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Macbeth

Macbeth. By William Shakespeare. About Macbeth. Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays. It is speculated that Shakespeare wrote Macbeth between 1603 and 1606. Macbeth is a tragedy. It is Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy. Who was Macbeth?.

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Macbeth

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  1. Macbeth By William Shakespeare

  2. About Macbeth • Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays. • It is speculated that Shakespeare wrote Macbeth between 1603 and 1606. • Macbeth is a tragedy. • It is Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy.

  3. Who was Macbeth? • Macbeth becomes king of Scotland, according to Shakespeare. • Macbeth’s friend, Banquo, who was not king, was the ancestor of James I of England. • Macbeth was a real person – he is not a fictional character.

  4. The Three Witches • Very similar to the three fates in Greek and Roman mythology • Macbeth and his friend Banquo consult the witches throughout the play.

  5. King Duncan of Scotland • Duncan is king of Scotland when the story begins. • He is murdered, and Macbeth succeeds him as the king. • His two sons (Malcolm and Donalbain) flee to England and Ireland, respectively.

  6. Banquo and the Line of Kings • Macbeth’s friend, Banquo, is predicted by the witches to be the father of a line of kings. • He has only one son, Fleance. • Banquo is murdered, but his son, Fleance, escapes. • Banquo is believed to be the ancestor of James I of England (James VI of Scotland).

  7. Macduff • A nobleman, the Thane of Fife, and friend to Duncan’s children. • He is exiled to England based on a prediction by the Three Witches. • He joins Duncan’s son, Malcolm, in England. Together they begin to raise an army.

  8. Tragedy or Comedy (or maybe History)? • Macbeth, though based on a historical character, is not a history; the story is fictional. • It is not a comedy; not many spectators leave Macbeth smiling and laughing (if you do, you may be morbid)! • It is a tragedy, plain and simple.

  9. “The Scottish Play” • There has been a lot of superstition surrounding the use of the name Macbeth while in a theater. • This has led patrons to refer to it as “The Scottish Play.” • The rumor is that Shakespeare used the spells of real witches in the play, and therefore real witches cursed the play.

  10. “The Scottish Play” • The belief is that to say the name of the play while viewing it will doom the production to failure. • Some believe it will simply cause the play to be a failure. • Others believe it may cause physical harm or death to a cast member during the production.

  11. “The Scottish Play” • Ironically enough, there have been several reports of accidents, misfortunes and even deaths that have taken place during Macbeth. • But who believes in curses?

  12. Macbeth in the Future • Since it’s first production in ~1608, Macbeth has been performed many times (some tragically, pun intended). • Several film versions of the famous play have been recorded as well. • 1948 – Starring Orson Wells as Macbeth • 2006 – An Australian film with Macbeth set to a modern gang violence theme.

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