The Tragedy of Macbeth

1. It is bad luck to even say “Macbeth” except during rehearsal or performance; instead it is referred to as “the Scottish play.” The remedy, if someone does happen to utter the unutterable, is to leave the room, close the door, turn around three times, say a dirty word (or spit, some say), then knock on the door and ask to be let back in. If you can’t do all that, you simply quote from Hamlet, act 1, scene 4: “Angels and ministers of grace defend us!” The second superstition is that the play itself brings ill luck to cast and crew, and many productions of Macbeth have, in fact, encountered unfortunate circumstances. The supposed origin story for this is that Shakespeare used “authentic” witches’ chants in the play; as punishment, real witches cast a curse on the play, condemning it for all time. The Tragedy of Macbeth Shakespeare’s cursed play

2. The CURSE… If legends are to be believed, bad fortune for productions of Macbeth seems to have started fairly early on: one story is that King James I banned the play for about five years after he first saw it, in 1606. Some say he found the witches’ curses too realistic – having authored a work on demonology, he considered himself an expert. In a 1672 production in Amsterdam, the actor playing Macbeth substituted a real dagger for the blunted stage dagger and killed the actor playing Duncan, in full view of the audience. Female Lady Macbeths haven't been immune. In 1775, Sarah Siddons was nearly attacked by a disapproving audience. In 1926, Sybil Thorndike was almost strangled by a fellow actor. And in 1948, Diana Wynyard decided to play the sleepwalking scene with her eyes closed and sleepwalked right off the stage, falling 15 feet. In the best show-must-go-on tradition, she finished the performance.

3. On April 9, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was reading passages from Macbeth – those following Duncan's assassination – aloud to some friends. Within a week Lincoln was himself assassinated. • In a 1937 production a heavy counterweight crashed to the stage, missing Laurence Olivier, playing Macbeth, by only inches. • In a 1942 staging, with John Gielgud as Macbeth, three actors (two witches and Duncan) died and the set designer committed suicide. • In a Thursday-night performance in 1947 actor Harold Norman was stabbed during the final sword fight in act 5 and died of his wounds. On Thursdays his ghost is now said to haunt the Coliseum Theatre in Oldham, where the fatal scene was played. • In a 1953 outdoor production in Bermuda, during the realistically staged attack on Macbeth's castle, a gust of wind blew smoke and flames into the audience, who fled. Charlton Heston, playing Macbeth, suffered severe burns on his groin and leg because his tights had accidentally been soaked in kerosene. •

4. The facts… Like many of Shakespeare’s Histories, Macbeth is based on Raphael Holinshed’s book Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1577). The Tragedy of Macbeth was written in approximately 1606. The play was written for the British king, James I

5. The Elizabethan Moral Order There is a moral order to the real world, and if the order and harmony of nature are disrupted, nature will step in to “right itself.” James’ belief: The Divine Right of Kings: "Monarchy is the greatest thing on earth. Kings are rightly called gods since just like God they have power of life and death over all their subjects in all things. They are accountable to God only ... so it is a crime for anyone to argue about what a king can do."

6. The three hags… • The sisters are called "witches" only once in the play, as opposed to being referred to as "weird" a total of six times. • The term "weird," as we know, comes from the Old English term "wyrd," meaning "fate" so it seems pretty clear that they're in some way associated with the three fates of classical mythology. • Why does this matter? Well, the "fates" are supposed to control man's destiny and one of the major questions in the play revolves around the issue of whether or not Macbeth's actions are governed by his own free will or by some outside force. It's possible that the weird sisters control Macbeth's actions. On the other hand, it could be that they merely set things in motion and/or represent Macbeth's ambition.

7. The Fates • Greek mythology • Decide a man's destiny • Assign man to good or evil • Choose how long a man lives • There are three Fates. • Clotho, the spinner, who spins the thread of life. • Lachesis, the measurer, who chooses the lot in life one will have and measures off how long it is to be. • Atropos, she who cannot be turned, who at death with her shears cuts the thread of life. • The Fates are old and predate the gods. It is not entirely clear how far their power extends. It is possible that they determine the fate of the gods as well.

8. Act III Climax/Crisis Act IV Falling Action/Descent of the Protagonist Act II Rising Action/ Complication Act V Catastrophe Moral Structure Restored Act I Exposition/ Introduction Renaissance Tragic Plot Structure

9. Themes & Motifs

11. “The Witches,” BBC The first characters we see in Macbeth are the three witches, who are to have a profound influence over events in the play. You can understand their part in the play and their significance better if you focus on some key questions - How do the witches introduce the play? The witches meet in foul weather - they speak of thunder, lightning, fog and filthy air. This introduces Macbeth as a dark, dangerous play, in which the theme of evil is central. "Fair is foul and foul is fair" (Act 1, scene 1, line 11) These words appear to contradict each other - it's confusing. Is that what this play is about? Is everything as it seems? The words introduce the idea of illusion and reality.

