Macbeth Background
Shakespeare- Renaissance Drama
Rebirth of interest in
Greek Tragedies
Shakespeare wrote three
types of plays:
Histories
Comedies- has a happy
ending
Tragedies- tragic hero
comes to a miserable
end
Historical Background
The Title Character
based on a
historical Macbeth,
king of 11th century
Scotland
He seized the
throne after killing
King Duncan
Shakespeare’s Sponsor
King James the
First
James interested in
witchcraft- but
didn’t necessarily
believe- used it for
political purposes
Belief about
witches
widespread-
Witches- Famous Three in Macbeth
Witches- Famous Three in Macbeth
Characteristics of Tragedy
Tragic hero must
begin the play as a
person of importance
Someone looked up to
because of position
and/or ability
Cannot be an average
guy
Never a woman
Characteristics of Tragedy
Tragic hero exhibits
extraordinary abilities
Also has a TRAGIC
FLAW that leads to his
downfall
Tragic flaw is usually
associated with
HUBRIS- excessive
pride
Macbeth’s tragic flaw is
driven by his
AMBITION
Characteristics of Tragedy
Antagonist-
outside forces
with whom the
hero battles
Pushes him
toward the
tragic ending
Characteristics of Tragedy
A series of casually
related events lead the
hero to the catastrophe
Catastrophe- the hero
dies, others may die
Characteristics of Tragedy
Right before his death
tragic hero must
recognize his flaw – his
OOPS moment
Gains the pity of the
audience- they then feel
fear- for if this can
happen to a man so
great, what does it mean
for the common man.
Characteristics of Tragedy
Tragic hero
comes to an
unhappy and
miserable
end
Characteristics of Tragedy
Tragic hero meets death
with dignity and
courage
Macbeth somewhat
problematic in the end
for some readers
Question whether or not
his OOPS moment is big
enough
Comic Relief in Tragedy
The following of a
serious scene with a
lighter humorous scene
Gives audience relief
Juxtaposition heightens
the prior tragedy
Terms to Remember/Review
Soliloquy
Speech by a character
ALONE on stage
Shares innermost
thoughts
Only the audience hears.
Aside
Remark from a
character to the audience
Can also be a remark
from one character to
another character that
other characters on the
stage DO NOT hear
Will indicate in the text
aside to- character
name
Aside- to audience only
Verse Drama
Dialog consists mostly
of poetry with a fixed
rhyme or meter
Blank verse- unrhymed
iambic pentameter
Shakespeare pulls
characters out of verse
to indicate something
about his or her
character
Motif:
a recurring object, Blood
concept, or structure in a Sleep
work of literature Manhood
Water
Clothing
Weather
Birds
Light and Dark
Shakespeare’s Language
NOT OLD ENGLISH Unfamiliar vocab:
Archaic word usage Seeling=blinding
Grammatical Forms: Choppy=chapped
thou, thee, thy, thine, and Use the marginal notes
thyself instead of you. in textbook to help with
Outdated Verb forms: meaning.
Art for are He coined words- like
Cometh for comes assassination
Fewer helping verbs:
Not: Don’t you know he
has?
Dramatic Irony
What appears to be true
characters in the play is
seen to be false by the
audience
The audience has a more
complete picture of the
action-watches
EVERYTHING unfold
Themes
Theme: Macbeth Themes:
A central idea or Things are not always
unifying generalization what they seem
implied or stated by the Ambition is often
literary work blinding
Not a subject Power can corrupt those
Must be in statement who have it.
form Superstition often
Should NOT be an affects human behavior
absolute
Can be applied to
humans and life beyond
the text
Key Characters
Duncan Witches
Malcolm Porter
Donnalbain Old Man
Macbeth Three murderers
Lady Macbeth Gentlewoman
Banquo Seyton
Fleance Siward and Young
Macduff Siward
Lady Macduff and her Ross and Lennox
son
Setting and Places
11th century Macbeth’s Castle: Inverness on
Dunsinane Hill
Medieval Scotland
Macduff’s Castle: Fife
Brief section in England Birnam Woods- a forest
with King Edward the Scone-where kings are crowned
Instead: “know you not he has?
Confessor
Unusual word order;
Verbs before subjects
Objects before verbs
Says: “O, never shall that sun
that morrow see!” instead of
“O, the sun shall never see that
morrow!”
