William Shakespeare (ca. 1606) MACBETH

THE PLAYWRIGHT Born in Stratford-upon-Avon Middleclass: benefitted from the relatively new notion of free schooling for all children Although there have been other suggestions, experts agree he did write his plays (37 of them, in addition to 154 sonnets) Went to London ca. 1590s and became a playwright, actor and producer He was successful and popular in his time, but his plays were not considered “high art,” as they are today Part of the acting troupe The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later called The King’s Men Helped build The Globe theatre in 1599

THE PLAYWRIGHT Known for coining words and phrases that we still use today (from Macbeth: “be-all and end-all,” “one fell swoop,” “milk of human kindness,” and others) Most often (but not always) wrote in iambic pentameter, a poetic meter of five sets of five sets of alternatively stressed syllables

THE ERA Shakespeare wrote during the English Renaissance. Also known as the Early Modern period Yes, this means he wrote in the same language we use today! (Not Old or Middle English). In fact, he helped develop our language. Shakespeare’s life and work occurred under two monarchs, in a time of great change.

ELIZABETH I OF ENGLAND (TUDOR) Reigned (“Elizabethan” period) Daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn (who was executed when Elizabeth was 2 years old) Her reign saw a “golden era” within the Renaissance: relative peace within the kingdom, defeat of the Spanish Armada “The Virgin Queen” = left no children

MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS (STUART) Reigned She was an infant when she acceded and was forced to abdicate (for political and religious reasons) in favor of her son, James VI, when he was a baby. She fled to her cousin Elizabeth in England for shelter, but instead was kept captive for nearly two decades and then killed as a threat to Elizabeth’s throne.

JAMES VI OF SCOTLAND AND I OF ENGLAND (STUART) When Elizabeth died, James VI of Scotland became James I of England. This is known as the Union of the Crowns. Scotland and England were two separate countries, but had one monarch. King of Scots King of England James VI/I was deeply interested in/worried about witchcraft. He even wrote a book called Daemonologie. The late 16 th century in Scotland saw many witch-hunts and killings of women believed to be witches. James’s line could be traced back to Banquo, which may be why Shakespeare altered history to portray Macbeth in a poor light.

Macbeth is classified as a tragedy, although many of its characters are real historical figures. Macbeth was a real King of Scots. However, Shakespeare plays fast and loose with history. His Macbeth is weak, ineffectual, and treacherous. The real Macbeth was quite a good king, ruled for a long time ( ), and killed King Duncan in battle. Note that Macbeth was WRITTEN ca. 1606, but is SET ca (the Medieval period or Middle Ages). To compare, Robert the Bruce, the King of Scots in Braveheart was king

Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest play. It is also the most frequently performed today. In 2013, Kenneth Branagh played Macbeth in Manchester…

James McAvoy played Macbeth in London…

Alan Cuming played Macbeth (and all the other characters) in a one-man show produced by the National Theatre of Scotland, which premiered in Glasgow and later played on Broadway…

Ethan Hawke played Macbeth at Lincoln Center in New York…

And a film version starring Michael Fassbender as Macbeth and Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth began filming. And these were just the major productions starring very famous actors!

OTHER NOTABLE PRODUCTIONS OF MACBETH A 20-year-old Orson Wells directing an all-African-American cast in what has become known as “Voodoo” Macbeth, the setting of which was relocated to Haiti, for the Federal Theatre Project (part of the WPA) (1936). Maurice Ellis as Macbeth: More info here:

Roman Pulanski’s “Playboy” Macbeth, a film version produced by Hugh Hefner (1971)

Ian McKellan and Judi Dench in the lead roles, directed by Trevor Nunn at the Royal Shakespeare Company (1979)

A 2010 BBC filmed version starring Patrick Stewart and set in an unnamed autocratic society.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT AS YOU READ Is Macbeth about Scotland? Is it only about Scotland? How is it relevant today? What do you think about the characters, especially Macbeth and Lady Macbeth? What role do the witches play? What do you notice about how nature is used in the play? The music in this presentation is by David Hirshfelder and is from the soundtrack of Elizabeth.