12. Act I, Scene 2 • Setting is just as important here. Shakespeare is fond of using contrasting scenes to create tension. The backdrop of the battle conveys a sense of unrest, chaos, and foreshadows the threat to the throne, occurring on two fronts (Norway & the traitorous MacDonwald). • How is Macbeth described? What kind of soldier is he?:

13. Act I, Scene 2 DUNCAN Who is this bloody man? Judging from his appearance, I bet he can tell us the latest news about the revolt. MALCOLM This is the brave sergeant who fought to keep me from being captured. Hail, brave friend! Tell the king what was happening in the battle when you left it. CAPTAIN For a while you couldn’t tell who would win. The armies were like two exhausted swimmers clinging to each other and struggling in the water, unable to move. The villainous rebel Macdonwald was supported by foot soldiers and horsemen from Ireland and the Hebrides, and Lady Luck was with him, smiling cruelly at his enemies as if she were his whore. But Luck and Macdonwald together weren’t strong enough. Brave Macbeth, laughing at Luck, chopped his way through to Macdonwald, who didn’t even have time to say good-bye or shake hands before Macbeth split him open from his navel to his jawbone and stuck his head on our castle walls. DUNCAN My brave relative! What a worthy man!

14. Analysis of the Scene… A captain reports to King Duncan of Scotland that Macbeth has killed the traitor Macdonwald in battle. Another lord reports that Macbeth and Banquo have forced the invading Norwegians to surrender. Unknown to Macbeth, Duncan condemns the current Thane of Cawdor to death for treason and awards the title to Macbeth.

15. Act I, Scene 3 • Note Macbeth’s FIRST words: “So fair and foul a day I have not seen.” • How do Banquo and Macbeth’s reactions differ? • How does Ross greet Macbeth? What crime did the Thane of Cawdor commit? Macbeth: “Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?”—motif, ill-fitting clothing (theme-natural order) • Asides & soliloquies show us innermost thoughts, what do Macbeth’s asides show us? Summary: Macbeth and Banquo meet the 3 witches, who make three preditions: Macbeth will be the Thane of Cawdor Macbeth will be the king Banquo will beget kings Ross and Angus, two noblemen, arrive to tell Macbeth that he has been named Thane of Cawdor. The news causes Macbeth to take the witches’ predictions seriously, and he begins to consider murdering King Duncan. Let’s read… Page 310

16. What somewhat else has to say…“The Witches,” BBC We then hear Macbeth echo these same words - his very first line is: "So foul and fair a day I have not seen." (Act 1, scene 3, line 38) Why are the witches' words in Macbeth's mouth? Are we meant to associate him with the witches and their evil? This echo introduces the idea of a prophecy and prompts the question: Is Macbeth in control of his own destiny? What does our expert have to say about this scene?

17. Act I, Scene 4 • Returned to King Duncan’s castle • Macbeth & Banquo are there to be honored • King Duncan announces that his son, Malcolm, is heir to the throne macbeth.  [Aside] The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step  On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;  Let not light see my black and deep desires:  The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be  Which the eye fears, …, to see.

18. Subtext: The thoughts we imagine a character has as he speaks the words in the text. • “You’ve made me very happy, dear.” • You’ve just promoted me to a better job • You just told me that I won the lottery • You just wrecked my car • It’s not Janie I care about, you’re my hero!

19. Although the words (or text) are the same in each repetition, those words are spoken differently as the underlying thought changes. The term for those underlying thoughts is subtext: Subtext is the thought we imagine a character has as he speak the words in the text.

20. Act I, Scene 5 • Lady Macbeth is reading a letter from Macbeth that explains to her what has happened. • This is our first chance to meet Lady Macbeth—and the scene offers a glimpse into the relationship between the Macbeths. • How does the scene develop the characters of Macbeth & Lady Macbeth (characterization)?

