucune
étape. Cette activité permettra aux élèves de réactiver les mots
de liaison.
At first, Harry is an ordinary boy who lives with his aunt and
uncle, when one day he receives a letter. He teams up with his
new friends so as to face the challenges on his way. Finally, he
manages to defeat his greatest enemy Lord Voldemort.
C. La Worksheet n°32 permet de mettre en application le
concept du monomythe à travers un exemple et propose un
exercice de compréhension écrite qui demandera aux élèves
de mobiliser ce qu’ils ont appris (les termes-clés du monomythe)
afin de reconstruire la chronologie de l’histoire de Luke Skywal-
ker, le héros de la saga Star Wars. On rappellera aux élèves
que le but n’est pas de tout comprendre, mais de savoir resti-
tuer la chronologie et l’essentiel d’un texte en s’aidant des
termes-clés (begin, start, arrive…) et des mots de liaison par
exemple.
Présentation du document
Voici quelques informations sur le document. De manière à ne
pas en dévoiler le contenu aux élèves avant qu’ils aient travaillé
dessus, il serait bon de ne pas leur communiquer la totalité de
ces informations.
The Hobbit was written in 1937 by English writer and
professor of literature John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-
1973). First intended as a children’s fantasy novel, The
Hobbit, or There and Back Again received critical
acclaim and Tolkien was eventually convinced by his
publisher to write a sequel: The Lord of the Rings (1954).
The novel is the perfect illustration of Campbell’s hero’s
cycle (as the second part of the title suggests: “There
and Back Again”).
The following excerpt, taken from the beginning of the
book, reflects several essential steps of the hero’s jour-
ney: the hero, an ordinary and rather cowardly hobbit
who lives a peaceful existence (cf. step 1: ordinary world),
meets his mentor-to-be, Gandalf, who is looking for an
adventurer (cf. step 2: call to adventure). However, Bilbo
refuses to go on a quest (cf. step 3: refusal of the call).
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
On fournira aux élèves la Worksheet n°33 d’aide à la compré-
hension du texte. Les questions peuvent être traitées en deux
étapes. Un premier travail individuel de repérage pourra mener
au partage des informations en anglais au sein de petits groupes.
On facilitera ce travail d’expression avec une aide lexicale au
tableau (What strikes me in the text is… What catches my atten-
tion… What I find interesting about the character is…).
Les questions B, C et D pourront être également traitées en
groupes avant de créer un débat dans lequel les élèves s’ap-
puieront sur leurs repérages pour répondre (I think it corre-
sponds to… because… / To me, he is an archetypal hero
because… / I disagree with you, he is not, because…).

DIFFÉRENCIATION
Les élèves en difficulté se contenteront de relever les passages
du texte et ceux plus à l’aise reformuleront les éléments repérés.

Worksheet disponible sur le site compagnon enseignant

(en version PDF) : http://113916.site.magnard.fr/ressources/1759

Corrigé de la Worksheet n°32

1. Right order: C, B, E, A, D
2. At the start of the story, Luke Skywalker lives a plain and
uneventful life on Tatooine, when one day, he receives a
mysterious message to rescue a princess. Later on, he meets
his mentor-to-be Obi-Wan Kenobi who teaches him the Force
and secrets about his father’s past. The murder of his aunt
and uncle makes him accept his destiny and leave to join the
rebellion. With the help of his newly-found friends, he even-
tually succeeds in defeating the Empire and rescuing the
Worksheet disponible sur le site compagnon enseignant (en
princess.
version PDF et en version modifiable) :
http://113916.site.magnard.fr/ressources/1759

