Introduction to Macbeth part II

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Why we read Macbeth

Watch the film Why should we read Macbeth. While watching, take notes in order to be able to name at least one timeless or universal/ubiquitous/omnipresent theme conveyed in Macbeth.

Vocabulary

politically precarious

rowdy audience

ensuing bloodbath

universality of death and futility of life

What themes are conveyed in Macbeth? 

Themes conveyed in Macbeth

guilt                                          reality and appearances

abuse of power                   kingship

loyalty & betrayal               politics and morality

good & evil                            universality of death & futility of life

fate & free will

violence

AS YOU LIKE IT  a comedy by W. Shakespeare

All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,

Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms;

And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel

And shining morning face, creeping like snail

Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,

Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad

Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,

Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,

Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,

Seeking the bubble reputation

Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,

In fair round belly with good capon lin’d,

                          UNIVERSAL SHAKESPEARE

With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,

Full of wise saws and modern instances;

And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts

Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon,

With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;

His youthful hose, well sav’d, a world too wide

For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,

Turning again toward childish treble, pipes

And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,

That ends this strange eventful history,

Is second childishness and mere oblivion;

Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything

All the World Is a Stage

In 'All The World Is a Stage' Shakespeare discusses the futility of humanity's place in the world. He explores themes of time, aging, memory, and the purpose of life. Through the monologue central metaphor that everyone is simply a player in a larger game that they have no control over, he brigs the themes together. Shakespeare takes the reader thorough the stages of life, starting with infancy and childhood and ending up with an old man who's been a lover, a soldier, and a judge. The "man" dies after reverting back to a state that's close to childhood and infancy. What does it mean, then, to live a good life? 

What is the main theme conveyed in the poem "All the World Is a Stage". Write a short paragraph and upload a photo of your answer.

Why study Macbeth? 

Watch a short documentary film :Shakespeare in Conversation' and answer the questions below. Your answers will be shared in lesson up. you will answer each question separately (slides 9, 10, 11)

1. Why do we still study Macbeth? 
2. How does Shakespeare use verse and prose?
3. What themes are conveyed in Macbeth? 

Why do we still study Shakespeare? 

• Shakespeare is about humans, and humans do not change.
• His plays are set all around the world.
• His plays are relatable.
• There are few stage directions; the setting of Shakespeare's plays is timeless. 

How does Shakespeare use verse and prose?

• nobility (higher status) speak in verse - iambic pentameter (unstressed - stressed syllable)
• comedic characters speak in prose
• supernatural characters speak in trochaic tetrameter (eight syllables per line; pattern: stressed - unstressed syllable)

What themes are conveyed in Macbeth? 

• power; who has the right to have power
• power & ambition, external corrupting influences
• courage, bravery, and the nature of bad decision making
• kings are chosen by God
• witchcraft and the supernatural are greatly feared
• manhood and womanhood; the roles of men and women are different