Download On Macbeth - Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL ST. LOUIS
On Macbeth
A
Resource for
Grades K - 12
About the Play
Macbeth
Welcome!
Shakespeare Festival St. Louis' Education Tour offers
a fine opportunity for live performance to become a
part of the rich fabric of learning within your
classroom. Watching a play or becoming an actor
helps develop engaged students who enthusiastically
take part in a comprehensive learning experience.
Spending a little time introducing your class to
Shakespeare and the play they will see will increase
your student's ability to be an active, thoughtful and
entertained audience member.
These study materials offer an entry point for
stimulating interest and providing a context through
which your students will have a deeper and enjoyable
time watching the Shakespeare Festival touring
production.
Without you, Shakespeare's brilliance is merely words
on a page. Together we bring his plays alive, allowing
his genius to inspire the audiences of the future!
Christopher Limber
Education Director
Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
On the Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 1
Show Me Standards CA2, 5, 6&7; FA2&3
Plot Synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pages 2 & 3
Show Me Standards CA2, CA5; FA2 & 3
The Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 3
Show Me Standards CA2&5; FA 2&3
National Standards
Kennedy Center ArtsEdge Theatre Content Standard 2-8:
2. Acting by developing, communicating, and sustaining characters
in improvisations and informal or formal productions
3. Designing and producing by conceptualizing and realizing artistic
interpretations for informal or formal productions
4. Directing by interpreting dramatic texts and organizing and
conducting rehearsals for informal or formal productions
5. Researching by evaluating and synthesizing cultural and
historical information to support artistic choices
6. Comparing and integrating art forms by analyzing traditional
theatre, dance, music, visual arts, and new art forms
7. Analyzing, critiquing, and constructing meanings from informal
and formal theatre, film, television, and electronic media
productions
8. Understanding context by analyzing the role of theatre, film,
television, and electronic media in the past and the present
Standards for the English Language Arts Sponsored by
NCTE and IRA (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12)
National Standards for History 5-12: Era 6, Standards 3,
4, 6
Contributing Writers
William Shakespeare
Jason Cannon
Louise Edwards
Christopher Limber
Andrew Michael Neiman
Michael B. Perkins
Janis Valdes
Special Thanks to The Shakespeare Theatre Company
Education Tour 2009 is sponsored by
Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield
Students at City Academy enjoy Education Tour 2007’s
A Midsummer Night’s Dream...In the Wink of an Eye! Photo ©
J. David Levy.
On Macbeth
The materials are also helpful as a guide to learning
about their role as the audience - and THAT is the
key! Without an audience, the theatre does not exist.
Shakespeare Festival Education Tour provides the
performance, but only you and your students can
complete the "Shakespearience."
“On Macbeth”
Table of Contents & “Show Me” Standards
On the Play
History & Sources
William Shakespeare, as
he did in most of his
plays, took source
material and made his
own creation from it. Very
few of Shakespeare's
plays had original plots.
Rarely did playwrights or
authors of his time work
from a "blank page."
Shakespeare probably wrote Macbeth with its
presentation for King James I in mind. James ascended
England's throne on the death of Elizabeth I, the Tudor
queen. He was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, whom
Elizabeth had beheaded during her reign. As Mary was
Elizabeth's cousin, and Elizabeth never married and had
no children, James was the most direct heir.
James was a great believer in witchcraft, which he and
most of his fellow countrymen believed was practiced
widely at that time. He thought
that witchcraft held actual
magic, and that the
three Weird Sisters
The historical
were real.
Macbeth lived in the Shakespeare
11th century and was blends these
beliefs in the
not the ambitious,
supernatural with
conflicted character history as it was
known at that time—
he is in the play Banquo
was a
historical figure and
purportedly James' direct
Macbeth: Why do you show me this? A fourth! Start, eyes!
What, will the line stretch out to the crack of doom?
Another yet! A seventh! I'll see no more:
And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass
Which shows me many more; and some I see
That two-fold balls and treble scepters carry:
Horrible sight! Now, I see, 'tis true;
For the blood-bolter'd Banquo smiles upon me,
And points at them for his.
The major themes in Macbeth are pride, ambition,
greed, power (it might be said that all these are one),
metaphorical blindness, and the idea that "things are not
what they seem." These themes are interwoven—no
one can be considered without bringing the others along
for the ride.