242 Unit 16

9782210112803_HTR_LDP_185-256.indd 242 22/09/2020 12:35

 Corrigé de la Worksheet n°33
Pour les élèves en difficulté : relevé d’informations :
1. Names: Bilbo Baggins/Gandalf
Attitudes/Physical appearance:
– Bilbo: unsuspecting, blew out rings of smoke, no use for
adventures, took out his morning letters pretending to take
no more notice of the old man
– Gandalf: old man, tall pointed blue hat, long grey cloak,
silver scarf, long white beard, immense black boots, did not
move, stood gazing at the hobbit
2. By his door, away over The Hill
3. I am looking for someone to share in an adventure.
Pour les élèves plus à l’aise : reformulation :
1. Names: Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf
Attitudes/Physical appearance:
– Bilbo’s a simple hobbit living a plain and peaceful life.
He spends his time smoking his pipe and reading (his daily
routine), whereas Gandalf seems to be an old, busy voyager
travelling the realm on a mission (hence the walking “stick”).
– Bilbo is described as an idle and rather passive character
(cliché of the pipe smoker) while Gandalf is represented as
a serious-looking wizard with his long beard, cloak and staff.
2. The scene seems to be set in Bilbo’s world, his homeland
(referred to as “The Hill” here). It seems that we are at the
start of the story, in the hero’s “ordinary world” (cf. Campbell’s
myth).
3. The conversation revolves around finding a volunteer to
go on a quest (Gandalf’s request), but Bilbo does not seem
to be interested in adventures.
A. Voir corrigé de la Worksheet n°33 . “I was actually searching for you, Bilbo… You see, my work as
B. This scene corresponds to the beginning of the hero’s journey,
when the main character is still living an uneventful life in his
ordinary world. The call to adventure is embodied by Gandalf’s
request. The refusal of the quest is also represented in this scene,
when Bilbo seems ready to invent any excuse not to leave
(adventures “make you late for dinner” l. 18).
C. Gandalf is arguably the mentor in the story, he looks old and
wise and he seems determined to get Bilbo to accept the quest/
to have Bilbo complete the quest (“But the old man did not
move”).
D. At first, it could be argued that Bilbo is far from being a hero,
he seems scared of adventures and a little cowardly, but at this
stage of the hero’s journey, the situation is always the same
according to Campbell’s theory: the hero lacks bravery and con-
fidence. The character will only learn to be a hero by completing
his quest.
3
Write a scene 165
for a TV show
L’écriture de cette rencontre entre le héros et son mentor est
l’occasion de revoir la structure du dialogue en anglais.
On pourra rappeler les différences majeures entre le dialogue
français (utilisation des tirets et guillemets « … ») et le dialogue
anglais (“…” uniquement pour les propos des personnages,
aucun tiret et passage à la ligne à chaque changement de locu-
teur). On pourra les renvoyer à la fiche méthodologique n° 6
p. 327.
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_185-256.indd 243
On encouragera à suivre le format du texte d’origine avec des
passages narrés et des parties dialoguées. On listera éventuel-
lement au tableau quelques exemples de verbes employés
pour introduire le discours, de préférence au passé puisque
c’est le temps de prédilection des récits. Quelques exemples
pourront être donnés (said, asked/inquired, answered/replied,
exclaimed…). Quelques adverbes peuvent être utilisés pour
étoffer (hesitantly, angrily, reproachfully, solemnly…).
Les élèves pourront reprendre les idées du début de la rencontre
tirée du roman, mais ils devront ajouter une fin qui correspon-
dra au monomythe, à savoir le départ final du héros pour une
aventure.
On pourra bien entendu s’éloigner de l’histoire d’origine, le but
n’étant pas de rester fidèle à l’histoire de Tolkien, mais on res-
pectera la personnalité des personnages décrite dans l’extrait.
Les élèves écriront entre 150 et 250 mots selon le niveau de la
classe.
En prolongement, une lecture « théâtrale » de la rencontre peut
être envisagée, les passages narrés pouvant être utilisés comme
didascalies. Cela représentera un bon entraînement pour le
projet 1.
Production possible :
When Gandalf the Wise arrived on The Hill, he immediately saw
the small, middle-aged man he had been looking for. Bilbo was
sitting on a bench, smoking a pipe, his eyes closed as if he were
lost in his thoughts. The hobbit did not look like much then, but
deep inside, Gandalf knew the man would be the perfect choice
for his quest. After all, the humblest and simplest men made
the greatest heroes, did they not?
“Good day, Sir, may I have a word with you?”, Gandalf inquired.
“Morning, Sir, welcome to The Hill. What brings you here?”
Bilbo replied lazily.
a wizard is to find the most suitable heroes for adventures in
times of darkness and despair. As you may know, this realm is
in great danger, and the Elders’ prophecy stated that only the
purest and humblest man could save our world from chaos. In
other words, you, Bilbo, one of the few pure-hearted men to
be allowed into the Forbidden Land,” Gandalf said solemnly.
“Nonsense! Me, a hero? I’ve lived here all my life, I can hardly
venture into the nearest forest without being scared! You call
that a hero? You can’t be serious…” Bilbo answered.
“Bilbo, the truest heroes aren’t made of stone and iron, they
feel fear and doubt, they are selfless and honest. Being a hero
is about overcoming one’s weaknesses, not being defeated by
them... And besides, haven’t you ever wanted to discover the
riches of this world and leave behind the routine of your exist-
ence?” Gandalf asked.
“I suppose you’re right about that…” Bilbo said hesitantly.
“I could use some adventure; I must confess I’m a little bit bored
here.”
“Come with me, then, and fulfil your destiny! The bravest allies
are waiting for you out there, but they won’t be of any use
without a wise leader.”
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The Rise and Celebration
2 Les deux affiches pourront être associées à une troisième, tirée
166-167
of Antiheroes
Le but de cette double page est de voir pourquoi les antihéros
sont devenus plus populaires que les héros aujourd’hui, et d’étu-
dier ce que cela signifie pour notre société.
1
166
A new fashion
Anticipation
Avant de travailler sur les documents, il peut être utile de donner
aux élèves le synonyme du mot flawed, que l’on retrouve à
plusieurs reprises dans l’unité.
flawed = imperfect
Présentation des documents
Il sera bon de préciser qu’il n’est pas nécessaire que les élèves
connaissent ces séries. On peut encourager ceux qui ne les
connaissent pas à rechercher des indices visuels et textuels.
On pourra fournir aux élèves les informations suivantes sur les
deux affiches.
These posters are taken from two highly popular series,
both dealing with broken and flawed characters and
their rise to power.
House of Cards is a political thriller TV series that was
released in 2013 and ended in 2018 after 6 seasons. The
show deals with an American politician and his wife’s
plans to attain power and the presidency of the United
States. It is about manipulation, betrayal and power.
Breaking Bad (2008-2013) is considered one of the
greatest series of all times. It tells the story of Walter
White (the man in the poster), a mundane chemistry
teacher who starts making and dealing drugs so as to
save money for his family after being diagnosed with
stage-three cancer. He ends up becoming a ruthless
drug baron to protect his family.
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
Diffuser les affiches côte à côte permettrait d’étoffer l’analyse
des contrastes et similitudes par les élèves. On envisagera ici
244 Unit 16
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_185-256.indd 244
d’avoir recours au manuel numérique qui permettra d’accéder
aux images en haute définition.
de la série américaine Game of Thrones (2011-2019), qui repré-
sente le personnage de l’antihéros d’une manière semblable,
la symbolique du trône et de la violence étant commune aux
trois images. Lien vers la 3e affiche (personnage au choix) :
https://seriesaddict.fr/news/17483-Game-of-Thrones-des-posters-
pour-la-saison-finale
On propose pour cette activité de partir de repérages indivi-
duels (question A) pour émettre des hypothèses sur les per-
sonnages et analyser leur représentation. Le travail individuel
sera suivi d’une phase collective, en groupes et en anglais,
où l’on partagera ses conclusions, analyses et hypothèses.
On encouragera les élèves à utiliser le vocabulaire de la boîte
Help! qui accompagne les affiches.
A. The characters are both sitting on thrones. Their seats sym-
bolise power (The Lincoln Memorial is a symbol of presidency),
and their supremacy is reinforced by the fact that they are not
surrounded by anyone, as if they were the only ones at the top.
Moreover, they look ambitious, ruthless and power-hungry, and
they seem to have blood on their hands, like the woman in
Poster A. The titles suggest that they are playing a dangerous
game: indeed, for Breaking Bad, the chemistry symbols refer
to drug-trafficking, as well as the character’s chemistry outfit,
whereas for House of Cards the risky and unstable game of
politics is shown by the title and the American flag/Stars and
Stripes which is upside down. The sentence “All Hail the King”
in Poster B also suggests an idea of power and supremacy: the
character may have just deposed a leader to ascend the throne.
On pourra fournir aux élèves au moment jugé le plus opportun
les informations ci-après sur Abraham Lincoln. On s’assurera
au préalable que le nom du 16e président des États-Unis est
correctement prononcé : /ˈeɪbrəhæm ˈlɪŋkən/.
Abraham Lincoln served as the 16 th President of the
United States between 1861 and 1865. He is mostly
remembered for abolishing slavery. He issued the Eman-
cipation Proclamation that declared forever free those
slaves within the Confederacy in 1863. Furthermore, he
led the nation through its greatest crisis: the American
Civil War (1861-1865).
The Lincoln Memorial, located in Washington D.C.,
was first built to honour the president, but it has become
a symbol of power and freedom with time. It has been
the site of a lot of historical events such as M.L. King Jr.’s
“I have a dream” speech, and it has been used a lot in
fiction, especially in science-fiction films where it is often
shown as dilapidated or perverted so as to show the rise
of a new surpremacy, or the end of personal liberties (Eg:
Planet of the Apes, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Trans-
formers, or The Purge…). Here, in the poster of House
of Cards, the monument is used to emphasise the con-
trast between a respected president, Abraham Lincoln,
who symbolises important values such as democracy,
freedom and civil rights, and a new president, Claire
Hale Underwood, who seems to be the opposite
because of the blood on her hands.
B. These characters probably had their opponents or rivals
killed. They have reached their positions through dubious
means, by indulging in illicit things, as suggested by the blood,
or the warehouse filled with illegal drugs and money.
22/09/2020 12:35
 C. These characters look darker and more ambitious than tra-
ditional heroes. Despite their being the main characters of the
stories, they do not match the traditional characteristics of
heroes, their flaws (greed, selfishness, ambition…) have taken
the upper hand and devoured them, and therefore they should
be called antiheroes.
2 What is an antihero?
166
Présentation du document
Voici quelques informations sur le document. De manière à ne
pas en dévoiler le contenu aux élèves avant qu’ils aient travaillé
dessus, il serait bon de ne pas leur communiquer le contenu
de cet encart.
This audio document is a good opportunity to gather
elements and examples for a definition of the term
“antihero”. It also explains how antiheroes are actually
heroes whose personalities have been darkened by
some of their biggest flaws, while retaining some heroic
characteristics.
À noter, la prononciation du préfixe anti- : anglais britannique :
/ˈænti/ et anglais américain : /ˈæntai/, /ˈænti/
script MP3 n°70
In this episode, we are taking a look at antiheroes, pro-
tagonists who lack many of the common characteristics
associated with heroism.
Some of the key characteristics of traditional heroes are
bravery, mercy, selflessness, intellect and strength. Anti-
heroes tend to have some, but not all of these features.
They might be brave, but not selfless, or strong but not
merciful. They do heroic stuff because said heroic stuff is
in keeping with their own interests or self-preservation,
and not because it’s the right thing to do, or because they
feel a sense of great responsibility as a result of their great
power.
While antiheroes are more popular and common now than
