Shakespeares World and Macbeth

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Shakespeares Worldand Macbeth
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Facts about Shakespeares Macbeth
Written 1604-07 First performed 1611 First
published in Folio, 1623 The last of
Shakespeares four tragedies The darkest and
shortest of his tragedies
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Shakespeares Source Holinsheds
Chronicles(1587)
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How much of Shakespeares play is taken from
Holinshed?

• A LOT--including...
• Banquo Macbeth defeat Macdonwald Macbeth
  treats Macdonwald cruelly (head on a spike, etc.)
• The witches crucial role and their prophecies
• Macbeth has Banquo killed because of the witches
  prophecies Fleance escapes
• After Macbeth kills Banquo, his kingdom falls
  apart
• Malcolms test of Macduff (Shakespeare borrows
  whole lines of dialogue)
• Macduffs final showdown with Macbeth, in which
  he tells Macbeth he was neuer borne of my
  mother, but ripped out of her wombe

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The Real Macbeth(According to Holinshed)

• Reigned for 17 years (1040-1057)
• A just king Macbeth punished and tamed in such
  sort, that manie years after all theft and
  reiffings robberies were little heard of, the
  people inioieng the blissefull benefit of good
  peace and tranquillitie
• Brought peace to Scotland such were the
  woorthie dooings and princelie acts of this
  Mackbeth in the administration of the realme,
  that if he had atteined therevnto by rightfull
  means, and continued in vprightnesse of iustice
  as he began, till the end of his reigne, he might
  well haue béene numbred amongest the most noble
  princes that anie where had reigned. He made
  manie holesome laws and statutes for the publike
  weale of his subiects.

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Holinsheds Witches
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Other Depictions of Witches
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Macbeth Meets The Witches (Act 1, Scene 2)
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The BIG Differences Holinsheds version

• In Holinshed, Macbeth rules fairly and well for
  many years after killing Duncan
• Duncan was younger than Macbeth and a weak ruler
• Macbeth AND Banquo kill Duncan (James I related
  to Banquo Bard changes this to please him)
• Details of Duncans murder taken from story of
  murder of King Duffe (80 years earlier)
• Macbeths wife named "Gruoch" or "Grauch she
  had legitimate claim to throne through her family

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The James I Connection

• Became king in 1603 upon Elizabeth Is death
• James saw the play (maybe saw its premier)
• James I was a StuartBanquo was legendary
  ancestor of Stuarts
• James I (was also James VI of Scotland) firmly
  established the doctrine of the divine right of
  kings
• Bard refers to the English kings supposed
  ability to cure the evil (scrofula)
• Gunpowder Plot (November 1605)
• Roman Catholics plot to kill king, wife, and son
  and blow up Parliament want greater rights for
  Catholics (oppressed by James I)
• One plotter was Guy Fawkes (Guy Fawkes Day
  Nov. 5--bonfires, fireworks, and effigies of
  Guys)
• Shakespeare reflects fear of disorder and
  regicide

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The James I-Witchcraft Link

• Witches mentioned in Bible (Books of Leviticus
  and Samuel)
• King James highly religious (King James Bible)
• Lifelong interest in witch hunting (considered a
  moral pursuit)
• Participated in trials of witches
• Wrote a treatise on witches The Daemonologie
  (1597)
• His book described various types of witches and
  how to recognize them
• Shakespeare likely read Daemonologie, but
  evidently also read Reginald Scots Discoverie of
  Witchcraft (1584), which argued against existence
  of witches

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The Curse of the Scottish Play

• Legend opening night, boy playing Lady Macbeth
  became ill (later died) Shakespeare had to take
  his place!
• 1672 in Amsterdam Actor playing MB used real
  dagger (by accident?) and stabbed Duncan to death
  on stage during performance
• 1937 Laurence Oliviers sword snapped during
  performance tip flew into audience, hit man who
  died of heart attack
• 1948 Diana Wynward as Lady Macbeth fell 20 feet
  off stage during sleepwalking scene

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More spooky stage events

• 1953 Charlton Heston playing Macbeth suffered
  burns when tights (soaked in kerosene!) caught
  fire
• Voodoo Macbeth (directed by Orson Welles)
  Haitians in cast supposedly put curse on critic
  who panned show he died of pneumonia
• 1800s Henry Irving (famous actor of time) giving
  dagger speech dog ran on stage. Is this a puppy
  I see before me?

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The Death of Lady Macbeth