William

1
William Shakespeare's World
To be, or not to be, that is the question...
This above all, to thine own self be true...
2
The Man That Would Be Shakespeare
William

• Born April 23rd, 1564
• Started out performing with The Lord
  Chamberlains Men
• Gave him a chance to write a play
• Henry IV, Pt. 1- It stunk but they gave him
  another shot

3

• Many playwrights with nowhere to play
• Barn turned into theatre (Yeah!)
• Puritans burn it down (Evil theatre! Boo!)
• Globe built! (Yeah!)
• Globe burns (sniff, darn cannon!)
• Globe rebuilt! (Yeah!)
• Globe burns (Dang that Fire of London!)

The Globe
Reconstructed in the 1990s
4

• Aristocrats
• The Queen/King
• The Groundlings!

5
When in a play...

• Only men were permitted to perform
• Boys or effeminate men were used to play the
  women
• Costumes were often the companys most valuable
  asset
• Costumes were made by the company, bought in
  London, or donated by courtiers

6
The Cost of a Show

• 1 shilling to stand
• 2 shillings to sit in the balcony
• 1 shilling was 10 of their weekly income
• Broadway Today
• 85 Orchestra
• 60 Balcony
• 10 of a teachers weekly salary

7
Macbeth
The tragedy of

• Set in Scotland
• Written for King James I (formerly of Scotland,
  now England)
• Queen of Denmark (Jamess sister) was visiting
• Shakespeare researched The Chronicles - Banquo is
  an ancestor of King James I

8

• King Duncan of Scotland
• Murdered by cousin Macbeth
• Honest and good
• Malcolm Donalbain
• Sons of the King
• Malcolm is the eldest son
• Macbeth
• Duncans most courageous general
• Ambition to become king corrupts him causing him
  to murder Duncan

The Characters
9

• Banquo
• General and Macbeths best friend
• Suspects Macbeth in Duncans murder
• An actual ancestor of King James I
• Lady Macbeth
• As ambitious as her husband
• A dark force behind his evil deeds
• Macduff
• Scottish general, suspects Macbeth of murdering
  the king
• Macbeth has his family murdered
• Swears vengeance

10
The Curse!
11
The Scottish Play

• It is believed to be bad luck to even squeak the
  word Macbeth in a theatre
• Legend has it you will lose all your friends
  involved in the production--horribly
• MORE ON THAT LATER...

12
The Tragic Hero
13

• Def. Man of high standard who falls from that
  high because of a flaw that has affected many -
  Aristotle
• Macbeth is one of the most famous examples of the
  tragic hero.

14
So what really happens?

• Good guy goes bad
• Guy wants power
• Married to a pushy control freak
• She wants power
• Kills people- LOTS of people
• Gets power
• Gets paranoid (a.k.a. goes crazy)
• Ticks off a lot of people
• Want more power! Kill! Kill!
• Gets whats coming to him in the end

15
Best Line!
Lifes but a walking shadow a poor player, That
struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And is
heard of no more it is a tale Told by an idiot,
full of sound and fury, Signifying
nothing. - Act V s.5