THE AMERICAN SHAKESPEARE CENTER Resident Troupe 2006 Summer/Fall Season Study Guides. Macbeth

Transcription

1 THE AMERICAN SHAKESPEARE CENTER Resident Troupe 2006 Summer/Fall Season Study Guides Macbeth The following materials were compiled by the Education and Research Department of the American Shakespeare Center. Special acknowledgement to: Colleen Kelly, Direc of Education and Research; Ralph Cohen, ASC Executive Director; Jim Warren, ASC Artistic Director; Jay McClure, Director of Theater Operations; Audrey Guengerich Baylor, Henrico County Schools; ASC Actors and Staff: Aaron Hochhalter, David Loar, Alvaro Mendoza, Anna Marie Sell, Matthew Sincell, Jeremy Fiebig; Education Artis Robert Gibbs, Sarah Henley, Camille Mustachio; and ASC Interns: Cassie Ash, Erin Davis, Heidi Grumelot, Becky Kemper, Donald Osborne and Katherine Robbins

2 YOUR ROLE AS AN AUDIENCE MEMBER 1. In Shakespeare s day, attending a play was an exciting community event. While waiting for the play to begin and during intermission, audiences would eat, drink, visit with friends, and enjoy specialty acts featuring jugglers, clowns, dancers, and musicians. At the Blackfriars, we offer the same kind of experience during our pre-show and intermission entertainments. If you want to join in the pre-show fun, arrive up to a half hour early. During intermission there will be more entertainment, but this is also the time when you can stretch your legs, use the restroom, and purchase souvenirs and refreshments (no outside food or drink allowed). At most modern theatres you are asked not to bring food or drink back in the theatre with you, but this is permitted at the Blackfriars. 2. In Shakespeare s day, plays were performed either outdoors in the middle of the afternoon or indoors under candlelight. This means that the actors could see the audience, the audience could see the actors, and the members of the audience could see each other. At the Blackfriars, we perform with the lights on. As an audience member, you feel like you are in the same room with the actors like you are actually part of the play. This is very different from seeing something at the cinema or in a theatre where the actors are lit and the audience sits in the dark. You get the feeling that at any moment the actors might start talking with you, and sometimes they will. 3. In Shakespeare s day, there wasn t such a pronounced division between the actors and the audience. The theatres were small, and audience members sat close to the stage. Sometimes, in theatres like the Globe, they stood in front of the stage in the pit. At other theatres they could sit on the stage itself. At the Blackfriars, there are many different places to sit (for some performances this means different prices). Wherever you sit, let the action of the play draw you in. We have benches that can be occupied as is or, for comfort, can include cushions and seat backs. There are Lord s Chairs and on-stage Gallant Stools very close to the action, and upper balcony seating which may require you to lean forward to look over the rail. Do be considerate, however, of others who are also trying to see. 4. In Shakespeare s day, there were no electronic devices. At the Blackfriars, no electronic devices should be used by the audience during the performance. Please don t take pictures during the show. If you have cell phones, video games, CD players, walkmans, or MP3 players please turn them off so that they don t distract the other audience members or the actors. No text messaging during the performance. Remember, this is a live event, so don t be a distraction. Part of your role as an audience member is to make sure that seeing a play is an enjoyable community event for everyone in attendance. 5. In Shakespeare s day, the audience often changed seats, mingled, and walked in and out of the theatre (much like a modern sporting event), but they always knew what was going on in the play they knew the score. Who d want to miss the best part? The swordfight, the kiss, the bawdy joke a new word that Shakespeare invented. At the Blackfriars, you may leave the theatre during intermissions and interlude entertainments. Return to your seat before the play resumes--you don t want to miss the best part (or perhaps the part that might be on your exam). Unless it is an emergency, do not leave the theatre during the play itself. 2