they’ve ever been, this archetype comes from a long tra-
dition stretching as far back as Ancient Greece, from
Odysseus in The Odyssey, to Don Quixote, to Hamlet,
Macbeth... There’s always been an appreciation for heroes
whose flaws prevent them from fitting the traditional
mould.
Outside of comics and the superhero genre, the next
haven for antiheroes these days is prestige television.
Figure the big TV dramas of the last two decades, con-
sider that for almost all of them, the main characters tend
to be pretty bad people. The best shows of the last dec-
ade have been centred around broken individuals moti-
vated by their own self-interest, who have little issue
breaking the rules to get what they want. You probably
wouldn’t want to be friends with these people but, man!
are they fun to root for!
The rapid rise in number and variety of characters who fit
the definition of antihero is the reflection of a culture that’s
bored with knights in shining armour: if they aren’t pre-
sented with some kind of ironic wink, they just end up
feeling dishonest and old hat. But the other guys, the
loveable losers and the criminals with hearts of gold, these
characters feel real! Their internal conflict feels real. They
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_185-256.indd 245
are interesting because they’re both believable, and
unpredictable. While the line between hero and antihero
is thin, in most cases the hero always does the right thing,
so it’s pretty easy to predict their next move. But an anti-
hero… they keep you guessing.
Mise en œuvre
Ce document est riche en repérages autour de deux termes-
clés (« héros » et « antihéros »). Il sera donc conseillé de créer
un tableau avec deux colonnes pour traiter la question A au
moins. Les contrastes entre « héros » et « antihéros » pourront
être l’occasion de travailler le comparatif, ou l’expression de
la concession. Les questions B et C portent également sur la
compréhension orale. On y répondra une fois les éléments
d’écoute partagés par les élèves. Cette phase de partage pourra
se faire autour de la réalisation d’une carte mentale au tableau.
La question D donnera lieu à un travail de recherche à la maison.
Réponses aux questions
A. Heroes’ qualities: Bravery, mercy, selflessness, intellect,
strength, sense of great responsibility.
Antiheroes’ flaws: Some of heroes’ characteristics but not all,
keep their own interests or self-preservation.
On the one hand, heroes’ qualities are selflessness, bravery,
intellect, strength, mercy, and a sense of responsibility, while on
the other hand, antiheroes’ flaws are mainly selfishness and their
lack of respect for rules and laws. What is important for them
is self-preservation, or self-interest. In other words, they are
more selfish than heroes.
B. An antihero is a character whose flaws, or inner brokenness,
is more important than the selfless need to do good. In spite
of retaining some heroic qualities, an antihero always has a ques-
tionable moral compass and serves his/her interests first.
C. Despite their being more popular and fashionable today,
antiheroes have always existed. Indeed, myths and classical lit-
erature are filled with famous examples such as Odysseus or
Macbeth… Today, however, they seem to be more popular and
relatable than they have ever been because most viewers are
tired of the traditional archetype of the hero.
D. Some famous examples of antiheroes are: Daenarys Targa-
ryen/Jamie Lannister (Game Of Thrones), Dexter (Dexter), Walter
White (Breaking Bad), Deadpool (Deadpool), Lucifer (Lucifer),
Annalise Keating (How to Get Away with Murder), Dr Gregory
House (Dr. House), Thomas Shelby (Peaky Blinders), Tony
Soprano (The Sopranos), Omar Little (The Wire), Geralt of Rivia
(The Witcher)…
En prolongement, on pourra développer la réponse à partir
d’un ou deux personnages cités par les élèves.
Dexter is the archetype of the antihero because, despite his
being a serial killer, he is easy to root for because he kills crim-
inals only, and he cares for his family. Besides, his evil actions
can be accounted for when we come to understand his tor-
mented childhood.
E. The two characters in the posters are antiheroes because
they are motivated by self-interest and ambition, but they
remain enjoyable to watch, and easy to root for. Their weak-
nesses and flaws make them attractive because they are merely
the reflection of our darkest desires. Indeed, everybody wants
power and money to a certain degree.
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 3 Supporting antiheroes
167
Présentation du document
Voici quelques informations sur le document qui vous permet-
tront de voir en quoi il répond à la problématique de la page.
De manière à ne pas dévoiler le contenu du document aux élèves
avant qu’ils aient travaillé dessus, il serait bon de ne pas leur
communiquer le contenu de cet encart.
This article aims at accounting for the popularity of anti-
heroes nowadays. It draws an interesting parallel
between our troubled society and the evolution of
fiction and shows that fictional characters are a mere
reflection of people’s mindsets.
Mise en œuvre
Les questions sur le texte peuvent être traitées en deux étapes.
Un premier travail individuel de repérages lié aux mots-clés
(antiheroes, heroes, reality) mènera à un deuxième temps de
partage en anglais au sein de petits groupes. Ce travail d’ex-
pression en anglais se trouvera facilité par une aide lexicale
notée au tableau (What strikes me in the text is… What I find
interesting about antiheroes is…, etc.). Le but sera d’utiliser les
repérages du groupe pour tirer des conclusions en lien avec les
questions. Un médiateur pourra être désigné pour synthétiser
les réponses du groupe.
Notons que ce texte pourra être l’occasion de réutiliser les
comparatifs (as… as, less… than…, more… than), puisque l’on
oppose deux types de personnages.
Réponses aux questions
A. Nowadays, we prefer antiheroes because they seem to be
more realistic and because we are attracted to undesirable char-
acters who are capable of doing things we could not do, even
though sometimes we feel like doing them.
B. Antiheroes yearn for the same things as their viewers: power,
money, redemption, fame…
Their desires reflect our own selfish desires, they are the same
as ours.
C. Traditional heroes used to represent ideals, but the problem
was that they did not reflect the real world and its complexity.
Antiheroes have replaced them in our hearts because the real
world is as flawed as they are.
D. It could be argued that antiheroes have a cathartic/purifying
effect. Indeed, they cleanse us of our own flaws and dark desires.
Watching them soothes the soul/eases our minds because we
suddenly realise that we are not the only ones to harbour bad
feelings. Besides, they also live in a broken world of danger and
temptation where true virtue is scarce.
4 Antiheroes or villains?
167
Présentation des documents
Voici quelques informations sur le document. De manière à ne
pas en dévoiler le contenu aux élèves avant qu’ils aient travaillé
dessus, il serait bon de ne pas leur communiquer la totalité de
cet encart.
246 Unit 16
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_185-256.indd 246
The goal here is to show the thin boundary between
“antiheroes” and “villains”. The two terms can some-
times be confused, but the text explains that villains are
meant to be antagonists in a story revolving around a
hero, whereas antiheroes are the main characters of their
stories.
The poster is taken from the highly popular TV show
Lucifer, an antihero based upon Neil Gaiman’s novels
and comics (The Sandman series). In this story, the
“Biblical Devil” is revisited and turned into a loveable
antihero who is tired of being trapped in Hell and who
decides to leave on a holiday to discover the wonders of
Earth. Interestingly enough, the myth of the incarnation
of evil is completely debunked and the viewers end up
sympathising with this broken and incredibly funny
character.
The poster clearly reflects the ambiguity of the character,
with his mischievous smile and the wing-shaped gates of
Heaven closed behind him. The thin boundary between
good and evil is rendered by the contrast between light
and darkness, as well as the colours of his clothes.
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
On traitera d’abord le petit texte en demandant aux élèves de
se focaliser sur les termes-clés associés aux deux personnages
dont il est question (antihéros et méchants), le but étant de
repérer les points communs et les différences.
A. Both antiheroes and villains are driven by selfish impulses/
urges, but antiheroes have tragic backstories which make them
turn to the dark side, and which account for their attitudes.
B. It is a matter of point of view. The boundary between a villain
and an antihero is thin. A villain always becomes an antihero
when the story revolves around him/her and his/her journey to
evil. This is what happens in a lot of prequels which try to explain
the birth of antagonists. Famous examples are the second Star
Wars trilogy (Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader, the 2019
film Joker, the prequels to The Silence of the Lambs with the rise
of Hannibal Lecter, and the Maleficent Walt Disney films…).
C. L’analyse de l’image pourra se faire à deux, ou en groupes,
en partant d’abord des réactions des élèves (What strikes you
at first?), puis en reliant l’affiche au contenu du texte (Draw a
parallel with the text).
The name “Lucifer” is usually synonymous with pure evil and
darkness. However, this series seems to revisit the myth by
portraying a handsome and funny character whose mischievous
smile in the poster immediately catches the eye. Besides, the
wing-shaped gates of Heaven behind him may be there to insist
on the character’s past as an angel, but the sharp horns at the
tip of each wing also suggest he is a devilish man. The picture
is built around this tension between good and evil, the light and
the dark, Heaven and Hell.
D. Cette question sera traitée au sein des groupes sous la forme
d’un petit débat.
The picture is a good illustration of the article because the TV
show seems to place a notorious villain in the shoes of an anti-
hero. As opposed to the traditional representation we all have
in mind, the character is attractive and the viewer is immediately
caught off-guard by this softer and more forgiving portrayal of
the legendary villain.
22/09/2020 12:35
 Pour aller plus loin : script MP3 n°71
On pourra associer l’image à l’analyse de la citation suivante
de la série The Sandman, de Neil Gaiman. On travaillera notam- Tom Hiddleston: A villain is in control. A villain is a mask
ment sur le contraste entre l’imaginaire collectif autour du per- of elegance and style, behind which is a whirring and bril-
sonnage de Lucifer, et le discours suivant qui en fait un liant intelligence, but the trick is to make it all look easy.
antihéros. Ceci permettra de s’entraîner à une production orale I think the best bad guys are very charming and very witty
en continu pour l’évaluation commune du baccalauréat. and their villainy, as it were, comes at the twist of the
wrist, or the flick of a finger, we never break a sweat. We
don’t get our hands dirty. And the devil plays all the best
“Why do they blame me for all their little failings? They
tunes, particularly in a British accent.
use my name as if I spent my entire days sitting on their
shoulders, forcing them to commit acts they would oth- Mark Strong: We’re exotic and unusual. That fits the role
erwise find repulsive. ‘The devil made me do it.’ I have of the bad guy very well. Also I think we’re unafraid of
never made one of them do anything. Never. They live playing villains. I think we didn’t grow up in a culture which
their own tiny lives. I do not live their lives for them.” reveres the hero necessarily. You know, we have Richard
III, we have Macbeth, you know, who murders a king. The
The Sandman: Season of Mists, reason why, I think, villains are kind of important is a hero
comic book by Neil Gaiman, 1992 is only as good as his villain. You can’t be a hero without a
villain.
Sir Ben Kingsley: My formative years were with Shake-
speare. His villains are extraordinary, they’re brilliant.
They’re so richly layered that a British actor finds it almost
Great Britain and impossible to create a two-dimensional villain if he’s
3 explored our wonderful Shakespearean heritage.
168-169
the Cult of Villains
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
L’activité de compréhension de l’oral se fera dans un premier
temps avec des repérages individuels qui pourront être réor-
ganisés sous la forme de tableau grâce à la Worksheet n°34 .
On pourra éventuellement rassembler les mots-clés des élèves
sous la forme d’une carte mentale élaborée de manière collec-
tive au tableau.

