Macbeth - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Macbeth

By William ShakespeareSlide2

Meet the dramatis personae

The Three Weird Sisters

http://theplaymaker.wordpress.com/2008/05/Slide3

schoolworkhelper.net

Meet the dramatis personae:

Lady Macbeth and MacbethSlide4

prestonopera.org.uk

Meet the dramatis personae:

Banquo

and

Fleance

Lord

Siward

and sonSlide5

Cawdor Castle

Glamis

Castle

DunsinaneCastleSlide6

1.1. Three witches plan to meet Macbeth.

1.2. Duncan, king of Scotland, hears an account of the success in battle of Macbeth and

Banquo

. Duncan order the execution of the rebel than of Cawdor and sends messengers to announce to Macbeth that he has been given Cawdor’s title

1.3. The three witches greet Macbeth as “Thane of Glamis (his current title), “Thane of Cawdor” (his soon-to-be-acquired title), and “King hereafter”. They then promise Banquo that he will father kings, and the witches disappear. Almost as soon as they are gone, Ross and Angus arrive with news that the king has named Macbeth “Thane of Cawdor.” Macbeth contemplates killing King Duncan in order to become King hereafter as the witches have prophesied.Slide7

1.4. Duncan demands and receives assurances that the former thane of Cawdor has been executed. When Macbeth,

Baquo, Ross, and Angus join Duncan, he offers thanks to Macbeth and

Banquo

. He then announces his intention to have his son Malcolm succeed him as king and his plan to visit Macbeth in Inverness. Macbeth sets out ahead of him to prepare for the royal visit. Now that Malcolm has been named successor, Macbeth in convinced that he can become king only by killing Duncan.

1.5. Lady Macbeth reads her husband’s letter about his meeting with the witches. She fears that Macbeth lacks the ruthlessness he needs to kill Duncan and fulfill the witches’ prophecy. When she learns that Duncan is to visit their home, she calls upon supernatural agents to fill her with cruelty. Macbeth arrives, and Lady Macbeth tells him that she will take charge of the preparations for Duncan’s visit and murder.1.6. Duncan and his entourage arrive at Inverness. Lady Macbeth is the epitome of a gracious hostess.

1.6. Macbeth contemplates the reasons why it is a terrible thing to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth mocks his fears and offers a plan for Duncan’s murder, which Macbeth accepts with hesitation. Slide8

Act I Famous Lines

1.1.12 Fair is foul, and foul is fair (witches set the scene)

1.5.16-17 Yet do I fear thy nature/ It is too full o’

th

’ milk of human kindness

(Lady Macbeth about Macbeth)

1.4.8-9 Nothing in his life/ Became him like the leaving it.

(Malcolm about Thane of Cawdor)

1.5.47-48 Come, you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here/ and fill me from crown to the toe top-full/ Of direst courage)

(Lady Macbeth seeks manly courage)

1.5.76-78 Look like

th

’ innocent flower . . . / But be the serpent under ‘t.

1.5.57-58 Stars, hide your fires;/ Let not light see my black and deep desires.

(Macbeth ponders the possibility that the witches are right…he will be king!)Slide9

2.1.

Banquo who has accompanied Duncan, is uneasy because he too is tempted by the witches’ prophecies, although only in his dreams. Macbeth pretends to have forgotten them. Left alone by

Banquo

, Macbeth imagines that he sees a gory

dangger leading him to Duncan’s room. Hearing the bell rung by Lady Macbeth to signal completion of her preparations for Duncan’s death, Macbeth exits to kill Duncan.2.2. Lady Macbeth waits anxiously for Macbeth to return from killing Duncan. When Macbeth enters, he is horrified by what he has done. He has brought with him daggers that he used on Duncan, instead of leaving them in the room with Duncan’s servants (as prescribed by Lady Macbeth’s plan). When he finds himself incapable of returning the daggers, Lady Macbeth does so. She returns to find Mac eth still paralyzed with horror and urges him to put on his night gown and wash the blood from his hands.Slide10

2.4. An old man and Ross exchange accounts of the recent unnatural happenings.

Macduff joins them to report that Malcolm and

Donalbain

are now accused of having bribed the servants who supposedly killed Duncan.

Macduff also announces that Macbeth has been chosen King. Ross leaves for Scone and Macbeth’s coronation, but Macduff resolves to stay at his own castle at Fife (he suspects something). 2.3. A drunken servant answers a knocking at the gate, all the while playing the role of devil-porter at the gates of hell (strong symbolism). He admits Macduff and Lennox, who have come to wake Duncan. Macbeth appears and greets them. Macduff exits to wake Duncan, then returns to announce his death/murder. Macbeth, Lennox go to see for themselves. When they return, Lennox announces that Duncan’s servants are the murderers. Macbeth reveals that he has slain the servants. When his motives are questioned, Lady Macbeth interrupts by feigning illness. Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and

Donalbain flee Scotland for their lives-- England and to Ireland, respectively. Slide11

Act Ii Famous Lines

2.1.44-45 Is this a dagger which I see before me/ The handle toward my hand?

