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Unit 3: Macbeth

Unit 3: Macbeth. by William Shakespeare. November 4 th , 1605. Gunpowder underneath Parliament Guys Fawkes arrested Attempted to murder the new king

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Unit 3: Macbeth

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  1. Unit 3: Macbeth by William Shakespeare

  2. November 4th, 1605

  3. Gunpowder underneath Parliament • Guys Fawkes arrested • Attempted to murder the new king • Fellow conspirator, Henry Garnet, wrote a book on how to lie under oath: Treatise of Equivocation – lying and deception is a major point of discussion in Macbeth • King James I (VI in Scotland) discriminated against Roman Catholics “Remember, remember the fifth of November…”

  4. May 19th, 1603 • Two months after Queen Elizabeth’s death • King James VI (of Scotland) becomes King James I (of England) • James I changes Shakespeare’s company’s name from The Lord Chamberlain’s Men to: The King’s Men and he sponsors them monetarily. • Shakespeare, it is hypothesized, wrote Macbethto thank the King for this honour. • Evidence: Banquo, a character in Macbeth, was allegedly an historical figure to whom King James traced his lineage back. 18 months earlier…

  5. In the original story, Banquo helps Macbeth murder the king • Shakespeare changes this detail (perhaps to be in James’ favour?) • Other details include: • Having Macbeth murder a stronger, much more mature King Duncan; • Having Scotland ruled under Macbeth’s dictatorship • After the death of Macbeth (in tragedies, the main characters often die) Scotland is ruled virtuosly by Banquo’s descendants. A kingly gift…

  6. However, we’re pretty certain that it was first WRITTEN in 1606 due to a joke in reference to Henry Garnet’s Treatise of Equivocation • “here's an equivocator…who committed treason enough for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven: O, come in, equivocator.” (2.3.8-11) • Implying that though Garnet fought for the Catholics, he is burning in Hell First printed in 1623…

  7. The Great Chain of Being

  8. King James I was frightfully superstitious • He believed that the King was the natural, rightful ruler on Earth beneath God. • Any disruption to his rule would be Unnatural • Wrote The True Law of Free Monarchies as his essay on WHY he should be king • Also believed in the power of Witchcraft and Satanic ritual • Regicide(murdering a king) was a DEMONIC crime God’s Representative and the Natural Order

  9. In Macbeth, the murder of the king leads to nature going haywire • “Fair is foul and foul is fair” – the chant of the 3 Witches in the opening scene is echoed by Macbeth in Act 1, Scene 3 “So foul and fair a day”, foreshadowing King Duncan’s death Theme: Regicide leads to the disruption of nature

  10. Given a prophecy by the 3 Witches: “All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.48) • Trusts the Witches’ words, and grows bold in his ambition. • Given the chance to choose to either wait or act • Chooses evil over good • Begs the questions: Would he have murdered Duncan if the witches had not prophesied his future? Would he have become king if he had not done anything? Prophecy, Free will, and Choices

  11. Macbeth’s wife and partner in the crime • Upon hearing of the prophecy, she pushes Macbeth to act on it • Taunts Macbeth’s manliness to instigate him: “When you durst do it, then you were a man” (1.7.49) • Demands nature to “unsex” her, taking away her feminine sensibilities, so that she may be cold and heartless, in pursuit of the crown Lady Macbeth

  12. “Whenever men are not obliged to fight from necessity, they fight from ambition; which is so powerful in human breasts, that it never leaves them no matter to what rank they rise.” • “…nature has created men so that they desire everything, but are unable to attain it; desire being thus always greater than the faculty of acquiring, discontent with what they have and dissatisfaction with themselves result from it.” – NoccoloMachiavelli How do these quotes reflect ambition? Do you agree or disagree? Do they apply to you? Think about a time you wanted to buy something so badly. Once you bought it, did you use it constantly, or want the newest, best thing? Ambition

  13. See handout Tragedies

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