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.

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.

Cawdor Castle

Shakespeare makes Duncan older and more respected by his thanes (Lords) in the play, thus increasing the dilemma faced by Macbeth.

History says….Shakespeare says…

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 witch-hunters.

• 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 confessions, James and those acting on his behalf extracted the “truth” the hard way.

These are some of the real instruments of torture used by the English & Scottish during the middle ages.

A favorite method of torture involved the rope to the left; people were hung, drawn (pulled apart at the limbs) and quartered, with body parts sent around the kingdom as a warning (hence the head on the pike to the right).

The wooden rods were pushed slowly under the fingernails until they pierced the fingertips; then, they were lit on fire! While the pliers had many uses, the rope attached to the metal rod next to it was unique; the rope was placed around the skull, and the rod was twisted until the rope grew so tight, it literally popped the skull open!

The thumb screws in the back were used for, well, breaking thumbs, while the metal circle with the arc was placed atop the head and in the mouth, slowly cutting out the person’s tongue with each movement of their mouth!

With these tools to look forward to, you did not want to irritate those in charge or be accused of being a witch!

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.

- They can cause bad weather and storms, affecting ships at sea and spoiling crops.

All of these powers appear in Macbeth!

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!