Shakespeare Stuff

My Goals in teaching Macbeth

• Variety of texts • Practice reading a difficult text• Decipher unfamiliar and difficult vocabulary• Appreciate Shakespeare’s story telling• Be familiar with a classical story• Learn from a character’s mistakes• Expand understanding of literary devices

Character Terms

• Tragedy – protagonist/tragic hero fails and is destroyed

• Tragic hero – protagonist – central character • Tragic Flaw – moral weakness or error that

causes the tragic hero to fail (hubris – pride is the most common flaw)

• Antagonist – principal opponent of hero• Foil – a character or situation that serves to

set off another contrast

Plot Terms

• Exposition – characters are introduced; initial situation is revealed

• Rising action – early part of the play • Conflict – tragic figure’s problem is revealed• Protagonist’s goal• Climax• Resolution

Dramatic Terms

• Dramatic irony – audience knows something a character doesn’t know

• Soliloquy – a long speech given by a character alone on the stage – for audience’s ears only – inner thoughts of the character

• Aside – a short speech meant only for the audience to hear – a comment under one’s breath

Timeline of eventsAct 1

• Introduced to witches• War in Scotland against Norway• Scotland wins battle• Macbeth – good general – fought• Former Thane of Cawdor – traitor• Duncan gives his title to “loyal,”

“brave” Macbeth

Witches give prophecies – Thane of Glamis, thane of Cawdor, King; Banquo’s sons will be kingsFirst prophcy already comes true – second

prophecy comes true - Macbeth finds out he is now Thane of Cawdor

Macbeth wonders should he let nature take its course and Duncan just dies or should he

pursue the prophecy

Malcolm is named heir to the throneAn obstacle for Macbeth to become king

Lady reads a letter from Macbeth explaining about the witches

Lady immediately schemes on how to murder Duncan – she wants to be queen

Duncan visits Inverness to celebrate Macbeth’s new title – dramatic irony – audience knows

there is a plot to kill him

Malcolm is named heir to the throneAn obstacle for Macbeth to become king

Lady reads a letter from Macbeth explaining about the witches

Lady immediately schemes on how to murder Duncan – she wants to be queen

Duncan visits Inverness to celebrate Macbeth’s new title – dramatic irony – audience knows

there is a plot to kill him

• Macbeth isn’t sure he wants to kill Duncan• Lady has it all planned out – she’ll drug the

guards, then stab Duncan and then blame it on the guards

• She questions his manhood – an ultimate insult –manipulation to get him to fulfill her wishes

Macbeth’s characterization

• Noble, brave, great warrior, honourable, loyal to Scotland and king, kinsman

• after the prophecies – considers acting on them, evil thoughts, but wants his evil tendencies hidden by the dark night, reveals he has a conscience, in control in the marriage, loves his “partner in greatness”

• After deliberating about murdering Duncan -reveals he has a conscience, vaulting ambition

Lady’s Characterization

• Strong, thinks her husband is weak, reveals that she’s capable of killing

• Ambitious• Plots the murder• the brains behind the plot to murder Duncan• Perhaps she’s in control of the relationship

TimelineAct 2

• Banquo can’t sleep – pending doom – witches’ words haunt him

• Macbeth haunted by conscience – thinks he sees a floating dagger

• Duncan is killed off stage• Lady couldn’t bring herself to do it• “I have done the deed.” Macbeth killed the

king

• His hands are bloody• She returns daggers – her hands are bloody• Guilt – They have blood (metaphorical and

literal) on their hands.• Macbeth heard voices that he would sleep no

more• She warns him not to think too much: “so, it

will make us mad.”

• Porter – comic relief• Pathetic fallacy – “Twas a rough night.”• King’s death is announced• Malcolm and Donnalbain – fear they too

might be killed – they flee• They look guilty

TimelineAct 3

• Banquo suspects Macbeth: “I fear Thou play’dst most foully for ‘t.”

• Banquo – a threat• Macbeth is having a banquet• He’ll have murderers kill Banquo and his son

Fleance before the meal• Macbeth acts without Lady’s counsel – “Be

innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, Till thou applaud the deed

• Murderers attack – kill Banquo, Fleance escapes

• Banquo, of course, doesn’t show up for banquet

• Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost: “Thou canst not say I did it: never shake Thy gory locks at me.”

