The Tragedy of Macbeth

Can one selfish act affect our entire lives?

Why are people obsessed with power? Who in today’s society is obsessed with power?

Is it bad to be too ambitious? What is evil? Where does it come

from? Why does it exist?

Ruled Scotland in 1040 Defeated King Duncan

(young, weak, and arrogant) in battle

Enraged many lords and princes by violating Scottish law and naming his young child, Malcolm, to rule after him

Wife not really in the picture

Ruled for 17 years A capable and wise

monarch

Ruled for a very short time

King Duncan is old and wise

Duncan is murdered in his sleep

Lady Macbeth is his partner in crime

Macbeth is evil and ambitious—an unwise monarch

Actors have died—1st night, actor playing Macbeth became ill and later died.

Actors have been seriously hurt Actors have gone insane—Lady Macbeth in 1700’s

suffered a seizure and never was the same again 1672 performance in Amsterdam, real dagger

accidentally used killing the actor playing Duncan 1937 Laurence Olivier’s sword broke and flew into the

audience hitting a man who promptly died of a heart attack

An actress playing Lady Macbeth fell 20 ft in sleepwalking scene

Sir John Gielgud’s 1942 presentation marred by FOUR deaths: actor playing Duncan, two actors playing witches, and the suicide of the production’s designer

Charlton Heston, 1953 suffered severe burns when his robe caught fire

Theatres have caught fire