LITERARY TREND AND AUTHOR CANON
MACBETH (1606)
LITERARY GENRE
Genre: tragedy.
The play follows the reasons for which people commit evil acts. The hero is willing to murder to secure his position as king and is destined for destruction and downfall. By the end, an entire family is murdered along with the protagonist.
SETTING
THEMES
Main theme: Ambition
Once he has a taste of power Macbeth doesn’t want to give it up and is willing to kill anyone who could undermine his claim to the Scottish throne. But from the position of king, he ends up putting his own desires before the good of the country and is destroyed by his own ambition.
Other themes:
CONFLICT
On a bleak Scottish moorland, Macbeth and Banquo, two of King Duncan’s generals, discover three strange women (witches). The women foretell that Macbeth will become King of Scotland. Lady Macbeth receives news from her husband about the prophecy and his new title. She vows to help him become king by whatever means are necessary.
Macbeth returns to his castle, followed almost immediately by King Duncan. The Macbeths plot together to kill Duncan and wait until everyone is asleep. They kill the king and leave the bloody daggers by the dead king, just before Macduff arrives. When Macduff discovers the murder, Macbeth kills the drunken guards in a show of rage. Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain are blamed for the murder.
Macbeth becomes King of Scotland but he feels insecure. He murders every nobleman who could threaten his claim to the throne. He is constantly tormented by remorse for his crimes. Macbeth seeks out the witches who say that he will be safe until a local forest named Birnam Wood will march into battle against him. Macbeth begins a reign of terror, slaughtering many, including Macduff’s family. Macduff had gone to seek Malcolm (one of Duncan’s sons who fled) at the court of the English king. Malcolm is young and unsure of himself, but Macduff, pained with the grief of losing his family, persuades him to lead an army against Macbeth.
Macbeth feels safe in his remote castle at Dunsinane until he is told that Birnam Wood is moving towards him. Malcolm’s army used branches from the forest as camouflage. Lady Macbeth is ridden by guilt and commits suicide. As the final battle commences, Macbeth hears of his wife’s death. Macduff challenges Macbeth and Macbeth submits to his enemy. Macduff triumphs and brings the head of the traitor Macbeth to Malcolm. Malcolm declares peace and goes to Scone to be crowned king.
CHARACTERS
Characters presented in the analysis of the literary fragment should be adapted to the fragment itself.
POINT OF VIEW
The point of view in theatre is usually objective;
It is defined by
***DO NOT CONFUSE: dramatic point of view is a feature of prose, in which a narrator reports the events of a scene without revealing a character’s thoughts and feelings.
TONE
In theatre, the tone can belong to:
Author’s tone:
Character’s tone: relevant for characterisation.
STYLE
Verse
Language
“If th’ assassination
Could trammel up the consequence and catch
With his surcease success, that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all here,
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,
We’d jump the life to come.”
“None of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth” (this paradox later proves to be a foreshadowing, as Macduff was born through caesarean birth and he is the one to kill Macbeth).