Post by oprah on Aug 20, 2021 10:39:37 GMT
What is a Shakespearean tragedy?
Shakespeare wrote 12 tragedies, as well as history plays, comedies and poetry.
A Shakespearean tragedy has a particular structure that is often confused with the Aristotlean tragic structure. They are not the same as there are subtle differences between them.
The Shakespearean tragedy structure
Shakespeare was influenced by the Roman philosopher and poet, Seneca who wrote nine plays based on Greek drama and they followed the narrative structure of the Greek tragedy which 'traditionally followed the depicted the fall of a great man from prosperity to misery and dead the because of the individual's tragic or fatal flaw.' Some of his plays included witches and ghosts and they had bloodthirsty plots.
To be truly tragic, the tragic hero goes through a series of events that create complications and consequences for the whole State. The hero suffers setbacks and a reversal of fortune which builds to a dramatic climax and ends with a catastrophe. When this occurs the hero realises how he has created his downfall. This realisation enables the audience to sympathise with him and experience a catharsis or cleansing of emotions of hatred and fear they felt previously.
catastrophe: in Greek tragedy, the concluding part of the play where the protagonist accepts his ruin
catharsis: in Greek tragedy, an outrush of audience emotion, pity for the ruined hero and fear for their own fate
The historical cultural background of Macbeth
It is believed that Shakespeare wanted to continue this royal patronage and wrote Macbeth to flatter King James I. This tactic proved successful as the King appointed Shakespeare's acting troupe "The King's Men" and became a valuable patron.
Macbeth was based on the writing called the Holinshed Chronicles written in 1577 which included the events that took place in Scottish history in 1040. According to Holinshed, King James was a direct descendant of Banquo, depicted in Macbeth as an honorable and loyal supportor of Duncan, the rightful King. By restoring Malcolm to the throne, Shakespeare preserved the idea of primogeniture (the first born son inherits the father's wealth and titles). This was very supportive of King James as any people objected to James being the King of England because he was a Catholic. The displeasure of a Catholic returning to the throne resulted in many attempts on his life. One famous attempt was called the Gunpowder Plot.
Shakespeare knew that James I had a fascination with witches as he had written a book about them. He also persecuted them viciously, as King of Scotland and had many suspected witches put to death. His inclusion of the witches, a symbol of evil and fear, was a bold move on Shakespeare's part but added a dimension that the King approved of.
Image: This painting of King James 1 of England was painted by
Daniel Mytens and is located in the National Portrait Gallery in London
Project
The assessment task for Macbeth this week are 2 articles for your newspaper, the first article is an opinion article from act 1-2, second article is one from act 3-4.For act 3-4, you could write an article on:
You could write an opinion article on:
the murder of Banquo and the escape by Fleance
the Queen's sleepwalking and change in mental state due to her guilt
Macbeth' visit to the witches and their prophecy
Word count for each article: approx 600
Full plot of Macbeth will be written by me WITH EVERY DETAIL, In my next post, I will also be putting you all in groups of four for the project.
You will also be forced to watch Macbeth the animated movie over a NEW technological platform called Zoom (in your groups of 4.)
You will also be forced to watch Macbeth the animated movie over a NEW technological platform called Zoom (in your groups of 4.)