introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch introducion to mqcbetch
2. “The Scottish Play”
• It is believed to be bad luck to speak the
word ‘Macbeth’ in a theatre
• Legend has it you will lose all your
friends involved in the production—
horribly
• The legend says that an early actor to
play Macbeth died when a real knife was
used instead of a stage knife
• Other strange occurrences and mishaps
surround the play
3. Elements of Tragedy:
• Protagonists die
• Bloodbath
• Who doesn’t gets killed off?
• Catharsis (e.g. Hollywood movies vs.
independent films)
• Anti-hero
• Hamartia
• Hubris (example of hamartia)
4. Ask yourself the following:
• 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”?
(accepting the consequences of your acts)
• Do you believe our lives are led by fate or our
actions alone?
5. Rate each statement on a scale of 1-10.
1 =disagree completely to 10 = 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.
7. Shakespeare - bio:1564-1616
• Why the postcard???
• Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, April c.23
• His father: an alderman, butcher?
• Never went to college :/
• Married Anne Hathaway
8. Bio-cont.
• Had 3 children, all died w/o offspring
• Joined the most successful company of actors
in London: The Lord Chamberlain’s Men,
became a shareholder in the co and its main
playwright, made enough $$$ to buy property
in Stratford
• Left a will mentioning his wife in a half
sentence (???)
9. Anne Hathaway’s Cottage
This was the early home of
Shakespeare's wife, Anne Hathaway,
who came from a family of prosperous
farmers. The 'cottage' is actually
a twelve-roomed Elizabethan
farmhouse, built on a slope.
Parts of the house pre-date
the fifteenth century and
demonstrate the earliest
English house-building techniques.
Little has changed on the outside since
Anne Hathaway lived there and
the low thatched roof, half-timbered
walls and latticed windows
are an enticing sight for anybody
wishing to gain an insight
into Shakespeare's world
10. Shakespeare: work
• Wrote 37 plays
• Mostly heavily inspired by Greek and Roman writers (he had to
write fast! - writing was his bread and butter)
• Romantic comedies: Twelfth Night, As You Like It
• Tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Died on April 23,
1616 (the day he was born???) His friends and fellow-actors
collected and published an edition of 36 plays in one large volume
- the famous First Folio (1623) (btw, depending on which edition
you have, your versions of Hamlet may be different)
12. History of Elizabethan London Theaters - including the Globe Theatre
The first proper theater as we know it was called the Theatre, built in London in 1576. Before this
time plays were performed in the courtyard of inns or inn-yards, or sometimes, in the houses of
noblemen The most famous Elizabethan playhouse ( theater ) was the Globe Theatre (1599) built
by the company in which Shakespeare had a stake - now often referred to as the Shakespearean
Globe.
The Globe Theater - the Plays
Plays were big!! There was money to be made!! (NO COMPUTERS, TV...)There was a constant
demand for new material!! Rivalry between the Theaters Playhouses was enormous!! As soon as a
play had been written, it was immediately produced - printing followed productions! Rival theater
companies would produce unauthorized copies of plays - notes were made and copied as quickly as
possible (no COPYRIGHT, NO MLA, folks!). In Shakespeare’s time copyright did not exist.
Alternative versions of Shakespearean plays were produced! These unauthorized and inferior text
copies of Shakespeare's plays are called Quarto Texts.
The Globe Theater - the Event
Days out at the Globe Theater would have been an exciting event. The grounds surrounding
the Globe Theater would have been bustling with people. There would be stalls selling
merchandise and refreshments creating a market day atmosphere. The Globe would have
particularly attracted young people and the were many complaints of apprentices avoiding
work in order to go to the theater. A trumpet was sounded to announce to people that the play
was about to begin at the Globe Theater in order for people to take their final places.
13. Elizabethan Advertising!
Towering above the Globe was a small tower with a flag pole. Flags were used as a form of
Elizabethan Advertising! Flags were erected on the day of the performance which sometimes
displayed a picture advertising the next play to be performed. Color coding was also used - a black
flag meant a tragedy , white a comedy and red a history.
The Globe Theater - the Productions
The purpose built Globe theatre allowed stage productions to become quite sophisticated with the
use of massive props such as fully working canons. Special effects at the Globe were also a
spectacular addition at the theater allowing for smoke effects, the firing of a real canon, fireworks
(for dramatic battle scenes) and spectacular 'flying' entrances from the rigging in the 'heavens'.
The stage floor had trap-doors allowing for additional surprising incidents. Music was another
addition to the Globe productions. It was no wonder that the Globe Theater and this form of
Elizabethan entertainment was so popular. The sight of Shakespearean actors apparently flying
must have been quite amazing to the discerning Elizabethan Theater audiences.
But when there were no props... “enter the corpse of Richard III” or the repetition of what the sky
was like, elaborate descriptions of a setting b/c there was no backdrop.
14. The Globe Theater - the Actors
The Globe Theater audience never had time to get bored. In just two weeks Elizabethan theaters
could often present “eleven performances of ten different plays”. The Shakespearean Actors
generally only got their lines as the play was in progress. Parts were often allocated on the day of
the performance. Many times the actors didn't even get their own lines. They did "cue acting ",
which meant that there was a person backstage who whispered the lines to the actor just before he
was going to say them.
This technique allowed for zero rehearsal time.
