macbeth

MACBETHMACBETH

By William By William ShakespeareShakespeare

Date Written: Between Date Written: Between 1605 and 1607. For the 1605 and 1607. For the test, just use 1606.test, just use 1606.

Type of Play: tragedyType of Play: tragedy

Setting of Play: Scotland Setting of Play: Scotland and Englandand England

Holinshed’s Holinshed’s ChroniclesChronicles

Written in 1577, it was the Written in 1577, it was the most impressive British most impressive British history England had ever history England had ever seen.seen.

In 1587, it was rewritten and In 1587, it was rewritten and added to after Holinshed added to after Holinshed died. It is the 1587 edition died. It is the 1587 edition Shakespeare used.Shakespeare used.

Probable Main Probable Main Source:Source:

The Chronicles of The Chronicles of England, Scotland and England, Scotland and Ireland (Holinshed’s Ireland (Holinshed’s Chronicles)Chronicles) by Raphael by Raphael Holinshed Holinshed

First Performance:First Performance:Probably 1605 to Probably 1605 to 1607 at the Globe 1607 at the Globe Theatre. It was Theatre. It was printed in 1623 as printed in 1623 as part of the First Foliopart of the First Folio

The Real MacbethThe Real MacbethAn 11An 11thth century Scot who century Scot who took the throne in 1040 took the throne in 1040 after killing King Duncan after killing King Duncan I, his cousin, in a battle I, his cousin, in a battle near Elgin in the Moray near Elgin in the Moray district of Scotland.district of Scotland.

In 1057, Duncan’s In 1057, Duncan’s oldest son, Malcolm, oldest son, Malcolm, ended Macbeth’s ended Macbeth’s reign by killing him in reign by killing him in battle.battle.

Length of Play:Length of Play:18,301 words long, 18,301 words long, the shortest of the shortest of Shakespeare’s Shakespeare’s tragedies. It has no tragedies. It has no subplots.subplots.

Belief in Witches:Belief in Witches:In Shakespeare’s In Shakespeare’s time, many believed time, many believed in the power of in the power of witches, including witches, including King James I. King James I.

King James IKing James IIn 1591, when he was king of In 1591, when he was king of Scotland, a group of witches Scotland, a group of witches and sorcerers attempted to and sorcerers attempted to murder him. Their trial and murder him. Their trial and testimony convinced him that testimony convinced him that they were agents of evil. they were agents of evil. Thereafter, he studied the Thereafter, he studied the occult and wrote occult and wrote DaemonologieDaemonologie, published in , published in 1597. 1597.

Themes of Themes of Macbeth:Macbeth:

Great ambition, or Great ambition, or inordinate lust for inordinate lust for power, ultimately power, ultimately brings ruin.brings ruin.

All things are not as All things are not as they appear.they appear.

Fate vs. Free willFate vs. Free willDeception and Deception and treachery often treachery often disguise themselves.disguise themselves.

Evil BanquoEvil BanquoThe real Banquo is The real Banquo is depicted as a conniver depicted as a conniver who took part in the plot who took part in the plot to kill King Duncan. to kill King Duncan.

So why did Shakespeare So why did Shakespeare portray Banquo in a portray Banquo in a positive light in his play?positive light in his play?

Because James I, the Because James I, the King of England when King of England when the play debuted, was the play debuted, was a descendant of a descendant of Banquo.Banquo.

Preparing a Preparing a ManuscriptManuscript

Writing Tool: Quill dipped Writing Tool: Quill dipped in ink. A quill is a feather in ink. A quill is a feather (latin word “penna”) (latin word “penna”) Goose feathers were Goose feathers were cheapest with crow quills cheapest with crow quills used to make the finest used to make the finest lines.lines.

Illumination: Daylight Illumination: Daylight and candlelight and candlelight (candles were (candles were expensive)expensive)

Dictionaries: No Dictionaries: No official English official English dictionaries existed in dictionaries existed in his time.his time.

When words did not exist When words did not exist to express his thoughts, to express his thoughts, he made up his own- he made up his own- hundreds of them. Some hundreds of them. Some include: include:

Eyeball, generous, Eyeball, generous, investment, obscene, investment, obscene, radiance, torture, unreal radiance, torture, unreal bedroom.bedroom.

Sources for Plays:Sources for Plays:HistoryHistoryMythologyMythologyOther writersOther writers

How Settings How Settings Affected WritingAffected Writing

Shakespeare had to Shakespeare had to write descriptions of write descriptions of them into his them into his dialogue.dialogue.5th5th

Drafts of Plays and Drafts of Plays and CensorshipCensorship

Manuscripts had to be Manuscripts had to be submitted for approval. submitted for approval.

After writing out a After writing out a manuscript, a copy was manuscript, a copy was made (by Shakespeare made (by Shakespeare or a professional scribe) or a professional scribe)

In this copy, obvious In this copy, obvious errors were corrected errors were corrected and submitted to the and submitted to the government censor.government censor.

