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Macbeth by William Shakespeare

I. Shakespeare and His Times

- 1564-1616 -Stratford-on-Avon, England - Queen Elizabeth I - Age of Exploration - English Renaissance of 1500-1650 - Ideas that characterized this period that are important to this play are…[listen to lecture].

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I. Shakespeare and His Times

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) is generally considered to be the greatest playwright and poet that has ever lived. His appeal is universal and his works have been translated, read, and analyzed throughout the world. Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets, many poems, and 37 plays which have been grouped into comedies, histories, and tragedies.

I. Shakespeare and His Times

Shakespeare’s plays combine natural human conflict with dramatic flair producing entertainment that appeals to the audiences of today as well as the audiences for which they were written. Shakespeare understood human nature, and he created characters that portrayed human tragedy and human comedy. Some of his characters were fantastic and unworldly, yet they brought to the stage the truth that mere mortals could not.

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I. Shakespeare and His Times

Shakespeare’s plays combine natural human conflict with dramatic flair producing entertainment that appeals to the audiences of today as well as the audiences for which they were written. Shakespeare understood human nature, and he created characters that portrayed human tragedy and human comedy. Some of his characters were fantastic and unworldly, yet they brought to the stage the truth that mere mortals could not.

I. Shakespeare and His Times

Shakespeare was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, in England. The exact date of his birth is unknown; however, records indicate he was baptized on April 26, 1564, at Holy Trinity Church. Traditionally, a baby was baptized about three days after birth, which would make Shakespeare’s birthday April 23, 1564.

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I. Shakespeare and His Times

His father, John Shakespeare, was from the yeoman class and his mother, Mary Arden, was from a higher class known as the gentry class. The marriage raised John’s status in town and the Shakespeare family enjoyed prominence and success in Stratford. This is verified through John Shakespeare’s landholding and his status as an alderman.

I. Shakespeare and His Times

William was the third child of eight, and it can be assumed he attended the local grammar school in Stratford. School ran for nine hours a day, year-round, and strict discipline was enforced. Shakespeare probably attended school until he was 15, which was customary for the time.

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I. Shakespeare and His Times

Around this time, Shakespeare’s father was experiencing financial difficulty, and William probably took a job to help the family. His father was a glover and dealer in commodities, and Shakespeare may have assisted his father in his business, but it is presumed Shakespeare worked in a variety of jobs.

I. Shakespeare and His Times

At 18, Shakespeare had an affair with Anne Hathaway, who was eight years his senior. They married, and six months later they had a child. Susanna Shakespeare was born in May of 1583 and in 1585 twins, Hamnet and Judith, were born to the Shakespeares. Little is known of that period except that the twins were christened in February 1585.

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I. Shakespeare and His Times

Shakespeare’s life became public record in 1592 through a pamphlet written by Robert Greene with criticism of Shakespeare’s work as an actor as well as a playwright. After Greene’s death, the letter appeared again. Almost as quickly as it appeared, Greene’s publisher printed an apology to Shakespeare.

I. Shakespeare and His Times

From 1592 to 1594 many public theaters were closed due to the plague, and Shakespeare wrote poems and sonnets during this period. In 1594, he became a shareholder in a company of actors known as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. From 1594 to 1608 he was completely involved in the theatre.

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I. Shakespeare and His Times

His time in the years 1608 to 1616 was divided between the theater and his family. Shakespeare’s success as a playwright and shareholder afforded him the luxury of owning homes in London and Stratford. His son Hamnet died at the age of 11. Judith had three boys, but all died.

I. Shakespeare and His Times

His daughter Susanna had one child, Elizabeth, who had no children. The recorded date for Shakespeare’s death is April 23, 1616. He is buried inside the Stratford parish church. Shakespeare’s last direct descendant, his granddaughter, Elizabeth, died in 1670.

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Shakespeare’s language can create a strong pang of intimidation, even fear, in a large number of modern-day readers. Fortunately, however, this need not be the case. All that is needed to master the art of reading Shakespeare is to practice the techniques of unraveling uncommonly-structured sentences and to become familiar with the poetic use of uncommon words. We must realize that during the 400-year span between Shakespeare’s time and our own, both the way we live and speak has changed. Although most of his vocabulary is in use today, some of it is obsolete, and what may be most confusing is that some of his words are used today, but with slightly different or totally different meanings.

On the stage, actors readily dissolve these language stumbling blocks. They study Shakespeare’s dialogue and express it dramatically in word and in action so that its meaning is graphically enacted. If the reader studies Shakespeare’s lines as an actor does, looking up and reflecting upon the meaning of unfamiliar words until real voice is discovered, he or she will suddenly experience the excitement, the depth and the sheer poetry of what these characters say.

