Transcript Macbeth
The Man That Would Be Shakespeare • Born April 23rd, 1564 • Started out performing with “The Lord Chamberlain’s Men” • Gave him a chance to write a play • Henry IV, Pt. 1- It stunk but they gave him another shot • Many playwrights with nowhere to “play” raised money to have it built • Barn turned into theatre • Puritans burn it down (Evil theatre! Boo!) • Globe built! (Yeah!) • Globe burns (sniff, darn cannon!) • Globe rebuilt! (Yeah!) Reconstructed in the 1990’s • Globe burns (Dang that Fire of London!) o Aristocrats o The Queen/King o The Groundlings! When in a play... • Only men were permitted to perform • Boys or effeminate men were used to play the women • Costumes were often the company’s most valuable asset • Costumes were made by the company, bought in London, or donated by courtiers The Cost of a Show • 1 shilling to stand • 2 shillings to sit in the balcony • 1 shilling was 10% of their weekly income • Toronto Theatres: – $120 Orchestra – $60 Balcony – 10% of a teacher’s weekly salary • Set in Scotland • Written for King James I (formerly of Scotland, now England) • Queen of Denmark (James’s sister) was visiting • Shakespeare researched The Chronicles (Banquo is an ancestor of James I) & read about witchcraft • King Duncan of Scotland – Murdered by cousin Macbeth – Honest and good • Malcolm & Donalbain – Sons of the King – Malcolm is the eldest son • Macbeth – Duncan’s most courageous general – Ambition to become king corrupts him causing him to murder Duncan • Banquo – General and Macbeth’s best friend – Suspects Macbeth in Duncan’s murder – An actual ancestor of King James I • Lady Macbeth – As ambitious as her husband – A dark force behind his evil deeds • Macduff – Scottish general, suspects Macbeth of murdering the king – Macbeth has his family murdered – Swears vengeance The Scottish Play • It is believed to be bad luck to even squeak the word ‘Macbeth’ in a theatre • Legend has it you will lose all your friends involved in the production--horribly • MORE ON THAT LATER... • Def’n: “Man of high standard who falls from that high because of a flaw that has affected many” - Aristotle • Macbeth is one of the most famous examples of the tragic hero. What is Macbeth’s tragic flaw? So what really happens? • Good guy, loved by all (including the king) and all is well with the kingdom • Good guy goes bad • Guy covet power; the power of the king • Married to a pushy control freak • She wants power, too • Seeks out the witches to tell him his fortune & falls into the trap of only seeing what he wants to see and believe what he wants to believe • He (with her help) kills people- LOTS of people • He gets the power he wanted • He becomes paranoid because of his own • Ticks off a lot of people along the way; important peopl • Still wants more power! Kill! Kill! • Gets what’s coming to him in the end • Good is restored to the kingdom “To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. V, v, 19-28 It would be a tragedy to NEVER read Macbeth because it teaches us that the corrupting power of unchecked ambition is man’s ultimate downfall.