The original The original manuscript was called manuscript was called the “foul papers”the “foul papers”

The copy was called a The copy was called a “fair copy”“fair copy”

Master of RevelsMaster of RevelsGovernment censor who Government censor who examined the fair copy for examined the fair copy for material offensive to the material offensive to the crown. If approved, the crown. If approved, the fair copy became known fair copy became known as the prompt copy.as the prompt copy.

The Acting The Acting CompanyCompany

Would buy the prompt Would buy the prompt copy, gaining sole copy, gaining sole possession of it, after possession of it, after paying the writer. The paying the writer. The company then wrote in company then wrote in the stage directions.the stage directions.

Alteration of the Alteration of the CopyCopy

An acting company An acting company could alter the could alter the manuscript, with or manuscript, with or without playwright’s without playwright’s approval. approval.

Therefore….Therefore….It is possible that It is possible that editors improved or editors improved or weakened some of weakened some of Shakespeare’s Shakespeare’s manuscripts.manuscripts.

Surviving Surviving ManuscriptsManuscripts

No original copy, or foul No original copy, or foul papers, of a Shakespeare papers, of a Shakespeare play survived to the play survived to the present day except for a present day except for a few pages of Sir Thomas few pages of Sir Thomas More, partly written by More, partly written by Shakespeare.Shakespeare.

Writing FormatWriting FormatProse and poetryProse and poetryMost plays are written Most plays are written in unrhymed iambic in unrhymed iambic pentameter poetry also pentameter poetry also known as blank verse.known as blank verse.

Portions of his plays Portions of his plays are written in prose are written in prose (the form of (the form of communication used communication used in everyday writing in everyday writing and speech and does and speech and does not use a rhyme or not use a rhyme or meter scheme).meter scheme).

Drama Terms to Drama Terms to know:know:

Act: One of the main Act: One of the main divisions of the play. divisions of the play. Shakespeare’s plays Shakespeare’s plays are all divided into five are all divided into five acts. Each act is acts. Each act is subdivided into scenes.subdivided into scenes.

Scene: Time and place of Scene: Time and place of the action of the play.the action of the play.

Alarum: Stage direction Alarum: Stage direction indicating the coming of a indicating the coming of a battle; a call to arms.battle; a call to arms.

Aside: Words an actor Aside: Words an actor speaks to the audience speaks to the audience which other actors on the which other actors on the stage cannot hear.stage cannot hear.

Catchword: A single word Catchword: A single word on the bottom of the right on the bottom of the right side of every page. This side of every page. This word was the first word word was the first word appearing on the next appearing on the next page.page.

Dramatis Personae: List of Dramatis Personae: List of the characters in a play.the characters in a play.

Enter: Entrance onto the Enter: Entrance onto the stage of a character or stage of a character or characters.characters.

Epilogue: Short address Epilogue: Short address spoken by an actor at the spoken by an actor at the end of a play that comments end of a play that comments on the meaning of the on the meaning of the events in the play or looks events in the play or looks ahead to expected events.ahead to expected events.

Exeunt: Departure of two Exeunt: Departure of two or more characters from or more characters from the stage.the stage.

Exit: Departure of a Exit: Departure of a character from the stage.character from the stage.

Flourish: Music usually Flourish: Music usually introducing the entrance or introducing the entrance or exit of a king or another exit of a king or another important person.important person.

Hautboys: Stage Hautboys: Stage direction indicating that direction indicating that entering characters are entering characters are playing hautboys (OH playing hautboys (OH bwah), which are bwah), which are Elizabethan oboes.Elizabethan oboes.

Induction: Preface or Induction: Preface or prelude to a play.prelude to a play.

Prologue: Introduction Prologue: Introduction of a play spoken by a of a play spoken by a character. character.

Soliloquy: Long passage Soliloquy: Long passage in which a character in which a character reveals his thoughts to reveals his thoughts to the audience but not to the audience but not to other characters. other characters.

Stationer’s Register: Stationer’s Register: Book in which the Book in which the English government English government required printers to required printers to register the title of a register the title of a play before the play was play before the play was published.published.

Torches: Stage direction Torches: Stage direction indicating that entering indicating that entering characters are carrying lit characters are carrying lit torches.torches.

Within: Stage direction Within: Stage direction indicating that a person indicating that a person speaking or being spoken speaking or being spoken to is behind a door or inside to is behind a door or inside a room.a room.

Printers:Printers:Operated under the Operated under the control of the control of the Worshipful Company Worshipful Company of Stationers, a trade of Stationers, a trade organization.organization.3rd3rd

If a play met government If a play met government standards – that is, if it standards – that is, if it did not attempt to inflame did not attempt to inflame the people against the the people against the crown- a printer could crown- a printer could publish a play after publish a play after buying it from an acting buying it from an acting company and gaining full company and gaining full ownership of it.ownership of it.

Quarto: A sheet of printing Quarto: A sheet of printing paper folded twice to form paper folded twice to form eight separate pages for eight separate pages for printing a book.printing a book.

Folio: A sheet of printing Folio: A sheet of printing paper folded once to form paper folded once to form four pages for printing a four pages for printing a book.book.