Download Boekverslag Engels Macbeth door William Shakespeare Macbeth

Boekverslag Engels Macbeth door William Shakespeare
Macbeth
The title
The play is about the Scottish general Macbeth.
The setting
The story takes place in Scotland, in medieval times.
The plot
In a thunderstorm, three witches decide to meet again on the heath after the deed is
doneӔ. Next, a captain reports to King Duncan that Macbeth beat MacDonald in battle.
Ross adds that the Thane of Cawdor was traitorous to Scotland during the battle. The
three witches confront Macbeth and Banquo on their way home from the battle. They
predict that Macbeth will be King of Scotland, and Banquo, though never king himself,
will beget rulers. The witches leave and Ross informs Macbeth that he has inherited the
title Thane of Cawdor (as also predicted by the witches). Macbeth contemplates the
prediction of him being king, and wonders if he should help make it happen. Malcolm
reports to King Duncan that Cawdor admitted his traitorous deeds at his execution. The
king then warmly greets Macbeth and Banquo. To Macbeth's dismay, King Duncan
declares his eldest son, Malcolm, Prince of Cumberland (i.e. the next king). At
Inverness Castle, Macbeth's wife learns of his encounter with the witches and decides
that she'll persuade Macbeth to fulfil his destiny through foul play. She then learns that
King Duncan is coming to her castle to stay the night, strengthening her decision to
murder Duncan. Macbeth appears and his wife tells him she'll do the foul deed herself.
Duncan arrives and Macbeth tells his wife he doesn't want to murder Duncan. She talks
him into it, adding that theyll frame DuncanҒs own guards with the murder.
Past midnight, Macbeth converses with Banquo, then alone, hallucinates that a bloody
dagger is in front of him. Macbeth meets his wife and tells her he murdered Duncan. He
also begins hearing voices. Macbeth forgets to return the daggers to the king's guards,
so his wife does it for him, bloodying herself too, as Macbeth loses himself in insanity.
They return to their chambers as Macduff and Lennox appear at the castle gates.
Macbeth greets them and they ask to see Duncan. Macduff and Macbeth "discover" the
body. Macbeth accidentally admits of the murder, then recants. Duncan's sons, Malcolm
and Donalbain, flee to England and Ireland, fearing for their own lives. Subsequently,
Macduff and Ross discuss that all have decided that Malcolm and Donalbain bribed the
guards to kill Duncan. Consequently, Macbeth is declared king.
At Scotland's castle (Forres), Macbeth contemplates how he
fears Banquo may give breed to children who may overthrow Macbeth. Macbeth
convinces (hires) to men to murder Banquo and his son, Fleance. Macbeth scares his
wife by informing her of Banquo and Fleance's impending death. The murderers
successfully murder Banquo, but Fleance escapes. At dinner, Macbeth imagines he sees
Banquo's ghost causing his wife to excuse the dinner guests.
On the heath, The three witches
make a brew chanting "double, double, toil and trouble." Macbeth approaches and asks
three questions. The witches answer: 1. Beware Macduff, 2. None of woman borne will
harm Macbeth, and 3. Macbeth will until Birnam Wood come to Dunsinane Hill.
Finally, the ghost of Banquo appears, showing his eight future royal offspring. Lennox
and another Lord discuss that Macduff has gone to England to convince the innocent
Malcolm to join arms with Northumberland and Siward against Macbeth. They inform
Macbeth that Macduff has fled to England. Macbeth vows to fight them at Fife. Lady
Macduff laments that her husband, a traitor, is virtually dead. Villains come and kill her
son since he supports his father. In England, Macduff and Malcolm agree to fight
together against Macbeth. Ross delivers the devastating news to Macduff that his son
and wife are dead.
A
doctor and servant observe Macbeth's wife's sleepwalking and sleep-talking about
Duncan's death. Menteith, Angus, Caithness, and Lennox discuss the impending battle
with Macbeth and Birnam wood. An Dunsinane Castle, Macbeth is informed that an
army of 10,000 is near. At Birnam wood, Malcolm orders his soldiers to cut the trees
and use them as disguises. In the castle, Macbeth learns that his wife has died by her
own hand, then learns, to his dismay, that Birnam wood is "moving" toward the castle.
The army arrives and Macbeth fights and kills young Siward. Next, Macduff and
Macbeth fight. Macduff informs Macbeth that he (Macduff) was ripped from his
mother's womb, and thus not born of woman. Soon after, Macduff kills Macbeth.
Macduff then crowns Malcolm the new King of Scotland.
The main characters
Duncan: Hes the king of Scotland. Duncan is the venerable and well-liked king that is
brutally murdered by Macbeth so that he can realize the witchesҒ prophecy and become
king. He is killed while staying at Macbeths own castle.
Macbeth: Macbeth is the Thane of Glamis and becomes the Thane of Cawdor after he
kills the original namesake for treason. The weird sisters prophesize that he will become
king but that his friend BanquoҒs posterity shall later have the crown. He kills Duncan
to become king, murders Banquo and all of Macduffs family. The play follows his
degeneration as he unsuccessfully tries to keep the throne. He is brutally killed in the
end by a vengeful Macduff.
Lady Macbeth: She is MacbethҒs wife, who urges him to kill King Duncan so that he
will have the crown. She later loses her resolve and courage and begins to sleepwalk
because of the stress of the crime, and because of this, she commits suicide.
Banquo: Hes a friend of Macbeth and a nobleman of Scotland. The witches predict that
his sons will be the future kings of Scotland. Macbeth murders him because of this
divination. His ghost haunts Macbeth at his coronation banquet; the ghostҒs entrance
marks the beginning of Macbeths end.
Macduff: A Scottish nobleman and enemy of Macbeth. He suspects Macbeth of
DuncanҒs murder and enlists Malcolm, Siward and the King of Englands help in
overthrowing Macbeth from the throne. He wants revenge because Macbeth killed his
whole family. Macduff finally kills Macbeth because he was not ғborn of a woman he
was removed from his mother via a caesarean section.
Malcolm: HeԒs the first son of Duncan and heir to the throne. Malcolm escapes to
England after his fathers murder for fear of his life. He is convinced to return to
Scotland and claim the throne by Macduff and leads the revolt against Macbeth.
Donalbain: HeҒs the second son of Duncan, and escapes to Ireland after his fathers
murder for fear of his life. Donalbain does not join Malcolm in revolt against Macbeth.
Fleance: BanquoҒs son. Macbeth tries to kill him but Fleance escapes.
Witches: The weird sisters who prophesize that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor
and King of Scotland. They also predict that Banquos sons will be heirs to the throne
although Banquo himself will never be king. Because of their predictions, Macbeth
murders many people. They also help Hecate concoct a potion that will lead Macbeth to
his ruin.
(http://www.novelguide.com/macbeth/characterprofiles.html)
The theme
I think the main theme is ґwhat goes up, must come down. ThereҒs a nice expression
for this in Dutch (Hoogmoed komt voor den val), but I dont really know how ho
translate this in English.
The storyteller
In this case, the playwright is the storyteller.
The author
Shakespeare Biography
In the year of 1564 the man known as William Shakespeare was born, in
Stratford-upon-Avon, England. The exact date of birth is unknown but is traditionally
celebrated on the 23 of April. To Englanders this day is known as The Feast of St.
George. The third-born of eight children to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden
Shakespeare, William was their eldest son. John Shakespeare was a glove-maker and a
tanner. Earlier in his life John had served a term as the mayor of Stratford, was a town
councilman, one of StratfordҒs justices of peace, and an ale taster. John, unfortunately,
could not write.
In 1601, when William was 37 years old, John Shakespeare died. William inherited
what small portions of land John had come to own in his lifetime, being the eldest of
John and Marys sons. Very little is known about Mary Arden ShakespeareҒs life,
although, she is known to have come from a wealthy family. Marys family also paid
John a very gracious dowry. William Shakespeare went to an excellent grammar school
in Stratford-upon-Avon. Two Oxford graduates were instructors there. Shakespeare was
fortunate to get both of them as teachers. Their names were Simon Hunt and Thomas
Jenkins. William studied the languages of Greek and Latin. He had also acquired a razor
sharp awareness of both mankind and nature. This is believed to be his last type of
formal education.
On the day November 27, 1582, when Shakespeare was a mere 18 years of age, he was
wed to Anne Hathaway. She was 28 when they got married. Their first child was a girl
by the name of Susanna, born May 26, 1583. Two years later William and Anne had
twins named Judith and Hamnet. Tragically, Hamnet died at the age of 11. It is not
known why he died
Between the years of 1585 and 1592 there is no evidence of
ShakespeareҒs or the rest of his familys lives. "The Hidden Years" are what many call
this time period in ShakespeareҒs life. It is believed that he may have been running
from the law or was the apprentice of a butcher. A man named John Aubry was told by
another man by the name of Christopher Beston that Shakespeare was simply working
as a school teacher in London up until 1592.
Beginning in the year 1592, in London, he was starting to become known as an
established playwright. In 1593 Henry Wriothsley became William Shakespeares patron
and sponsor. Shakespeare was also a writer, director, actor, and stockholder in "The
KingҒs Men" company. William was acting for this company, which became the worlds
largest and most famous acting company only because Shakespeare was acting and
working for them.
Written in 1593 was ShakespeareҒs first long poem, called "Venus and Adonis". Then
in 1594 William wrote his second long poem called "Rape of Lucrece". These two
poems were written when the theatres were closed because of the highly contagious
epidemic plague. William Shakespeare began writing plays in the late 1590s. Writing
"The Taming of the Shrew", "The Comedy of Errors", "As You Like It", "Much Ado
About Nothing", and "The Two Gentlemen of Verona". Most of these plays were
comedies. The only tragedy he wrote at that time was "Romeo and Juliet".
