An introduction to…

Ask yourself the following and respond Have you ever given in to temptation? Do you believe in prophecies? How do you personally decide what is good and what is evil? What is the difference between greed and ambition? Do you believe “you reap what you sow”? Do you believe our lives are lead by fate or our actions alone?

Rate each statement on a scale of 1-5 Rate each statement on a scale of 1-5. 1 =disagree completely to 5 = agree wholeheartedly Be prepared to explain your reasoning. 1. People who are striving to get ahead often step on other people. 2. Being powerful usually is the same thing as being happy. 3. One mistake can often lead to another. 4. Everyone is capable of murder under the right circumstances. 5. People who are involved in criminal activities can still feel love, fear, and concern for other people.

What is there about Shakespeare that would interest a contemporary American? Why do we read this? If being a “contemporary American” means being focused on dirty TV sitcoms, greed, casual sex, big-money sports, televangelism, professional wrestling, crybabies, slot machines, political action committees, and “war on drugs” profiteering, then the answer is probably “Nothing.” If a contemporary American can still ask, “Is life just a meaningless exercise in status-seeking, or is there anything to give us hope that morality is real?” -- then the answer is maybe that Shakespeare deals with basic human issues.

WITCHES TREACHERY MURDER BLOOD FAITHLESSNESS DECEPTION AMBITION

Macbeth: A Shakespearean Tragedy

What is a tragedy you ask? Definition – a drama in which a character (usually a good and noble person of high rank) is brought to a disastrous end in his or her confrontation with a superior force (fortune, gods, social forces, universal values), but also comes to understand the meaning of his or her deeds and to accept an appropriate punishment. Macbeth is considered a tragedy.

Tragic Hero By definition, the tragic hero is a man of noble stature. “high position” usually means a king, duke, prince, company owner, etc. that brings about his own destruction. He is not an ordinary man, but a man with outstanding quality and greatness about him. He is good – but not “too good” so the audience can relate to him. His own destruction is for a greater cause or principle – he proves a point. It should be noted that the hero’s downfall is his own fault as a result of his own free choice, but his misfortune is not wholly deserved. Usually his death is seen as a waste of human potential.

The Tragic Flaw… A tragic flaw is a literary term that refers to a personality trait of a main character that leads to his or her downfall. In other words, a character with a tragic flaw is in need of some kind of attitude adjustment …The “flaw” in the character is a defect which keeps him/her from being aware of the situation around him/her. The character doesn’t understand (for much of the story) his/her part of creating the situation. Examples of tragic flaws include … - Pride - Greed - Obsession - Mistrust - Hesitation - Selfishness - Being overly ambitious (Macbeth)

The Tragic Downfall … Once the tragic hero has established his or her tragic flaw, it leads to the tragic downfall – what it is that actually happens to the tragic hero – it is usually the death of the main character.

Feelings and Emotions Most tragedies cause an emotional response from the reader – usually feelings of pity, sorrow, or terror. This is known as pathos.

Shakespearean Tragedy Plot

Shakespearean Tragic Plot Act I: Exposition: the setting, the characters, & conflicts are introduced. Act II: Inciting Incident or rising action Act III: Turning Point (Climax) this is where the reversal of fortune occurs and it all starts to go badly for the tragic hero. Act IV: Falling Action and fall out from the climax Act V: Catastrophe/Resolution: the conflicts are resolved; chaos returns to order.

Macbeth: The Quick Summary

Written between 1604 and 1606, Macbeth is a dark, relentless tale of a good and brave Scottish general who, encouraged by the dark prophesies of three evil witches and by his own wife, murders Duncan, king of Scotland. Macbeth then becomes king and brings about his own destruction. Shakespeare wrote the play for James I, England's new king, who had been king of Scotland. To please James, Shakespeare set the play in Scotland, used many characters who were James' ancestors, and included witches, a subject that James had written about. The play is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy, probably because King James often fell asleep during performances.

So – what really happens? Good guy goes bad Guy wants power Married to a pushy control freak who wants power Kills people- LOTS of people Gets power Gets paranoid (a.k.a. goes crazy) Ticks off a lot of people Wants even more power! Kill! Kill! Gets what’s coming to him in the end … or does he?

Macbeth: The Historical Background

The King of England in 1606 was James I, a Stuart. At the time of the play, Scotland was a violent and troubled country. In fact, Elizabeth I, the reigning Queen of England, had been instrumental in the death of her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, who was beheaded. There was no Tudor successor to the throne of England. Therefore, Elizabeth I chose James VI of Scotland to succeed her. After her death in 1603, James VI of Scotland became James I of England.

On her deathbed, Elizabeth wanted to ease her way into Heaven, so she chose Mary’s son James to become the next King of England. She thought this would ease her conscience based on her involvement in Mary’s death. The appointment of James I was a good political move, unifying England and Scotland under one King.

