BORN: APRIL 23 , 1 564 (BAPTIZED HOLY TRINITY CHURCH)

Snapshot of Shakespeare

DIED: APRIL 23 , 16 16 (HOLY TRINITY CHURCH)

WROTE/PUBLISHED 37 PLAYS AND 154 SONNETS

MACBETH WAS #9

Now, Let’s Look at Shakespeare’s Writing…

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

Shakespeare knew how to write for his target audience. Shakespeare knew how to write for his target audience.

WATCH FOR…

� Prose and Verse .

� Universals through Particulars (connects to every person) video Discovery Educaton:

� Actions, Words and more Words…

� Sucking up to the nobility

Standard_Deviants_School_Shakespeare_Tragedies__Module_02__What_is_Tragedy__.flv

Topicality and His Story

� AKA: Being Current

� Shakespeare “universalized the contemporary” – that’s why we still study him. His themes and messages transcend time and place (the human condition has not changed much – e.g.

His topic was a true story…

� Macbeth was a commander of the forces of Duncan who was King of Scotland from 1034-1040.

� Macbeth slew Duncan (a tyrant) with the help of Banquoplace (the human condition has

not changed much – e.g. ambition…he knew how to connect to the topics of the day!

� Topicality can lead to a charged atmosphere and a deeper connection to the play.

� Shakespeare played with older stories and events to make them relevent to his audience…

tyrant) with the help of Banquoand others and then reigned from 1040-1057 (hero to many)

� Macbeth was slain by Malcolm III who was king from 1057-1093.

� Other historical figures found in the play include Siward, Donalbain, Lady Macbeth, Banquo, and Fleance.

STEP ONE:

SUMMARY OF THE PLAY

Understanding Macbeth

( V I DEO “HOW TO UNDERS TAND MACBETH I N 9 6 S E COND ” )

� Motherless King James: named king of Scotland by 13 months of age.

� Highly sensitive and supersitious.

� Became king of England after Queen Elizabeth 1st death.

Historical Relevance of MacbethProbably written in 1606 by special order of

King James I of England/AKA: King James VI of Scotland .

Elizabeth 1st death.

� Loved the theatre.

� Shakespeare and The Kings Men

� Macbeth’s connections: witches, views of women, divinity of kings and Banquo, regicide.

Natural Chain of Being

GodGod

King/Queen

Nobility/Clergy(Descendants of royalty (Descendants of royalty and upper-class families)

Gentry(Land Owners)

Commoners (Adults)

Children/Teens

King Law (cont’d)

� Rebellion against king’s law (or the Natural Chain of Being) leads to the disintegration of the community, the soul, and the cosmosthe soul, and the cosmos

King Law

The king represents the best in humanity

King law is to the community

asas

moral law is to the soul

as

natural law is to the cosmos

BE PREPARED TO CONNECT THIS TO THE TEXT!

A King’s Perspective on Macbeth

� Divinity of kings is sacred; regicide wrong.

� Witches and women are like Eve: capable of greatness, weak in spirit and targets of satan,

� Macbeth suffers because of his treason and act of regicide.

� Witches and Lady Macbeth

and targets of satan, manipulators of men.

� Divinity of Kings: Destiny and God determine the king.

� Destiny leads to an heir of James gaining the throne.

Macbeth

MACBETH

� Considered to be one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies

� Other Shakespearean � Other Shakespearean tragedies include Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Antony and Cleopatra, etc.

LET ’ S WATCH A V IDEO

The Tragedy and

The Tragic Hero

LET ’ S WATCH A V IDEODISCOVERY EDUCATION

AS YOU WATCH, WRITE THE TRAITS OF A TRAGEDY .

Part_Two__Tragedy_Section_A__What_is_Tragedy_.flv

Central Questions To Re-Visit

� Is “Macbeth” a tragedy? � Is Macbeth a tragic hero?

As you read, us sticky notes or a chart in your binder to trackthe elements of tragedy in the play and the examples of Macbethas a tragic hero.

Character Analysis

Analyze the following characters:

� Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Duncan, Banquo, Malcolm and Donalbain, Witches and Hecate, Macduff

Look for:

� Motive for behaviour

� Character Traits

� Strategies for attaining goals

� Themes revealed

� Outcome for character

Chart this information as you read or use sticky notes to track it!

IMAGERY

� CLOTHING

� LIGHT AND DARK

� BLOOD AND WATER

� ANIMAL IMAGERYTrack examples of this imagery � ANIMAL IMAGERY of this imagery as we read and analyze the symbolism within it!

THEMES

� SEE HANDOUT…

Essay Topics

� Characters, like people, often present a persona to the world that does not represent their true inner natures. Select ONE character from the play and determine the thematic purpose of this pattern.

� In literature, characters often possess a seemingly � In literature, characters often possess a seemingly dormant evil that is awakened through the circumstances he faces. Select a character from the play for whom this holds true and assess the mechanisms through which man’s evil emerges.