Transcript Shakespeare’s Macbeth

Shakespeare’s
Macbeth
Read the slides in this presentation to answer
the following questions:
1) Who was King at the time Macbeth was written? How
did this affect the play (i.e., what was added/changed)?
2) How is Macbeth a tragedy? How was Macbeth’s story
traditionally viewed by people?
3) What are the big questions about evil, fate, ambition,
guilt, and success raised in Macbeth? How does this
apply today?
Why did Shakespeare Write It?
• In 1603, King James VI comes to power and
takes Shakespeare’s acting company, the Lord
Chamberlain’s Men, as his own The King’s
Men.
• Shakespeare may have wanted to please his
new “boss”, and so he wrote a play about issues
his King (and the paying public) would want to
see.
– King James claimed to be a descendant of
the real Banquo (a major character in
Macbeth), with only eight kings in between
them.
– James was also famous for his obsession
with witchcraft, a big theme that
Shakespeare incorporates into the play.
Macbeth’s
Historical
Context
Shakespeare took the
basic story of
Duncan and Macbeth
from Hollinshed’s
Chronicles, which
dates the reign of
these two Scottish
monarchs between
1034 - 1057.
History says….Shakespeare says…
According to the Chronicles, the real Macbeth became king in
1040 after defeating Duncan, who was a weak, youthful ruler
with little experience. Macbeth reigned for 17 years.
Shakespeare
makes Duncan
older and more
respected by
his thanes
(Lords) in the
play, thus
increasing the
dilemma faced
by Macbeth.
Cawdor Castle
Twisted History?
–Because the historical Banquo
was involved in a conspiracy to
murder the king, Shakespeare
paints the character of Banquo
(King James supposed
ancestor) in a much more
honorable light.
–Because he had to please his
patron, Shakespeare made the
character of Macbeth much
more villainous than he
probably was.
Why the
Obsession with
Witches?
• After King James’s marriage in
1589, his life was threatened by
a group of witches (motivated
by political ends), and they
were burned to death as both
traitors and witches.
• He became utterly convinced of
the reality of witches after this
incident, and wrote a master
book on the subject entitled
"Demonologie" which became
the text-book for future witchhunters.
• In Scotland between 1590-1680,
it is estimated that 4400 witches
were executed. James himself
interrogated witches and
ordered their executions.
Instruments of “Truth”
To
obtain
James
acting
The
A favorite
thumbconfessions,
method
screws inofthe
torture
backand
involved
werethose
used
the
for,
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behalf
extracted
the
“truth”
the(pulled
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The
wooden
rods
slowly
under
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fingernails
thumbs,
to his
the
left;
while
people
the were
metal
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drawn
the
arc
was
atop the
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they
the
fingertips;
then,
they
were
lit on tongue
fire!
head
apart
and
at the
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the
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mouth,
and
slowly
quartered,
cutting
with
out
body
the
person’s
While
the pliers
had
many
uses,
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attached to the metal
with
parts
each
sent
around
the
of
kingdom
their
mouth!
as
warning
These
aremovement
some
of the
real
instruments
of
rod
nextthe
to head
it wason
unique;
thetorope
was placed around the skull,
(hence
the
pike
the
right).
torture
used
by the
English
& Scottish
during
With
these
tools
to
look
forward
to,
you
did not
want ittoliterally
irritate
and the rod was twisted until the rope grew
so tight,
the middle
ages.or be accused of being a witch!
those
in
charge
popped the skull open!
What powers were witches believed to
have?
– They could speak with
the devil, and with his
help they could
communicate with the
dead. Some could see
into the future.
– They could fly through
the air, and make
themselves invisible.
– They could make people
fall ill using spells and
potions, and kill people
at a distance.
– They could use animals
such as cats as disguises
for the evil spirits who
serve them.
All of these powers
appear in Macbeth!
- They can cause bad weather
and storms, affecting ships at
sea and spoiling crops.
Traditional Views of Macbeth
Macbeth was seen as a
A “man of high standard who falls from
that high because of a flaw that has
affected many” - Aristotle
What is Tragedy?
• Drama where the
central
character(s) suffer
disaster/great
misfortune
– The hero’s
downfall results
from:
• Fate
• Character flaw/Fatal flaw
• Combination of the two
Shakespearean Tragic Plot
• Act I: Exposition
– This is where the setting,
characters, and conflicts are
introduced.
• Act II: Rising Action
• Act III: Turning Point (Climax)
– This is where it all starts to go badly for the tragic hero.
• Act IV: Falling Action
• Act V: Resolution
– The conflicts are resolved; chaos returns to order.
Why Read Shakespeare Today
• His fast-paced plots,
complex characters, and
creative language have
become part of our culture!
• His plays help us see our own relationships in strong
dramatic terms and help us to better understand
ourselves and those around us.
• In its depiction of a man who murders for what he
wants, only to lose all that humans need in order to be
happy—sleep, friends, love—Macbeth introduces big
questions relevant to any age…
Questions Raised By Macbeth
• Why do people do evil knowing it is evil?
• How do people deal with temptation?
• What determines your future? Is it fate?
Social pressure? Ambition?
• What are the consequences of success at
any cost?
Macbeth Today…
• Shakespeare’s play about a
blindly ambitious general with a
strong-willed wife who must try
to cope with the guilt of crimes
committed in order to further
their power is easily adapted to
the world today:
• Greed, Power, Ambition,
Murder, Insanity, Guilt, Deceit,
Husbands vs. Wives, Blood, and
Evil NEVER go out of style!
If you haven’t already, review the slides in
this presentation and answer these questions:
1) Who was King at the time Macbeth was written? How
did this affect the play (i.e., what was added/changed)?
2) How is Macbeth a tragedy? How was Macbeth’s story
traditionally viewed by people?
3) What are the big questions about evil, fate, ambition,
guilt, and success raised in Macbeth? How does this
apply today?
Bonus: Influence of Macbeth
• There are many very
famous lines taken
from Macbeth
– One is the witches
“Double, double
toil and trouble:
Fire, burn; and
cauldron, bubble.”
(Act IV, Scene I)
The Simpsons!