Intro-to-Shakespeare-and-Macbeth PDF

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Intro-to-Shakespeare-and-Macbeth...

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Grade 11 English Literature

Introduction to Shakespeare William Shakespeare is arguably the most well-known English writer in history. He was born in 1564 and died in Stratford, England (his home town) in 1616 at the age of 52. He is known as a playwright and a poet who wrote roughly 37 plays and more than 150 poems (154 of them sonnets); even his plays were mostly written in poetic verse. He is often referred to as “The Bard”. He become popular during the Renaissance, a period during the 1500s where arts, culture and new thought were celebrated. Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne during this time which is why it can also be called the Elizabethan period. Shakespeare influenced the English language by inventing many words and phrases which we still use today. An example is the phrase “the green-eyed monster” which is used when talking about someone who is jealous; it comes from play Othello. “His plays have been translated into more than 80 other tongues and performed in dozens of countries, where diverse audiences all still recognize the timeless elements of the human experience as depicted by a young Englishman 400 years ago” (Shmoop.com, 2021). He was a member of the Chamberlain’s Men (a theatre group which was sponsored by Lord Chamberlain) and performed mostly at The Globe theatre. You can today still visit The Globe in London to watch a play or even take a tour of Shakespeare’s home town in Stratford-upon-Avon.

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Grade 11 English Literature

Activity 1: List the names of any Shakespeare plays you may know

Dramatic Terms: Many plays are structured into Acts and Scenes. Most Shakespeare plays have 5 Acts. Roman numerals are usually used to denote the different act and scene numbers eg: Act II Scene V. All the lines in a play are also numbered just like a poem and each new scene will start with line 1. For example you could be referred to the following Act 3 S IV (l68), this means you need to find line 68 in scene 4 of the third act. Activity 2: Match the following dramatic terms (Column A) to the definition (Column B). Column A 1. Dramatic Irony

2. B-text

3. Stage Direction

4. Aside 5. From within 6. Curtain Falls 7. Soliloquy

Column B A. an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play. B. a remark or passage in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but unheard by the other characters in the play C. a literary device by which the audience’s or reader’s understanding of events or individuals in a work surpasses that of its characters. D. The curtain closes, usually signalling the end of a scene. E. Extra information for how an actor needs to deliver a line. It appears before the spoken text in brackets. F. a long speech by one actor in a play or film, or as part of a theatrical or broadcast programme G. A line/sound that comes from off stage 2

Grade 11 English Literature

8. Monologue

H. an instruction written into the script of a play, indicating stage actions, movements of performers, or production requirements.

Introduction to Macbeth

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is one of his more popular plays having been and still being studied around the world. It was written in the early 16oos and was inspired by Richard III. “The play examines the possibilities of evil and centres on the villain-hero” (Skyminds.net, 2020). The play includes the supernatural in the form of witches who are the representation of evil. The inclusion of supernatural elements in the play is something that was fairly typical of the time period as society had a fear and fascination of the occult. The play ultimately can be summed up as Evil vs Good. 3

Grade 11 English Literature

The play follows how the protagonist (Macbeth) deals with temptation and manipulation by the witches and other characters. This is just one of the universal dilemmas the play explores. We could go into lots more detail, however, we want to try and prevent spoiling it.

The hierarchical structure of Macbeth’s Scotland The highest power in Macbeth’s Scotland was God. The King was viewed as being selected by God and thereby was the most powerful man on earth. The princes (the King’s sons) then followed the king in power. The crown would pass onto the princes when the King died unless they were believed to be disloyal. The next position of power in the Scottish society was Thanes. Thanes were positions of authority given to men (usually brave warriors) by the king. A thane would oversee an area of the country, collecting taxes from the occupants of that area to be passed onto the crown as well providing accommodation to the King when he was travelling in that region. Thanage later become earldom. Woman did not possess positions of authority during this era.

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