Download The Tragic Hero . . . Shakespeare*s MacBeth

The Tragic Hero
. . . Shakespeare’s MacBeth
Mouse over the dagger in this presentation to move on
Curses
Ask a theatre person
and they will likely
not by its title, but
Play”.
Why?
. .
course.
about this play
not refer to it
as “The Scottish
. The curse of
Click the
witch to continue..
Cast of characters
Macbeth, Thane of Glamis
Seyton, M’s attendant
Lady Macbeth
Witches
Duncan, King of Scotland
& sons
Malcolm, eldest
Donalbain, younger
Scottish noblemen:
Lennox
Ross
Angus
MacDuff
Menteith
Caithness
Banquo, Scottish general.
Fleance, son of Banquo.
Three Murderers.
Lady Macduff
Siward, English general.
Young Siward , Son of S
There 's daggers in men's smiles
Prediction: Given what you know about
the hero’s quest, what do you predict
will be different about a “tragic
hero”? The same?
Show your thinking by explaining your
reasons.
Fair is foul, and foul is fair
Play opens on eerie, macabre note in "an open
place," where we see the three witches, the
"weird sisters." In a dozen lines, they
announce their evil nature by saying "Fair is
foul,and foul is fair/Hover through the fog
and the filthy air," and their intention to
meet with Macbeth once the "hurly-burly" of a
battle between the forces loyal to the King
Duncan (led by Macbeth) and a rebels army (led
by the current Thane of Cawdor) comes to an
end.
this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek
At the camp of the Scottish King
Duncan, a wounded officer tells the
king and his son, Malcolm, about the
heroism of Macbeth and his friend
Banquo in the fight against the
rebels. News shortly arrives that the
battle has now been won. Duncan orders
the execution of the captured Thane of
Cawdor and then transfers this title
and estate to Macbeth, the new Thane
of Cawdor.
What are these So wither’d and so wild in their attire, That look not like
the inhabitants o’ the earth, And yet are on ’t?
If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me.
Set on a heath, the three witches coven together
again. They brag about their unnatural deeds and
their powers over the supernatural world. Macbeth
and Banquo appear on what Macbeth describes as an
unusually, "foul and fair" day. The three witches
predict that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor
and ultimately king of Scotland, and that his
cohort Banquo will never rule. Macbeth pleads with
them for more information about his future, but
they vanish. Two of the king's men (Rosse and
Angus) tell Macbeth about his elevation to the
position of Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth and Banquo are
taken aback by the accuracy of the witches'
prediction. For his part, Macbeth is by now
inclined to believe that it is his fortune to
become king.
Will all great Neptune's ocean
wash this blood clean from my hand?
At Macbeth's Inverness castle, Lady Macbeth reads
a letter from her husband, in which he conveys
good news of his being named Thane, and of the
witches prophecy that Macbeth will one day be
regent of all Scotland. Lady Macbeth thinks aloud
that her husband's nature is "too full of the milk
of human kindness" to realize this ambition. When
a messenger enters with news that Duncan is on his
way, Lady Macbeth rejoices in the opportunity that
this presents to murder the king and take the
Scottish throne at once. Macbeth then appears and
engages in a loving exchange with his wife. After
this, Lady Macbeth lays out a cunning plot to kill
Duncan. Macbeth is indecisive but Lady Macbeth
tells him his part and admonishes him to "Leave
all the rest to me."
This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air Nimbly and sweetly
recommends itself Unto our gentle senses.
Still at Macbeth's castle, King Duncan, Malcolm and
Donalbain, and Banquo are welcomed by Lady Macbeth. She
plays the gracious hostess, speaks of "double" doing
anything for her guests and then escorts the king to
Macbeth.
In one of his castle's rooms, Macbeth contemplates the
killing of Duncan, in a speech that begins "If it were
done, when 'tis done; then 'twere well/It were done
quickly." He is deeply disturbed at the prospective sin of
killing a king and a blood relative. Lady Macbeth enters
and mocks her husband's fears. When he asks about what
would happen if the plan fails, his wife derides this
possibility with the rhetorical question, "We fail?" Her
bloody ambition overwhelms Macbeth who tells her that she
should
only
bring
forth
male
children,
having
no
"feminine" side to her nature. Macbeth is now committed to
stabbing Duncan to death in his sleep and making it appear
that he has been murdered by the king's own guards.
"If it were done, when 'tis done, then twere well It were done quickly."
Macbeth is alone in a dining room in the castle. His
conscience is acting up, and he is particularly worried
about the punishment he will receive in the afterlife. If
there were no consequences to be suffered for killing
Duncan, then Macbeth would not be so reluctant. But he
concludes that even if heaven were not going to judge him,
he cannot bring himself to kill Duncan, whom he believes
is a good man and an excellent monarch. Lady Macbeth walks
in on her husband and sees the indecision on his face.
Macbeth tells her that he has changed his mind: "We will
proceed no further in this business" Lady Macbeth, who is
ruthless beyond comprehension, refuses to accept Macbeth's
decision.
Instead,
Lady
Macbeth
plays
upon
his
emotions, calling him a coward and accusing him of not
loving her. Her cunning words work well on Macbeth, and
she turns his mind back to thoughts of murder. However, he
is still afraid and he asks her "If we should fail?"With
conviction and confidence enough for both of them, Lady
Macbeth responds to her husband's doubts: “Screw your
courage to the sticking place/And we'll not fail“ Macbeth
is once and for all convinced -- they will proceed with
the murder of the King.
X_o
Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.
Thrice and once, the hedge-pig whin'd.
Harpier cries:—'tis time! 'tis time!
Round about the caldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw.—
Toad, that under cold stone,
Days and nights has thirty-one;
Swelter'd venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot!
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,—
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
ALL. Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
3 WITCH. Scale of dragon; tooth of wolf;
Witches' mummy; maw and gulf
X_o
Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.
Thrice and once, the hedge-pig whin'd.
Harpier cries:—'tis time! 'tis time!
Round about the caldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw.—
Toad, that under cold stone,
Days and nights has thirty-one;
Swelter'd venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot!
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,—
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
ALL. Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
3 WITCH. Scale of dragon; tooth of wolf;
Witches' mummy; maw and gulf
Out, damned spot! out, I say!
Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand
"Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor
player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is
heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and
fury, signifying nothing
http://www.thelandofmacbeth.com/s_act1.ht
m