Week 50: Macbeth (1)

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 5,6

Macbeth (1)

Week 50
The Shakespeare Reader
Havo 5 & Vwo 6

Assignment 1: Shakespeare

- Deadline = This Friday!                              Topics:

- 400-500 words                                         - Shakespeare's influence

- background article                                         on English
- research & write                                          - A Shakespeare play vs. 
                                                                               a movie
                                                                             - Elizabeth I vs. James I
                                                                             - Your own topic ? 

Macbeth (1)

Week 50

Take a guess: True or False "Macbeth is Shakespeare's shortest play."

1. True
2. False

During King James's reign, how many women were burned at the stake for witchcraft in Scotland?

1. 2000
2. 3000
3. 4000
4. 5000

Macbeth kills lots of soldiers and side characters, but how many main characters do you think he kills?

1. 2
2. 3
3. 4
4. 5

Macbeth

- Shakespeare's shortest & bloodiest play

- Macbeth (Scottish general) hears a prophecy by 3 witches

- He & his wife murder King Duncan 

- Becomes tyranical ruler

- New prophecy: Macbeth thinks he's invulnerable 

- Plot twist: prohecy interpreted differently becomes reality

- Macbeth gets defeated & dies

King James I

- Macbeth written in 1606,
   under James I reign

- James I of England =
   James IV of Scotland 

- Witch-hunting
   (James's obsession)

- 4000 women killed

Macbeth & James I

- Written for King James I
- Focused on Scotland

- Focused on kings & courts

- Focused on witches

= all interests of King James I 

Supernatural Elements

- The witches

- Apparitions 

- Floating dagger (leads Macbeth
   to his victim King Duncan)

- Prophecies 

Two acts in the reader: 

Act 1.7 = Lady Macbeth pushing Macbeth to kill King Duncan

Act 4.1 = the Witches and Macbeth 

Which of the following is not an obsession of King James?

1. Kings & courts
2. Books & Laws
3. Scotland
4. Witch Hunting

When was Macbeth written?

1. 1602
2. 1606
3. 1615
4. 1628

Which of the following is not a supernatural element in Macbeth?

1. Apparitions
2. Witches
3. Prophecies
4. Ghosts

Who do Macbeth and his wife kill?

1. King Duncan
2. King Bernard
3. King David
4. King Bob

Macbeth is Shakespeare's... ?

1. Longest and bloodiest play
2. Shortest and bloodiest play
3. Longest and saddest play
4. Shortest and saddest play

Shakespeare Reader

- Read the background information for week 50 & 51 + act 1.7

- Answer the questions (use the internet)

- Read through / work on the first assignment
(Deadline = 14 December = This Friday!)