By William Shakespeare Macbeth By William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare Born in 1564 Married Anne Hathaway 1582, had 3 children 1590, left his family behind to travel to London to be an actor and playwright Part of The Kings’ Men: company of actors patronized by King James I of England (VI of Scotland) Died in 1616 “on” his birthday His plays reflect the concerns of Elizabethan England and themes of the English Renaissance William Shakespeare

Originally, plays were performed in taverns and inn yards that eventually developed into outdoor stages and finally into theaters The theater was for everyone – rich and poor alike – as it allowed for escapism Shakespeare was part owner of The Globe, and several of his plays were performed there. Theater Conventions

Actors often consider the play Macbeth to be unlucky and refer to it as “the Scottish play.” To say the name of the play inside a theater is considered bad luck. It is based loosely on the history of Scotland as it was understood in Shakespeare’s day Written & performed in 1606 Historical source was Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (1577) The Scottish Play

The play is set in 11th century Scotland – a violent and troubled time One High King of Scotland and many rival thanes of sections of the country Political murders and revenge were common Vikings & Norsemen attacked Scotland constantly Historical Setting

The “real” Macbeth Born in 1005 to a family that ruled Moray and Ross Married the granddaughter to the High King of Scotland – no children Elected High King of Scotland in 1040, & ruled over 17 years of peace and prosperity Strong supporter of the church – no evidence of involvement in witchcraft Killed on Aug 15, 1057 Buried at Iona – sacred burial place of Kings of Scotland The “real” Macbeth

Importance of Patronage The play pays tribute to the interests of Shakespeare’s patron: King James I James was already King of Scotland prior to becoming King of England Compliments James by making Banquo, said to be James’ ancestor, a hero in the play. (Historically, Banquo never existed) Importance of Patronage

Themes The Right to Rule - Power Kinship and loyalty One became monarch upon the death of the previous monarch Succession was originally via election in Scotland, but was changed to inheritance By King James’ time, monarchs believed they had been chosen by God to rule – through the process of inheritance King James succeeded Queen Elizabeth in 1603 following England’s succession obsession Kinship and loyalty King James had survived an assassination attempt as a child and the recent Gunpowder Plot of 1605 His father had been murdered by opposition to the Scottish throne His mother, Mary Queen of Scots, was executed by her cousin, Elizabeth I, for plotting treason Themes

Themes Witches and King James Witches and misogyny Nearly 9 out of every 10 witches prosecuted were women Society and the Church believed women were morally weak, susceptible to the Devil, and more carnal than men – all by-products of a patriarchal society Witches and King James James traveled to Denmark in 1589 and returned with continental beliefs about witches Began a Scottish witch hunt in 1590 Published his own treatise about witches in 1597 called Daemonology Witchcraft became a crime against the state and monarch as James believed they “assault the body of the king.” Themes

Other themes Fate and Free Will Ambition and fallibility The role of prophecy Ambition and fallibility The danger of “flying too close to the sun” Perception and reality “fair is evil, and foul is good” Femininity Stereotypes of women Other themes

Blood Clothing Natural order (nature) Sleep and lack of sleep Motifs

Dramatic elements Aside Dramatic irony words spoken by an actor to the people watching a play, that the other characters in the play do not hear Dramatic irony the irony occurring when the implications of a situation, speech, etc, are understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play Dramatic elements

Dramatic elements Prose ordinary speech with no regular meter or rhyme. Lines of text do not all have the same number of syllables nor is there any discernible pattern of stresses is used whenever verse would seem bizarre, for cynical commentary, in serious letters, when the rational is contrasted with the emotional, for scenes of everyday life, and for bantering, relaxed conversation Dramatic elements

Dramatic elements Verse resembles prose in that the final words of the lines do not rhyme in any regular pattern (although an occasional rhyming couplet may be found).  Unlike prose, there is a recognizable meter (usually iambic pentameter or a meter with iambic stress pattern) is used mainly for passionate, lofty or momentous occasions and for introspection; it may suggest a refinement of character. Many of Shakespeare's most famous speeches are written in blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter) Dramatic elements

Aristotle defined tragedy as a form of drama that elicits pity and fear. It focuses on the reversal of fortune and downfall (peripeteia)of a tragic hero. Audience experiences heightened emotions as they watch the hero suffer, and in the end, audience has a catharsis. A Tragedy

A tragic hero is a person of noble birth with heroic or potentially heroic qualities. fated by the gods or by some supernatural force to doom or great suffering struggles mightily against this fate, winning our admiration Tragic Hero

Before the Curtain Opens… When the play begins, there are two wars in progress: Civil War in Scotland: King Duncan (High King) vs. Macdonwald’s (a thane) rebels National War: Scotland, led by King Duncan, against invading Norway Before the Curtain Opens…