With the exception of Titus Andronicus, Macbeth is
Shakespeare's most violent play. But as with any work,
of art the violence is not extraneous but supports the
truth and dimension of its story - that of a powerful and
power-hungry man who stops at nothing to pursue his
ultimate dream. Whether he is fated to be killed in his
attempt or whether his own choices bring his death
upon him is up to each production to decide.
SFSTL 2003 Education Tour production of Quick-Brewed Macbeth.
Matt Kahler, Josh Rowan, Corey Jones, Blaize Azzara.
Photos this page © J. David Levy.
On Macbeth: Page 1
On Macbeth
Macbeth first appears in
Raphael Holinshed's The
Chronicles of England,
Scotland, and Ireland,
SFSTL 2003 production of
first published in 1577.
Macbeth. Pilar Witherspoon as
The historical Macbeth
Lady Macbeth.
lived in the 11th century
and was not the ambitious, conflicted character of the
play. According to Holinshed, Macbeth killed Duncan
with Banquo's assistance, because Duncan had named
his son as heir. This was a violation of the "rules" of the
time because Duncan was an elected, not a hereditary
king. Macbeth spent 10 years as a capable ruler of
Scotland before his own death. It is not known if he was
given to nightmares or seeing ghosts.
ancestor, thus giving James great symbolic significance
as the hereditary King of Scotland as well as of
England. Shakespeare kept James I in mind especially
in Act 4, Scene 1, where the three Weird Sisters show
Macbeth visions of ghosts and crowns of those he has
killed and must kill or who might kill him. The eighth
phantom king bears a "glass" which is a mirror that was
said to reflect the image of James I as he sat in the
front row of the first audience.
Plot Synopsis
Plot Synopsis
The play begins with the brief appearance of three
witches, or Weird Sisters, who meet to predict the
future, and then moves to a military camp. King Duncan
hears the news that his generals, Macbeth and Banquo,
have bravely defeated two separate invading armies:
one from Ireland, led by the rebel Macdonwald, and one
from King Sweno of Norway. Duncan orders the
execution of the traitor Macdonwald and arranges for
Macdonwald's title to be passed to the valiant Macbeth.
Following their pitched battle with these enemy forces,
Macbeth and Banquo encounter the Weird Sisters as
they cross a moor. The Weird Sisters foretell that
Macbeth will be made Thane (a rank of Scottish nobility)
of Cawdor and eventually King of Scotland. They also
prophesy that Macbeth's companion, Banquo, will beget
a line of Scottish kings, although Banquo himself will
never be king. The Weird Sisters vanish, and Macbeth
and Banquo treat their prophecies skeptically until some
of King Duncan's men come to thank the two generals
for their victories in battle and to tell Macbeth that he
has indeed been named Thane. The first prophecy has
come true.
Macbeth is intrigued by the remainder of the Weird
Sisters' prophecy—that he will be crowned king. He
visits with Duncan, who thanks Macbeth for his part in
the battle and then announces that the next king will be
his son, Malcolm. They plan to dine together at
Inverness, Macbeth's castle. That night, Macbeth writes
to his wife, telling her all that has happened, and rides
ahead to prepare for his guests.
Lady Macbeth, having drugged Duncan's guards, meets
Macbeth in a courtyard. She is bolder than ever, while
his conscience is deeply troubled. He has brought the
bloody daggers from Duncan's room, and when his
remorse prevents him from returning the gruesome
evidence, Lady Macbeth takes the daggers herself.
When Duncan's death is discovered, Macbeth kills the
guards, feigning rage at their apparent crime. Duncan's
sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, flee to England and
Ireland, respectively, fearing that whoever killed Duncan
wants them dead as well. The prophecy is realized:
Macbeth is named king.
Fearing the Weird Sisters' prophecy that Banquo's heirs
will seize the throne, Macbeth hires murderers to kill
Banquo and his son, Fleance. They ambush Banquo on
his way to a royal feast, but they fail to kill Fleance, who
escapes into the night. Macbeth is told of Fleance's
escape and becomes furious: as long as Fleance is
alive, his power remains insecure. At the feast, Macbeth
sees Banquo's ghost and raves fearfully, startling his
guests. Lady Macbeth tries to neutralize the damage.
She dismisses the company and tries to calm Macbeth,
who vows to revisit the "weird sisters" to see what
prophecy is yet in store.
Macbeth's kingship incites increasing resistance from
his nobles and subjects. They are suspicious of
Macbeth's actions and learn that Macduff, a Scottish
nobleman opposed to Macbeth's coronation, has fled to
England to join Malcolm.