(Macbeth as he convinces himself to do the deed)

2.2. 78-79 Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood/ Clean from my hand?

(Macbeth questions his wife when he returns from murdering his king)Slide12

3.1.

Banquo suspects that Macbeth killed Duncan in order to become king. Macbeth invites

Banquo

to a feast that night.

Banquo promises to return from a hunting trip in time to attend. Macbeth, fearing that Banquo’s children, not his own, will be the future kings of Scotland, he seizes upon the opportunity to arrange for Banquo’s death. To carry out the deed, Macbeth employs two men/rogues whom he has persuaded to regard Banquo as an enemy of the state. 3.2. Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth express their unhappiness. Macbeth speaks of his fear of Banquo especially. He refers to a dreadful deed that will happen that night but does not confide his plan to his wife.

3.3. A third man joins the two rogues sent to kill Banquo

and

Fleance

, his son. The three assassins manage to kill

Banquo

but

Fleance

escapes. Slide13

3.5. The presentation of the witches in this scene differs from the rest of the play (except for a passage in 4.1). Most editors and scholars believe that neither this scene nor the passage in 4.1 were written by Shakespeare.

3.6. Lennox and another lord discuss the politics in Scotland. Lennox comments sarcastically upon Macbeth’s “official” versions of the recent violent deaths. The nameless lord responds with news of

Macduff’s

flight to England to seek help in overthrowing Macbeth.

3.4. As Macbeth’s banquet begins, one of Banquo’s murderers appears at the back door to tell Macbeth of Banquo’s death and Fleance’s escape. Returning to the table, Macbeth is confronted with Banquo’s

ghost, who remains visible only to Macbeth. While Lady Macbeth is able to dismiss his fearful reaction as a momentary fit, the reappearance of the ghost and Macbeth’s reaction force Lady Macbeth to dismiss all guests. Alone with Lady Macbeth, Macbeth resolves to meet the witches again to determine his future. Slide14

Act Iii Famous Lines

3.2.15 We have scorched the snake, not killed it.

(Macbeth when he speaks of killing

Banquo

, but not

Fleance

)

3.4.151 It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood

(Macbeth speaks to Lady Macbeth as he confesses his fear of

Banquo

)Slide15

4.1 Macbeth approaches the witches to learn how to make his kingship secure. In response they summon for him three apparitions:

an armed head a bloody child

a child crowned with a tree in his hand.

These apparitions instruct Macbeth to beware

Macduff but reassure him that no man born of woman can harm him and that he will not overthrown until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane. Macbeth is greatly reassured, but his confidence in the future is shaken when the witches show him a line of kings all in the image of Banquo. After the witches disappear, Macbeth discovers that Macduff has fled to England and decides to kill Macduff’s family immediately.

4.2. Ross visits Lady Macduff and tries to justify to her Macduff’s flight to England, a flight that leaves his family defenseless. After the lord leaves, a messenger arrives to warn Lady

Macduff

to flee. Before she can do so, Macbeth’s men attack her and her son.Slide16

4.3.

Macduff finds Malcolm at the English court and urges him to attack Macbeth at once. Malcolm suspects that

Macduff

is not sincere, so he tests

Macduff. After he finds Macduff sincere, Malcolm reveals that Edward (the king of England) has provided a commander named Siward and ten thousand troops for the invasion of Scotland. Ross then arrives with the news of Macduff’s family. Malcolm urges Macduff to turn his grief into a desire for revenge. Slide17

Act IV Famous Lines

4.1.10 Double, double, toil and trouble;/ Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

(witches prepare for Macbeth’s arrival)

4.3.257-8 What all my pretty chickens and their dam/ At one fell swoop?

(

Macduff’s

response on hearing the death of his wife and children)Slide18

5.1. A servant has seen Lady Macbeth walking in her sleep and muttering and has asked for a doctor’s advice. Together they observe her make the gesture of repeatedly washing her hands as she is reliving the horrors that she and Macbeth committed. The doctor concludes that she needs spiritual rather than physical healing.

5.2. A Scottish force, in rebellion against Macbeth, marches toward

Birnam

Wood to join Malcolm and his English army.

