Introduction to Shakespeare’s Macbeth
Post on 24-Feb-2016
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Introduction to
Shakespeare’s
Macbeth
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
Many playwrights with nowhere to “play”
Barn turned into theatre (Yea!)
Puritans burn it down (Evil theatre! Boo!)
Globe built! (Yea!)Globe burns (sniff,
darn cannon!)Globe rebuilt!
(Yea!)Globe burns
(Dang that Fire of London!)
Reconstructed in the 1990’s
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
The Cost of a Show1 shilling to
stand2 shillings to sit
in the balcony1 shilling was
10% of their weekly income
Broadway Today: 10% of a teacher’s weekly salary
Set in ScotlandWritten 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
MacbethShakespeare’s shortest and bloodiest tragedy
Macbeth tumbles madly from its opening to its
conclusion. It is a sharp, jagged sketch of theme and character; as such,
it has shocked and fascinated audiences for
nearly four hundred years.
•Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of sinister witches that one day he will become King of Scotland.
• He is consumed by this and murders King Duncan
• He begins his reign racked with guilt and fear and soon becomes a tyrannical ruler, as he is forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion.
• The bloodbath swiftly propels Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to arrogance, madness, and death.
Shakespeare’s shortest and bloodiest tragedy
The Characters
Macbeth
• Scottish general• Led to wicked thoughts from the three
witches• Brave soldier • Powerful man• Easily tempted into murder• Once he commits his first crime he
embarks on further atrocities with increasing ease
• Better warrior than political leader• Solution to everything: violence and
murder• Unable to bear the psychological
consequences of his atrocities.
Lady Macbeth
• Macbeth’s wife• Lusts for power and position• Seems stronger and more ruthless of the two
• Urges her husband to kill Duncan and seize the crown
• She and Macbeth are presented as being deeply in love
• Violence strengthens their relationship
The Three Witches
• Plot against Macbeth: charms, spells and prophecies.
• Their predictions prompt Macbeth to murder and to blindly believe in his own immortality.
• They take a delight in using their knowledge of the future to toy with and destroy human beings.
Banquo
• Macbeth’s best friend • He represents the path Macbeth chose not to take
King Duncan
• King of Scotland
• Macbeth murders him
• Model of a good leader • His death symbolizes the destruction
of Scotland
Macduff
• A Scottish General
• Macbeth murders Macduff’s wife and young son.
• He eventually becomes a leader of the crusade to unseat Macbeth. Lady Macduff
• Macduff’s wife
The Scottish PlayIt is believed to be bad luck to even squeak the word ‘Macbeth’ in a theatre
Legend has it you will lose all your friends involved in the production--horribly
MORE ON THAT LATER...
TRAGIC HERO: “Man of high standard who falls from that high because of a flaw that has affected many” – Aristotle
Macbeth is one of the most famous examples of the tragic hero.
So what really happens?
1. Good guy goes bad2. Guy wants power3. Married to a pushy control freak4. She wants power5. Kills people- LOTS of people6. Gets power7. Gets paranoid (a.k.a. goes crazy)8. Ticks off a lot of people9. Want more power! Kill! Kill! Kill!10.Gets what’s coming to him in the
end
Dramatic Introduction to Macbeth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WczOqCy_Mnk
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