3 6. In Shakespeare s day, plays were meant to be seen and heard rather than read. In comparison to today, Elizabethans spent more time speaking and listening to language rather than reading and writing language. Figures of speech, for example, were more than a dramatic writing tool; they were meant to be spoken. At the Blackfriars, actors create stories through speaking words and embodying actions. Attending a play is different than reading a play. We invite you to experience the play through listening, seeing, feeling, thinking and imagining. Even if you know you are going to have to write a paper or take a test about the play, don t take notes and stay in your brain. If you do, you really haven t experienced what it s like to attend a play. 7. In Shakespeare s day, audiences were asked to use their imagination. There certainly were theatrical events that used elaborate and expensive technical elements, but Shakespeare s plays keep scenery, props, costumes, lighting and special effects to a minimum. Instead of a cast of thousands, Shakespeare s actors played multiple roles including young men playing all the female parts. At the Blackfriars, you will also need to use your imagination. Shakespeare s words are as powerful today as they were four hundred years ago. They tell stories that engage and challenge all of the senses. We limit technical elements so Shakespeare s words can shine. Music and sound effects are always created live and in the moment of the action. Actors play multiple roles and often those roles are cross-gender cast. 8. In Shakespeare s day, people loved talking about where they d been, what they d seen, who they saw, and what they thought about the plays they voiced their likes and dislikes about the story and the actors. At the Blackfriars, you will have an opportunity to take a peek behind the scenes. After the show you can talk with the actors about the story of the play, the characters, the actor s process, and anything else you might want to know about theatre, Shakespeare, or the American Shakespeare Center. The Laughing Audience by William Hogarth, Note the lighted sconces that permit socializing and a more communal response to the show. The man at the far right on the second row, for example, appears to be laughing at the laughter of his fellow audience members, while the gentleman in the row above is clearly annoyed with the shenanigans going on behind him. 3

4 STAUNTON S BLACKFRIARS PLAYHOUSE In 2001 the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, Virginia, the world s only re-creation of Shakespeare s original indoor theatre, opened its doors to the public. To commemorate this historic occasion, Shenandoah Shakespeare (now the American Shakespeare Center) published Blackfriars Playhouse, a series of short essays by internationally renowned scholars about the history, construction, and function of the London and Staunton Blackfriars, as well as the companies that called them home. The following excerpt by Andrew Gurr, Professor of English at the University of Reading in England and former Director of Research at Shakespeare s Globe in London, is from that collection: LONDON S BLACKFRIARS PLAYHOUSE The story of the original Blackfriars is a chapter or rather a book of accidents, a large volume that tells us about the evolution of London s first theatres. It is a story that runs alongside and ahead of Shakespeare s Globe. The Blackfriars was built in 1596, three years earlier than the Globe, and if Shakespeare s company had been allowed to use the Playhouse immediately, they would never have bothered to build the open-air theatre. Despite the depiction in Shakespeare In Love of Queen Elizabeth attending the Rose Theatre, it was the Blackfriars that received the first-ever visit by a reigning queen; Henrietta Maria, Charles I s French spouse, went four times to see a play at the Blackfriars. By the 1620s and 1630s the Blackfriars had become the place for England s high and mighty to see the best plays, in the best society, complete with sea-coal braziers in the boxes alongside the stage to keep them warm. The Lord Chamberlain himself, the Privy Councillor responsible for plays and court entertainment, had a personal key to one of the boxes beside the Blackfriars stage. After the long closure of theatres between 1642 and the restoration of a king in 1660, it was the idea of the indoor Blackfriars that lived on rather than Shakespeare s Globe. The Blackfriars s chief imitator, the Cockpit, even reopened briefly during the Restoration for use as a playhouse, but by then the need for the French type of theatre with a proscenium arch and a picture-frame stage made the new players close off the boxes and tiers above the stage, leaving the theatre s capacity so small that it could not thrive. Only now, 405 years after it was first created, and 392 years since Shakespeare s company first started to use it, can the original Blackfriars once again come into its own, as the best playhouse of Shakespeare s time. --Andrew Gurr ACTOR TALKBACK SESSIONS AT THE BLACKFRIARS At the end of each school matinee performance at the Blackfriars Theatre, the audience will have the opportunity to meet a few of the actors and ask questions. During this twenty minute session, actors will be glad to discuss a range of topics. They enjoy sharing their ideas about plot points and character relationships. You can also ask them about costumes, props, or other elements that might not be in the written script, yet are important to the performance. Perhaps you would like to know about the rehearsal process or how an individual actor made a specific choice about a character. You may ask behind-the-scenes questions and discover how a quick change of clothes was handled or a sound effect was made. Curious about the life of an actor? Go ahead and ask about how they got their start, where they studied, or what other roles they ve played. This is your time to find out anything you want to know about the play, the actors, theatre, and the Blackfriars. 4

