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The Renaissance and William Shakespeare’s, Macbeth

The Renaissance and William Shakespeare’s, Macbeth. Macbeth Introduction. The Renaissance Key Facts. What? “ rebirth ” of classic era (Greek and Roman ideas) When? 14 th -17 th century Where? Spread from Italy to rest of Europe Why is it Important?

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The Renaissance and William Shakespeare’s, Macbeth

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  1. The Renaissance and William Shakespeare’s, Macbeth Macbeth Introduction

  2. The RenaissanceKey Facts • What? “rebirth” of classic era (Greek and Roman ideas) • When? 14th-17th century • Where? Spread from Italy to rest of Europe • Why is it Important? Canadian values and laws are derived from the ideas reborn during this time.

  3. The RenaissanceA New Philosophy: Humanism • . • . • They are capable of learning and they use reason and experience to do so. • They are social, collaborative, and compassionate, not competitive and self-centred. • They try to do their best and choose what is good for themselves and others.

  4. The RenaissanceHumanism’s Effects on Society • _____ celebrated the Divine within the human mind and body. • _______that allowed students to learn through discussing and experiencing, instead of memorizing, developed. Student opinions were valued. • _______other than the Bible were written and read, leading to freedom of thought and access to ideas. • The _________ was weakened, so a new type of government was needed.

  5. New studies, like Science, Math, Architecture, Geography, Astronomy, Agriculture, and Art emerged as a result of access to knowledge and ideas. • People were free to travel; they were no longer “owned” as serfs; Feudalism thus broke down and gave way to Democracy. • . • These people formed a new middle class: _____________. • Exploration and trade boomed—knowledge of other cultures increased. Views of the world changed…

  6. The RenaissanceViews of the World Renaissance views of the world were governed by 2 principles: ______ and _________ Two systems of organizing and understanding the world helped people to feel secure (orderly): • _______________________ • __________________________ (our focus)

  7. 1) The 4 Humours, Elements, and Seasons: Science was developing, but didn’t exist as we know it. • People believed the world was made of 4 elements: ___________________________________________________. • They believed the body was made of 4 humours: ___________________________________________________. • They thought people each had one of 4 personality types: sanguine, melancholic, choleric, or phlegmatic. • And they thought ….

  8. Find your personality type:

  9. 2) The Great Chain of Being: Although greater equality among people of different classes, and among men and women, had been achieved, the idea of organizing the world into a hierarchy was still strong: God Angels Humans Animals Plants Rocks/Minerals

  10. The Great Chain of Being: The Chain was believed to have been__________________. Everyone had a place in the Chain that was considered destined, natural, and divinely created. King/ Queen Nobility Bourgeoisie Peasants and Servants It was considered wrong, rude, greedy, and impious to try to improve one’s position in the Chain. In fact…

  11. If people did not mind their places in the Chain—if they aspired to move up--they would upset the balance of the universe, which was created by God. • .

  12. But what about Humanism? Humanism celebrates human potential, and thus peoples’ ambition, which enables them to actualize such potential. So how can ambition be the root of evil? __________________ To account for contradictions in their beliefs, like simultaneously celebrating and condemning ambition, Renaissance citizens blamed witches. They also blamed witches for other things they couldn’t understand, like natural disasters, humans’ wrongdoings or crimes, and sickness (The Plague).

  13. These ideas of Order vs. Disorder, caused by human ambition, lead us to the play, MACBETH

  14. MACBETHImportant Facts • Author: William Shakespeare • Genre:Tragedy (a play whose hero dies at the end as a result of his own character flaws, usually excess ambition, and subsequently corrupt behaviour) • Written in: 1606, England • Setting: Medieval (1000’s) Scotland • Shortest of Shakespeare’s plays—approximately 1000 lines, as opposed to Romeo and Juliet’s 2500-ish • One of the goriest of W.S.’s plays: 100+ references to blood • Written in BLANK VERSE (iambic pentameter, no rhyme) • The Witches upset the verse—their lines rhyme.

