The Man That Would Be Shakespeare

Born April 23rd, 1564

Started out performing
with The Lord
Chamberlains Men
Gave him a chance to
write a play
Henry IV, Pt. 1- It stunk
but they gave him
another shot

 Many playwrights with

nowhere to play
Barn turned into theatre
(Yeah!)
Puritans burn it down
(Evil theatre! Boo!)
Globe built! (Yeah!)
Globe burns (sniff, darn
cannon!) Globe rebuilt!
(Yeah!)
Globe burns (Dang that Reconstructed in the 1990s
Fire of London!)

o Aristocrats
o The Queen/King
o The Groundlings!

When in a play...

Only men were permitted to

perform
Boys or effeminate men
were used to play the
women
Costumes were often the
companys most valuable
asset
Costumes were made by the
company, bought in
London, or donated by
courtiers

The Cost of a Show

1 shilling to stand
2 shillings to sit in the
balcony
1 shilling was 10% of
their weekly income
Broadway Today:
$85 Orchestra
$60 Balcony
10% of a teachers
weekly salary

 Set in Scotland
Written for King James I
(formerly of Scotland,
now England)
Queen of Denmark
(Jamess sister) was
visiting
Shakespeare researched
The Chronicles - Banquo
is an ancestor of King
James I

 King Duncan of Scotland

Murdered by cousin Macbeth
Honest and good

Malcolm & Donalbain

Sons of the King
Malcolm is the eldest son

Macbeth
Duncans most courageous general
Ambition to become king corrupts him
causing him to murder Duncan

 Banquo
General and Macbeths best friend
Suspects Macbeth in Duncans murder
An actual ancestor of King James I

Lady Macbeth
As ambitious as her husband
A dark force behind his evil deeds

Macduff
Scottish general, suspects Macbeth of
murdering the king
Macbeth has his family murdered
Swears vengeance

The Scottish Play

It is believed to be bad luck to
even squeak the word Macbeth
in a theatre
Legend has it you will lose all
your friends involved in the
production--horribly
MORE ON THAT LATER...

 Def. Man of high

standard who falls from
that high because of a
flaw that has affected
many - Aristotle
Macbeth is one of the
most famous examples
of the tragic hero.

So what really
happens?
Good guy goes
bad

Guy wants power

Married to a pushy control freak
She wants power
Kills people- LOTS of people
Gets power
Gets paranoid (a.k.a. goes crazy)
Ticks off a lot of people
Want more power! Kill! Kill!
Gets whats coming to him in the end

Lifes but a walking shadow; a poor

player, That struts and frets his hour
upon the stage, And is heard of no more:
it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound
and fury, Signifying nothing.
- Act V; s.5