There were no actresses. Female characters had to be played by young boys. The acting profession
was not a credible one and it was unthinkable that any woman would appear in a play.
The Globe Theater audiences
The Elizabethan general public (the Commoners) referred to as “groundlings” would pay 1
penny to stand in the 'Pit' of the Globe Theater. The gentry would pay to sit in the galleries often
using cushions for comfort! Rich nobles could watch the play from a chair set on the side of the
Globe stage itself.
Theatre performances were held in the afternoon, because, of course, there was no artificial
lighting. Men and women attended plays, but often the prosperous women would wear a mask to
disguise their identity. The audiences only dropped during outbreaks of the bubonic plague,
which was unfortunately an all too common occurrence during the Elizabethan era. This
happened in 1593, 1603 and 1608 when all theaters were closed due to the Bubonic Plague (The
Black Death). The Shakespearean actors were therefore temporary out of work and left London
to stay in other parts of England. William Shakespeare no doubt used these periods of closure to
write more plays and go home to Stratford.
15. 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
– for example, “appearance versus
reality”
• A tragedy
– the fall of a great person brought
about by a fatal flaw in their
character
16. The Tragedy of Macbeth
• Set in Scotland
• Written for King James I
(formerly of Scotland,
now England)
• Shakespeare researched
The Chronicles by
Raphael Holinshed.
Many of the characters
are real ancestors of King
James I
17. Will the real Macbeth please stand up?
• Macbeth was a real king of Scotland
• He did kill King Duncan
• Reigned from 1040-1057
• Unlike the Macbeth in Shakespeare’s play
– The real Macbeth had a legitimate claim to the throne
– The real Macbeth was a strong leader
– The real Macbeth’s reign was successful
– The real Macbeth was killed at Lumphanan as opposed
to Dunsinane
18. • Themes:
–Ambition and the pursuit of power
causes downfall
–Cruelty vs. Manhood (Do you need to be
a man to be cruel?)
–King vs. Tyrant (What’s the difference?)
• Symbols
–The supernatural (ghosts, witches)
–BLOOD
–Weather (Hurly-burly)
19. Motifs (recurring objects, ideas)
• Blood –
• Hands –
• Sight, Light, Darkness, and Blindness
• Manhood
• Babies and children
• Sleep
• Birds
• Kingship
• Heaven and Hell
20. Macbeth Introduction
• Written by William
Shakespeare in 1605
• Macbeth is a man who
overthrows the rightful
King of Scotland
• Shakespeare wrote
Macbeth at the beginning
of King James I reign
– Before James succeeded
Elizabeth I he was king of
Scotland
21. Connections for British Society
“Remember, remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...”
•In November 1605 the Gunpowder Plot was
discovered
– Guy Fawkes and his followers (Roman Catholics) planned
to blow up Parliament
– They wanted to bring down the British government and
put a Catholic rulers on the throne
– The plot was discovered and the men involved were tried
and killed as traitors
•Shakespeare sided with the king and seemed to think
that a play about treason and death would find an
audience at this time
22. So this is a comedy… right?
• Macbeth is one of
Shakespeare’s most famous
tragedies (it is also his shortest)
• Aside from the violent nature
of the plot Shakespeare uses
several literary devices to
enhance the feeling of evil
– He creates a serious and sinister
mood by having most of the play
take place at night
– There is a heavy emphasis on the
supernatural (witches, dreams,
spells, and ghosts)
23. Witches & Witchcraft
• A witch-mania
characterized the
Elizabethan era.
• Most people believed in
witches and circulating
pamphlets containing
tales of witches and
witchcraft were the
equivalent of today’s
popular newspapers.
Henry Fuseli, The Three
Witches
24. Witches and Witchcraft
• Witches were said to have “diabolical” powers. They could:
– predict the future
– bring on night in the daytime
– cause fogs and tempests
– kill animals
– curse enemies with fatal, wasting diseases
– cause nightmares and sterility
– take demonic possession of any individual
– raise evil spirits by concocting a brew
• It was believed that witches allowed the devil to suck their blood.
Accused witches were examined for the “Devil’s Mark” - a red mark
on their body from which the devil had sucked blood.
25. Witches and Witchcraft - Misogyny?
• Between 1560 and 1603, hundreds
of people, nearly all of them
women, were convicted as witches
and executed
• In 1604 an official Act of
Parliament decreed that anyone
found guilty of practicing
witchcraft should be executed
• Those who confessed to being
witches did so under torture or
because they were in the grip of
delusions recognized today as
psychiatric disorders.
26. 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.
• Just as other tragic heroes,
Macbeth has a “fatal flaw” or
hamartia
• In Macbeth’s case, it is
ambition and obsession
27. Shakespearean English
Early Modern English (NOT Old English:
-‘a= he
-an=if, an(apple)
-thou = you
-thee= (for, about..) you
-thy = your
28. has = hath
lest =in order not to, so as not to
ye =you plural, formal address
Royal “we” = kings and queens don’t say “I” but “we” ; not “my”
but “our”
‘tis=it is
double comparative and double superlative: “the most unkindest
cut of all”
aught=anything
naught=nothing
ay=yes
nay = no, moreover
29. More Vocab
anon=soon
Marry, sir, how about… - well
morn=morning, dawn
meet=appropriate “I think meet to talk about
it
want=need, lack, be without
wont = used to, be in the habit of e.g. she’s
wont to wake early