  15. THE CURSE OF THE SCOTTISH PLAY • The play is cursed, and referred to only as “That Play,” “The ‘M’ word,” or “The Scottish Play” by actors and directors, for fear that saying the full name, “Macb—” will bring bad luck. • The film which was produced by Playboy Productions and directed by Roman Polanski. Roman Polanski’s wife was murdered by Charles Manson. (we will watch this version in class)

  16. Macbeththe Setting:11th Century Scotland

  17. Macbeth: the Characters Duncan: good King of Scotland Malcolm: Duncan’s eldest son, heir to the throne, Prince of Cumberland Donalbain: Duncan’s younger son, second in line to the throne Macbeth: Scottish General, Thane of Glamis, later Thane of Cawdor, war hero, friend of Duncan Lady Macbeth —his smart, strong, ambitious wife Banquo: Macbeth’s friend, ancestor of Renaissance’s English King James Fleance: Banquo’s son—his line become the future kings of Scotland and England MacDuff: Scottish General and ultimate saviour of Scotland, restores throne to Malcolm Lady Macduff: murdered wife of MacDuff Ross, Lennox, Mentieth Caithness, Angus: Scottish Nobles Seyton: attendant/servant to Macbeth Porter: Macbeth’s butler, a drunk and a lecher, the comedic relief of the play Hecate: head-witch, leader of the 3 main witches 3 Witches: evil, scheming women with beards and supernatural powers

  18. King James I and the Character, Banquo,in Macbeth • King James IV of Scotland was given the Throne by Queen Elizabeth in 1603. Shakespeare pleased King James I (of England) greatly when he made the most honourable character in the play, Banquo, a fictional ancestor of James I.

  19. Macbeth: the Plot 1) Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, wins a battle against the Norwegians and helps capture a Scottish traitor working with the enemy. 2) King Duncan hears of Macbeth’s victory and plans to make him Thane of Cawdor, too. 3) Before Ross can give Macbeth his new title, Macbeth and Banquo run into 3 witches, who give them both a prophesy: They tell him he’ll be the Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland They tell Banquo his heirs will be Kings of Scotland. 4) Macbeth is later greeted by Ross with the new title of Cawdor, so he starts to think….and believe… 5) He writes a letter to his wife, who plans to get Macbeth to kill the King and take his throne.

  20. 6) The pair invites Duncan to a party and kills him 7) Duncan’s sons flee, fearing they’ll be next, and the crown falls on Macbeth. 8) Banquo and Macduff become suspicious, so the Macbeths try to kill them too, and become drunk with power and corruption. 9) The witches tell Macbeth that he won’t die until a forest moves to his castle and that only a man who wasn’t born from a woman can harm him—so he’s not afraid. 10) Macduff finally gets together an English army, who sneak up to his castle behind tree branches, to Macbeth’s castle. MacDuff, born through C-section slays Macbeth and returns the crown to Malcolm.

  21. …Now, back to the ideas of ORDER and BALANCE in Macbeth… People living during the Renaissance thought that imbalance was a sign of evil. In the __________, Macbeth, the play’s protagonist, a Scottish General, aspires to be King—a position higher in the Chain of Being than his own. This ______________ (_________________) leads him to do evil things and upsets the universe’s ________________________. As a result, the humours, elements, and seasons are all thrown “out of whack.” For example, there are more than 100 references to blood and water in the play. Thus, Macbeth’s ambition is responsible for Scotland’s descent into ______________.

  22. …and how Renaissance people believed that witches led people who are inherently good astray… In Macbeth, Shakespeare… _____________________________________________________________________________. Third Witch: “All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter.”The Witches also create disORDER when they upset the verse of the play--their lines rhyme, but the rest of the play is in BLANK VERSE.

  23. Macbeth: the Big Ideas • Conflicts: • good vs. evil, order vs. chaos, ambition vs. knowledge of what’s right/wrong, clarity vs. insanity, • Themes: • people choose their ultimate ends, unchecked ambition corrupts, masculinity breeds cruelty, tyrannical leadership is wrong, men and women share power and responsibility. • Motifs: • blood, water, darkness, storms/water, tyrannical masculinity, hallucinations, children, prophecy, inverted Chain of Being • Symbols: • blood, rain/weather

  24. The Globe seated people of all classes, but demonstrated Renaissance beliefs in the Chain of Being by having the “Penny Pinchers” at the bottom, and the higher classes at the top. The Globe also showed the Chain at work with its trap doors down to Hell and balconies above for characters playing angels, Nobles, and Royals, etc., to descend from.

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