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