21. “Tossing Lines” • Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand? (2.1.44-45) • I have done the deed. (2.2.19) • Methought I heard a voice cry “Sleep no more! / Macbeth does murder sleep”… (2.2.47-48) • A little water clears us of this deed. (2.2.86) • There’s daggers in men’s smiles. The near in blood, / The nearer bloody. (2.3.165-166)

22. Macbeth Act II, Scenes i-ii Scene I • Banquo is troubled by cursed dreams & thoughts that fill his sleep—sleeplessness motif. It is significant that this occurs just before speaking w/ Macbeth • The FAMOUS dagger soliloquy! • Condtions: • Darkness • Solitude • Mac.’s state of mind • Guilt • Nervous anticipation • Speech is clear at first then becomes rambling “Words give too cold (a) breath to the heat of deeds” i.e. stop talking and just do it!

23. Scene ii • Perhaps the most intense & dramatic scene in the play. • Notice how the imagery build atmosphere and supports the dialogue. • Macbeth is still dazed as he leaves Duncan’s chamber & tells L. Mac. of the murder. • L. Mac is calm & collected—she returns the daggers to the chamber herself & smears the guards w/ blood: “For it must seem their guilt.”

24. Take a look at Act II, scene 2 If you were the play’s director, what direction would you give the actors? Where would they stand? How would they speak? Use the copy of scene 2 to give direction to your actors. Act I, Scene 2--promptbook

25. Act III—Scenes 1 • Banquo’s soliloquy—he suspects Macbeth which naturally makes him think about the prophesies involving himself: MB’s children will not be kings.

26. Macbeth invites Banquo to a supper honoring him. He tells Banquo that he wants his advice but because Banquo will be traveling all evening until supper, he will wait until the following day. • Macbeth asks if Fleance will join him and wishes him well. • As soon as Banquo leaves, Macbeth asks the servant to bring in the men at the gate (murderers) • While waiting, Macbeth soliloquizes…

27. Macbeth: To be [king] is nothing, [unless] to be safely [king]—  Our fears in Banquo stick deep, 50And in his royalty of nature reigns that  Which would be feared. ’Tis much he dares;  And, [added to] that [fearless] temper of his mind,  He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valor  To act in safety. There is none but he 55Whose being I do fear: and under him  My [spirit is frightened]… 

28. Macbeth suggests • to the murderers • that Banquo is • responsible for all • of their • unhappiness:

29. And what about Fleance?

30. Analysis of Act III, Scene 1

31. Act III, Scene 2 • Note LB’s statement: “ Nought’s had, all’s spent, / Where our desire is got without content: / ‘Tis safer to be that which we destroy / Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.” : What makes LB a COMPLEX character? • What does MB mean when he says, “We have scotched the snake, not killed it”? Why does Shakespeare use this particular metaphor?

32. Act III, Scene 2 continued • What evidence do we see in lines 18 – 20that MB is subconsciously troubled? • Note: MB must also appear troubled because LB asks him to not look so bothered and smooth his furrowed looks (brow)

33. Act III, Scene 2 continued • MB advises LB to speak honorably about BQ & not let their true feelings be known—appearances can be deceiving • MB implies that something bad will happen to BQ but does NOT share his plans w/ LB • Images of Hecate & evils associated w/ night suggest that MB believes that evil has taken over: “O, full of scorpions my mind.!” • Analysis of Act III, Scene 2

34. Act III, Scene 3 [Enter banquoand fleance, with a torch] second murderer.  A light, a light! third murderer. ’Tis he. first murderer. 15Stand to ’t banquo.  It will be rain tonight. first murderer.  Let it come down. [They set upon banquo.] banquo. O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly! [Exit fleance.] Thou mayst revenge. O slave! [Dies.] third murderer.  Who did strike out the light? first murderer. Was’t not the way?5 third murderer. 20There’s but one down; the son is fled. second murderer.  We have lost best half of our affair. first murderer.  Well, let ’s away and say how much is done. [Exit.]

35. Act III, Scene 4 • Macbeth’s demoralization is apparent in this scene. • When MB approaches the table & sees the ghost of BQ, he becomes unnerved and speaks in horror TO BQ • LB covers by claiming that MB is ill • MB suspects Macduff of disloyalty & threatens vengeneance • MB claims to keep paid spies in his thanes’ houses (sure sign of fear) • Plans to visit the witches • Says it is easier to live as a criminal than right his wrongs • Plans further crimes but will NOT share w/ LB

36. The Dagger vs. BQ’s Ghost The dagger Banquo’s Ghost Appears in a well-lit hall MB is surrounded by people & needs to put on a “false face” Appears at a time of levity when Mac. Should feel relaxed & safe • Appears in the dark • MB is alone & more susceptible to imaginings • Appears at a tense moment—just before the murder of Duncan Analysis of Act III, Scene 4