Macbeth - Introduction to "Macbeth" and Shakespeare Flashcards
What is “Macbeth” about?
+The corrupting power of ambition
+Macbeth is about an ambitious nobleman who murders the Scottish King after some Witches make a prediction that he will rule Scotland
+Macbeth becomes a cruel king who commits many crimes, before he is eventually killed
How successful is Macbeth?
+Macbeth is one of Shakespeares most-performed plays
+Its themes of ambition and betrayal are still relavent today, and the basic plot has inspired many adaptations
What are the major themes in Macbeth?
+Ambition and betrayal
+Shakespeare shows that even honourable men can be corrupted by ambition - Macbeth betrays his king, his country and his own conscience to satisfy his lust for power.
+Macbeth and Lady Macbeth show that power that’s taken unfairly doesn’t bring happiness, but leads to guilt, madness and death.
Who is William Shakespeare?
- The most famous writer in the English language
- William Shakespeare wrote at least thirty-seven plays and a lot of poems.
- He wrote some of the most famous plays in the English language, including comedies [such as Twelfth Night], tragedies [such as Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet] and histories [such as Richard lll]
- Macbeth is one of his best-known tragedies
- It was written in the 1600s, but the story is very loosely based on history - an man called Macbeth was King of Scotland in the 11th century.
Describe the timeline of William Shakespeare.
- 1564 - Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
- 1582 - Married Anne Hathaway
- 1583-85 - Had three children: Susanna, Hamnet and Judith
- 1585-92 - Began an acting career in London
- 1589-1613 - Wrote most of his plays
- 1611 - First known performance of “Macbeth”
- 1616 - Died, aged 52
What are the important places in the play?
- Macbeth’s Castle in Inverness
- Forres Palace
- Battlefield and Camp
- Dusinane Castle
- Birnam Wood
- Macduff’s Castle in Fife
- Witches’ Cave
- Heath
Why was the theatre an important form of entertainment?
+There was no TV, radio or internet in Shakespeare’s time, so going to the theatre was really popular.
+The theatre wasn’t just for rich people - Shakespeare’s audiences included servants and labourers - audiences could get quite rowdy during performences.
+The poorer people in the audience stood in front of the stage - if it rained they got wet; the richer people sat in the covered galleries above.
Where did Shakespeare’s theatre company perform?
+Shakespeare’s theatre company, the King’s men [previously called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men], performed in the Globe Theatre in London.
+This was rebuilt in 1997
In Shakespeare’s age, who played female roles?
+It was illegal for women to act, so the women’s parts were played by young boys [even Lady Macbeth]
Who is Macbeth?
+Macbeth is an ambitious Scottish nobleman - He murders the King of Scotland and takes his place.
Who is Lady Macbeth?
+Lady Macbeth is Macbeth’s wife - She persuades Macbeth to kill the King; she eventually goes mad and kills herself.
Who is Duncan?
+Duncan is the King of Scotland at the start of the play - Macbeth murders him.
Who is Malcolm?
+Malcolm is Duncan’s son - he flees after Duncan’s, and becomes King at the end of the play.
Who is Macduff?
+Macduff is a noble soldier - He doesn’t trust Macbeth an eventually kills him.
Who is Lady Macduff?
+Lady Macduff is Macduff’s wife - Macbeth has her and her children murdered.
Who is Banquo?
+Banquo is a brave soldier and nobleman - He’s friends with Macbeth but Macbeth has him killed.
Who are the Three Witches?
+The Three Witches are evil supernatural beings who can predict the future - Their leader is called Hecate.
What is Act 1 of Macbeth about?
The Witches make two prophecies.
Describe the events of Act 1 in Macbeth.
- The three Witches plan to meet Macbeth.
- Macbeth and Banquo meet the Witches, who tell Macbeth he’ll be Thane of Cawdor, then King - They tell Banquo his descendants will be kings.
- Duncan makes Macbeth Thane of Cawdor - Macbeth starts to wonder if the Witches’ prophecy about him being King will come true.
- Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth about the prophecy - she plans to persuade him to murder Duncan.
- Duncan comes to stay with the Macbeths - Macbeth is reluctant to kill him, but Lady Macbeth convinces him that they can frame Duncan’s servants for the murder; Macbeth agrees to the plan.
What is Act 2/3 of Macbeth about?
+Duncan and Banquo bite the dust
Describe the events of Acts two and three.
- Macbeth murders Duncan - Lady-Macbeth plants blood-stained daggers on Duncan’s servants.
- Macduff arrives and discovers the King’s body - the King’s sons [Malcolm and Donnalbain] leave Scotland because they fear for their lives - making them look guilty of Duncan’s murder.
- Rosse and an old man discuss the strange and unnatural things that has been happening since Duncan’s murder. - Macbeth is about to be crowned, but not all noblemen support him.
- Macbeth is now King, but worried by the Witches’ prophecy about Banquo’s descendants being kings - he orders some murderers to kill Banquo an his son, Fleance.
- The murderers kill Banquo, but Fleance escapes - Macbeth hosts a feast and sees Banquo’s ghost; he decides to visit the Witches again.
- Lennox and a lord suspect Macbeth of murdering Duncan and Banquo - they say that Macduff is getting an army together to attack Macbeth and put Malcolm on the throne.
What is Act 4 of Macbeth about?
The three apparitions
Describe the events of Act four in Macbeth.
- Macbeth visits the Witches again and they summon three apparitions.
- Each apparition makes a prophecy: The first warns Macbeth about Macduff, the second tells him that no one born from a woman can harm him and the third tells him that he can’t beaten until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane Hill.