1599 brought the construction of the Globe, which was built by ShakespeareҒs
company. The most well-known of his tragedies were performed there. The plays acted
out were "Hamlet", "Othello", "Macbeth", and "King Lear". "To be, or not to be-that is
the question: Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer. The slings and arrows of
outrageous fortune..." ("Hamlet" in Hamlet) and "But soft, what light through yonder
window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun. ..." ("Romeo" in Romeo and Juliet)
are two of Shakespeareђs most famous quotes.
Ever since William Shakespeare became a well-known playwright he had been a
wealthy man, bringing in money from many different sources. With all the money in his
possession he had decided to buy a big house in Stratford for his family. This house was
called New Place.
In the year of 1610 Shakespeare retired from theatre and returned to Stratford to be
with his family. His will was written on March 25, 1616. Nearly one month later, on his
52 birthday, William Shakespeare died. He was buried at the Church of the Holy Trinity
in Stratford-upon-Avon. Like his son, Hamnet, Williams cause of death was unknown.
Many friends and family believed that he knew that his life was coming to an end, but
didnҒt want anybody to know.
Seven years after Williams death, in 1623, he had his first folio published. It included
154 sonnets, 36 plays, and 2 two long poems. Friends of William Shakespeare put
together his folio so that nobody could take his work as their own.
(http://www.chuckiii.com/Reports/Shakespeare/Bio.shtml)
The development of theatre
The first examples of ґprofessional acting originate from the performances at fairs and
carnivals which were held throughout the country. In the market-place, in a screened-off
circle, a booth stage was set up and the visitors of the annual event could come in to see
a play after having paid a small entrance fee.
The second possibility for the actors to perform their plays was by using the
rectangular court-yard of a larger inn. These inns mostly consisted of some adjoining
buildings around a court-yard, with two or three floors. These could be reached from
galleries looking into the court-yard. Again, it was only necessary to put op a booth
stage on one side of the yard to perform plays.
The booth stage mostly consisted of a stage and a temporary play-house where the
actors changed and waited for their appearance on the stage. But plays werenҒt only
performed outdoors. Indoors the actors attracted large audiences in guild-halls, schools
or colleges, manor houses and even at court.
There were some differences between outdoor and indoor acting. With outdoor
performances, part of the audience would stand around the stage and the spectators were
mostly drawn from the lower social classes; with indoor performances the audience was
mostly seated and the spectators were commonly drawn from the higher social ranks,
with a better education. Outdoor plays could only be performed in daytime, while
indoor performances were often played in the evening.
In Elizabethan times, some of the actors noticed the permanent baiting-houses
constantly drew large audiences and they thought that they could do the same with their
own performances. So the first special theatres were built outside London. These
theatres still resembled the baiting-houses, except for the booth stage, which became
more sophisticated and incorporated elements from the settings in the indoor locations.
The reputation of the actors grew gradually from an equalization with beggars and
vagabonds to prosperous businessmen.
The Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre, or Wooden O, as it was often called, was constructed by Richard
Burbage. It had octagonally shaped outer walls of about 12 metres high, that enclosed a
roofless inner pit into which a 1,5 metres high stage projected. Thus the stage could be
watched from three sides by a standing audience. Three galleries one above the other
surrounded the pit and gave room to the more prosperous visitors who were willing to
spend some extra pennies for a seat. The galleries were roofed with thatch. The theatre
could roof at least 2000 spectators, 600 in the pit, 1400 in the galleries. When a
performance was about to start, a flag was flown from the mast on the actors quarters on
top of the booth stage. The plays took part in daytime, because the theatre didnҒt have
any lighting.
Being an open-air theatre, the Globe could only be used during the summer. In the
winter, Shakespeare and his company performed in an indoor theatre. A number of his
plays therefore would have been first performed there and only later moved to the
Globe.
There were a few props ore scenery so that scenes could change place very quickly.
Sometimes only passages in the text indicated these changes. Textual tricks gave clues
as to the contents of the play. Soliloquies (speech by one) was often used for thinking
aloudђ.
The Globe existed for 45 years, enough time for Burbage, Shakespeare and other actors
and playwrights to gather a respectable wealth from the takings of their plays.
The Globes history was not unscathed. In 1613 it burned down after the firing of a
cannon during a performance of Henry VIII. It was rebuilt in 1614 but some 30 years
later the Puritans ordered its demolishing. It was consequently pulled down one year
later, in 1644.
In 1969, a man called Sam Wanamaker is amazed by the absence of the Globe Theatre
in London, and starts a fund, called the Globe Playhouse Trust, in order to raise funds,
for the building of a replica of the Globe. In 1993 the first play is performed in the new
Globe Theatre, and on the 7th of June, 1997, The Globe Theatre is officially reopened.
My personal opinion
I thought the play was really cruel, and I didnҒt like Macbeth. Hes a weak person,
because he lets others decide what he has to do. If he hadnҒt listened to the witches, he
wouldve had a nice life, as thane of Cawdor and of Glamis, but no, Macbeth wanted it
all, and that didnҒt end well. He overestimated himself, and that didnt end well. I liked
the language that was used, although I didnҒt always understand what they were saying.