5.3. Reports are brought to Macbeth of the Scottish and English forces mounting against him. He seeks assurance in the apparition’s promise of safety for himself. But he is anxious about Lady Macbeth’s condition and impatient with her doctor’s inability to cure her. 5.4. The rebel Scottish forces have joined Malcolm’s army at

Birnam Wood. Malcolm orders each soldier to cut down and carry a bough from the wood so as to conceal their numbers from Macbeth. Slide19

5.5. Macbeth is confident that he can withstand any siege from Malcolm’s forces. He is then told of Lady Macbeth’s death and the apparent movement of the

Birnam Wood toward

Dunsinane

Castle. He desperately resolves to abandon the castle and give battle to Malcolm in the field.

5.6. Malcolm arrives with his troops and they battle in front of Dunsinane Castle. 5.7. Macbeth kills the son of the English general, Siward. After Macbeth exits, Macduff arrives in search of vengeance. Dunsinane

Castle is surrounded by English and rebel Scottish forces and Macbeth’s army surrenders.

5.8.

Macduff

finally finds Macbeth who is reluctant to fight because he did have his whole family killed already. But when Macbeth refuses to surrender knowing he is protected by the fates,

Macduff

announces that he was not born of woman, but ripped from her. Macbeth realizes his error, but fights for his honor.

Macduff

kills and decapitates Macbeth, delivering his head to Malcolm who is now king. Slide20

Act V Famous Lines

5.1.37-55

Out damned spot, out, I say!/ . . . All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten

this little hand.

(Lady Macbeth’s words as she attempts to wash the blood off her hands)

5.1.71 What’s done cannot be undone.

(Lady Macbeth continues muttering as she is sleepwalking)Slide21

ConflictsSlide22

Man vs. Self

Macbeth fights with his conscience before and after the deed was done.

Man vs. Man

Macbeth struggles against

Banquo and

Macduff and Malcolm for control of Scotland.

Man vs. Fate

Macbeth tries to wrest power from the fates to control his own destiny.Slide23

Man vs. Self

Macbeth fights with his conscience before and after the deed was done.

At the very start, Macbeth must choose to follow his fleeting conscience and let fate have its way, or to take control of his own destiny. With the help of Lady Macbeth, he decides.

Another turning point occurs when Macbeth orders the death of

Banquo

and

Fleance

, but his conscience is still bothering him.

The final turning point occurs when Macbeth loses himself and orders the slaughter of

Macduff’s

hapless family. Slide24

Man vs. Man

Macbeth struggles against

Banquo

and

Macduff and Malcolm for control of Scotland.

Macbeth’s external conflicts begin after he has out-ted himself and his greed. Only then, does he make enemies with those with honorable intentions for Scotland. His first conflict was with

Banquo

, who knew of the witches’ prophecy, and was a recipient of its good news too, which paradoxically made him an enemy of Macbeth’s.

Macduff

was next to accuse and question Macbeth’s loyalty and intentions.

Only at the very end was Macbeth’s conflict with Malcolm. Slide25

Man vs. Fate

Macbeth tries to wrest power from the fates to control his own destiny.

At the turning point, Macbeth has already contemplated gaining his honors, yet, he hesitates.

At the turning point, Macbeth takes his destiny in his own hands—he kills Duncan.

The rest of the story, Macbeth must deal with the consequences of his impatience and greed.Slide26

Power

Themes

Betrayal

Temptation

Greed

Destiny

HonorSlide27

Other rhetorical strategies:

Foil

Symbol

Role of Fate

Tragic Hero or Sympathetic VictimSlide28

Foil Macbeth and

Banquo

Both

received similar prophecies

Both

contemplated acting on the prophecies

o

nly Macbeth acted on his prophecy

o

nly

Banquo

let fate run its course

However, would Macbeth have acted on his desires if it were not for his insulting wife? Or did she just hasten the inevitable?

Did his orders to slaughter

Macduff’s

family indicate his true, latent, nature or was he trying to prove something to himself? Lady Macbeth?

Slide29

Foil Macbeth and Lady Macbeth

Both have positions of power

Both desired more power when it was offered

Only Macbeth hesitated to kill Duncan

Only Macbeth felt great remorse for killing

Banquo

Only Lady Macbeth felt such remorse that it killed her

Why?

Only Macbeth ignored his initial reactionsSlide30

Role of Fate

Symbols

t

he 3 Weird Sisters

Lady Macbeth’s wordsSlide31

Was Macbeth . . .

a

villain?

sympathetic villain?Slide32

Was Macbeth . . .

a hero?

tragic hero?Slide33

Other rhetorical strategies:

Foil

Symbol

Role of Fate

Tragic Hero or Sympathetic VictimSlide34

Other rhetorical strategies:

Foil

Symbol

Role of Fate

Tragic Hero or Sympathetic VictimSlide35

Plot: