William Shakespeares Macbeth An Introduction William Shakespeare English
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth An Introduction
William Shakespeare • English poet and playwright born in 1564, died in 1616 • Considered by many to be the “greatest writer in the English language” • Plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright …Why?
The Globe Theater
Shakespeare’s Popularity • Genres include comedy, history, tragedy, “tragicomedy” (romance) • Respected and popular during his lifetime, but rose in 19 th century due to popularity with Victorians (British high society in mid- to late-1800 s) • Exciting re-tellings and performances of known stories • Universal themes – love, revenge, ambition, etc. • Expressive, well-crafted language (prose and poetry) • Literary merit – metaphor – symbolism – analogy "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts. . . " —As You Like It, Act II, Scene 7, 139– 42
Influences • Early plays followed the typical style of his time period – poetic language, rhetorical language (like formal speeches) • Gradually developed his own style, featuring soliloquies resembling people’s thinking, more natural poetry (blank verse, iambic pentameter), unique metaphors and images that sprung naturally from the story (i. e. Romeo referring to Juliet as the sun) • Criticized by some for trying to “match wits” with writers who were more educated and respected, but became popular nonetheless. • After the death of Queen Elizabeth I, the kingdoms of Scotland England were combined. Scotland’s King James VI became England’s King James I. He was a fan of theater, and became a patron (supporter) of Shakespeare’s theater company, which became known as The King’s Men. There is speculation that King James I (who was Scottish, and the son of Mary Queen of Scots) requested Shakespeare write a play about Macbeth.
Source Material • Took stories with which his audience was familiar and dramatized them (adapted for stage performance) • Plutarch – a Greek historian, biographer, essayist; his translated works heavily influenced Shakespeare, as well as American writers Ralph Waldo Emerson and his contemporaries known as the Transcendentalists • Holinshead - an English chronicler (writer of historical account of facts & events in time order) whose work Holinshead’s Chronicles was used as source material for Shakespeare’s history plays (i. e. Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Henry VIII, and more), the plot of Macbeth, and portions of King Lear.
The “Real” Macbeth • A real Scottish king, nicknamed “the Red King” • Reigned 1040 – 1057 • Some names (Duncan, Malcom) and facts (invasion by Siward, Macbeth’s defeat) are accurate • Reputation as a tyrant and murderer not supported by historical accounts • Real reputation was powerful, but pleasant, renowned, generous
Shakespeare’s Macbeth • Written between 1603 and 1607, first known performance April 1611, first published in 1623 • Considered one of his darkest and most powerful tragedies – also the shortest and bloodiest • Does not closely follow historical facts of the real King Macbeth – heavily dramatised • In theater world, some believe the play is “cursed” and will not call it by name, referring to it instead as “the Scottish play” – legends about real magic spells and actors who died during performances fuel the superstition
Some Literary Terms • Drama – A written work intended to be performed • Tragedy – A form of drama that deals with a serious theme and typically features a great person destined for downfall or destruction. • Tragic Hero – The protagonist of a tragedy. Usually begins as high ranking, dignified, and/or respected, but due to some character flaw or weakness, suffers an unhappy end (defeat and/or death).
More Literary Terms • Soliloquy –Long speech in which a character alone on stage expresses his or her private thoughts, feelings, or motivation • Aside – Private words that a character in a play speaks to the audience or to another character and that are not supposed to be overheard by others on stage • Iambic pentameter – a common meter (rhythm pattern) in poetry consisting of an unrhymed line with five feet or accents, each foot containing an unaccented syllable and an accented syllable; resembles rhythm of natural speech
Themes • • Guilt Good vs. Evil Tragedy from Power (corruption) Lust for Power Appearance vs. Reality Relationship of Thought to Action Ambition
Class Activities • Quick. Writes (journal prompts, reading responses, reflections, etc. ) • Read aloud (whole group, literature circles) • Audio and film adaptations • Character List • Significant Moments • Interpretation / Analysis questions • Reading Quizzes (after each Act) • Unit Test (After Act V) • Culminating (Final) Project
Culminating Project • Using textual evidence, write an essay showing a theme that is present throughout the play, how it relates to the overarching theme of power and ambition, and how these themes are represented in an example of modern media. • Due date to be announced (approximately four weeks, depending on pacing)
- Slides: 13