1. The Tragedy of Macbeth William Shakespeare
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Introduction
Background
Tragedy

2. The Tragedy of Macbeth William Shakespeare
Be careful what you wish for.

3. The Tragedy of Macbeth: Introduction
What would you do if you encountered three strange women who predicted your future
and then those predictions started coming true?

4. The Tragedy of Macbeth: Introduction
Suppose the women predicted that you would become a powerful ruler someday.
Would you want to wait to see if this came true?
Or would you want to make it come true?

5. The Tragedy of Macbeth: Introduction
As The Tragedy of Macbeth opens, the Scottish army is battling invading forces
Norwegian forces
Scotland
and King Duncan wants a victory.

6. The Tragedy of Macbeth: Introduction
Macbeth fights ferociously
killing the traitor Macdonwald and planting Macdonwald’s head on the castle battlements.
King Duncan is impressed.

7. The Tragedy of Macbeth: Introduction
While crossing the stormy countryside after the battle, Macbeth and Banquo encounter a trio of witches.
Double, double, toil and trouble, Fire burn and cauldron bubble

8. The Tragedy of Macbeth: Introduction
The weird sisters make these predictions:
Macbeth will earn noble titles.
Banquo will produce a line of kings.
Macbeth will be King of Scotland.
Then, the witches vanish, and a messenger appears to tell Macbeth that King Duncan has just given him a noble title.

9. The Tragedy of Macbeth: Introduction
All Macbeth can think about is the sisters’ final prophecy …
And the thought that he might become king.

10. The Tragedy of Macbeth: Introduction
His wife, the ambitious Lady Macbeth longs for
high position
wealth
power
prestige
She’ll do anything to make her husband king.

11. The Tragedy of Macbeth: Introduction
She just may get her chance. King Duncan decides to visit Macbeth’s castle.
Will the king live to rule another day?

12. The Tragedy of Macbeth: Background
William Shakespeare wrote more than 36 plays and 150 poems in his lifetime. He is considered the most influential writer in English literature.
More than four hundred years later, his works still influence
movies
music
TV shows
video games

13. What makes “The Bard” popular?
Shakespeare’s works reflect basic human emotions, themes, and experiences (incest, insanity, love, greed, jealousy, murder, magic)
Timeless Stories popular all over the world
Interesting Characters that are relatable
*bard means poet
Shakespeare is often referred to as The Bard because he is considered to be one of the greatest poets.

14. Have you heard these phrases?
A laughing stock.
Dead as a doornail
Mum’s the word
Vanish into thin air
A sorry sight
Fair play
In a pickle
To be or not to be
The green-eyed monster
What’s in a name? name?

15. Taming of Shrew
Twelfth Night

16. Iago is based on character in Othello
Hamlet

17. The Tragedy of Macbeth: Background
In the tragedy Macbeth, Shakespeare explores the damaging nature of overwhelming ambition and greed.
It is the shortest of Shakespeare’s tragedies, and includes this simple message: “Thou shalt not kill.”

18. The Tragedy of Macbeth: Background
Before Shakespeare’s time, troupes of actors traveled the countryside, to perform
in parks
halls
courts
courtyards
and in other open spaces they could find.

19. The Tragedy of Macbeth: Background
In 1576, the first playhouse, called The Theater, was built outside London’s city walls. Soon other famous London theaters followed.
the Fortune
the Rose
the Swan
the Red Bull
the Globe Theater

20. The Tragedy of Macbeth: Background
Now drama could be a permanent experience for theater crowds, rather than a traveling show.
main stage
covered seats
actors
cheap standing room

21. Elements of Shakespeare’s Tragedies
Begin in an ordered society but end with chaos.
Change is reflected by changes in the environment (with storms or other happenings in the natural world).
The protagonist is usually a person of good character who is destroyed by his own ego or desire for self-advancement.

22. Tragedy
The fatal flaw - all of the heroes in Shakespeare's tragedies have a weakness in personality that eventually leads to their downfall.
Fall of the nobleman - many of the men in Shakespeare's tragedies have extreme wealth and power, making their downfall more tragic.
External pressure - Shakespeare's tragic heroes often fall victim to external pressure from others, such as evil spirits and manipulative characters who play a role in their downfall.
Hero - The hero has opportunities for redemption but never takes advantage of these in time, which leads to death.

23. 5 Act Play
Act 1 – Exposition (Introduction). We meet the dramatis personae, and time and place are established. We learn about the antecedents of the story. Attention is directed toward the germ of conflict and dramatic tensions.
Act 2 -- Complications. The course of action becomes more complicated, the "tying of knots" takes place. Interests clash, intrigues are spawned, events accelerate in a definite direction. Tension mounts, and momentum builds up.
Act 3 -- The Climax of Action. The development of conflict reaches its high point, the Hero stands at the crossroads, leading to victory or defeat, crashing or soaring.
Act 4 -- Falling Action. Reversals. The consequences of Act 3 play out, momentum slows, and tension is heightened by false hopes/fears. If it's a tragedy, it looks like the Hero can be saved. If not, then it looks like all may be lost.
Act 5 -- Catastrophe. The conflict is resolved, whether through a catastrophe, the downfall of the hero, or through his victory and transfiguration.

24. Decoding Acts, Scenes, Lines
What does this mean: Act 1 Scene 1 Lines 1-10 Act 2 Scene 3 Lines 5 - 7