DIFFÉRENCIATION
Pour les élèves en difficulté lors de la compréhension de l’audio,
il est possible de proposer une aide lexicale.

– richly-layered: aux facettes multiples

– witty: plein d’esprit
– break a sweat: transpirer
Nous verrons dans cette double page en quoi la culture britan-
nique est intimement liée aux personnages du méchant, à la
fois d’un point de vue littéraire avec l’héritage shakespearien,
mais aussi culturel, avec la tradition des acteurs britanniques
très souvent engagés pour jouer des rôles d’antagonistes au
cinéma.

1 Why Brits are

the best baddies!
168

Présentation du document
On pourra donner aux élèves les informations suivantes sur le
document audio.

This document is worth analysing for its depiction of Brit-

ishness and because it is based on a well-known fact:
British actors make the best villains, especially in Holly-
wood films. In this interview, three British actors (Tom
Hiddleston, Mark Strong and Sir Ben Kingsley) explain Worksheet disponible sur le site compagnon enseignant
why Brits are always chosen to portray villains. The three (en version PDF et en version modifiable) :
of them are indeed famous for their roles as villains in http://113916.site.magnard.fr/ressources/1759
American films, but other actors could be mentioned,
like Christopher Lee or Anthony Hopkins.

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 Corrigé de la Worksheet n°34 The texts are portrayals of two of Shakespeare’s most
ruthless villains, Richard III and Iago.

