MACBETH "The story of a brave Scottish general (Macbeth) who receives a prophecy from a trio of sinister witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed with ambitious thoughts and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and seizes the throne for himself. He begins his reign racked with guilt and fear and soon becomes a tyrannical ruler, as he is forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion. The bloodbath swiftly propels Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to arrogance, madness, and death."

MACBETH

"The story of a brave Scottish general (Macbeth) who receives a prophecy from a trio of sinister witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed with ambitious thoughts and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and seizes the throne for himself. He begins his reign racked with guilt and fear and soon becomes a tyrannical ruler, as he is forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion. The bloodbath swiftly propels Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to arrogance, madness, and death." - Sparknotes

MACBETH

"The story of a brave Scottish general (Macbeth) who receives a prophecy from a trio of sinister witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed with ambitious thoughts and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and seizes the throne for himself. He begins his reign racked with guilt and fear and soon becomes a tyrannical ruler, as he is forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion. The bloodbath swiftly propels Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to arrogance, madness, and death." - Sparknotes

context

Characters

Shakespeare's shortest and bloodiest tragedy

Most likely written in 1606

The reign of King James I

Shakespeare plays homage to his king's Scottish roots

Not the most complex

Still one of the most powerful emotionally

Macbeth

Scottish general & the thane of Glamis (?)

Led to "wicked thoughts" by the prophesies of three witches

tempted into murder

becomes king as a result

After committing his first crime, it comes more easily for him

Tyrannical

Often turns to violence and murder

can see no other way to get what he wants

Is undone by crippling psychological repercussions of his actions

Lady Macbeth

wife of Macbeth

deeply ambitious with a lust for power

Initially is the strongest in the couple

Encourages Macbeth into committing his first murder

Turns mad from the guilt

affects her more than her husband

eventually leads her to suicide

The two are portrayed as being deeply in love - Lady Macbeth appears to have an influence of her husband that is primarily sexual # #

Their involvement in crime furthers the joint alienation from the outside world and works to bring them closer together and strengthen their relationship

Tools for teaching

http://www.classicalcomics.com/titles/macbeth.html

PLOT

begins with a trio of witches - moves to a military camp where the Scottish King Duncan hears that his generals Macbeth and Banquo have defeated two separate invading armies

Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches after their battles

Acting out scenes

Use Shakespearean words/names to command a robot to increase familiarity with the language

tableau groups

a scene per group

click to edit