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Introduction to Macbeth

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Background Information SShakespeare wrote the tragedy of Macbeth around 1606, shortly after James I's accession to the English throne, as a tribute to James' Scottish ancestry.

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The story was taken from Raphael Holinshed's historical writings, Chronicles of England Scotland and Ireland, which tells the story of a Scottish king who murdered his way to the throne in 1040.

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BBanquo was founder of the royal family of the Stuarts from which King James was descended MMacbeth also pays tribute to King James' theological interests (he was responsible for King James translation of Bible and wrote Demonology about identification of witches).

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Macbeth as a Tragedy:

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Macbeth deals with a serious issue, in a serious tone, and has a tragic hero

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Macbeth is: 1. A person of high stature 2. He has a tragic flaw.

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3. He is forced to face a tragic dilemma 4. He is neither excessively good nor excessively evil 5. He experiences a downfall brought on by his tragic flaw.

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6. He might experience an Anagnorisis though many Shakespearean tragic heroes did not

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Act I en media res II- risi ng act ion climax IV- falli ng actio n Act V- resoluti on Act III Frietags Pyramid Five Act Model of Shakespearean Drama

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Because it is a tragedy, and deals with serious issues, there are several weighty themes in Macbeth

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Appearance v. Reality: In this play, ideas, actions & even people are very rarely what they seem. The entire play questions the very nature of reality & truth. Are there any concrete truths?

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The play also serves as a cautionary tale that warns the viewer not to consort with evil forces.

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Another theme is that all actions are inter- connected, including human and natural events.

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Motifs: Blood Clothing Supernatural Occurrences Rot and Decay

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Keep this character list in a safe place! Lets pronounce some of the tricky Scottish and Irish names together in order to become more familiar with the pronunciations.

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Study the Character List There will be a short quiz on character names