WITCHES

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• WITCHES
• TREACHERY
• MURDER
• BLOOD
• FAITHLESSNESS
• DECEPTION
• AMBITION

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Macbeth

• A tragedy
• By William Shakespeare

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• The Rise and Fall of a Great Man

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• The Scottish Play is based loosely on an episode
  from history, the death of King Duncan at the
  hands of his kinsman Macbeth.

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Source of the play

• Shakespeare's source for his story is Raphael
  Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland and
  Ireland (1577)

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• Written in 1606
• Performed at the Globe Theatre, London
• Published in the First Folio of 1623

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Notes

• Genre Tragedy
• Setting (time) 11th century
• Setting (place) Scotland, and briefly, England
• Protagonist Macbeth
• Major Conflicts Macbeth struggles with his
  conscience (before and after murder) evil
  (Macbeth and Lady Macbeth) struggles with good
  (Malcolm and Macduff)

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Historical Connection

• Scotland at the time was a violent and troubled
  country
  
• The castle was the center of each rival
  aristocrats (thane) power
  
• Political murder and revenge were not
  unusual means to gain
  power
  
• Plundering Vikings
  and Norsemen attacked Scotland
  constantly

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• The play is the shortest of Shakespeare's
  tragedies, without diversions or subplots.
  
• It chronicles Macbeth's seizing of power and
  subsequent destruction.
  
• It is considered Shakespeares darkest work.
• His rise and fall are the result of blind
  ambition.
  

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• Macbeth was intended to stir the interest of the
  new king, James I.
  
• The play's focus on regicide, a supreme crime in
  Shakespeare's day, tied into the November 1605
  Gunpowder Plot where English Roman Catholic
  conspirators plotted

to blow up Parliament, King James, his queen and
oldest son.
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Importance of Patronage

• The play pays tribute to the interests and
  knowledge of King James. With patronage, a writer
  composes one of his works for a king, queen or
  another rich person for continued support.
• This play compliments James by making Banquo, who
  is said to be his ancestor, a hero in the play.
  Historically, Banquo never existed.

• Macbeth focuses on issues of kinship and loyalty,
  important ideals to King James, who had survived
  an assassination attempt early in his life. His
  father had been murdered. His mother, Mary Queen
  of Scots, had been executed.

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• The questions of the role of the monarch and the
  duties of their subjects toward them were of
  major importance to King James.
  
• A story suggests that King James wrote a letter
  of acknowledgment about the play to Shakespeare.
  
  
• Shakespeares England, the political issue of
  succession and order were of major importance.
  
• Belief in witchcraft was widespread.
• In 1604, the practice of witchcraft became
  punishable by death because it was
  believed that it attempted to change Gods
  natural order.

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The Historical Macbeth

• Born in 1005 to a family that ruled
  Moray and Ross
  
• He married Gruach, granddaughter to a
  High King of Scotland no children
  
• No historical evidence of Lady Macbeths
  influence on her husband
  
• Duncan, an ineffective king, was 38 when he was
  killed, possibly by Macbeth
  
• Macbeth ruled for 17 years, elected High King of
  Scotland in 1040. For the first 10 years, this
  competent king reformed the country.
  
• Led Scotland in a long period of peace and
  stability

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Historical Macbeth

• No evidence of attention to witchcraft
• Strong supporter of the church
• Duncans son Malcolm invaded Scotland in 1054,
  supported by the English King Edward the Confessor

• Macbeth was killed on Aug. 15, 1057
• Buried at Iona, the sacred burial place of the
  kings of Scotland
  

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Theme

• The play is seen as a tale of dangers of the lust
  for power and betrayal of friends.

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Inside the theater

• Actors often consider the play to be unlucky, and
  usually refer to it as the Scottish play rather
  than by name. To say the name of the play inside
  a theatre is considered to doom the production to
  failure.

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Recurring motifs (patterns)

• Blood
• Clothing
• Natural order
• (nature)
• Insomnia

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What to Watch For

• what Macbeth is thinking and feeling,
• why he acts the way he does,
• and what consequences his evil brings about upon
  himself

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At the Start of the Play

• Macbeth is a very successful and highly respected
  member of a social group, loaded with honors and
  enjoying every prospect of future commendations .
  He has a loving wife and a secure home in his
  castle at Inverness. He is praised for his heroic
  actions in defense of the kingdom. King Duncan
  thinks of Macbeth with high regard and treats him
  generously.

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At the End of the Play

• Macbeth is totally alone. He has no friends, he
  is universally despised, his wife is dead, and
  all his most eager hopes have been disappointed.
  He is a man without a place in the social
  community. He has become totally isolated.

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Why?

• Because of his own free decisions!
• He destroys himself.

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READY TO ACT?

• PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 300