1. Be careful what you wish for…
Macbeth
Be careful what you wish for…

2. Macbeth: An Introduction
Macbeth is among the best-known of William Shakespeare’s plays.
Next to Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet, anyway
Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy.
Believed to have been written between 1603 and 1606.

3. Macbeth: An Introduction
Often regarded as archetypal, the play tells of the dangers of the lust for power and the betrayal of friends.

4. As The Tragedy of Macbeth opens, the Scottish army is battling invading forces
Norwegian forces
Scotland
and King Duncan wants a victory.

5. Macbeth fights ferociously
killing the traitor Macdonwald and planting Macdonwald’s head on the castle battlements.
King Duncan is impressed.

6. While crossing the stormy countryside after the battle, Macbeth and Banquo encounter a trio of witches.
“Double, double, toil and trouble, Fire burn and cauldron bubble”

7. All Macbeth can think about is the sisters’ final prophecy …
…And the thought that he might become king.

8. His wife, the ambitious Lady Macbeth longs for
high position
power
wealth
prestige
She’ll do anything to make her husband king.

9. The Real Macbeth king of Scotland (1040–57).
He succeeded his father as governor of the province of Moray c.1031
was a military commander for Duncan I.
(Right: portrait of Macbeth)

10. The Real Macbeth
In 1040, Macbeth killed Duncan in battle and seized the throne.
Possibly of royal descent himself,
acquired a direct claim to the throne through his wife, Gruoch;
Grandfather was overthrown by an ancestor of Duncan
(Right: portrait of Duncan I)

11. The Real Macbeth
William Shakespeare's version of the story comes from the accounts of Raphael Holinshed and Hector Boece.

12. Holinshed’s Chronicles
Raphael Holinshed (d. 1580
English chronicler
Chronicled British history from the time of the Great Flood
(approx BC) to Queen Elizabeth (reigning ).

13. Hector Boece Lived 1465-1536 A Scottish philosopher
Wrote Historia Gentis Scotorum (1527)
Shakespeare used this text as a basis for the character of Macbeth

14. “The Scottish Play”
There are many superstitions centred on the belief that the play is somehow “cursed”.

15. “The Scottish Play” Explanation #1
Shakespeare is said to have used the spells of real witches in his text, purportedly angering the witches and causing them to curse the play.

16. “The Scottish Play” Explanation #2
Struggling theatres or companies would often put on this popular 'blockbuster' in an effort to save their flagging fortunes.
However, it is a tall order for any single production to reverse a long-running trend of poor business.
Therefore, the last play performed before a theatre shut down was often Macbeth, and thus the growth of the idea that it was an 'unlucky' play.

17. “The Scottish Play”
A large mythology has built up surrounding this superstition, with countless stories of accidents, misfortunes and even deaths, all mysteriously taking place during runs of Macbeth (or by actors who had uttered the name).
Many actors will not mention the name of the play aloud, referring to it instead as "The Scottish play".

18. Superstition of Characters’ Names
“The Scottish Play”
Superstition of Characters’ Names
MacBee
Macker’s
Mr. and Mrs. M.
The Scottish King
MacWhat’s-his-face

19. The Witches AKA the Weird Sisters
Painting by William Rimmer depicting the witches’ conjuration of an apparition
(Act IV, scene i)
Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches (Act I, scene iii) by Johann Heinrich Fussli
Portrayal in the 2006 film version of Macbeth

20. The Witches
They tell Macbeth that he is destined to be king, and urge him to do bloody things.

21. The Witches
Their character is modeled after Norse mythology- the Norns (three Fates)
the name Urðr (Wyrd, Weird) means "fate" or simply "future",
The norns- by Arthur Rackham

22. Three Fates of Greek and Roman mythology
The Witches
The witches were also modeled after the
Three Fates of Greek and Roman mythology
control the metaphorical thread of life of every mortal and immortal from birth to death .
The names of the three Parcae (Roman Fates) were:
Nona - spun the thread of life from her distaff onto her spindle. (Greek Clotho);
Decima - measured the thread of life with her rod. (Greek Lachesis);
Morta - cut of the thread of life. She chose the manner of a person's death. When she cut the thread with "her abhorrèd shears", someone on Earth died. (Greek Atropos).

23. The Witches Represent darkness, chaos and confusion.
“Fair is foul and foul is fair”- a contradiction.
Evil is good, while good is evil.

24. The Witches
“Double, double toil and trouble” – they cause more grief for the mortals around them.
The witches never actually tell Macbeth to kill Duncan, but merely tempt him with the idea of becoming king.
What theme of temptation might
Shakespeare be representing here?

25. The Many Meanings of Macbeth
11/14/2017
The Many Meanings of Macbeth
A historical thriller
a fast-moving, action-packed murder mystery demonstrating that crime doesn’t pay
A psychological study of a murderer’s mind
A play of political and social realism
how oppressive and hierarchical society can corrupt individuals
A play of illusions
the effect of the mysterious or supernatural on humans
A play of ideas or themes
Ex: corruptive nature of unchecked ambition
A play about gender
A tragedy
the fall of a great person brought about by a fatal flaw in their character
Everyone brings something unique to their reading of a play or a novel . . .
How people interpret something is largely due to their own prior experiences . . .
These are just a few of the interpretations of Macbeth that people have dreamed up over the years. More than anything else, I want to impress you with the fact that Macbeth is a really gutsy, interesting play.

26. The tragedy of Macbeth Set in Scotland
Written for King James I (formerly of Scotland, now England)
Queen of Denmark (James’s sister) was visiting
Shakespeare researched The Chronicles - Banquo is an ancestor of King James I

27. The Characters King Duncan of Scotland Malcolm & Donalbain Macbeth
Honest and good
Malcolm & Donalbain
Sons of the King
Malcolm is the eldest son
Macbeth
Duncan’s most courageous general
Ambition to become king corrupts him
The Characters

28. The Characters Banquo Lady Macbeth Macduff
General and Macbeth’s best friend
Suspicious of Macbeth
An actual ancestor of King James I
Lady Macbeth
As ambitious as her husband
A dark force behind his evil deeds
Macduff
Scottish general, also suspicious of Macbeth
Swears vengeance
The Characters

29. Images of Macbeth

30. Creation Theatre Company-Summer 2006 production, Oxford, England

31. Poster advertising a performance at The University of Texas at Austin
What are your thoughts on the mood of this poster? What techniques are used to evoke this mood?

32. Globe review
...

33. The Man That Would Be Shakespeare
William
The Man That Would Be Shakespeare
Born April 23rd, 1564
Started out performing with “The Lord Chamberlain’s Men”
Gave him a chance to write a play
Henry IV, Pt. 1- It stunk but they gave him another shot

34. Reconstructed in the 1990’s
Many playwrights with nowhere to “play”
Barn turned into theatre (Yeah!)
Puritans burn it down (Evil theatre! Boo!)
Globe built! (Yeah!)
Globe burns (sniff, darn cannon!)
Globe rebuilt! (Yeah!)
Globe burns (Dang that Fire of London!)
The Globe
Reconstructed in the 1990’s

35. Aristocrats
The Queen/King
The Groundlings!

36. When in a play... Only men were permitted to perform
Boys or effeminate men were used to play the women
Costumes were often the company’s most valuable asset
Costumes were made by the company, bought in London, or donated by courtiers

37. The Cost of a Show 1 shilling to stand
2 shillings to sit in the balcony
1 shilling was 10% of their weekly income
Broadway Today:
$85 Orchestra
$60 Balcony
10% of a teacher’s weekly salary