5 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: BACKGROUND AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Based on baptismal records, most biographers agree that William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. William, the son of wealthy shop owner John Shakespeare, received a traditional education: up to ten hours a day studying grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. He also studied Greek and Latin on a daily basis. Although we have little proof of Shakespeare s academic career, the plays are evidence enough that Shakespeare was well versed in the language passed down from the ancient classicists. In 1582, when he was eighteen, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. He had three children: Susanna and twins Judith and Hamnet. Although no conclusive documentation remains about his whereabouts between 1582 and 1594, we do know that by 1594 Shakespeare had left his family in Stratford and was living in London. Throughout history, theatre companies have seldom enjoyed a good reputation. In early 16 th Century England, actors and their companies were thought of as lazy and dishonest: o lazy because plays were performed during the day, which meant that a percentage of those attending were absent without leave from work; o dishonest because an actor on stage was pretending to be someone he was not, which meant that he was lying. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, however, there was a growing interest in play-going, so actors were given the right to organize themselves into troupes under the protection of a royal patron or sponsor. Shakespeare s troupe secured the patronage of the Lord Chamberlain, therefore they became known as The Lord Chamberlain s Men. Patronage changed after the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, when King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England. During the reign of James I, and continuing to 1642 when the Puritans closed the theatres, The Lord Chamberlain s Men were recognized favorites of the crown and known as The King s Men. Shakespeare often visited Stratford and bought a house there for his family. Unfortunately, his son Hamnet died in 1596 at the age of eleven, possibly of the plague. At the age of 47 in 1611, Shakespeare retired to Stratford, ending his tenure as a resident writer and actor with the company he helped form. William Shakespeare died on his birthday on April 23, His wife, Anne, lived until the age of sixty-seven. His two surviving children, Susanna and Judith, both married but left no family. Although Shakespeare s family tree ended, his plays continue to carry his memory, and will do so well into the future. Shakespeare wrote plays, 154 sonnets, and contributed over 2,000 words to the English language. Today his plays are performed in many languages including German, Russian, French, and Japanese. As Ben Jonson, a contemporary of Shakespeare once wrote, he was not for an age, but for all time! 5

6 STUDY GUIDE INDEX This study guide packet has been created to accompany the productions in the current season at The American Shakespeare Center. Each play has its own separate guide with a number of resources, activities, and assignments created specifically for that play, offering a broad range of materials for you to choose from as you plan your classes. Please feel free to reproduce these pages as needed. Some activities and assignments can be completed after reading the text of the play while others are based on specific choices in the ASC productions. Most activities can be adapted to serve either individual or group assignments. Answer keys appear at the end of each guide. The following is a list of the materials you will find in the study guide for each play. Stuff That Happens In the Play This is a description of the major events in the play to help guide students through general plot points. Who s Who This is a list of the characters in the play, along with a short description of who they are and what they do. Director s Notes This is a short essay written by the director of each ASC production for the season program, in which they give their thoughts on the play. Discovery Space Scavenger Hunt These simple questions are to be used in conjunction with the ASC performance. Before attending the play, teachers should assign each student one of the twenty questions to help them become more active viewers at the performance. Rhetoric and Figures of Speech This section focuses on the use language in the play. Examples of a particular rhetorical device or linguistic feature in the text are followed by an activity that relates to the particular rhetorical device or figure of speech. Viewpoints This section of the guide contains activities and information built around a particular aspect of each play. A short examination of a theme or topic is followed with a related assignment. ShakesFEAR Activity These classroom teaching ploys are excerpts from ASC Co-founder and Executive Director Ralph Alan Cohen s book ShakesFEAR and How to Cure It. Cohen developed these activities to help overcome students feelings of intimidation toward Shakespeare s plays. ABC s This is a fill-in-the-blank assignment that tests students knowledge of the text. Answers can be drawn from a word bank containing twenty-six words related to the play, each starting with a different letter of the alphabet. Crossword Puzzles The study guide contains a crossword puzzle for each play with answers taken from the text. Actors Choice These thoughts and observations made by ASC actors about their performance choices can either be used as prompts for written responses or classroom discussion. Getting Technical This section of the guide is for use after the students have attended the ASC performance. It helps students to examine how technical aspects of the production help to tell the story of the play, and prompts them to consider what technical choices they might make if they were putting together their own performance. Quizzes and Essay Questions Each study guide contains one or more quizzes that teachers can use to test their students knowledge of the play, as well as prompts for essays in response to the production and the text. Answer Keys For Various Activities and Quizzes 6