Tom Characteristics of the typical villain:
Hiddleston
– Villains are in control, elegant, intelligent, witty
and charming.
– Everything seems easy: “we never break a
sweat”.
– Their British accent.
– They don’t get their hands dirty. Therefore,
they are manipulative and have minions to do
the dirty work.
Mark British people and villains:
Strong
– Unafraid of playing villains.
– Didn’t grow up in a culture which reveres the
hero.
– They have famous British villains / Shakespeare’s
heritage: Richard III, Macbeth….
– The hero is as good as the villain.
Sir Ben The influence of Shakespeare:
Kingsley
– Part of the classics.
– British actors study them in their formative years.
– British actors cannot ignore their heritage.
Characteristics of Shakespeare’s villain:
– They are extraordinary, brilliant.
– They are complex characters (richly layered).
– They have more than two dimensions.
A. La Worksheet n°34 facilitera la prise de notes pour les élèves
fragiles.
B. According to the three British actors, the perfect villain is an
elegant and clever character who pulls the strings from a distance
while remaining in control. In other words, a real villain has his/
her minions do the dirty job for him/her. He/She has to keep a
stiff-upper lip no matter the circumstances.
Richard III is a historical play written in 1593, depicting
the rise to power of King Richard III of England, a power-
hungry man who decides to kill anyone he needs to in
order to sit on the throne.
The first illustration is taken from the 1995 film adapta-
tion of the play starring Sir Ian McKellen in the main role,
based on 1930s Britain, Richard being represented as a
fascist plotting to ascend the throne.
Iago is the main antagonist in Othello, a tragedy writ-
ten by Shakespeare in 1603. It tells the story of Othello,
a successful and respected Moorish general in the Vene-
tian army who is deceived by Iago, an officer jealous of
Othello’s promotion, who is determined to destroy the
general’s happiness.
The second illustration is taken from Gregory Doran’s
production of Othello in 2004. The actors playing Iago
(on the left) and Othello (on the right), were chosen
because they were South-Africans who had been brought
up during apartheid. They used their experience of living
in a racist regime to portray the characters.
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
La classe sera divisée en deux groupes (1 groupe = 1 texte)
afin de rendre l’activité finale propice aux échanges entre
élèves. On proposera aux élèves d’utiliser la Worksheet n°35
de manière individuelle afin d’effectuer des repérages, puis de
partager les informations en petits groupes de quatre élèves,
en anglais, afin d’enrichir les portraits des personnages avec
différents points de vue. À la fin du temps en groupes, un
médiateur pourra être désigné afin de présenter le portrait du
personnage à l’autre groupe. Les questions B et C pourront
être traitées au sein des petits groupes, afin de susciter un
débat, surtout s’agissant de l’interprétation de la mise en scène
dans les illustrations : What strikes me in the picture is… What
I like about the quote is…

C. En conclusion, cette question donnera l’occasion d’utiliser

des comparatifs.
First, the archetypal British accent is usually synonymous with
charm, sophistication and wit, so it perfectly matches the char-
acteristics of a cold and distant criminal mastermind. Besides,
for Americans, this accent sounds exotic and unusual, which
makes a character less trustworthy, or more likely to deceive
others. Finally, the portrayal of villains is deeply-rooted in British
culture because of Shakespeare’s influence. British actors are
more familiar with villains than others, because they are used to
playing antagonists, or antiheroes, when they study Shakespeare
in their formative years. To put it in a nutshell, British actors don’t
feel the need to be heroes, unlike Americans who are surrounded
by superheroes.

2 Shakespeare’s
most ruthless villains
168
Worksheet disponible sur le site compagnon enseignant (en
version PDF et en version modifiable) :
On pourra distribuer aux élèves les informations suivantes sur http://113916.site.magnard.fr/ressources/1759
les textes et les illustrations étudiés dans cette activité au
moment où on le jugera opportun :

