The Man That Would Be Shakespeare
• Born April 23rd, 1564 • Started out performing with “The Lord Chamberlain‟s Men” • Gave him a chance to write a play • Henry IV, Pt. 1- It stunk but they gave him another shot
• Many playwrights with nowhere to “play” • Barn turned into theatre (Yeah!) • Puritans burn it down (Evil theatre! Boo!) • Globe built! (Yeah!) • Globe burns (sniff, darn cannon!) • Globe rebuilt! (Yeah!) Reconstructed in the 1990‟s • Globe burns (Dang that Fire of London!)
o Aristocrats o The Queen/King o The Groundlings!
• Only men were permitted to perform • Boys or effeminate men were used to play the women • Costumes were often the company‟s most valuable asset • Costumes were made by the company, bought in London, or donated by courtiers
When in a play...
The Cost of a Show
• 1 shilling to stand • 2 shillings to sit in the balcony • 1 shilling was 10% of their weekly income • Broadway Today:
– $85 Orchestra – $60 Balcony – 10% of a teacher‟s weekly salary
• Set in Scotland • Written for King James I (formerly of Scotland, now England) • Queen of Denmark (James‟s sister) was visiting • Shakespeare researched The Chronicles - Banquo is an ancestor of King James I
• King Duncan of Scotland
– Murdered by cousin Macbeth – Honest and good
• Malcolm & Donalbain
– Sons of the King – Malcolm is the eldest son
• Macbeth
– Duncan‟s most courageous general – Ambition to become king corrupts him causing him to murder Duncan
• Banquo
– General and Macbeth‟s best friend – Suspects Macbeth in Duncan‟s murder – An actual ancestor of King James I
• Lady Macbeth
– As ambitious as her husband – A dark force behind his evil deeds
• Macduff
– Scottish general, suspects Macbeth of murdering the king – Macbeth has his family murdered – Swears vengeance
The Scottish Play
• It is believed to be bad luck to even squeak the word „Macbeth‟ in a theatre • Legend has it you will lose all your friends involved in the production--horribly • MORE ON THAT LATER...
• Def. “Man of high standard who falls from that high because of a flaw that has affected many” - Aristotle • Macbeth is one of the most famous examples of the tragic hero.
However, how could John Proctor also be one?
So what really happens? • Good guy goes bad
• • • • • • • • • Guy wants power Married to a pushy control freak She wants power Kills people- LOTS of people Gets power Gets paranoid (a.k.a. goes crazy) Ticks off a lot of people Want more power! Kill! Kill! Gets what‟s coming to him in the end
“Life‟s but a walking shadow; a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And is heard of no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.”
- Act V; s.5