Macbeth William Shakespeare William Shakespeare 1564 1616 Regarded

Macbeth William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564 -1616) �Regarded as the greatest writer in the English language �Believed to be born April 23, 1564 �Died April 23, 1616 �From Stratford-on-Avon in England northwest of London �Made a career as an actor and playwright �During the late 16 th century Elizabethan Drama came into full bloom.

(p. 271) �Playwrights wrote less about religious subjects and leaned more toward Greek influences and reintroduced tragedies-plays in which disaster befalls a hero or heroine. �Began writing more carefully using unrhymed verse, rich language, and vivid imagery.

Macbeth Background �Shakespeare wrote the play Macbeth based of Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland (p. 270) �Wrote the play in the 17 th century but the play takes place in 11 th century Scotland �Written mainly in blank verse

The Globe Theater

�The Globe Theater was first built in 1598. Prior to this there were theaters and playhouses but most of Shakespeare’s plays were performed at the Globe. �Plays were performed in daylight and there were no sets or lighting. Most of the audience stood as there were not enough seats. �Could hold 2, 500 -3, 000 people �Circular, open to the sky, and lined with galleries

Iambic Pentameter �Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in blank verse: unrhymed iambic pentameter �iamb (n): metrical foot consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable �pentameter (n): five such metrical foots to a line

Vocab �ambitious (adj): Having strong desire to achieve a particular goal �destiny (n): a predetermined course of events often held to be an irresistible power or agency �conscience (n): the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives �soliloquy (n): the act of speaking alone or to oneself �symbolism (n): the act of representing things by symbols

Vocab �protaganist (n): the main character in a drama or other literary work �antagonist (n): an opponent or adversary, as in a contest, drama, sporting event, etc. �metaphor (n): a comparison made by referring to one thing as another. �motif (n): a recurring pattern or repeated action, element, or idea in a work of literature �dramatic monologue (n): a speech in which a character speaks his thoughts out loud for another character

�aside (n): a brief comment made by a character that is unheard by the other characters on stage �dramatic irony (n): when the audience knows something that one or more of the characters don’t

Dramatic Structure Climax Rising Action Exposition Falling Action Conflict Resolution

Exposition: Where the story is introduced (Background, characters, setting) Conflict: Can be internal or external Rising Action: Action begins to escalate (dramatic & suspenseful) Climax: point in a play in which the internal and external conflicts are at it’s greatest; highest tension Falling Action: Action starts to slow down Resolution: The conclusion, the end; story is wrapped up (story may answer all readers questions, might not answer all questions leaving them intrigued and wondering, or sometimes story may leave reader hints of a sequel)

External vs. Internal Conflict � Conflict (n): struggle between two forces that causes drama Two Types of Conflict � External Conflict: Conflict between two characters or groups ◦ Types of external conflict Man vs. Nature Man vs. Society

External vs. Internal Conflict � Internal Conflict: Conflict within a character ◦ Types of internal conflict Man vs. Himself