The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

• 1564-1616• There have been more words

written about the English playwright William Shakespeare than about any other artist in history.

• He wrote 37 plays, 2 long narrative poems, and 154 sonnets all within a period of 23 years.

• Many details of Shakespeare’s private life are shrouded in mystery.

• Although he was married with three children, most scholars agree that many of his sonnets (love poems) were written about a man.

• The time period in which Shakespeare lived is often referred to as the Elizabethan Era, referring to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England (1558-1603). “ “ . . . Not of an age, but for . . . Not of an age, but for

all time.”all time.”

- Ben Johnson- Ben Johnson

MacbethSummary

• As the play begins, Macbeth is a noble and valiant captain who loyally serves King Duncan of Scotland.

• However, Macbeth’s ambition soon makes him hunger for greater power.

• Provoked by his equally ambitious wife and encouraged by the prophecies of three witches, Macbeth murders Duncan and becomes king.

MacbethSummary

• Next, Macbeth kills his former comrade-in-arms, Banquo, because he fears that Banquo suspects what he has done

• Macbeth attempts to scare another perceived threat Macduff, by slaughtering the nobleman’s family.

• Driven mad by guilt, Lady Macbeth commits suicide, while Macbeth continues desperately along a course of destruction.

MacbethSummary

• Finally, Macduff and his supporters successfully besiege Macbeth’s castle.

• After Macduff slays Macbeth, Duncan’s son Malcolm is proclaimed king.

A Play Based in History

The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act II Sources of the Play

• Shakespeare based the main events in Macbeth on a book by Raphael Holinshed called Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

• Shakespeare used this book as a source for many of his plays.

Macbeth for Real

The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act II Sources of the Play

Macbeth was the real-life king of Scotland from 1040 to 1057.

However, the historical Macbeth

• had a legitimate claim to Duncan’s throne

• gained the throne with the help of other nobles

• ruled rather successfully

Shakespeare’s Macbeth

The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act II Sources of the Play

Given the historical facts, why did Shakespeare

• depict Macbeth’s reign as bringing nothing but disaster to Scotland?

• paint Macbeth as such an evil, power-hungry man?

• give him no political allies?

• develop Lady Macbeth into such a ruthless and ambitious character?

Backdrop for the Play

The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act II Sources of the Play

In the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, several Catholic zealots plotted—unsuccessfully—to blow up King James I and his Protestant Parliament.

King James I

Creative License

The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act II Sources of the Play

Shakespeare probably altered Holinshed’s story in order to create a play that would

• denounce the Gunpowder Plot specifically

• comment on threats to an anointed king in general

By making Macbeth evil and the consequences of his actions devastating, Shakespeare in effect paid homage to the reigning king, James I.

A Play About People

The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act II Sources of the Play

Shakespeare was more interested in psychological truth than in historical fact.

Macbeth may not be historically accurate, but it is about real people—men and women tempted by power and caught in a web of their own desires.

The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act I Introducing the Play

You cannot have power for good without having power for evil too. —George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)

Can one selfish impulse lead to a chain of decisions you will later regret?

The Domino Effect

The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act I Introducing the Play

how just one action might affect the entire course of your life?

Have you ever wondered . . .

• must then kill two other innocent men as a consequence

In Macbeth a brave and accomplished nobleman . . .

Where will this horrific chain of events lead? What will the consequences be for the main characters?

The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act I Introducing the Play

• finds he cannot turn away from his evil course

• deliberately murders someone to whom he should be loyal

The Domino Effect

Amid thunder and lightning a trio of witches arranges to meet after a battle.

The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act I Introducing the Play

At a military camp, King Duncan learns that his generals, Macbeth and Banquo, have defeated the enemies.

The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act I Introducing the Play

On the heath the witches offer a prophecy. They tell Macbeth and Banquo that Macbeth will be king of Scotland and that Banquo will beget rulers.

Will the prophecy of the witches come true? Will Macbeth’s destiny be fulfilled?

Macbeth Quick Facts

Type of work  · PlayGenre  · TragedyLanguage  · EnglishTime and place written

 · 1606, EnglandTone  · Dark and

ominous, suggestive of a world turned topsy-turvy by foul and unnatural crimes

Setting (time)  · The Middle Ages, specifically the eleventh century

Setting (place)  · Various locations in Scotland; also England, briefly

Protagonist  · Macbeth Major conflict  · The struggle

within Macbeth between his ambition and his sense of right and wrong

 Climax · Macbeth’s murder of Duncan in Act II represents the point of no return, after which Macbeth is forced to continue butchering his subjects to avoid the consequences of his crime. 

Theme  · The corrupting nature of unchecked ambition

Motifs  · The supernatural, hallucinations, violence, prophecy

Symbols  · Blood; the dagger; the weather 

The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act I Literary Focus: Tragedy

Tragedy—a literary work depicting serious events, in which the main character, who is often a high-ranking, dignified person, comes to an unhappy end

In a tragedy

The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act I Literary Focus: Tragedy

• ill-judged human actions lead to inevitable catastrophe, usually including one or more deaths

• the characters’ bad deeds, crimes, and mistakes are never forgiven or rectified

By contrast, in a comedy • the characters can do as they please

as long as they amuse the audience

• the funny mess is easily cleaned up at the end

Act I Audio

MACBETHAct 1 Quick Review

On a desolate heath in Scotland, three witches discuss their plans.

They agree to meet later on that day, in order to speak to a

man named ‘Macbeth’.

“When shall we three

meet again, in thunder,

lightening, or in rain?

When the hurlyburly’s

done,when the battle’s lost and won.

That will be ere the set

of sun.

News of Scotland’s victory in battle reaches the King, Duncan. He hears

of the bravery of Macbeth andBanquo and tells a nobleman, Ross, to go

to Macbeth and give him the title of‘Thane of Cawdor’ as a reward.

The man who used to hold this titlehas been found to be a traitor,

and is executed.

The witches meet Macbeth and Banquo. They

amaze Macbeth by calling him... Th

ane

of

Cawdor

…and say that sometime in the future he

will,himself, be King.

They tell Banquo he will be the father of Kings, but vanish when Macbeth starts to question them. Macbeth

is already Thane of Glamis.

REMEMBER

Ross then enters and tellsMacbeth that he is now

‘Thane of Cawdor’.

This news disturbs him,

as the prophecies are proving to be true.

When Macbeth and Banquo are welcomed by King Duncan, he thanks them deeply and then

names Malcolm, his son, as his heir. Macbeth admits, to

himself, that this is an obstacle to his own ambition. He leaves

to go home to Inverness, to prepare for the King’s visit.

At Inverness,

Lady Macbeth

learns of all these

events and plans to

persuade her husband

to kill the King that

night.

When Macbeth arrives she

suggests this, and then welcomes

Duncan into their castle.

Macbeth tries to prepare himself for

the murder, debating with himself, and

then his wife.

Cleverly, she persuades him to

do it.