The Tragedy of Macbeth

Why Learn Shakespeare? He’s the best writer in the history of the English language. Stories are very good, if you understand them. Most well known author in the English language Part of our culture. Allusion is everywhere, from The Simpsons to Fallout There is a Shakespeare quote for any occasion. We get to learn about History and English at the same time Plays are written in 1500s/1600s, but are set in older times. English Language pioneer Invented many words/terms we use today (see next slide)

Topics of Macbeth Historical Written in early 1600s Setting is 1100s Scotland (Early Medieval times, Dark Ages) A psychological study of the mind of someone who does evil things. Does ambition lead to evil? Is redemption possible? A study of a developing character A tragedy: A hero with a fatal flaw. Classic tragedy recipe

Historical Context Shakespeare was a playwright, not an historian. However, he knew that history provided great material for plays: war, conflict, ambition, the downfall of great rulers. Eleventh-Century Scotland was a violent and troubled country. Feuding families and clans fought to control trade and territory. The castle was the power base of each rival war-lord (thane). Political murder and revenge killings were commonplace.

The Real Macbeth The real Macbeth was born in 1005, the son of a ruling family. Macbeth’s father was murdered by his cousin. Macbeth married the granddaughter of the High King of Scotland

A Macbeth for King James? 7/23/2018 A Macbeth for King James? King James succeeded Queen Elizabeth in 1603 - a Stuart, he was already King of Scotland Shakespeare’s Macbeth may have been performed for the first time before King James in 1606 Macbeth contains many echoes of King James’ interests . . . The story might be a warning NOT to kill kings Banquo (Macbeth’s ‘good’ bff) might be King James Just a little more historical background. . . Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in the early 1600s. The time during which the play appeared is called the Renaissance. Characteristics of the Renaissance from students. Although he was writing plays and performing them in front of a Renaissance audience, Shakespeare and his contemporaries were most heavily influenced by the mores of the Elizabethan Era. A little reinforcement of the Elizabethan World Picture (on blackboard) Remember our discussion of the Globe Theatre? Well, it was likely that at any one performance, Shakespeare's audience would have consisted of the lowest of the low ("the unwashed masses") and the higest of the high (nobility, courtiers, perhaps even the King/Queen). How was Shakespeare paid? You must remember how important patronage would have been to a playwright at this time . . . it's very likely that Macbeth was written with the preoccupations of the new King in mind . . . sucking up would have been one way to 'get in good' with the new monarch . . .

A Macbeth for King James? 7/23/2018 A Macbeth for King James? King James’ interest in witchcraft was well known King James claimed he was greeted by three witches who hailed him as the descendent of Banquo . . . There are the weird sisters . . . The weird sisters - the witches - open the play, Macbeth. They're a pretty gruesome threesome, and when we view one of the film versions of the play, you'll see just how awful one director thought they should look . . . (Kenneth Branagh version)

Witches & Witchcraft Almost ‘newspapers’ 7/23/2018 Witches & Witchcraft Witch-mania characterized the Elizabethan era. Most people believed in witches Pamphlets containing tales of witches and witchcraft were very common. Almost ‘newspapers’ Remember that a person is very much a product of their times. Elizabethan and Renaissance audiences were morbidly fascinated with witches and witchcraft. Persecution of people for the "crime" of witchcraft reached terrifying proportions - between 1560 and 1603, hundreds of people (nearly all of them women) were convicted as witches and executed. The most popular method of execution? King James was as fascinated by witchcraft as were his subjects. There is a story that in 1590, a group of witches tried to kill James (before he was king). Their plot was discovered, and they were brought to trial. One of the "witches", Agnes Sampson, claimed that she had collected toad venom to poison the king, christened a cat, tied parts of a dead man's body to it (we don't know which parts), sailed out to sea in a "sieve" and had thrown cat and body-bits overboard in order to raise a storm that would sink James' ship. A bit elaborate . . . King James personally interrogated one of the three accused witches, "Doctor Fian" - a male. The doctor was tortured during the interrogation: "his nails upon all his fingers were riven and pulled off . . . his legs were crushed and beaten together as small as might be, and the bones and flesh so bruised that the blood and marrow spouted forth in great abundance". Yuck. So. . . all fired up by his witchy experience, King James personally investigated other cases, and in 1597 he wrote and published "Demonology", a book on witchcraft. When he became king of England in 1603, he ordered its immediate printing in London. Henry Fuseli, The Three Witches

Witches and Witchcraft 7/23/2018 Witches and Witchcraft Witches were said to have “diabolical” powers. They could: predict the future bring on night in the daytime cause fogs and tempests kill animals curse enemies with fatal, wasting diseases cause nightmares and sterility take demonic possession of any individual raise evil spirits by concocting a brew It was believed that witches allowed the devil to suck their blood. Accused witches were examined for the “Devil’s Mark” - a red mark on their body from which the devil had sucked blood. So here's some of the stuff Elizabethans and Renaissance people thought about witches . . .

Reading Tips No Fear Shakespeare: Translation from Old English to New English. OK to google it and use this to help understanding

Reading Macbeth You will read. We’ll watch the movie after every Act We’ll pick parts at the beginning of each Scene We’ll watch the movie after every Act