Monday, April 2, 2012

Macbeth Background Notes


  • written by Shakespeare
  • tone: dark
  • first performed at Hampton Court Palace before James 1
  • based on real facts
  • witchcraft 
  • Even though he murdered Duncan, Macbeth is still made king.
  • "Macbeth"= "son of life"
  • three witches= the three Fates of Greek mythology and the three Norns of Norse mythology
  • 1950: decided that Macbeth was written to please King James
  • Lady Macbeth= misogynist
  • play full of ambiguity, double meanings, and prophecies
  • deeper meaning of Macbeth: to show us our own lives and make us think
  • Shakespeare used and twisted history to better the play and further please King James 1 
  • main historical source used to create Macbeth: Holinshed's Chronicles of Scottish History
  • during Dark Ages
  • most spectacular elements: witches and ghost of Banquo
  • Shakespeare invented to make play more dramatic and intense
  • dramatic alterations serve three main purposes: 
    • the dramatic purpose of producing a more exciting story than is found in sources
    • the thematic purpose of creating a more complex characterization of Macbeth
    • the political purpose of catering to the beliefs of the reigning monarch, King James the First

No comments:

Post a Comment