Shakespearean Tragedy and
Characteristics of the Shakespearean Tragic Hero 1.He must be a person of high position Ex: a king, general, or nobleman. 2.He must be basically a good person. He must matter to us. 3.Because of his position, his actions usually have farreaching effects. 4. He must possess a character trait which would normally be a virtue, but which under the special circumstances of the play proves to be a fatal flaw.
The Shakepearean Tragic Hero Cont. 5.Although a great man, he often shows promise of further greatness. 6.Frequently, he makes serious errors in judgement which lead him to committing the deed which begins his downfall. 7. He must be ultimately responsible for the deed which begins his downfall.
The Shakespearean Tragic Hero Cont. 8.He usually makes further errors in judgement following his misdeed. 9.Often he has a distorted perception reality. 10. He frequently commits further crimes which precipitate his downfall.
The Shakespearean Tragic Hero Cont. 11.He suffers both outwardly (isolation, alienation, attacks) and inwardly (tortured conscience). 12.He must elicit both pity and fear from the audience (catharsis). 13.Usually he recognizes his mistakes. 14. He must die
The Tragic Flaw The hero leads to his or her own downfall. Examples- Macbeth’s obsession with power, Othello’s jealousy, Hamlet’s indecisiveness Hubris – (also Greek) – Excessive pride Hamartia – Tragic flaw Flaw becomes an obsession
The Tragic Story 1.The tragic story leads up to, and includes, the death of the hero. 2.The suffering and calamities that befalls the hero are unusual and exceptionally disastrous. 3. Shakespeare’s tragic heroes are responsible for the calamity of their falls
The Abnormal, The Supernatural, Fate/Fortune/Chance Shakespeare occasionally represents abnormal conditions of mind: insanity, hallucinations etc. Shakespeare also introduces the supernatural: ghosts and witches who have supernatural knowledge. Shakespeare allows chance, fate or fortune in some form to influence some of the action.
The Tragic Pattern 1. A man of high estate- A king, a prince, a general 2. A flaw of character- Within the first two acts, the reader will become aware of the Tragic Hero’s obsession. 3. Intrusion of time and a sense of urgency- As the inner and outer conflicts intensify, the reader sees the Tragic Hero’s actions snowball to his final demise. (Act 3)
The Tragic Pattern Cont. 4. The Tragic Hero operates on what he believes to be the case rather than what he actually knows to be the case. 5. Murder, exile, alienation of enemies and allies- Brought on by new conflicts 6. Gradual Isolation of the Tragic Hero- Brought on by new conflicts, which forces the Tragic Hero to face the responsibility for his actions alone.
The Tragic Pattern Cont. 7.Mobilization of the opposition- The stage will occur when the opposing forces mobilize against the Tragic Hero to bring the tragedy to his conclusion. Generally Act V 8.Tragic recognition of the Flaw by the Tragic Hero: too late 9. Last courageous attempt to restore lost
The Tragic Pattern Cont. 10.Audience recognizes potential for greatness 11.Death of the tragic hero 12. Restoration of order
Guy Fawkes Former soldier and devout Catholic Caught in the cellars of Parliament with nearly 1800 pounds of gunpowder on November 5, 1605 If successful, the plot would have not only blown up Parliament and many members of the English aristocracy, but King James I, who would be addressing the general assembly on planned date of detonation.
The Gunpowder Plot Under Protestant James, Catholics were severely persecuted; their faith was deemed a crime. Fawkes and his co-conspirators (including Robert Catesby and Henry Garnet) wanted to rid England of Protestant James, and install his 9 year-old daughter on the throne, making England a Catholic nation again. The plan did not succeed: Fawkes was arrested, tortured into confession, and charged with treason and attempted murder. Fawkes, along with many others, was executed on January 31, 1606.
What does this have to do with Macbeth?? Scottish-born James I claimed to trace his linage back to Banquo, a contemporary of the real Macbeth. Having a play set in Scotland would certainly please the Scottish king, especially when it dealt with witches and other things of a dark nature (James was a firm believer in the evils of black magic). It is widely thought that Shakespeare published Macbeth in order to sooth the king in this time of national turmoil. Shakespeare also took liberties with the character of Banquo, making him more heroic and noble than history claimed him to be.
Macbeth Written sometim e between Set in approx AD in Scotland Macbeth is the Thane (Duke) of Glamis and a captain in King Duncan’s army Slowly, Macbeth’s lust for power overwhelms his sensibilities Theme of "fair is foul, foul is fair" – paradoxes of appearance and reality – What’s good is bad, and what’s bad is good. Blood is mentioned over 100 times in play