1. Introduction to Macbeth

2. Background Information SShakespeare wrote the tragedy of Macbeth around 1606, shortly after James I's accession to the English throne, as a tribute to James' Scottish ancestry.

3.  The story was taken from Raphael Holinshed's historical writings, Chronicles of England Scotland and Ireland, which tells the story of a Scottish king who murdered his way to the throne in 1040.

4. BBanquo was founder of the royal family of the Stuarts from which King James was descended MMacbeth also pays tribute to King James' theological interests (he was responsible for King James translation of Bible and wrote Demonology about identification of witches).

5. Macbeth as a Tragedy:

6. Macbeth deals with a serious issue, in a serious tone, and has a tragic hero…

7. Macbeth is: 1. A person of high stature 2. He has a tragic flaw.

8. 3. He is forced to face a tragic dilemma 4. He is neither excessively good nor excessively evil… 5. He experiences a downfall brought on by his tragic flaw.

9. 6. He might experience an Anagnorisis though many Shakespearean tragic heroes did not…

10. Act I— en media res II- risi ng act ion climax IV- falli ng actio n Act V- resoluti on Act III Frietag’s Pyramid Five Act Model of Shakespearean Drama

11. Because it is a tragedy, and deals with serious issues, there are several weighty themes in Macbeth …

12. Appearance v. Reality: In this play, ideas, actions & even people are very rarely what they seem. The entire play questions the very nature of reality & truth. Are there any concrete truths?

16. The play also serves as a cautionary tale that warns the viewer not to consort with evil forces.

19. Another theme is that all actions are inter- connected, including human and natural events.

21. Motifs:  Blood  Clothing  Supernatural Occurrences  Rot and Decay

22. Keep this character list in a safe place! Let’s pronounce some of the tricky Scottish and Irish names together in order to become more familiar with the pronunciations.

23. Study the Character List There will be a short quiz on character names