Macbeth: Before the Curtain Opens

Macbeth: an appeal to Elizabethan people’s interests Shakespeare demonstrated the Elizabethan belief that the country is stable only if the King is good and virtuous. Elizabethans believed that evil occurs in darkness, which is a recurring theme in Macbeth. Shakespeare included a lot of blood and murder, which the Elizabethans expected to see in a play. The play was considered a thriller – a threat to an anointed King and the perceived evil behind the threat

You Should Know … When the play begins, there are two wars in progress: The Civil War - King Duncan vs. Macdonwald’s rebels. Macdonwald committed treason against the King and Scotland. The National War - Scotland, led by King Duncan, against invading Norway, led by King Sweno

Setting King Duncan is the King of Scotland at the beginning of Act I. The play is set in Scotland during the eleventh century (1000-1099). Although Macbeth and King Duncan were real people, Shakespeare used poetic license to bend some of the historical information with his fictional play.

Some context … The supernatural is clearly evident in Macbeth. Rumor has it this was because James I was known to believe in witchcraft and Shakespeare wanted to make him happy. When the play opens Macbeth is the Thane of Glamis – a noble title given by the king or passed down generation to generation. He and his friend Banquo meet the 3 weird sisters (witches) as the play begins. The witches greet Macbeth as the Thane of Cawdor and the King of Scotland – two titles he has not yet received. They then give each men their prophesies … They tell Macbeth he will be the Thane of Cawdor and the King of Scotland but to beware his ambitions. They tell Banquo that he will not be the king, but his son will be king one day.

Macbeth: The Characters

Macbeth: brave general under Duncan who becomes too ambitious after three witches prophesy that he will be King of Scotland. Lady Macbeth: vicious wife of Macbeth, even more ambitious than Macbeth. She convinces Macbeth to murder the King. Macduff: general, suspicious of Macbeth and his quick rise to power. Macbeth Characters Banquo: Macbeth’s friend and general, who meets the 3 witches with Macbeth and later suspects Macbeth of killing the King. Fleance: Banquo’s young son. King Duncan: King of Scotland, murdered by Macbeth who was one of his generals whom he had just promoted. Malcolm: Duncan’s eldest son, runs away to England after he learns of his father’s murder to avoid the same fate. Donalbain: Duncan’s youngest son, runs away to Ireland after he learns of his father’s murder in order to escape the same fate.

The three witches: They tell Macbeth that he is to become King, leading him to evil. They also tell him that he will be defeated, but they disguise it in a way as to give him false confidence. Hecate: moon goddess and goddess of the witches, directs supernatural occurrences. Makes plan to give Macbeth false security. Ross: Macduff’s cousin, messenger who carries news to people like Macbeth and Macduff throughout the play. Lennox: nobleman, suspicious of the murder of the king.

Seyton: Macbeth’s lieutenant and assistant. Porter: watches Macbeth’s castle; when drunk, thought that he was the keeper of Hell’s Gates and that sinners were knocking at the door to be admitted. Used to insert some comedy into the tragic events. Lady Macduff: Macduff’s wife. She and her home serve as a contrast to Lady Macbeth and the hellish acts at Iverness (Macbeth’s castle).

Motifs Motifs are recurrent patterns in literature. While you read the play find examples of the following motifs … 1. Loss of sleep and its effect 2. Clothing used metaphorically as “to walk in someone else’s shoes” 3. Images of light and dark representing truth and deception/depravity 4. Images that convey deception and betrayal

Character Speech/Literary Terms Aside : happens when a character's dialogue is spoken but not heard by the other actors on the stage. Asides are useful for giving the audience special information about the other characters onstage or the action of the plot. Soliloquy: a longer speech in a play in which a character, usually alone on the stage, talks to himself or herself so that the audience knows their thoughts but the other characters do not. Rhetoric: a technique of using language effectively and persuasively in spoken or written form. For instance, a person gets on your nerves, you start feeling irritated, and you say, “Why don’t you leave me alone?” By posing such a question, you do not ask for a reason. Instead, you simply want him to stop irritating you. Thus, you direct language in a particular way for effective communication or make use of rhetoric.

Macbeth – The CURSE!! Is it real!?!?

You Decide … 1606: First production. The boy playing Lady Macbeth became feverish and died backstage. Rumor has it that Shakespeare himself played the role. 1672: Amsterdam. The actor playing Macbeth substituted a real dagger for the stage dagger and killed the actor playing Duncan, in full view of the audience. 1703: Opening day. England was hit with one of the most violent storms in its history. 500 seamen died. 1849: a riot in which more than 30 people died at the Astor Place Opera House April 9, 1865: Abraham Lincoln was reading passages from Macbeth (scenes following Duncan’s assassination) aloud to some friends. Within a week, Lincoln was himself assassinated

During a wartime production … The third witch fell ill and died of a heart attack during the final rehearsal. The actor playing King Duncan died of angina (heart disease). A witch was dancing around the cauldron, but would not maintain the tempo of the music. She collapsed and died on stage. The set designer committed suicide

1937 London Production … The director was nearly killed in a car crash. Lady M was badly bruised as well. Laurence Olivier lost his voice and almost died when a weight from the stage lights came tumbling down. The founder of the theater had a heart attack and died on opening night. A member of the audience was hit by a fragment of Olivier’s sword and then died of a heart attack.

Is it really true today? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LKMktAN4hc History of the Curse (2 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Daz_OpMfBmg One man’s story (1 minute)

Witches’ Scene – opening of play Opening Scenes Compare and Contrast As you watch the 3 video clips of the opening scene, make notes about what is going on in each of the scenes and decide which version is your favorite. Be able to explain WHY …