Lady Macbeth reads the letter and decides to murder
On Macbeth: Page 2
On Macbeth
SFSTL 2003 production of Macbeth. Rob Krakovski as Macbeth,
Joneal Joplin as Duncan. Photo © J. David Levy.
Duncan to obtain the crown for her husband. When
Macbeth arrives at
Inverness, she
counters her
husband's
The Weird Sisters
objections and
persuades him to
prophesy that
murder the king
Macbeth will be made
that very night.
Thane of Cawdor and
Macbeth
wavers, but,
eventually
taunted by Lady
King of Scotland.
Macbeth, resolves
to do the "horrid
deed." He meets
Banquo on his way to
Duncan's chamber and reasserts
his loyalty to the king. Despite his doubts, intensified by
a vision of a bloody dagger, he kills Duncan.
Plot Synopsis & Characters
Macbeth visits the Weird Sisters; they present him with
further prophecies:
Apparition 1:
Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, beware Macduff!
Beware the Thane of Fife! Dismiss me. Enough.
Apparition 2:
Be bloody, bold, and resolute! Laugh to scorn
The pow'r of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth.
Apparition 3:
Macbeth shall never vanquished be until
Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill
Shall come against him.
(Act 4, Scene 1)
Macbeth is relieved, because he knows that all men are
born of women and that forests cannot move. When he
learns that Macduff has fled to England, Macbeth orders
his castle seized and his family murdered.
Lady Macbeth, meanwhile, is going mad. Plagued with
fits of sleepwalking in which she bemoans what she
believes to be bloodstains on her hands, she recalls
images of the murders of Duncan, Banquo and the
Macduffs, and is overheard by a doctor and lady-inwaiting.
Macbeth's opponents arrive at Birnam Wood. Macbeth,
waiting at Dunsinane, is told of their advances but
dismisses the news, certain that the Weird Sisters'
prophecies guarantee his invincibility. Still, he armors
himself and, as he prepares for battle, learns of Lady
Macbeth's descent into madness.
The English and rebel Scottish armies, under Malcolm's
leadership, cut boughs from the trees of Birnam Wood
to mask their numbers as they advance on Dunsinane.
Macbeth receives news that Lady Macbeth has died,
causing him to sink into a deep despair. He is struck
numb with fear when he learns that the English army is
advancing on Dunsinane, using tree limbs for cover.
Birnam Wood is indeed coming to Dunsinane, fulfilling
half the Weird Sisters' prophecy.
The Characters in Shakespeare’s Macbeth
Macbeth: a Scottish general, ambitious and easily
pushed over the edge of rationality when presented with
the notion of becoming King of Scotland
Lady Macbeth: his wife, also ambitious, driven to push
and then help her husband commit murder for the
promise of becoming Queen
Banquo: Macbeth's fellow general, who is seen by
Macbeth as a threat and whom Macbeth has murdered
Fleance: Banquo's son, who escapes being murdered
by his father's assailants
Duncan: the king of Scotland, to whom Macbeth owes
allegiance, and whom Macbeth murders
Malcolm: Duncan’s oldest son, who, with Macduff,
leads the army against Macbeth, and eventually is
named king
Donalbain: Duncan's youngest son
Macduff: a Scottish general with a strong sense of
righteousness; Macbeth's unbeatable enemy
Ross: Macduff's cousin
Lennox: a nobleman loyal to Duncan
Seyton: Macbeth's lieutenant
Siward: an English earl, Malcolm's supporter after
Duncan's murder
The Weird Sisters: three supernatural beings
On Macbeth: Page 3
On Macbeth
In England, Prince Malcolm has succeeded in raising an
army. Malcolm is testing Macduff's loyalty when news of
Macduff's family's execution reaches him. Macduff is
stricken with grief and vows revenge. Macduff joins
Malcolm to challenge Macbeth with the support of the
Scottish nobles, who are appalled by Macbeth's
murderous behavior.
In battle, the English
“Macbeth shall
forces overwhelm
never vanquished
Macbeth's army
and castle.
be until
Macbeth fights
Great Birnam Wood to
gamely, but
high Dunsinane Hill
finally
encounters the
Shall come
vengeful Macduff,
against him.”
who declares that
(Act 4, Scene 1)
he was "untimely
ripped" from his
mother's womb. Though
he realizes that he is
doomed, Macbeth fights until Macduff kills and beheads
him. With the tyrant dead, Malcolm is proclaimed king
and declares his benevolent intentions for the country.