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 Corrigé de la Worksheet n°35
Text 1 – Richard III
Reputation as a Shakespearian villain: Machiavellian
character who is very famous, especially for his line “my king-
dom for a horse”
Plans and ambitions: usurping and seizing England’s throne
Crimes: lusting after his niece and murdering his rivals to
achieve his goal
Fatal flaws: lust, ambition, greed, pride
Punishment for his crimes: he loses his kingdom and is
haunted by his crimes
Text 2 – Iago
Reputation as a Shakespearian villain: The most inherently
evil of Shakespearian villains, motivated by the pure destruc-
tion of others.
Plans and ambitions: Bringing down his rival, Othello, by all
means, hatching a plot to win Othello’s trust and deceive him
Crimes: Having Othello kill his wife and commit suicide
through manipulation, treachery and lies
Fatal flaws: jealousy, resentment, manipulation, deception,
pure nastiness
Punishment for his crimes: he is sentenced to death
A. Voir corrigé de la Worksheet n°35 . gloomy soundscape and animated passage being
B. In the quotes, Richard III is portrayed as a self-absorbed/
self-centred and proud man who has no remorse whatsoever
and kills in cold blood, while Iago is depicted as a liar who cheats
and pretends to be benevolent and helpful in order to get
Othello to do his bidding.
C. As far as Richard III is concerned, the stage director’s choice
to use a modern setting with a totalitarian aspect is relevant,
for Shakespeare’s historical play deals with the rise of a tyrant.
The reference to 20 th dictatorships such as the Nazi or Soviet
regimes is made obvious through the man’s military uniform
and Hitlerian salute, and the political party’s symbols, which
seem to be used as propaganda to praise the leader.
As for Iago and the stage adaptation of Othello, the picture
shows the villain in the background, as if whispering lies into
Othello’s ear. The blurry aspect of his evil face makes him look
despicable. He seems to be the eminence grise/puppeteer who
pulls the strings of Othello’s mind.
3
169
Evil Lady Macbeth
Anticipation
Avant de commencer le travail sur les documents, on peut don-
ner aux élèves la définition de soliloque, et préciser la différence
entre un monologue (que l’on verra page 170 du manuel) et un
soliloque.
A monologue is a long speech delivered by a character
while the other characters are still onstage, while a solil-
oquy is delivered by a character who is alone onstage.
The soliloquy is usually seen as more intimate, because
the character is expressing his thoughts out loud to the
audience.
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_185-256.indd 249
Présentation des documents
Voici quelques informations sur les documents qui vous per-
mettront de voir en quoi ils répondent à la problématique de
la page. De manière à ne pas dévoiler le contenu des documents
aux élèves avant qu’ils aient travaillé dessus, il serait bon de ne
pas leur communiquer la totalité de cet encart.
This text is a modern adaptation of one of the most
famous soliloquies of the play Macbeth. It can be read
as Lady Macbeth’s incantation, or call to the spirits of
Hell in order to harness their powers and make her
strong enough to achieve her murderous designs. She
begs those infernal spirits to come and take away her
womanhood, seen as a symbol of frailty at the time.
Interestingly enough, Sargent’s painting is a faithful
representation of the original text in the sense that the
character’s snake-like dress makes her look like a venom-
ous witch. Ellen Terry, a highly popular British actress in
the 19 th century was particularly known for her Shake-
spearian roles, and her “peculiarly fascinating powers”
on stage.
Finally, the very dark film adaptation of the soliloquy
by David Wilson was released by the British Council in a
series of re-writings of Shakespeare’s works combining
live performance with animation. The video features
actress Vicky McClure as Lady Macbeth summoning her
demons. The short film is dark and oppressive, the
cleverly used to underline the woman’s transformation
into something monstrous and inhuman.
Lady Macbeth is often seen as the “real villain” of
Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, first performed in
1606. Indeed, she is the one who plants the seeds of evil
by giving her husband the idea to murder King Duncan
in order to claim his throne. From the start, she is deter-
mined to have Duncan killed whereas Macbeth shows
some second thoughts at first.
script VIDEO N°31
Original text by Shakespeare
Lady Macbeth: The raven himself is hoarse
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood.
Stop up the access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
The effect and it! Come to my woman’s breasts,
And take my milk for gall, you murd'ring ministers,
Wherever in your sightless substances
You wait on nature’s mischief. Come, thick night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark
To cry ‘Hold, hold!’
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
Avant de lire le soliloque, on travaillera sur l’introduction pour
reconstruire les éléments essentiels de la pièce (Who? Where?
What? Why?). On pourra notamment demander aux élèves de
rédiger un résumé, en une ou deux phrases, afin de restituer
Unit 16 249
22/09/2020 12:36
 l’intrigue à l’aide des repérages, par exemple en proposant de
commencer par “Macbeth tells the story of…” pour les élèves
les plus en difficulté. Il peut être opportun de demander aux
élèves de recueillir un trait de personnalité du personnage de
Lady Macbeth, qui servira à mieux appréhender le soliloque qui
suit (What strikes you about Lady Macbeth?).
L’activité de compréhension du soliloque se fera à l’aide de la
Worksheet n°36 , d’abord par des repérages individuels, puis
lors d’une phase collective d’échanges en anglais où les élèves
partageront leurs éléments de compréhension et conclusions.
Worksheet disponible sur le site compagnon enseignant (en
version PDF et en version modifiable) :
http://113916.site.magnard.fr/ressources/1759
Corrigé de la Worksheet n°36
1. a. Lady Macbeth, her husband Macbeth, King Duncan
b. Scotland
c. Plot against King Duncan: she plans to have her husband
murder the king
d. To claim the throne
2. a. She speaks to murderous “spirits” and “demons”, as if
she were a witch summoning evil spirits from Hell.
b. “Come”, “make me less a woman”, “fill me […] with deadly
cruelty”, “cover the world in the darkest smoke”…
Lady Macbeth is trying to get demons to help her/have
demons help her achieve her plans by endowing her with
supernatural powers.
c. Words synonymous with femininity are transformed by evil,
for example, the “mother’s milk” becomes a “poisonous
acid”. The word “woman” is opposed to “man”, because
Lady Macbeth is trying to make her body and mind as
strong as a man’s. She is trying to gather more strength as
shown by words like “thicken”.
d. The “raven” is an ominous sign/a bad sign bringing death
(a harbinger/messenger of doom).
The lexical field of evil and death pervades the text (“die”,
“murdering”, “murderous”, “deadly cruelty”, “evil”,
“demons”, “darkest”, “hell”…).
A. – Lady Macbeth is ambitious and evil. Her ambition knows
no boundaries, which is why she is ready to resort to witchcraft/
dark forces in order to achieve her goal. She goes as far as
denying her own identity to become pure evil.
– It can be seen as a curse to become powerful, or a deal with
the Devil.
250 Unit 16
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_185-256.indd 250
B. Le travail sur la peinture pourra se faire en groupes. Après
un rapide temps individuel, les élèves partageront leurs impres-
sions sur l’œuvre, en partant par exemple d’opinions très
personnelles, pour aller vers l’analyse : I don’t like it because
it’s scary. What makes it scary is… What strikes me is…
On donnera aux élèves une aide lexicale pour s’exprimer :
What strikes me… What I find interesting/shocking is… In my
opinion… I agree/disagree with… It’s (not) a faithful adaptation
because…
Lady Macbeth is standing erect like a queen, holding a crown
above her head, which gives her a sense of power, dignity and
pride.
She is wearing a spectacular gown whose fabric is very similar
to chain mail, like armour, and it could be argued that the green
and metallic sheen of this dress is reminiscent of the scales of
a serpent, just like her long tresses by the way. All of this is
meant to highlight the character’s violence and duplicity.
Finally, the fact that she is holding a crown over her head proves
her supremacy over Macbeth, and shows that she is the one
who makes the decisions: he owes her his power.
As a conclusion, the painting is a faithful adaptation of the play,
especially of the soliloquy, because Lady Macbeth is portrayed
as a ruthless woman whose power and ambition know no
boundaries.
C. On proposera aux élèves de travailler en petits groupes afin
de mettre en voix, ou même mettre en scène, le soliloque de
Lady Macbeth. Le travail pourra être proposé avec le texte
page 169, ou pour des classes plus avancées avec le script de
la vidéo, avec un intérêt particulier porté aux termes liés à
l’époque de Shakespeare (thee…). On accentuera les mots-clés
qui auront été relevés lors de l’analyse du texte et on conseil-
lera d’adopter un ton reflétant la personnalité du personnage.
D. À noter : Cette vidéo étant assez sombre et complexe, nous
vous conseillons de la réserver à un public plus littéraire.
Pour rédiger une critique de la performance filmée, on deman-
dera aux élèves de prendre des notes durant le visionnage et
partir de leurs impressions et attentes par rapport au texte,
tout en prêtant attention à l’atmosphère créée par la bande-
son, les lieux et la lumière.
Une aide lexicale pourra être proposée pour la rédaction :
camera shot, setting, backdrop, landscape, soundscape, per-
formance, animation, portrayal/representation…, avec quelques
adjectifs fréquemment utilisés dans les critiques de spectacle :
spellbinding, mind-blowing, spectacular, disastrous, amazing,
haunting, shocking, daring, unsettling, unexpected…
Production possible :
A spellbinding portrayal of Shakespeare’s most villainous
woman
The British Council can be proud to release its new adaptation
of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, more particularly the short film star-
ring Vicky McClure as a terrifying and ruthless Lady Macbeth.
Her haunting performance in the character’s famous “Unsex me
here” soliloquy will send shivers down your spine, as for the
enigmatic and powerful soundscape that creates a gothic back-
drop for the scene. The daring decision to locate the scene in
a modern context (an isolated, fortress-like house, lost in the
middle of a gloomy forest) might be unsettling at first, but turns
out to suit the scene pretty well! The most audacious choice
remains the point of view shot showing the arrival of the spirits,
and the unexpected animated ending – a master stroke which
succeeds in showing the no longer human aspect of the mur-
derous woman.
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 4 Write a soliloquy
169
Cette activité d’écriture fera appel à l’imagination des élèves,
mais aussi à la maîtrise des éléments culturels étudiés en double
page, à savoir les personnalités et projets machiavéliques des
deux personnages shakespeariens qu’il faudra respecter dans
le soliloque. On pourra proposer aux élèves d’effectuer
quelques recherches sur l’évolution des personnages au fil des
pièces, mais on acceptera qu’ils s’éloignent de la fin d’origine.
La mise en voix du soliloque pourra se faire lors d’une séance
suivante, pour que les élèves apprennent leur texte (150 mots
minimum), ou bien sous la forme d’un enregistrement ou d’une
vidéo d’une minute minimum.
DIFFÉRENCIATION
Des classes plus avancées, ou des groupes de spécialité, pour-
ront s’essayer à quelques termes shakespeariens avec une aide
lexicale (thy = your, thou = you, art = are), ou encore tenter
d’utiliser quelques procédés littéraires afin d’enrichir leur écrit
(personnifications, rimes, métaphores, apostrophes…).
Production possible :
Example with Lady Macbeth:
Come, Angels of Death, and clean my dark soul of its sins.
Wash the blood on my hands… these murderous hands which
have pulled so many deadly strings!
Help me clear my conscience, help me forget the harm I have
caused by manipulating my husband. My dear Macbeth, how
could I ever have made you do this? I have stained your/thy soul
for eternity, and now, time has come for to account for these
evil acts.
O, Ambition, you are/thou art the darkest force in this world,
and I was a slave to your desires…
A Look at the Best Villains
4
170-171
of All Time
Cette double page a pour but d’entraîner les élèves à prendre
la parole sur des grands monologues de méchants de fiction.
Sous un aspect ludique et théâtral, ceci représente un bon
exercice pour l’oral du baccalauréat (travail phonétique,
accentuation…).
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_185-256.indd 251
1 Villainous monologues
170
Les élèves pourront lire les informations sur le personnage qu’ils
ont choisi afin de voir le lien entre le monologue et la présen-
tation.
Bellatrix Lestrange is an extremely powerful witch who
sides with Lord Voldemort, the supreme antagonist, in
the Harry Potter saga by J.K. Rowling. She is a pitiless
fighter with a psychopathic personality, as shown in this
scene from The Order of the Phoenix film adaptation
(2007).
Hela is the Asgardian goddess of Death in Norse mythol-
ogy (“Hel”). She is Thor’s most frequent enemy in Stan
Lee’s Marvel Comics universe because her plan is to rule
over the whole galaxy. The scene is taken from Thor:
Ragnarok, released in 2017.
Annie Wilkes is a character from Stephen King’s critical-
ly-acclaimed novel Misery, published in 1987. Annie is a
former nurse who turns into a torturer when she kidnaps
her favourite writer to make him resurrect Misery, the
heroine she is fond of. The scene is taken from the 1990
film adaptation.
Agent Smith is an A.I. programme personified by multi-
ple clones in the Matrix trilogy by the Wachowskis (1999).
Its goal is to eradicate all humans who enter the simu-
lated reality of the Matrix because they bring instability.
The Joker is Batman’s famous antagonist in the DC
Comics universe. The character is probably the most
famous villain of all time, partly due to the numerous film
adaptations he has been the subject of. He has been
portrayed by Jack Nicholson, Jared Leto, Heath Ledger
and more recently Joaquin Phoenix. This scene is taken
from The Dark Knight (2008).
Thanos is the supreme villain of the Marvel Cinematic
Universe, from the Avengers saga. He is the type of
extraterrestrial villain who wants to conquer the galaxy
in order to restore “his” order, which means eradicating
most lives to start over.
script MP3 n°72-77
Les enregistrements correspondent aux textes du manuel
p. 170-171.
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
On débutera par une lecture individuelle des six monologues,
suivie d’un temps de partage en anglais où les élèves diront ce
qui les frappe le plus autour de chaque personnage. Ils appor-
teront s’ils le souhaitent des informations complémentaires sur
la « mythologie » de ces méchants de fiction. Le but sera ensuite
de choisir l’un de ces personnages pour en dresser le portrait
(traits de personnalité et attitude) en se basant sur la compré-
hension du monologue choisi. On proposera aux élèves de
consulter le vocabulaire en fin d’unité, page 173, afin d‘enrichir
les portraits.
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 A. Bellatrix Lestrange is an unforgiving and provocative (“have
you, boy?”) witch who laughs at her enemies and who seems OPEN YOUR EARS! 172

