INTRO TO “THE SCOTTISH PLAY”

Characters and Plot overview of Macbeth

WARM UP With a partner, please translate the following into

modern American English

Once yonks ago, I had a walkabout and met a banana bender. He was a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock. His car was a cactus chock a block with junk, and it went kaput. He was quite a lerrikin who would lag a lot, so he became a yobbo who had to do yakka. He told me a yarn about when he was a great aerial ping pong player. He was off his face and all he had to eat was a dead horse, so I gave him a chook and a used thong I had. Never seen him since, hope he has no worries, mate!

AND IT SAYS…Once, a long time ago, I went for a walk and

met someone from Queensland. He was not all there mentally. His car was a piece of junk and it had broken down. He was a rascal and irresponsible young man. He didn’t want to do much so he had to work as a manual labor. He told me a story about how he was a great Australian Rules soccer.

 He was extremely drunk and had nothing to

eat, so I gave him a chicken and some used sandals. I haven’t seen him since then; I hope he’s fine, friend.

WHAT DID YOU THINK? Which words were particularly difficult? Which words were familiar? Where did

you learn them? Which words still don’t make sense?

Now, try to confuse me. With your partner, write 3-4 sentences using slang I won’t understand.

SHAKESPEARE DOESN’T HATE YOU Remember, many of Shakespeare’s

references and slang would have been perfectly normal for his time

Shakespeare wrote plays; much of his audience would have followed the story based on the action, the emotions of the characters and the tone the actors. Even his audiences didn’t understand all of it.

TEXT FEATURESTurn to page 61.1 paragraph At the beginning of each scene Give a summary of the action Provides some context

TEXT FEATURESTurn to page 6Footnotes to side Give definitions of difficult or unfamiliar

words and terms

TEXT FEATURESTurn to page 7Line numbers Generally every 5th line is marked For citations, Act I scene I, lines 3-4

becomes 1.1.3-4 (like Iliad)

TEXT FEATURESTurn to page 23 Note the “aside” on line 125 Direction to whom the character is

speaking. Sometime to the audience, sometimes to a particular character

Assume that only the intended listener can hear

TEXT FEATURESTurn to Page 3 in your textbooks Character Page. Good reference for you to go back to as

names are difficult to track

CHARACTERSMajor Players: Macbeth Main character General of the Scottish army Ambitious Shakespeare Language. Macbeth

speaks in blank verse Poetry of his speech shows humanity,

CHARACTERSMajor Players: Macbeth Divided between his moral side and his

corrupt, ambitious side Reflective, intelligent, even sensitive in

a way

CHARACTERSMajor Players: Lady Macbeth Ambitious, savage woman attempts Goads her husband into killing

his king Suffers terrible guilt for murders Mrs. deVidal’s favorite literary villain

CHARACTERSMajor Players: Lady Macbeth Shakespeare language: Lady M speaks

in prose regular language (less poetic than Macbeth)

Her use of language fits her practical character

Contrast w/Macbeth’s poetic language

CHARACTERS:Major Players: The three witches They set up the atmosphere in the

beginning of the play “fair is foul and foul is fair”

Function is to give predictions of the future, sometimes encouragement, sometimes warning

These predictions cause a chain reaction in Macbeth

Macbeth hears what he wants to hear

CHARACTERS FOR 1.1-2 First witch, second witch, 3rd witch Duncan, Malcolm, Captain, Lennox,

Ross,

TICKET OUT THE DOOR On a scale of 1-4, how comfortable are

you with the language we just read?1-no clue what was said2-able to understand some with help3-able to understand most4-I can read this on my own and get it

ACT I SCENE 1 & 2Per 1-all; Per 3-3 only, PEr5-1&31. What do these opening scenes focus on? Point out

at least two themes you see established, what lines make those themes clear

2. This play is set in a difficult time in Scotland. Based on the information we are given in 1.2, what is the situation in Scotland as the play opens. Be detailed

3. This play’s title character, Macbeth, does not appear in its first two scenes, but he is mentioned. What do we know about Macbeth based on the information given in these first two scenes? What is his character? Be Specific

4. King Duncan of Scotland will be of great importance as the play progresses—what do we learn about him in Scene 2? What are his strengths and weaknesses?