Free Will, Witches, Murder, and Macbeth, Part 1: Crash Course Literature 409
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Date: 2022-04-04
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Comments and reviews: 10
Stella
Macbeth (full title: The Tragedy of Macbeth) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare; it is thought to have been first performed in 1606.
It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake.
Of all the plays that Shakespeare wrote during the reign of James I, who was patron of Shakespeare's acting company, Macbeth most clearly reflects the playwright's relationship with his sovereign.
It was first published in the Folio of 1623, possibly from a prompt book, and is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy.
A brave Scottish general named Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland.
Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself.
He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia.
Forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion, he soon becomes a tyrannical ruler.
The bloodbath and consequent civil war swiftly take Macbeth and Lady Macbeth into the realms of madness and death.
Shakespeare's source for the story is the account of Macbeth, King of Scotland; Macduff; and Duncan in Holinshed's Chronicles (1587, a history of England, Scotland, and Ireland familiar to Shakespeare and his contemporaries, although the events in the play differ extensively from the history of the real Macbeth.
The events of the tragedy are usually associated with the execution of Henry Garnet for complicity in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
In the backstage world of theatre, some believe that the play is cursed, and will not mention its title aloud, referring to it instead as -The Scottish Play-.
Over the course of many centuries, the play has attracted some of the most renowned actors to the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
It has been adapted to film, television, opera, novels, comics, and other media.
reply
Macbeth (full title: The Tragedy of Macbeth) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare; it is thought to have been first performed in 1606.
It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake.
Of all the plays that Shakespeare wrote during the reign of James I, who was patron of Shakespeare's acting company, Macbeth most clearly reflects the playwright's relationship with his sovereign.
It was first published in the Folio of 1623, possibly from a prompt book, and is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy.
A brave Scottish general named Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland.
Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself.
He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia.
Forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion, he soon becomes a tyrannical ruler.
The bloodbath and consequent civil war swiftly take Macbeth and Lady Macbeth into the realms of madness and death.
Shakespeare's source for the story is the account of Macbeth, King of Scotland; Macduff; and Duncan in Holinshed's Chronicles (1587, a history of England, Scotland, and Ireland familiar to Shakespeare and his contemporaries, although the events in the play differ extensively from the history of the real Macbeth.
The events of the tragedy are usually associated with the execution of Henry Garnet for complicity in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
In the backstage world of theatre, some believe that the play is cursed, and will not mention its title aloud, referring to it instead as -The Scottish Play-.
Over the course of many centuries, the play has attracted some of the most renowned actors to the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
It has been adapted to film, television, opera, novels, comics, and other media.
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Boogie
I agree with your definition of a witch hunt. Still, there is a BIG issue to take into consideration: Who defines who is socially oppressed? It seems to me that ironically, the people who establish those definitions ARE the ones in power. Modern identity politics (left and right) strive for a new segregation under the guise of -equality- but neither would EVER support an oppressed individual from -the opposite- group. It may take us a couple more revolutions around the sun to stop dividing humans into arbitrary groups. We still live in the reality of A Streetcar Named Desire. Oppression is more complex than any of the loud talkers are willing to admit, and it is always something to stand against, no matter the identity of the victim.
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I agree with your definition of a witch hunt. Still, there is a BIG issue to take into consideration: Who defines who is socially oppressed? It seems to me that ironically, the people who establish those definitions ARE the ones in power. Modern identity politics (left and right) strive for a new segregation under the guise of -equality- but neither would EVER support an oppressed individual from -the opposite- group. It may take us a couple more revolutions around the sun to stop dividing humans into arbitrary groups. We still live in the reality of A Streetcar Named Desire. Oppression is more complex than any of the loud talkers are willing to admit, and it is always something to stand against, no matter the identity of the victim.
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Zach
this is great! but i wish he would do a third part on the Actual Historical Mael Bethad Mac Findleach, who had a pretty good run as Mormaer of Moray and then High King of Picts in the middle of the 11th Century. and Might be a bad guy in the Orkneylingas Saga. and wow, holinshead sucks with the historicity.
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this is great! but i wish he would do a third part on the Actual Historical Mael Bethad Mac Findleach, who had a pretty good run as Mormaer of Moray and then High King of Picts in the middle of the 11th Century. and Might be a bad guy in the Orkneylingas Saga. and wow, holinshead sucks with the historicity.
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gkarjala
Sheakspears ability to play with cause/affect/predetermination was amazing, leaving a trough on the side of my head from scratching. But he was so skilled at slowely, unknowingly to you, to develop characters as well. Yet the other side of my head has a trough too because. just becuz.
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Sheakspears ability to play with cause/affect/predetermination was amazing, leaving a trough on the side of my head from scratching. But he was so skilled at slowely, unknowingly to you, to develop characters as well. Yet the other side of my head has a trough too because. just becuz.
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Otsana
John Green: so macbeth is like -well trees can't travel so i got this. -
Also John Green: He says no one of a woman born can hurt me and Macduff's like, -I was a C-section baby! - And then he lops of Macbeth's head.
Me: --hysterically rolling on the floor in tears--
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John Green: so macbeth is like -well trees can't travel so i got this. -
Also John Green: He says no one of a woman born can hurt me and Macduff's like, -I was a C-section baby! - And then he lops of Macbeth's head.
Me: --hysterically rolling on the floor in tears--
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Amaranth
I can absolutely confirm that the curse is real. Twice we dared to utter the name upon productions of our high school plays - one of our actresses lost her voice, the sound and lighting went haywire, and at one point, most everyone forgot their lines.
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I can absolutely confirm that the curse is real. Twice we dared to utter the name upon productions of our high school plays - one of our actresses lost her voice, the sound and lighting went haywire, and at one point, most everyone forgot their lines.
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Whip
Yes! Thomas Middleton! He-s the great witch writer. Well actually Middleton cheated a little and took some inspiration from Reginald Scot. That opens up a whole other can of worms.
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Yes! Thomas Middleton! He-s the great witch writer. Well actually Middleton cheated a little and took some inspiration from Reginald Scot. That opens up a whole other can of worms.
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Anusha
But how does one not believe in prophecies. However rational one is, it is bound to creep in; the thought once entered sits quietly in some corner of the mind
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But how does one not believe in prophecies. However rational one is, it is bound to creep in; the thought once entered sits quietly in some corner of the mind
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Bilal
Just gonna put it out there. V for Vendetta is an awesome movie and one of the best comic book movies and its NOT over rated. I guess john is just not a fan.
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Just gonna put it out there. V for Vendetta is an awesome movie and one of the best comic book movies and its NOT over rated. I guess john is just not a fan.
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Amanda
reminds me of the matrix: -Ohh, what's really going to bake your noodle later on is, would you still have broken it if I hadn't said anything? -
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reminds me of the matrix: -Ohh, what's really going to bake your noodle later on is, would you still have broken it if I hadn't said anything? -
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