to have a split personality (“abandoned her baby voice”). She

is fascinated by the pain she inflicts on people and does not
seem to have any second thoughts about her evil actions.
Hela is a proud and ambitious villain who looks down other
people and sees herself as their queen. Her project is to rule
over the galaxy, no matter the consequences. She blames her
predecessors for being too soft, stressing the fact that she will
be more powerful and merciless.
Annie Wilkes sounds calm and sweet when she talks (“don’t
worry”, “Paul, do you know…”), and yet she blackmails Paul
into doing as she pleases and writing another novel. She threat-
ens him with mental and physical torture, and seems rather
clever given her wit (“like junking your Mercedes”) and the his-
torical references she uses.
Agent Smith is a villain who speaks in a very matter-of-fact
manner, comparing humans to viruses and making his point in
a scientific way. Just like every villain, he believes he represents
the only solution by annihilating mankind.
PHONOLOGY MP3 n°78
The Joker is a self-absorbed villain because he speaks about
himself and his past. His madness can be felt in the way he wants /ən/ /eɪn/
to inflict on other people the pain he once felt (“let’s put a smile
on that face”). The scene almost depicts him as an antihero in villain – bargain – certain – contain – explain – refrain
this sense, because we learn about the trauma that led to his mountain – captain
evil path.
Thanos is a megalomaniac villain whose solemn tone reflects
his wish to be above all species. He feels smarter and superior,
AUDIO MYSTERY
and believes mankind should be grateful for being given a sec-
ond chance to start over after its annihilation.
script MP3 n°81
B. et C. Les élèves pourront partager leur portrait au sein de
groupes formés autour du même méchant par exemple, afin Listen to the audio recording to find the name of the villain
de compléter les analyses des personnages et d’aller plus loin everybody is talking about.
dans la réflexion, ou l’on pourra choisir d’associer ensemble His peculiar outfit makes him one of the most recognisable
des élèves qui ont travaillé sur des personnages différents afin characters in fiction.
de créer un déficit d’informations au sein des groupes.
Shiny, and black from head to toe. He’s kind of too self-con-
Des médiateurs pourront être choisis pour donner les conclu- scious to show his face in public.
sions du groupe et on votera, lors d’un petit débat de classe, When he speaks, everybody listens and does as he says.
pour le portrait le plus réussi parmi les six proposés. He’s always had family issues with his son.
The truth is, we stand on different sides...
Who is he?

2 Audition for
the villain’s part!
171
Réponse : Darth Vader

Cette activité à but exclusivement oral et ludique permettra

de travailler la prononciation et l’accent des élèves en leur per-
mettant d’interpréter leur antagoniste préféré. Un soin parti-
culier sera apporté à l’aspect théâtral, et à l’intonation qui devra
refléter la personnalité du méchant. Les élèves pourront réa-
dapter le rôle et le moderniser, notamment à travers la mise
en scène ou le ton employé.
Il serait pertinent de laisser le temps à l’élève d’apprendre les
répliques avant d’être plus à l’aise dans le jeu, par exemple au
début du cours suivant.

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 Spice up your vocabulary 173
rule the grammar! 174-175

Exercice 1
A. 3. B. 4. C. 6. D. 2. E. 1. F. 5.