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Since Shakespeare’s plays are poetic dramas, he often shifts from average word arrangements to the strikingly unusual so that the line will conform to the desired poetic rhythm. Often, too, Shakespeare employs unusual word order to afford a character his own specific style of speaking.

As we read Shakespeare’s plays, we will encounter uncommon words. Many of these words are not in use today. As Romeo and Juliet opens, we notice words like “shrift” (confession) and “holidame” (a holy relic). Words like these should be explained in notes to the text. Shakespeare also employs words which we still use, though with different meaning. For example, in The Merchant of Venice “caskets” refer to small, decorative chests for holding jewels. However, modern readers may think of a large cask instead of the smaller, diminutive casket.

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Another trouble modern readers will have with Shakespeare’s English is with words that are still in use today, but which mean something different in Elizabethan use. In The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare uses the word “straight” (as in “straight away”) where we would say “immediately.” To cite another example, in Romeo and Juliet, after Mercutio dies, Romeo states that the “black fate on moe days doth depend” (emphasis added). In this case, “depend” really means “impend.”

Finally, the reader will notice that some lines are actually rhymed verse while others are in verse without rhyme; and much of Shakespeare’s drama is in prose. Shakespeare usually has his lovers speak in the language of love poetry which uses rhymed couplets.

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When we read a Shakespearean play, we are reading a performance text. Actors interact through dialogue, but at the same time these actors cry, gesticulate, throw tantrums, pick up daggers, and compulsively wash murderous “blood” from their hands. Some of the action that takes place on stage is explicitly stated in stage directions. However, some of the stage activity is couched within the dialogue itself. Attentiveness to these cues is important as one conceives how to visualize the action.

For 400 years, readers have found it greatly satisfying to work with all aspects of Shakespeare’s language—the implied stage action, word choice, sentence structure, and wordplay—until all aspects come to life. Just as seeing a fine performance of a Shakespearean play is exciting, staging the play in one’s own mind’s eye, and revisiting lines to enrich the sense of the action, will enhance one’s appreciation of Shakespeare’s extraordinary literary and dramatic achievements.

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Macbeth

Macbeth

Shakespeare drew from much of his historical knowledge from The Holingshed Chronicles of England, as it was the definitive historical source of that time. The story of Macbeth comes from this source. However, Shakespeare changed several characters to meet the theatrical purpose of the play. In Holingshed’s account Macbeth is older than Duncan, but Shakespeare reverses their ages and Duncan is portrayed as the older of the two.

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Macbeth

Macbeth was written especially for James I and was performed in 1606. James I was King of Scotland when he came to the English throne; his descendants can be traced back to Banquo. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, often referred to in theater circles as “The Scottish Play,” Banquo is portrayed as an honorable man who promotes goodness and fairness. In this way, Shakespeare was keenly aware of his audience and his political responsibilities. His plays reflect not only timeless conflicts and resolutions, but a view of the Elizabethan society.

Macbeth

The society in which Shakespeare lived was reflected in the characters he wrote about. London was a crowded city teaming with aristocrats, working class people, and the poor—it was a hub of activity. By today’s standards the sanitation was very poor. The city was infested with rats, and the fleas on the rats caused the Bubonic plague. There were no sewers, only open drains in the middle of the street. The conditions were difficult; however, the spirit of the people prevailed. It was in this society that Shakespeare wrote and created his characters.

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Macbeth

James I was an avid supporter of the theatre. However, the local London government felt that actors and theater were improper. Therefore, no theaters were allowed to be built within the city limits. These restrictions did not keep the London people from the theaters, however, and by 1600 there were more theaters than ever built on the outskirts of London.

Macbeth

The theater was a much more intimate setting than the theaters of today. The patrons would voice their opinions during a production of a play; some even threw vegetables at the actors on the stage. The theater gained a reputation for rowdy behavior and aristocratic society did not consider theater a respectable part of Elizabethan society.

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Macbeth

THINGS TO

KNOW

Macbeth is set in 11th-century Scotland.

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The Simpsons meet actor Ian McKellan outside an English theatre. Bart insists on saying “Macbeth” in the theatre, and the actor keeps being injured.

IV. Dynamic and Static Characters

Macbeth versus Lady Macbeth—

while you read the play. Pay attention to

who is to blame.

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V. The Weird Sisters and the Tragic Hero

-- Usage of the term “witch” vs. “Weird Sisters”. -- wyrd -- one who pretends or is supposed to foresee.

'I will not be afraid of death and bane till Birnam forest come to Dunsinane‘. Macbeth, Act V, Scene III

Historical References

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1. What is significant about the setting in scene 1? 2. What battle are the witches referring to? How can they “see the future”? 3. Where and when will the witches meet again? With who? 4. Who are Graymalkin and Paddack? What familiar children’s stories have a similar character? 5. What does “anon” mean? 6. What purpose(s) does this scene serve? 7. Line 11 is a paradox. Define paradox and explain this line of the play. 8. Explain the concluding couplet. What other purpose does it serve?

