Download William Shakespeare*s Macbeth - mr-marchbank

William Shakespeare’s
Macbeth
Renaissance Drama
William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

He is considered to be the greatest writer in
English, because of:
 His
deep understanding of human nature
 His compassion for all types of people
 The power and beauty of his language

Shakespeare’s plays continue to be read
widely and produced throughout the world.
 They
have the same powerful impact on today’s
audiences as they had when they were first
staged.

Shakespeare in total wrote 37 plays, 154
sonnets, and 2 narrative poems.
Critical Praise

“He was not of an age, but for all time.”
 Ben

Jonson (1572-1673)
“He was the man who of all modern, and
perhaps ancient poets, had the largest and
most comprehensive soul.”
 John

Dryden (1631-1700)
“Shakespeare is, above all writers, at least
modern writers, the poet of nature: the poet
that holds up to his readers a faithful mirror of
manners and life.”
 Samuel
Johnson (1709-1784)
Critical Praise

“The English man, who, without reverence, a
proud and affectionate reverence, can utter
the name of William Shakespeare, stands
disqualified for the office of critic.”
 Samuel

“Where his power of art is fully exerted, it
really does resemble that of nature”
 A.C.

Coleridge (1772-1834)
Bradley (1851-1935)
“About any one so great as Shakespeare, it is
probable that we can never be right…”
 T.S.
Elliot (1888-1965)
William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
It is a myth that we know absolutely
nothing about Shakespeare’s life.
 Born in Stratford-on-Avon on April 23,
1564

 Date
based on his baptism on April 26
His father was a successful glove maker
 It is highly probable that Shakespeare was
educated at Stratford Grammar School,
where he studied Latin.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

In 1582, Shakespeare married Anne
Hathaway.
 They
had a daughter, Susanna (1583), and
twins Judith and Hamnet (1585).
Shakespeare worked in London away from
his family.
 He became a part owner the acting group
Lord Chamberlain’s Men, who built the
Globe theatre.

 This
theatre was where most of
Shakespeare’s plays were staged.
William Shakespeare (1564-1616)



When James I became king in 1603, James took
control of Shakespeare’s acting group, renaming
them the King’s Men.
In 1610, Shakespeare retired to Stratford, yet
still continued to write plays.
Shakespeare died in Stratford on April 23, 1616
and was buried in Holy Trinity Church.
 His

epitaph read:
“Blest be the man that spares these stones,
And curst be he that moves my bones.”
Shakespeare’s Sources

By Shakespeare’s time, the story of 11th Century
Scottish king Macbeth was a mixture of fact and
legend.
 One
source believed to be completely factual in this
day and age was Holinshed’s Chronicles of England,
Scotland, and Ireland.

Shakespeare uses Holinshed’s work as his main
source, yet freely adapts the material to fit his
dramatic purposes.
A Tribute to the King



Shakespeare chose the Scottish play concerning
an 11th Century battle for power knowing that the
Stuart kings, the lineage of James I, took power
in the 11th Century.
One of the most virtuous characters in the play,
Banquo was thought to be the father of the first
Stuart king.
Also, Shakespeare placated James I through his
addition of the 3 witches, knowing that James I
had written a book on witches.
Literary Elements of Importance

Conflict: the struggle between opposing forces.
 External
conflict: a struggle between two characters
or groups
 Internal conflict: a struggle within a character;
psychological.

Climax: point at which the primary conflicts are
greatest; moment of highest tension.
Literary Elements of Importance
Dramatic Irony: When the words or
actions of a character take on a meaning
for the audience or readers different from
the one the character intends.
 Archetypes: images that relate to ideas or
emotions expressed by people in many
cultures.

 In
Act IV, look for images of a fallen world.