7 AS YOU LIKE IT 7

8 8 MACBETH

9 CAST & CREW First Witch Second Witch Third Witch Hecate their mistress Macbeth a general in the King's army Lady Macbeth his wife Macduff a nobleman of Scotland Lady Macduff his wife Young Macduff his son Duncan King of Scotland Malcolm elder son of King Duncan Donalbain younger son of King Duncan Banquo a general in the King's army Fleance his son Thane of Lenox Thane of Ross Thane of Menteith Thane of Angus Thane of Cathness A Bloody Captain A Porter An Old Man Doctor to Lady Macbeth Gentlewoman to Lady Macbeth Siward general of the Engllish forces Young Siward his son CREW DIRECTOR Dramaturg/Text Consultant Associate Director/Fight Choreographer Costume Designer Costumer Music Director Assistant Director Jake Hart* Susan Heyward Sarah Fallon* John Harrell Álvaro Mendoza* Celia Madeoy* Rene' Thornton Jr.* Sarah Fallon* Susan Heyward David Loar* Matthew Sincell* Susan Heyward James Keegan Susan Heyward Paul Fidalgo John Harrell Sarah Fallon* Jake Hart* Susan Heyward Rene' Thornton Jr.* John Harrell Jake Hart* James Keegan Sarah Fallon* James Keegan John Harrell Ralph Alan Cohen George Walton Williams John Paul Scheidler Erin M. West Jenny McNee Paul Fidalgo Jeremy Fiebig 9

10 Stage Manager/Understudy Production Stage Manager Bill Gordon Jay McClure* *Member of Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States 10

11 Stuff that happens IN the play... Three "weird sisters" plan to meet with Macbeth. STUFF THAT HAPPENS The King of Scotland (Duncan) and his sons (Malcolm and Donalbain) receive reports that Macbeth, who is the Thane (Lord) of Glamis, and Banquo have been victorious in battle against Norway and the Scottish rebels, including the Thane of Cawdor. Duncan orders the execution of Cawdor. Macbeth and Banquo encounter the weird sisters, who predict that Macbeth will be pronounced Thane of Cawdor, then King, and that Banquo's children will be kings. Almost immediately, two lords arrive to report that King Duncan has proclaimed Macbeth Thane of Cawdor. By naming his son Malcolm Prince of Cumberland, Duncan declares that Malcolm will succeed him on the throne. Duncan then invites himself to Macbeth's new Cawdor castle, Inverness. Lady Macbeth reads a letter in which Macbeth tells her about the weird sisters' prophesies; when Macbeth arrives, she urges him to "catch the nearest way" to the throne by killing Duncan. Macbeth agrees to the deed and, after changing and re-changing his mind, kills the sleeping King that night. Lady Macbeth places the bloody daggers to frame the drugged guards for the murder. Macduff discovers the murdered King in the morning, and Macbeth kills the guards out of "violent love" for the dead King. The King's sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, flee to England and to Ireland, respectively, fearing that they will be blamed for Duncan's murder. Macbeth becomes King and, in fear of the third prophesy (that Banquo's sons will be kings), orders the murder of Banquo and his son, Fleance. Banquo is killed, but his son escapes. The ghost of Banquo appears at a royal banquet, but only Macbeth can see him. After Lady Macbeth dismisses the guests, Macbeth resolves to revisit the weird sisters and foresees more violence to come. The weird sisters, along with their mistress, Hecate, use their magic to conjure apparitions who assure Macbeth that he cannot be defeated by anyone "of woman born" or vanquished until the Birnam Forest itself attacks him at his castle on Dunsinane Hill (an unlikely occurrence, in Macbeth's mind). Macbeth orders the death of Macduff's family. Macduff joins Malcolm's army in England. After Malcolm tests Macduff's loyalty to Macbeth, Ross reports the savage murder of Macduff's family. Macduff swears to kill Macbeth. Violence and death ensue. 11