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1. Who is Duncan? Who is Malcolm? 2. What does the Sergeant tell them about Macbeth, Banquo and

the battle he was just in? 3. Who is “the Norweyan lord”? What is his role? 4. What news does Ross bring the King about the Thane of

Cawdor? 5. Explain the pair of couplets at the end of this scene (66-70). 6. What is the purpose of this scene? 7. How is the theme of honor important in this scene?

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1. What have the witches been up to since scene i? 2. With what three titles do the witches greet Macbeth? 3. What does Banquo’s comment to Macbeth after the witches

greeting seem to suggest about Macbeth’s reaction? 4. As Banquo addresses the witches, how does his attitude

toward them contrast with Macbeth’s? 5. Notice the contradictions in the statements of the witches:

“foul” and “fair” (which Macbeth repeats); “lesser” and “greater;” “Not so happy, yet much happier;” “Thou shall get kings, though thou be none.” What could these contradictions mean?

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6. Macbeth demands an explanation for the witches prophesy. How does Banquo answer Macbeth’s demand?

7. Explain Banquo’s lines: a) What, can the devil speak true? (108) b) . . . oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths(123-125) 8. Paraphrase Macbeth’s short soliloquy. (128-142) 9. Banquo comments to Ross and Angus that Macbeth seems

lost in thought and distracted by his “new honors.” How is Macbeth’s response to Banquo significant?

1. Why did the Thane of Cawdor die a noble death? 2. Explain the King’s lines: “There’s no art /To find the mind’s construction in

the face.” 3. How does Macbeth answer the King’s praise and thanks? 4. What is Macbeth’s reaction to the King’s announcement that his son,

Malcolm, will be the Prince of Cumberland? Scene 5 1. Paraphrase Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy (note that it is in two parts--Lady

Macbeth is interrupted by a messenger). 2. What deficiencies does Lady Macbeth point out in her husband? 3. How is Lady Macbeth a contrast with her husband?

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1. Paraphrase Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy (note that it is in two parts--Lady Macbeth is interrupted by a messenger).

2. What deficiencies does Lady Macbeth

point out in her husband? 3. How is Lady Macbeth a contrast with her

husband?

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1. Dramatic irony is a literary technique in which the audience understands the implications and the meaning of a situation on stage, but the characters do not. How is this scene an example of dramatic irony?

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Scene VI: 1. Dramatic irony is a literary technique in which the audience understands the implications and the meaning of a situation on stage, but the characters do not. How is this scene an example of dramatic irony?

1. Paraphrase Macbeth’s soliloquy. 2. How does Lady Macbeth change Macbeth’s mind

about murdering Duncan?

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1. Who is Fleance? 2. What evidence suggests that Banquo is

nervous and agitated? 3. Explain the dramatic irony in Duncan’s gift to

Lady Macbeth. 4. How does Macbeth lie to Banquo in this

scene?

5. Explain the following exchange: If you shall cleave to my consent, when 'tis, It shall make honour for you. So I lose none In seeking to augment it, but still keep My bosom franchised and allegiance clear, I shall be counsell'd.

6. What does the bell signal? 7. How does the first half of Macbeth’s soliloquy

contrast with the second half?

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1. What seems unusual about the contrasting ways that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth react to the murder? In what ways is Lady Macbeth more depraved, evil and wicked than her husband?

2. What dramatic effects are achieved by

having the murder take place offstage?

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1. The opening section of this scene provides low comic relief. Why?

2. What elements of the porter’s comments apply to the

dramatic action of the play? 3. What is significant about Lennox’s description of the night? 4. Explain the irony in Macduff’s lines:

O gentle lady, 'Tis not for you to hear what I can speak: The repetition, in a woman's ear, Would murder as it fell.

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5. How is Lady Macbeth’s response to Macduff an error in judgment: “What, in our house?”?

6. Explain Macbeth’s speech:

Had I but died an hour before this chance, I had lived a blessed time; for, from this instant, There 's nothing serious in mortality: All is but toys: renown and grace is dead; The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees Is left this vault to brag of.

7. How does Macbeth respond to Macduff’s question, “Wherefore did you so?”

8. Why do Malcolm and Donalbain flee?

7. How does Macbeth respond to Macduff’s question, “Wherefore did you so?”

8. Why do Malcolm and Donalbain flee?

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1. What strange events do Ross and the old man talk about?

2. What news about the murder does Macduff tell

Ross? 3. What seems to be Macduff’s attitude toward the

murder and its aftermath? 4. What purpose does this scene serve?

