1. Shakespeare’s Macbeth

2. Introduction  Born April 23, 1564 in Stratford-on- Avon, England.  IN 1582, at the age of 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, age 26.  Belonged to the theatrical company the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later called the King’s Company). He was a leader of this successful group.

3.  Became popular enough to perform for Queen Elizabeth.  Shakespeare became quite wealthy and bought a large house in Stratford.  He is credited with writing 37 plays and numerous poems. He is sometimes called the Bard of Avon.  Shakespeare died on his birthday in 1616.

4. Theatre in Shakespeare’s Day  Many of Shakespeare’s plays were performed in the Globe Theatre. It burned down twice.  Aristocrats and royalty attended plays, and so did the common people.  It cost 1 shilling to stand and 2 shillings to sit in the balcony. 1 shilling was approximately 10% of the

5.  average weekly income.(Today, a $60 balcony seat at a Broadway show is about the same percentage of a teacher’s weekly salary.)  Only men were permitted to perform on stage. Boys or effeminate men played the women.  Costumes were often very elaborate. The French were jealous of the costumes worn in British productions. The costumes were made by the company, bought in London, or donated by wealthy

6.  supporters of the theatre.(Since Macbeth is set in England, characters might be wearing kilts, furs, and leather instead of gowns.

8. Shakespeare’s Language  Shakespeare wrote in modern English!  Old English = Beowulf (5 th -12 th century) HWÆT: WE GARDENA IN GEARDAGUM þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon. Hu ða æþelingas elle(n) fremedon! Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþen[a] þreatum 5 monegum mægþum meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorl, syððan ærest wear(ð)

9.  Example of Middle English: The Canterbury Tales (12 th -15 th century) Whan that aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of march hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licour Of which vertu engendred is the flour;  Example of Modern English: Macbeth (1550 Great Vowel Shift) Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

10. The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. Macbeth  Written sometime between 1603 and 1606.  Many critics think the play was probably written in haste.

11.  Shakespeare did not make up this story from scratch; it is an adaptation from Holinshed’s Chronicles.( Most of Shakespeare’s plays are adaptations of other stories.)  In the original story, the character, Banquo, was an accomplice in the murder of King Duncan. In Shakespeare’s play, Banquo is not an accomplice because he was thought to be an ancestor of King James I.

12.  The play is considered cursed! Some historians argue that the play contains actual witches curses. It is bad luck to say the word “Macbeth” in a theatre. It is usually called “the Scottish Play” instead.