12 WHO S WHO Macbeth- Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and finally King of Scotland. After a fierce battle, Macbeth meets three witches who tell him that he will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland. He and his wife, Lady Macbeth, formulate a plan to kill King Duncan and take his place. After he is crowned king, Macbeth spends the rest of the play trying to maintain his position. Lady Macbeth- Macbeth s wife. When Lady Macbeth hears about the witches prophesy she encourages Macbeth to kill King Duncan to make their prediction come true. She plants the murder weapons on Duncan s servants to make it look like they killed the king. She grows increasingly consumed with guilt throughout the remainder of the play. King Duncan- King of Scotland. Duncan confers the title of Thane of Cawdor on Macbeth. He visits Macbeth s castle where he is murdered. Banquo- A Scottish nobleman. Banquo is with Macbeth at the initial meeting of the witches. The witches tell Banquo that he will be the ancestor to a line of kings. Macbeth becomes suspicious of Banquo and Macbeth arranges for murderers to kill Banquo and his son. Later, Banquo s ghost appears at Macbeth s feast. Macduff- Thane of Fife. He initially finds King Duncan s murdered body and his suspicions fall on Macbeth. Macduff leads the English army against Macbeth. Witches- Three weird sisters. The witches prophesy that Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor and king hereafter and tell Banquo that he will be the father to a line of Kings. Later, the witches tell Macbeth that he will not be killed by anyone born of a woman, or until the forest of Birnam comes to Dunsinane castle. Malcolm- The oldest son of King Duncan. Duncan proclaims Malcolm Prince of Cumberland. When his father is murdered, Malcolm flees to England. In England, Malcolm is visited by Macduff who convinces him to raise an army and take Scotland back from Macbeth. Donalbain- The youngest son of King Duncan. After his father is murdered, Donalbain flees to Ireland. Lennox- A Scottish nobleman. Lennox witnesses Macbeth killing Duncan s servants when Macbeth accuses the servants of murdering their master. He grows increasingly suspicious of Macbeth, particularly in response to Macbeth s strange behavior at the banquet. Ross- A Scottish nobleman. Ross brings Duncan news of Macbeth s victory over the Norwegians. He later explains to Lady Macduff the reasons for her husband s flight to England. Later Ross goes to England to bear Macduff the news of the murder of Macduff s family. Angus- A Scottish nobleman who joins Macduff against Macbeth. Caithness- A Scottish nobleman who brings an army to support Macduff against Macbeth. Mentieth- A Scottish Nobleman who brings his forces to support Malcolm and Macduff against Macbeth. Fleance- Banquos s son. Fleance escapes Macbeth s murderous plot. Eventually he will fulfill the witches prophesy that Banquo will father a line of kings. Lady Macduff- Macduff s wife. Lady Macduff is killed by Macbeth s assassins to prevent Macduff from challenging Macbeth s right to the throne. Macduff s son- Also murdered by Macbeth s assassins for the same reason as Lady Macduff. Hecate- The leader of the Witches. Siward- Earl of Northumberland, Malcolm s uncle. Siward leads an English army to aid Malcolm against Macbeth. Young Siward- Son of Siward who is killed by Macbeth in the final battle. Seyton- Macbeth s attendant. Seyton arms Macbeth for his final battle and brings Macbeth news of his wife s suicide. Various Doctors, Messengers, Attendants, Musicians, Soldiers, Captains, Murderers and Demons. 12

13 DIRECTOR S NOTES Light Thickens in Macbeth All of Shakespeare s plays are different from one another, but perhaps Macbeth is the most different. No other of his plays has as many scenes of darkness. No other of his plays has so high a percentage of questions one in every five sentences is a question. No other of his plays has as many sound effects (and the sound of questions is one of those effects). No other of his tragedies is as short. As George Walton Williams, text consultant for this production says, Macbeth is Shakespeare s densest play. Another word for dense is thick. And the thickness of Macbeth is both a feature of its language and of its matter. In a work half as long as Hamlet, Shakespeare explores among other heavy subjects ambition, family, generation, time, kingship, and, above all, murder. Macbeth is Shakespeare s anatomy of murder, and he makes his look at murder thick in a variety of ways. He gives us three murders, each with a victim of a different generation and condition. He counterpoises the act of murder against the act of killing by having us first hear of Macbeth as the warrior who unseamed his enemy from the nave to the chops and fixed his head upon our battlements. When this warrior, urged on by his wife, considers a different kind of killing, the murder of his king, Shakespeare throws into relief the fragile distinctions by which we define murder and our own humanity. And Shakespeare thickens our understanding of murder when he takes us inside the thoughts of Macbeth, our tour guide for the play s journey into murder. In Macbeth we have a protagonist we cannot but admire. He is brilliant, he is brave, and he never equivocates with himself about the immorality of his act or the likelihood that he cannot escape its consequences. He knows that blood will have blood. Accordingly, the blood in the play is also thick. Lady Macbeth uses just that word when she says, make thick my blood. And the play is thick with presentations of blood a bloody soldier, a bloody ghost, and two scenes devoted almost entirely to the difficulty of having bloody hands. The other thick element in this play, as if in answer to Lady Macbeth s prayer is darkness. Come, thick night, she says, and Shakespeare accommodates her with a play so full of darkness that it blots out the sun. And Shakespeare and his actors, using the audience s imagination staged that darkness in three ways: they described it with words, they signaled it with props such as candles and torches, and they acted it. Our production aims to recover the power of seeing in the dark by staging darkness as Shakespeare would have in his story of the night. Our hope is audiences who let the language, the props, and the acting guide their imaginations will appreciate how Shakespeare illuminates murder by letting us see through the play s thick blanket of the dark. Ralph Alan Cohen, Director 13

