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The Tragedy of Macbeth. An Introduction. The Elizabethan World. Characteristics of English Renaissance Literature. Both a worldly and religious age Reaction against the “dark ages” Revival of the learning of ancient Greece and Rome Thirst for knowledge Growing sense of nationalism
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The Tragedy of Macbeth An Introduction
Characteristics of English Renaissance Literature • Both a worldly and religious age • Reaction against the “dark ages” • Revival of the learning of ancient Greece and Rome • Thirst for knowledge • Growing sense of nationalism • Popularity of poetic forms: madrigal, sonnet and pastoral • Rise of drama as an art form • Permanence versus Temporality
Tragic Hero • A tragic hero is an honorable protagonist with a tragic flaw, also known as fatal flaw, which eventually leads to his demise. The concept of the tragic hero was created in ancient Greektragedy and defined by Aristotle. • An Aristotelian tragic hero must have four characteristics: • 1. Nobleness or wisdom (by virtue of birth). • 2. Hamartia (translated as tragic flaw, somewhat related to hubris, but denoting excess in behavior or mistakes). • 3. A reversal of fortune (peripetia) brought about because of the hero's tragic error. • 4. The discovery or recognition that the reversal was brought about by the hero's own actions (anagnorisis).
Tragic hero Cont. The tragic end of the hero ideally, according to Aristotle, gives the audience catharsis, or emotional purgation. He must suffer more than he deserves. He must be doomed from the start, but bear no responsibility for possessing his flaw. He must be noble in nature, but imperfect so that the audience can see themselves in him. He must have discovered his fate by his own actions, not by things happening to him. He must see and understand his doom, as well as the fact that his fate was discovered by his own actions. His story should arouse fear and empathy. He must be physically or spiritually wounded by his experiences, often resulting in his death. Ideally, he should be a king or leader of men, so that his people experience his fall with him.
Macbeth • Setting: 11th century, Scotland and England • Premise: Macbeth, a Scottish general and gifted warrior, encounters three witches who prophesy his rise to the throne. Macbeth and his wife are motivated by ambition and power to reach the throne at whatever the cost. Macbeth is the last of the four -great tragedies" and perhaps the darkest. Almost all of the scenes take place at night or in the darkness. The presence of the witches and powers of darkness augment the dismal and ominous mood.
Macbeth and Witchcraft • In the Renaissance witches were not fantasy; people believed they were minor powers fueled by spirits and familiars • It is impossible to know whether Shakespeare believed in witches or he used fantasy as a literary tool to invigorate his plot. • James I was fascinated by witches so the combination of witches and direct and indirect references to the plot are obvious nods or requests for approval.
Witchy Powers • They could speak with the devil, and with his help they could communicate with the dead. Some could see into the future, • They could make people fall ill by using spells and potions, and kill people at a distance. • They could fly through the air, and make themselves invisible at will, • They use animals such as cats as disguises for the evil spirits who serve them. • They can cause bad weather and storms, affecting ships at sea and spoiling the crops, • In other words, they could be blamed for everything and anything that went wrong,
Ghosts and Apparitions • Shakespeare utilized ghosts and apparitions as dramatic devices • These spirits are seen by some characters but not others; at this time people believed that ghosts and apparitions could limit their visibility • The characters that are ghost in Shakespeare’s plays are generally characters who have been murdered • Apparitions may be malicious or benevolent
Historical Context • Macbeth is the last of the four -great tragedies" and perhaps the darkest. Almost all of the scenes take place at night or in the darkness. The presence of the witches and powers of darkness augment the dismal and ominous mood. • Setting: 11th century Scotland • In Shakespeare's main historical source, Holinshed'sChronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland ( 1587), Banquo aids Macbeth in the murder of the King. In Shakespeare's Macbeth the witches who tell Macbeth that he would be king tell Banquo that he will be the father of kings, but Banquo seems determined not to get involved in trying to make the predictions true. There are many other changes made from the historical source to the Shakespearean play.
What is A gun powder Play? • References to the gunpowder plot-The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I of England and VI of Scotland by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby. • Plot of play involves the apocalyptic destruction of a kingdom • Contains secret plotting and undermining • Presence of witchcraft and/or the supernatural • Tested loyalties
Thematic Concerns • An examination of Ambition • The consequence of pride • A reflection of honor • A quest for power • Appearances and reality • A scrutiny of tyranny versus kingship • The relationship between cruelty and manhood-what makes a man? • The insidious nature of violence • An examination of guilt • A scrutiny of loyalty-which is more important, loyalty to self, family or country?
Learning Log assignment Respond to the following questions for each act of The Tragedy of Macbeth • What is loyalty? What is the true price of loyalty? • What is ambition? How does one’s ambition affect his/her personality? How far is an individual willing to “go” to achieve his/her ambition? • What is power? How does power corrupt • What defines manhood? What is a man?
