Shakespeare’s Macbeth Arguably one of Shakespeare’s darkest tragedies

Globe Theater Globe was most famous theater 3-story wooden structure Wealthier patrons sat in covered galleries Stage had trapdoor – designed so ghosts and witches could appear Painted ceiling w/ similar trap door for angels Enclosed tower for sound effects

Act It Out Playwrights depended on audience imagination (pretending it’s night time when it’s actually light out) Women couldn’t participate (young boys played the female roles) Simplistic scenery – changes often announced in dialogue

It’s Witchcraft… Fear of witches/witchcraft was a real thing Considered agents of the devil King James believed in “witch-pricking” Witch-finders would come into town and receive 20 shillings for a conviction

Isn’t that weird? The witches (Weird Sisters) are visible to more than one character They tempt and persuade the main character Macbeth They brew potions, which is not an exaggeration by Shakespeare in terms of popular beliefs for the time period.

Wood block print of the Weird Sisters

Elizabethans and Fate Concerned about what controls/influences it Many people believed witches sold their souls to the devil for supernatural powers “Weird Sisters” – “weird” does not refer to their appearance but to original meaning: “having the power to control fate”

Macbeth’s Ambition Is ambition a good thing? Can it be bad? At what point does ambition shift from a positive to a negative? Macbeth has goals to ascend to the top What are people willing to do to reach their ultimate goals? What are they willing to give up?

Divine Right Various examples As God reigns in heaven, so does the king on earth Often viewed as kings can do whatever they want

Aside? Aside from What? a remark made by one character to the audience or another character The other characters can’t hear it Inside look at character’s thoughts Shakespeare uses this technique often with Macbeth and his wife

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdE6Z8GxP-U

Comic Relief Please A humorous scene, incident, or speech included in a tragic literary work Used to break tension after “heavy” scene Drunken porter is used after murders Not just a random scene – deals w/ central issues such as sin, hell, deceit, ambition, etc.

Tragic Hero Tragic flaw (fatal error in judgment Characters engage in self-reflection Characters play a major role in their downfall