Students will be studying William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth.

Before we start studying the play, let’s remind ourselves of what it was like to see a Shakespearean play performed when it was written. Take a virtual tour of the famous Globe Theatre http://www.english.cam.ac.uk/converse/movies/sound_globe.swf

For such a famous man, surprisingly little is really known about Shakespeare. How much do you know? Improve your knowledge by completing this Introduction to Shakespeare
The exact date that Shakespeare wrote the tragedy  Macbeth is not certain, but 1606 seems to be the date most experts agree on. There have been thousands of performances of this tragedy. Many famous actors have played the role of Macbeth, including Ethan Hawke, Sam Worthington and Kenneth Branagh. A new movie of the play, starring Michael Fassbender was released in 2015.

MACBETH: the Scottish play

This play is Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy, because the impetuous hero, Macbeth, did not stop to think enough!  People still love the play because, despite being over 400 years old, it continues to speak powerfully to us.  It is a study of the dangers of ambition and how people will risk their own soul to achieve their goals while trampling others in the process. Shakespeare knew life at court, with all the talented and competitive figures gathered there: Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Francis Drake, John Dee the fine mathematician, navigator and white magician… imagine the excitement, imagine the politics!

In 1603, Elizabeth I died and Shakespeare began to write for a new king, James I.  Having already supported the right to rule of Elizabeth’s Tudor line, Shakespeare did the same for James’ Stuart line.  He created a flattering portrait of Banquo, James’ ancestor.  As well, Shakespeare wrote on the nature of evil in Macbeth, catering to his new king’s interest in witchcraft.  James had tortured an alleged witch who was said to have plotted to kill him, had investigated other accused witches and had even written a book called Demonology in 1597.  Nothing like pleasing the boss!  Yet Shakespeare presents the real problem as ambition, the flaw in Macbeth’s moral armour which allows evil to begin its corrosive work.

We will study this play by reading it aloud, watching a film version and by close reading of key speeches.

If you find the original language of Shakespeare challenging modern ‘translations’ can be accessed at online sites like No Fear Shakespeare.