- When Macbeth demands to know if Banquo’s children will ever rule Scotland, the Witches show him Banquo’s ghost and a line of kings who seem to be Banquo’s descendants.
- Macduff has fled to England - Macbeth sends his murderers to kill Macduff’s wife and Children.
- +In England, Macduff proves his loyalty to Malcolm, and Malcolm reveals that the English King has given him ten thousand soldiers to fight Macbeth - Macduff learns that Macbeth has killed his family, and vows to avenge their deaths.
What is Act 5 of Macbeth about?
Macbeth is overthrown
Describe the events of Act 5 in Macbeth.
- Lady Macbeth has gone mad - she sleepwalks and keeps washing invisible blood from her hands
- The Scottish lords plan to meet the English army at Birnam Wood and attack Macbeth.
- Macbeth hears about the approaching English army - he isn’t scared because of the Witches predictions.
- Malcolm tells the soldiers to cut down branches from Birnam Wood and hide behind them as they march towards Macbeth’s castle.
- Macbeth prepares for battle and finds out that Lady Macbeth has killed herself.
- Macbeth and Macduff meet on the battlefield -Macbeth is sure he’ll win, until he finds out that Macduff was born by Caesarean, so he isn’t born from a woman; they fight and Macbeth is killed.
- Malcolm is made King of Scotland.
What is Macbeth meant to be?
Read not watched
What is a play?
+Macbeth is a play - a play tells a story by showing it to you.
What should you do when reading the play?
+When you read the play, it’s often pretty hard to follow whats going on - try to imagine what’s happening and how people would speak and act - it should all start to make more sense.
What should you try to do when studying Macbeth?
+Try to see the play on stage - if not, watch a film version to get an idea of the story.
What should you remember to do when studying Macbeth?
+Remember to read the play - films often cut scenes and change the language, so it’s dangerous to rely on them too much.
How is Macbeth a typical tragedy?
+It’s about serious topics like war and death.
+It’s sad - lots of characters die.
+The play’s main character [Macbeth] dies as a result of his flaws.
What are the unusual things about Macbeth?
+There are supernatural elements - the Three Witches and their prophecies.
+Lady Macbeth isn’t typical of Shakespeare’s female characters - she’s evil and strong-willed.
+There are a few comic moments - the Porter is a comic character.
What should you pay attention to when reading Macbeth?
+The stage directions
What are stage directions?
+They’re little phrases in italics that tell the actors what to do, when to come in and when to leave the stage.
What are the common stage directions in Shakespeare?
- Enter
- Exit
- Exeunt
- Aside
What does the stage direction [Enter] mean?
When someone comes onto the stage
What does the stage direction [Exit] mean?
When one person leaves the stage
What does the stage direction [Exeunt] mean?
When more than one person leaves
What does the stage direction [Aside] mean?
The character is talking to themselves, not to other characters on the stage
How is the play Macbeth written?
+The play is written in poetry and prose
+Some of the play is written in poetry - but the poetry doesn’t always rhyme.
What are the poetry parts in Macbeth?
+The poetry is the bits where all the lines are roughly the same length, and each line starts with a capital letter,
+Eg.
“Still it cried, ‘Sleep no more’ to all the house,
‘Glamis hath murdered sleep’, and therefore Cawdor
Shall sleep no more - Macbeth shall sleep no more”
[Act 2, Scene 2]
Which characters speak in rhyming verse?
+The Witches, Hecate and the apparitions [the supernatural characters] speak in rhyming verse.
What are some parts of the play Macbeth in?
+Some parts of the play are in prose - prose is any normal sentences without any set rhythm.
Which characters speak in prose?
+Common characters, like the Porter, usually speak in prose.
+Lady Macbeth speaks in prose when she goes mad.
What should you not do when reading Macbeth?
+Don’t stop reading at the end of each line
+Even though each line starts with a capital letter, it doesn’t mean it’s a separate sentence.
+Just ignore the capitals and follow the punctuation.
+Eg. there’s no full stop here so carry on to the next line:
“My hands are of your colour, but I shame
To wear a heart so white”
[Act 2, Scene 2]
What should you also look out for when reading Macbeth?
+Look out for words in a funny order
+Another reason Shakespeare can be tricky to understand is the long complicated sentences.
+It’s hard because the words are in a funny order - if you change the order it makes it easier to understand.
+Eg.
- “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” [Act 1, Scene 3]
- –> I have not seen so foul and fair a day
- “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!”
- –> O, my mind is full of scorpions, dear wife!
What does Shakespeare often do?
+Shakespeare often runs two words together and misses letters out to make them fit into a line.
+There’s often an apostrophe instead of the missing letter - so “Is’t” means “is it”
Eg. “What is’t you do”
+If you come across random apostrophes when you’re reading, you’ll have to work out what the missing letters are.
What different words did they have in Shakespeare’s time for?
+They had different words for “you” in those days.
+People used to say ‘thou’ to be familiar or friendly, and ‘you’ to be more formal.
- Thou = You
- Thee = You
- Thy = Your
- Thine = Your
What verbs look a bit different from modern English?
- thou art = you are
- thou hast = you have
- thou wilt = you will
- thou canst = you can
What is the trick to identify and understand old-English verbs?
+Take the ‘t’ off the end of the verb:
- hast -t = has
- wilt -t = wil(l)
What are some more old-English verbs to watch out for?
- hie = go quickly
- wherefore = why
- hither = to here
- thence = from there
- whence = from where
- ere = before
- hence = from here
- whither = where