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Macbeth does not strictly follow the plot structure of Greek tragedy, or of most of Shakespeare’s other plays. The climax occurs very early in the play; everything that follows is the result of that moment.

One theory for this involves James I. The play was partly written

for His Majesty’s pleasure, and many points in the story clearly aim to praise him and his family life.

James I was descended from the historical (“real-life”) Banquo.

Since the play was written for the King, his engagement with the parts of the plot that deal with his family would be most significant to him.

In Act III, sc. iii – the traditional point of climax – Banquo meets his

fate. It could be argued that this is actually the point of highest tension in the story for its intended audience.

1. What are Banquo’s concerns about Macbeth? 2. What is Macbeth’s manner in questioning Banquo? What questions does

Macbeth ask Banquo? Why? 3. What concerns does Macbeth have about the witches prophesy, Banquo,

and Banquo’s sons? 4. According to Macbeth, why is Banquo the murderers’ enemy? 5. What seems to be the murderers’ primary reason for agreeing to kill

Banquo and Fleance? 6. How have Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and their relationship changed since

the murder of Duncan?

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7. How does Macbeth react when he sees Banquo’s ghost?

8. How does Lady Macbeth try to cover-up or excuse

Macbeth’s reaction? 9. How does Lady Macbeth criticize Macbeth when

she addresses him privately? 10. What becomes clear to Macbeth’s guests?

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11. What comments does Macbeth make to Lady Macbeth about Macduff and the weird sisters?

12. Explain the following lines: I am in blood Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er.

13. Note the authorship question regarding this scene. Also note the meter change and the song-like quality of Hecate’s speech.

14. Who is Hecate? What does she want? 15. Explain the following lines: “And you all

know, security / Is mortals’ greatest enemy.”

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16. What is Lennox’s attitude toward the murders of Duncan and Banquo?

17. Where are Malcolm and Macduff? Why?

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1. What is the message of each of the three apparitions?

2. What is the significance of the form each apparition takes?

3. What is the answer to Macbeth’s question: “shall Banquo’s issue ever / Reign in this kingdom?”

4. What is the historical significance of the apparition’s answer

to Macbeth’s question about “Banquo’s issue”? 5. Lennox tells Macbeth that Macduff has “fled to England.”

What does Macbeth intend to do in response to Macduff’s action?

6. How does Lady Macduff react to the news that her husband has gone to England?

7. How does Ross respond to Lady Macduff’s

unhappiness? 8. Explain Ross’s statement: “ . . . should I stay

longer / It would be my disgrace and your discomfort.”

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9. What is the mood or tone of the conversation between Lady Macduff and her son?

10. Explain Lady Macduff’s speech in response

to the messenger. 11. What point does this scene make about

being a traitor during the rule of a tyrant?

12. How does Malcolm test Macduff’s loyalty? 13. What specials powers of the King of England do

the doctor and Malcolm describe? Explain the symbolism here.

14. Ross, Macduff and Malcolm each have different

reactions to the murder of Macduff’s family. What is each man’s reaction?

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Catastrophe

1. What is Lady Macbeth’s state of mind? What punishment does Lady Macbeth suffer as a result of her crime?

2. Which crime apparently troubles her the most? Which of her words are received by the nurse and recalled by the continuing of her washing her hands?

3. What is the attitude of the physician?

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4. Briefly explain the conversation of these Scottish noblemen, Menteith, Caithness, Angus and Lennox. What important developments are announced in this scene?

5. What does Macbeth’s opening speech reveal to us? What does Macbeth’s speech to Seyton reveal to us?

6. What does Macbeth resolve to do? Why? 7. In what spirit does Macbeth seem to

approach the battle? Does he lack physical or moral courage? Support your answer.

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There are no questions for this scene;

however, this is where we start the Essay.

8. What news does Seyton bring Macbeth? 9. The final soliloquy of Macbeth is one of the most famous passages of this

tragic drama.

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow 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.

Explain the four metaphors in Macbeth’s soliloquy.

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10. In what three ways does Macbeth express the span of life?

11. How does he express the futility of life? 12. What prophecy of the witches is fulfilled in

this scene? How? What is the significance of the form of this apparition from Act IV?

13. Why is Macbeth not troubled by the cry of women? In what frame of mind does he accept Lady Macbeth’s death?

14. What news does the messenger bring? How

does Macbeth now regard the witches? The prophecies? What is the significance of the form of this apparition from Act IV?

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The last oak in Birnam Wood. (c. 2005)

15. Explain the action in this scene. What is the spirit of the forces opposing Macbeth?

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16. Explain the action in this scene and Malcolm’s speech at the end.

17. Why does Macbeth not wish to encounter

Macduff? What is the significance of the form of this apparition from Act IV?

18. What opinion does Malcolm set forth concerning Lady Macbeth’s death?