Download Shakespeare`s shortest and bloodiest tragedy, Macbeth tells the

Introduction to
Shakespeare’s
Macbeth
Born April 23rd, 1564
Started out performing with “The
Lord Chamberlain’s Men”
 Gave him a chance to write a play
 Henry IV, Pt. 1- It stunk but
they gave him another shot
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Many playwrights with nowhere to
“play”
Barn turned into theatre (Yea!)
Puritans burn it down (Evil
theatre! Boo!)
Globe built! (Yea!)
Globe burns (sniff, darn cannon!)
Globe rebuilt! (Yea!)
Globe burns (Dang that Fire of
London!)
Reconstructed in the 1990’s
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Only men were permitted to perform
Boys or effeminate men were used to
play the women
Costumes were often the company’s
most valuable asset
Costumes were made by the
company, bought in London, or
donated by courtiers
1 shilling to stand
2 shillings to sit in the balcony
1 shilling was 10% of their
weekly income
 Broadway Today:
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 10% of a teacher’s weekly salary
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Set in Scotland
Written for King James I (formerly
of Scotland, now England)
Queen of Denmark (James’s sister)
was visiting
Shakespeare researched The
Chronicles - Banquo is an ancestor
of King James I
Shakespeare’s
shortest and bloodiest tragedy
 Macbeth
tumbles madly from its opening
to its conclusion. It is a sharp, jagged
sketch of theme and character; as such, it
has shocked and fascinated audiences for
nearly four hundred years.
Shakespeare’s shortest and bloodiest tragedy
•Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of sinister witches that one day he will
become King of Scotland.
•He is consumed by this and murders King Duncan
•He begins his reign racked with guilt and fear and soon becomes a tyrannical
ruler, as he is forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from
enmity and suspicion.
•The bloodbath swiftly propels Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to arrogance, madness,
and death.
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Scottish general
Led to wicked thoughts from the three witches
Brave soldier
Powerful man
Easily tempted into murder
Once he commits his first crime he embarks on further atrocities with
increasing ease
Better warrior than political leader
Solution to everything: violence and murder
Unable to bear the psychological consequences of his atrocities.
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Macbeth’s wife
Lusts for power and position
Seems stronger and more ruthless of the two
Urges her husband to kill Duncan and seize the crown
She and Macbeth are presented as being deeply in love
Violence strengthens their relationship
Plot against Macbeth: charms, spells and prophecies.
Their predictions prompt Macbeth to murder and to blindly
believe in his own immortality.
• They take a delight in using their knowledge of the future to
toy with and destroy human beings.
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Macbeth’s best friend
He represents the path Macbeth chose
not to take
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King of Scotland
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Macbeth murders him
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Model of a good leader
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His death symbolizes the destruction of Scotland
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A Scottish General
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Macbeth murders Macduff’s wife and young son.
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He eventually becomes a leader of the crusade to unseat Macbeth.
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Macduff’s wife
 It
is believed to be bad luck to even squeak
the word ‘Macbeth’ in a theatre
 Legend has it you will lose all your friends
involved in the production--horribly
 MORE
ON THAT LATER...
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TRAGIC HERO: “Man of high
standard who falls from that high
because of a flaw that has affected
many” – Aristotle
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Macbeth is one of the most famous
examples of the tragic hero.
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Good guy goes bad
Guy wants power
Married to a pushy control freak
She wants power
Kills people- LOTS of people
Gets power
Gets paranoid (a.k.a. goes crazy)
Ticks off a lot of people
Want more power! Kill! Kill! Kill!
Gets what’s coming to him in the end
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WczOqCy_Mnk