The Tragedy of Macbeth Slide - A brief Introduction

The Tragedy of Macbeth

1. Introduction to Shakespeare’s
Macbeth
John Worston,
Macbeth and Banquo
Meeting the Witches

2. Introduction to William
Shakespeare’s Macbeth
The Meanings of
Macbeth
Brief examination of the
historical context of
Macbeth
–A Macbethfor King James?
Witches and Witchcraft
in Macbeth
For next day:
–Themes and Imagery
–“The Bloody Man”

3. The Many Meanings of Macbeth
A historical thriller
–a fast-moving, action-packed
murder mystery demonstrating
that crime doesn’t pay
A psychological study of
a murderer’s mind
A play of political and
social realism
–how oppressive and
hierarchical society can corrupt
individuals
A play of illusions
–the effect of the mysterious or
supernatural on humans
A play of ideas or themes
–for example, “appearance
versus reality”
A tragedy
–the fall of a great person
brought about by a fatal flaw in
their character

4. Historical Context of Macbeth
Shakespeare was a
playwright, not an
historian. However,
he knew that history
provided great
material for plays:
war, conflict,
ambition, the downfall
of great rulers.
Eleventh-Century
Scotland was a violent and
troubled country.
Feuding families and clans
fought to control trade and
territory.
The castle was the power
base of each rival war-lord
(thane).
Political murder and
revenge killings were
commonplace.

5. The Real Macbeth
The real Macbeth was
born in 1005, the son of a
ruling family.
Macbeth’s father was
murdered by his cousin.
Macbeth married the
granddaughter of the High
King of Scotland (Gruach)
Martin, Banquo and Macbeth on the Heath

6. Duncan and Macbeth
Duncan was the king of
Scotland at the time the
real Macbeth was born
Duncan was 38 at the time
of his murder -a murder
possibly committed by the
real Macbeth.
Macbeth was elected High
King of Scotland in 1040.
Macbeth ruled Scotland for 17
years, during which time
Scotland became comparatively
peaceful and stable.
Duncan’s son, Malcolm,
invaded Scotland in 1054,
supported by Edward the
Confessor.
Macbeth was killed on August
15, 1057 and buried at Iona, the
sacred burial place of the Kings
of Scotland.

7. A Macbethfor King James?
King James succeeded Queen Elizabeth in
1603 -a Stuart, he was already King of
Scotland
Shakespeare’s Macbethmay have been
performed for the first time before King
James in 1606
Macbethcontains many echoes of King
James’ interests . . .

8. A Macbethfor King James?
Banquo (pictured at right)
–an elaborate family tree of the
Stuart dynasty suggests that King
James is descended from a real
Banquo (Holinshed). In fact,
Banquo never existed.
–Shakespeare lays full
responsibility for Banquo’s death
upon the Macbeths
–the change to the traditional telling
of the story was probably made to
appease King James, who hated
King-killers (regicides).
Henry Fuseli, Macbeth, Banquo and the Witches on
the Heath

9. A Macbeth for King James?
King James’ interest in
witchcraft was well
known
King James visited
Oxford in 1605 and
was greeted by three
witches who hailed
him as the descendent
of Banquo . . .
interesting.
Alexandre-Marie Colin, The Three Witches from
Macbeth

10. Witches & Witchcraft
A witch-mania
characterized the
Elizabethan era.
Most people believed in
witches and circulating
pamphlets containing tales
of witches and witchcraft
were the equivalent of
today’s popular
newspapers.
Henry Fuseli, The Three Witches

11. Witches and Witchcraft
Witches were said to have “diabolical” powers. They could:
–predict the future
–bring on night in the daytime
–cause fogs and tempests
–kill animals
–curse enemies with fatal, wasting diseases
–cause nightmares and sterility
–take demonic possession of any individual
–raise evil spirits by concocting a brew
It was believed that witches allowed the devil to suck their blood.
Accused witches were examined for the “Devil’s Mark” -a red
mark on their body from which the devil had sucked blood.

12. Witches and Witchcraft -Misogyny?
Between 1560 and 1603, hundreds
of people, nearly all of them
women, were convicted as witches
and executed
In 1604 an official Act of
Parliament decreed that anyone
found guilty of practicing
witchcraft should be executed
Those who confessed to being
witches did so under torture or
because they were in the grip of
delusions recognized today as
psychiatric disorders.

13. beginning Macbeth. . .
Trance
–“look how our partner’s rapt”
Changed Appearance
–“why do you make such faces”
Inability to Pray
–“ “Amen” stuck in my throat”
Visions
–“Is this a dagger I see before
me?”
Disturbed Behaviour
–“I have a strange infirmity”
Lack of Fear
–“I have almost forgot the taste
of fears”
Indifference to Life
–“She should have died
hereafter”
Invitiations to evil spirits
–“Come, you spirits”

14. Your Journal. . .
Consider one of the following
in a short journal response:
–Only once (in I, iii., l.5) does
someone call the weird sisters
“witches”. Consider alternative
ways of dramatizing these
characters and clarify your
reasoning.
–Compare/contrast two opposing
points of view about the play:
Shakespeare is flattering King
James in his play, Macbeth;
Macbethreflects matters of
interest to the general public of
1605-1606.
Macbeth Tartan

15. For Next Day . . .
Close reading of Act I
(please do this tonight!)
–Pay particular attention to
the themes and images that
are introduced here.
–Jot down a list of themes
and images that appear in
Act I.
–Be sure to reference scene
and line numbers!