Macbeth

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Macbeth
William Shakespeare
Ms. Mathews English 10 Honors
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Shakespeare Mini-Bio

• Born in Stratford-upon-Avon
• April 23, 1564 April 23, 1616
• Called The Bard of Avon
• An actor, poet, and playwright
• Part-owner of the acting company
  The Lord Chamberlains Men
• Married to Anne Hathaway had three children

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Shakespeares Plays

• Shakespeares plays are among the most famous
  works in the English language and all of Western
  Literature
• He wrote three types of plays
• Comedies
• Tragedies
• Histories
• The First Folio was printed in 1623 and contained
  36 plays

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Setting of Macbeth

• Set in Scotland around the year 1040
• The action of the play alternates between the
  battlefield and various castles
• Macbeths castle, Inverness, was located on the
  River Ness, which flows into the famous Loch Ness

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Macbeth Background

• Macbeth was written for King James I
• James Stuart was already King James VI of
  Scotland when Queen Elizabeth's death made him
  James I of England as well
• In the late 1500's, Scotland experienced a witch
  craze
• Many people were convicted of witchcraft and
  executed without physical evidence

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• James I bought into the witch hysteria, so
  Shakespeare incorporated the three witches (the
  Wyrd Sisters) into Macbeth for the king's
  enjoyment
• The archaic (old fashioned) meaning of the word
  weird is destiny or fate. The witches,
  therefore, echo the three fates of Greek
  mythology.
• James I believed that as part of the Stuart line,
  he was descended from Banquo, although no
  historical evidence exists to support this claim

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The Real Macbeth

• Macbeth really did exist, though Shakespeare only
  loosely based his character and story on the real
  man.
• The real Macbeth was king of Scotland from 1040
  to 1057 and went to drastic ends to gain the
  throne and remain in power.
• Macbeth is a Christian name meaning son of
  life (as opposed to the paternal surname
  MacBeth).

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• The real Lady Macbeth was named Gruoch. She was
  originally married to another king and had a son
  with him, though the child is only indirectly
  referenced in the play and the first husband is
  not mentioned at all.
• It is considered bad luck to say the name of the
  play in a theater where it is being performed
  instead, it is commonly referred to only as The
  Scottish Play.

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Important Terms Defined

• Motifa repeating symbol that furthers an
  important idea or theme
• Paradoxa statement that seems to be a
  contradiction but actually reveals truth
• Thanea Scottish title of nobility equivalent to
  Earl
• Primogeniturethe system of passing on property,
  titles, or wealth to the eldest male heir

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Themes of Macbeth

• Ambition
• Appearance v. Reality
• Atmosphere
• Disorder
• Trust and Betrayal
• Fear and Guilt

• Greed and Power
• Excuses
• Visions
• Desperation
• Good and Evil
• The Supernatural

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9 Motifs in Macbeth

1. Blood 7. Birds
2. Natural Order 8. Sleep
3. Darkness 9. Clothing
4. Hands
5. Masculinity
6. Supernatural Forces

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Main Characters

• MacbethThane of Glamis, military general
• Lady MacbethMacbeths wife
• BanquoScottish thane and general
• FleanceBanquos son
• DuncanKing of Scotland
• MalcolmDuncans elder son
• DonalbainDuncans younger son
• MacduffThane of Fife, a nobleman of Scotland

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As you read

• Look for and record examples of motifs and themes
• Study paradoxical statements to discern hidden
  truths
• Monitor character changes consider the impetus
  and results of each change
• Read and re-read. Check your understanding.
• Ask questions and seek clarification.
• Form your own opinions and be able to support
  them.
• Annotate and/or take copious, detailed notes!

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Analysis Exercise

• Sometimes students are hesitant to raise their
  hands in class because they think their opinions
  are wrong. The thing is, an opinion cannot be
  wrong, and most of literary analysis is simply a
  matter of creating informed opinions based on the
  text.
• Lets try an exercise to illustration the skills
  used in literary analysis . . .

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Which word does not belong?

• Horse
• Clock
• Anvil
• Nose

Write your answer in your notes, along with an
explanation
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• There was no correct answer to the previous
  question however, notice how the answer changes
  when a detail-based question is asked . . . .

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Which word does not contain an O?

• Horse
• Clock
• Anvil
• Nose

Now there is only one correct answer
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Why did we do that?

• The exercise demonstrated the difference between
  analyzing a work of literature based on your own
  ideas or opinions and answering specific,
  detail-based questions.
• In class discussions, we will do mostly the first
  type of analysis on tests and quizzes, you will
  also be expected to answer the second type of
  questions. Be prepared for both!