Macbeth Background

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 
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
Antagonist-
outside forces
with whom the
hero battles
Pushes him
toward the
tragic ending
A series of casually
related events lead the
hero to the catastrophe
Catastrophe- the hero
dies, others may die
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.
Tragic hero
comes to an
unhappy and
miserable
end
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!”

Macbeth Background

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Macbeth Background

Shakespeare- Renaissance Drama

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