• Lady covers for him; then tells him off • He defends his manhood “I am a man again.”• He’s losing his sanity : “You lack the season of

all natures, sleep.”

Banquo, of course, doesn’t show up for banquetMacbeth sees Banquo’s ghost: “Thou canst not

say I did it: never shake Thy gory locks at me.”Lady covers for him; then tells him off

He defends his manhood “I am a man again.”He’s losing his sanity : “You lack the season of all

natures, sleep.”

Banquo suspects Macbeth: “I fear Thou play’dst most foully for ‘t.”

Banquo – a threatMacbeth is having a banquetHe’ll have murderers kill Banquo and his son Fleance

before the mealMacbeth acts without Lady’s counsel – “Be innocent

of the knowledge, dearest chuck, Till thou applaud the deed

Murderers attack – kill Banquo, Fleance escapes

• Witches tell us more about Macbeth’s evil character: “Spiteful and wrathful...Loves for his own ends.”

• Suspicion of Macbeth’s evil ways grows – “Our suffering country Under a hand accursed.”

TimelineAct 4

• Witches gather again to meet Macbeth• Apparitions appear• 1. Beware of Macduff• 2. None of woman born shall harm Macbeth.• 3. Macbeth shall never vanquish until Birnam

Wood comes to Dunsinane.• 4. Banquo’s sons wearing crowns• Macduff has fled to England.• Macbeth decides he will attack Macduff’s castle.

• Lady Macduff thinks Macduff is a traitor – also left her alone

• Her son is murdered on stage; she is followed off stage by the murderers.

• Malcolm and Macduff discuss the fate of Scotland: “Great Tyranny.”

• Macbeth has all the qualities of a bad leader: “luxurious, avaricious (greedy), false, deceitful, sudden, malicious, smacking of every sin that has a name.”

• Good qualities of a king:”justice, verity, temperance, stableness, bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness, devotion, patience, courage, fortitude.”

• Malcolm has these qualities• Macduff finds out his family has been

murdered: “Your castle surpris’d; your wife and babes savagely slaughtered.”

• Malcolm tells him to “dispute it like a man.”• Macduff replies with “I must also feel it as a

man.”• They will seek revenge.

Character development

• Contrast Macbeth to the early descriptors.• How is Macduff a foil to Macbeth?

Timeline Act V• Lady Macbeth has lost her sanity – sleepwalking

“This is her very guise; and, upon my life, fast asleep.”

• Lady is trying to clean the “blood” off her hands: “Out, damned spot! Out I say!”

• She reveals her guilt in the killing of Duncan and Lady Macduff: “Heaven knows what she has known.”

• “Unnatural deeds do breed unnatural troubles”

• Lady is suicidal: “Remove from her the means of all annoyance”

• The English army marches towards Dunsinane, Macbeth’s castle: “Revenge burns in them.”

• Macbeth’s guilt is revealed: “His secret murders.”

• Macbeth is not afraid: “Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane I cannot taint with fear.”

• Macbeth is mentally deranged now: “Hang those that talk of fear.”

• Macbeth hears that Lady is unwell.• Doctor knows Macbeth is losing it too: “Therein

the patient must minister to himself.”• Army continues to march, now in Birnam Wood –

to conceal their size each soldier will hide behind a bough: “Let every soldier hew him down a bough and bear’t before him: thereby shall we shadow the numbers of our host, and make discovery err in report of us.”

• Lady is dead.• Her scream doesn’t even affect Macbeth: “”I

have almost forgot the taste of fears. The time has been my senses would have cool’d to hear a night-shriek...”

• Macbeth reacts coldly: “She should have died hereafter... Out, out, brief candle!”

• The battle begins. Macbeth against the world.

• Macbeth learns Macduff was born by C-Section: “Macduff was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped.”

• Macbeth reaveals conscience – called catharsis – he won’t fight Macduff; “I’ll not fight thee.” “My soul is too much charg’d with blood of of thine already.”

• But he also won’t give up: “I will not yield.”• Macbeth is killed. Malcolm is now king.