Macbeth

Facts Written between 1599 and 1606 Written during the reign of James I (James VI of Scotland) Shakespeare's shortest tragedy (There may be parts missing.) Source: Holinshed's Chronicles (1587), a history of England, Scotland, and Ireland Historically inaccurate

Setting Time: Middle Ages, 11th century AD Place: various places in Scotland and England

Characters Macbeth: army general, originally Thane of Glamis, brave, powerful, but not virtuous Lady Macbeth: Macbeth's wife, very ambitious Banquo: army general, friend of Macbeth Fleance: Banquo's son, supposed ancestor of James I Macduff: Thane of Fife, opposes Macbeth Thane: royal official in Medieval Scotland, equivalent to the son of an earl Three Witches: prophesy Macbeth's destiny

Themes The corrupting power of unchecked ambition: Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's ambition for the throne of Scotland causes murder and madness. Masculinity: Macbeth and his wife believe that real men are aggressive and violent; Macduff challenges this when he hears of a family death. The difference of kingship vs. tyranny: A good king rules in the interest of the people, and a tyrant rules only in his own interest.

Moral and natural order vs Moral and natural order vs. disorder: Characters sleepwalk and see hallucinations, storms rage, and other strange events occur, which reflects the evil happening in Scotland. Witchcraft: Witches reside in the natural and supernatural world. They are seen as political and spiritual traitors. Fate vs. free will: Are the events of the play the result of Macbeth's prophecy or his ambition?

Is the play cursed?! Actors will often refer to Macbeth as The Scottish Play. Some people believe that the witches' curses are real. The play is said to bring bad luck. During the premiere, an actor died because a real dagger was used instead of a prop. To break the curse, actors must perform “cleansing rituals” to get rid of evil spirits.

How far would you go to have power?