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Macbeth

Macbeth. Jon Finch and Francesca Annis in The Tragedy of Macbeth by Roman Polanski, 1971. Macbeth. 1. Main characteristics. The shortest of Shakespeare’s tragedies Complex psychological analysis of what takes place in the mind of the criminal.

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Macbeth

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  1. Macbeth Jon Finch and Francesca Annis in The Tragedy of Macbeth by Roman Polanski, 1971

  2. Macbeth 1. Main characteristics • The shortestof Shakespeare’s tragedies • Complexpsychological analysisof what takes place in the mind of the criminal James Heath, I have done the deed, 1888. Kansas City, Carbonell-Weinglass Collection.

  3. Macbeth 1. Main characteristics • No villainpitted against the hero • Macbeth begins as a brave warrior but, led byambition, he chooseseviland becomes a murderous tyrantparable of the tragic hero

  4. Macbeth 2. Dramatic structure Symmetrical development Climax Rising action Falling action Introduction Conclusion

  5. Macbeth 2. Dramatic structure Symmetrical development Introduction The first two scenes: the appearance ofthe three witchesand the news ofMacbeth’s braveryin battle The three Witches in Macbeth by John Barnes, 1964

  6. Macbeth 2. Dramatic structure Symmetrical development Rising action Macbeth meets the three witches: their prophecy begins to work onhis ambition. He kills Duncan.

  7. Macbeth 2. Dramatic structure Symmetrical development Climax Banquo’s murder (Act III, Scene 3)

  8. Macbeth 2. Dramatic structure Symmetrical development Falling action Fleance’s escape  the banquet scene  arousing of Macduff  Macbeth retreats to Dunsinane Castle Thèodore Chassèriau (1819-1856), Macbeth seeing the ghost of Banquo, 1854. Muséedes Beaux-Arts, Reims

  9. Macbeth 2. Dramatic structure Symmetrical development Conclusion Final fall anddeath of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth Henry Fuseli, Lady Macbeth sleepwalking, 1798, Musée du Louvre.

  10. Macbeth 3. Themes a. Regicide brings chaos b. Reversal of values: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (the three witches) Henry Fuseli, Macbeth, Banquo and the Three Witches, 1793. Petworth House, National Trust.

  11. Macbeth 3. Themes c. Equivocation and false appearancechain of metaphors connected withclothing Gabriele Lavia in Macbeth, 2009

  12. Macbeth 3. Themes Future timecluster of imagery concerned withgrowth: babies, seeds, plants, trees. d. Gabriele Lavia in Macbeth, 2009

  13. Macbeth 4. Features of a tragic hero 1. Nobility of birth orwisdom 2. A flaw, either a mistake in the character's actions or in his personality that leads to a downfall 3. A reversal of fortunecaused by his flaw

  14. Macbeth 4. Features of a tragic hero 4. The realizationthat the reversal was brought about by the hero's own actions 5. The audience has to feel pity and fear (catharsis) for the character

  15. Blank verseis basically unrhymed iambic pentameter “Macbeth does murther Sleep, - the innocent Sleep; Sleep,that knits up the ravell’d sleave of care” (Act II, Scene 2) Macbeth 5. Style • Use of blank verse

  16. Macbeth 5. Style • If one character ends his speech without finishing his line verse, the following speakercompletesthat line • Inclusion, within the verbal structure of verse, of metrical space for other, non-verbal signs

  17. similes “The sleeping and the dead are but as pictures” (Act II, Scene 2) metaphors “Life’s but a walking shadow” (Act V, Scene 5) symbols “the innocent Sleep” “A little water clears us of this deed” (Act II, Scene 2) Macbeth 5. Style • A striking use of imagery:

  18. “This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself Unto our gentle senses” (Act I, Scene 6) Macbeth 5. Style • Use of dramatic irony: Duncan’s appreciation of the beauty of Macbeth’s castle

  19. a brave general, leader of Duncan’s army together with Banquo urged into action by his wife lacks moral courage ambitious and superstitious becomes cruel and unscrupulous. Macbeth 6. The characters Macbeth Jon Finch in The Tragedy of Macbeth by Roman Polanski, 1971

  20. Macbeth 6. The characters Lady Macbeth • suppresses her natural instinct to plan the murder • strong-willed, supports Macbeth in his weakness • devoted to her husband, she ends up in madness.

  21. Macbeth 6. The characters King Duncan • peaceful and refined • shows poor judgement of human nature Banquo • a contrast to Macbeth in his modesty • does not follow temptation like Macbeth

  22. Macbeth 6. The characters Macduff • becomes important after Banquo’s murder • noble, loyal, patriotic Malcom • Duncan’s son

  23. Thethree witches and their prophecies lead Macbeth to success The chaos of natureon the night of Duncan’s murder Banquo’sghost Macbeth 7. The supernatural Henry Fuseli, The Three Witches, 1788, Zurich, Kunsthaus

  24. Macbeth 7. The supernatural • The apparitionswith their prophecies (Act IV, Scene 1): • the helmeted headrepresents Macbeth himself • thebloody child represents Macduff • thecrowned childbearing a tree represents Malcom • Theair-drawn daggerguiding Macbeth against his victims

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