Exercice 2
A. Macbeth became the new king of Scotland thanks to his
wife’s ambition.
B. Deadpool’s selfishness makes him think about himself first,
and forget the people around him.
C. The madness of the Joker is reinforced by his uncanny smile.
D. Voldemort’s vindictiveness was directed at the people who
had betrayed him.
E. Thanos’s arrogance can account for his superior attitude
towards humans.
Exercice 1
Exercice 3 A. Richard is more ruthless than any other English King.
B. Harry is as affectionate as Ron.
A. The king was a cowardly and merciless leader who plunged
C. Claire is more vicious than her husband.
his country into chaos.
D. The Joker is as powerful as Batman.
B. The wizard was stupid enough to mentor his apprentice into E. Macbeth is taller than Iago.
becoming a dishonorable warrior.
F. Villains are more attractive than heroes.
C. The superhero’s selfishness was frowned upon by all the
citizens of the country. Exercice 2
D. The Jedi turned to the dark side of the Force after his tor- A. Dumbledore is clearly the best wizard on Earth.
mented childhood. B. Thanos is definitely the strongest of them all.
C. Who is the worst wizard in Hogwarts?
Exercice 4 D. Who is the strongest avenger?
The Lord of the Rings himself, the Dark Lord, the Deceiver; those E. The Flash clearly is the fastest superhero.
are just some of the titles that this personification of evil has
been given through the ages as written by J.R.R. Tolkien. Sauron Exercice 3
set in motion his own conquest of Middle-Earth throughout the A. Bellatrix Lestrange is not as/so frightening as Voldemort.
second and third ages. He used his cunning intelligence and B. English knights are not as /so popular as superheroes.
deceit to fool the Elves into creating the Rings of Power, culmi- C. Leo is not as / so athletic as Spiderman.
nating in the secretly forged One Ring, which had the power to D. Agent Smith is not as/so handsome as Leo.
dominate the other rings and enslave those bearing them to
E. Lady Macbeth is not as/so frightening as Claire Underwood.
his will.
F. Bad cops are not as/so attractive as good cops.

Autres ressources numériques pour les élèves
(QR code/site compagnon)
Audio Words: Sonorisation des principaux termes de l’unité :
Exercice 4
A. His self-confidence made him win the election.
B. Dumbledore made him fight Voldemort.
C. Iago made Othello doubt.
D. Thanos made them yield.
E. His ruthlessness made him kill his nephews.
F. Claire made him use his rowing machine.

Exercice 5
A. She resents physical pain in spite of her superpowers.
B. Despite his strength, he is not invincible.
C. Despite his being a superhero, he longs for a quiet family life.
D. Despite being clever, they can always be outwitted.
E. She is not in love with him in spite of his being handsome.
F. They fought on, despite the rain.

Exercice 6
A. Richard had Clarence sent to the Tower.
B. Frank had several of his opponents killed.
C. Agent Smith had Neo arrested.
D. They had the knight slain.
E. They had Hogwarts destroyed.

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 Exercice 7
A. Strong as he may be, Thanos is not invincible.
B. Although he’s very cunning, Richard wasn’t the most intelli-
gent of the Plantagenets.
C. Although he is very quick, Leo is not untouchable.
D. Although Claire looks after Frank, she also thinks of her own
career.
E. Although villains are attractive, the good guys always win at
the end.
Exercice 8
Erratum : Lors de la prochaine impression du manuel, nous
corrigerons la phrase F qui doit être : Richard did not sleep at
night in case ghosts visited him.
A. She always wore her mask lest someone should recognise her.
B. He kept calling her son lest something should happen to him.
C. They sometimes travelled at night lest someone should see
them.
D. Hermione kept the weather eye open lest someone should
approach.
E. Superman kept away from green kryptonite lest he should
lose his powers.
F. Richard did not sleep at night lest ghosts visited him.
Exercice 9 → Interactive Test
254 Unit 16
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_185-256.indd 254
Picture
challenge 175
Le but de ce Picture challenge est de rebrasser le champ lexi-
cal étudié tout au long de cette unité 16. Les mots et expres-
sions qui figurent dans la rubrique Spice upyour vocabulary
(manuel p. 173) pourront également servir de base aux phrases
demandées. Enfin, les mots et expressions des boîtes Help!
pourront également être utilisés.
Production possible :
– Darth Vader looks cruel and evil with his black helmet.
– He represents the dark side of the force.
– He is the archetype of the villain with his black outfit.
– He is a power-hungry and ruthless leader who uses his army
to conquer the galaxy.
– He is the villain of the Star Wars films.
– Darth Vader is one of the most famous villains ever created
in fiction.
– He was probably inspired by the dictators of the 20 th century.
– Darth Vader became an antihero in the prequel which
described his journey to evil.
your project 176
YOUR PROJECT #1
Pairwork. Imagine and act out the final conversation between
a hero/heroine from the English-speaking world and his/her
antagonist before their final battle starts for the next Comic-
con in San Diego.
Ce jeu de rôle fera travailler l’expression orale en interaction,
excellent entraînement pour l’oral du baccalauréat. Le but sera
aussi de réutiliser les caractéristiques du monomythe et des
antagonistes de fiction vues tout au long du chapitre. Une
conversation de 2 minutes sera le minimum demandé.
22/09/2020 12:36
 Critères Non En cours Critères Non En cours
Acquis Acquis
d’évaluation POI acquis d’acquisition d’évaluation PEI acquis d’acquisition

L’élève A joue le rôle L’élève respecte bien le

du héros. format de la présentation
L’élève B joue le rôle (deux courtes histoires,
du méchant. une du point de vue du héros
et une du point de vue de
Les raisons du conflit son antagoniste).
entre les deux protagonistes
sont bien expliquées. L’élève s’appuie sur ses
connaissances (monomythe
La langue riche lexicalement de Campbell, les qualités
et syntaxiquement permet du héros, les motivations
les nuances. du antihéros/du méchant).

Le débit est adapté et L’élève utilise correctement

la diction fluide. les temps du récit.

Voir aussi la grille d’évaluation critériée adossée au CECRL L’élève utilise des marqueurs
temporels pour structurer
(A1 → C1), p. 399 de ce Fichier. son récit.

La langue riche lexicalement

et syntaxiquement permet
les nuances.
YOUR PROJECT #2
Le ton du récit est dynamique
Pairwork. You want to submit your new book project to a et rend le récit vivant.
publishing company: One storyline divided into two different
parts (the hero’s version, and the villain’s). The readers will
choose their favourite! Use Worksheet n°37 for help.

L’activité d’expression écrite permettra de remobiliser le voca-

bulaire du chapitre ainsi que le schéma du monomythe étudié
en ouverture. Elle laissera libre cours à l’imagination des élèves
et demandera de savoir structurer son récit (afin que les deux
se répondent notamment). On attendra donc l’utilisation de
mots de liaison (later on, one day, suddenly, after a while…).
Pour les élèves plus fragiles, la Worksheet n°37 propose un
schéma simplifié du monomythe de Campbell ainsi que des
étapes détaillées pour mener à bien le projet.

Worksheet disponible sur le site compagnon enseignant (en

version PDF) : http://113916.site.magnard.fr/ressources/1759

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