14 DISCOVERY SPACE SCAVENGER HUNT Discovery Space [di-skuhv-uh-ree speys], n. 1. The curtained area at the upstage center portion of an Elizabethan stage where something is revealed to or discovered by characters or audiences. Instructions to Teacher: Shortly before attending the performance of Macbeth at the Blackfriars Playhouse, assign each student one question from the following list for which to find the answer as they watch the production. 1. What (props) do the witches actually put into their cauldron? 2. King Duncan wears purple at the beginning of the play. Find at least two other people who also wear purple. 3. Lady Macbeth appears on stage with a letter from Macbeth. When does the letter reappear? 4. Why doesn t Lady Macbeth immediately notice that Macbeth has returned with the bloody daggers? 5. You are expected to imagine that a dagger appears to Macbeth as an apparition. Name a time when an apparition is physically present on stage. 6. Name a special effect that the witches use. 7. What happens immediately after the Red Red Robin interlude? 8. What does Banquo carry that shows the audience that it is dark when he and Fleance go outside? 9. The actors who play the three witches are often grouped together in other groups of three. Name one of the other groups. 10. What is the last apparition in the parade of kings holding? 11. What does Macduff bring to Malcolm after fighting Macbeth? 12. What is being served at the banquet when Banquo s ghost appears? 13. Name something about Banquo s props or costume that marks him as a ghost. 14. How has Lady Macbeth s hair changed from when she first reads Macbeth s letter to when she sleepwalks? 15. What prop does the doctor use to help him record what Lady Macbeth says during her sleepwalk? 16. How do the witches move to suggest they are not entirely human? 17. How does Lady Macbeth move to suggest her influence over her husband as they discuss killing King Duncan? 18. Whose death is discovered in the discovery space? 19. What props are used to make Birnam Wood come to Dunsinane? 20. How does the bloody soldier near the beginning of the play use movement to indicate that he is injured? 14

15 RHETORIC AND FIGURES OF SPEECH Rhetoric [ret-er-ik], n. 1. The art or science of all specialized literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech. 2. The study of the effective use of language. 3. The ability to use language effectively. Through the use of rhetorical devices (or figures of speech), Shakespeare provides a map to help an actor figure out how to play a character and communicate the story of the play to the audience. Throughout Macbeth, Shakespeare uses various figures of parallelism and figures of repetition in the Weird Sisters speech patterns. The parallel structure of their speech creates unity amongst the three sisters and a kind of verbal magic. Tricolon (tri-co'-lon) A series of three similarly structured elements with a similar length. A kind of parallelism. Example: First Witch. All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis! Second Witch. All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! Third Witch. All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter! The three Weird Sisters speak in patterns which mimic each other. The first two statements follow the pattern: All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of! The third statement modifies the pattern, but the structure remains. Epizeuxis (e-pi-zook'-sis) Repetition of words without interruption Example: First Witch. Hail! Second Witch. Hail! Third Witch. Hail! Each witch states the same word in immediate succession. Antimetabole (an'-ti-me-ta'-bo-lee) Repetition of words, in successive clauses, in reverse grammatical order. Similar to a palindrome, using whole words instead of letters. Example: All (Witches): Fair is foul and foul is fair This sentence is structured in such a way that it would read the same backward and forward. 15

16 Activity: In modern usage people use parallelism and repetition all the time. We use them in rituals and formal ceremonies like weddings ( Repeat after me ), we also use them in children s books to reinforce lessons (See Jane run and laugh. See Dick run and laugh. See Spot run and bark. Look, look, look.). Parallelism and repetition can even influence people to think and speak alike which is why these rhetorical techniques are used in songwriting, cheerleading, on t-shirts, and on bumper stickers. This activity places you in an advertising firm. Pick a client (a product or a cause) and, using tricolon, epizeuxis, and antimetabole, create a series of slogans. Example Client The Heaven s Home Retirement Community Tricolon A great place to play. A great place to rest. A great place to live at Home. Epizeuxis Live, Live, Live. Antimetabole Live to go home. Home go to live. Now create your own ad campaign and fill in the boxes. Client Tricolon Epizeuxis Antimetabole 16

17 VIEWPOINTS: MACBETH AND THE AUDIENCE The audience can be anyone, including just an audience who is watching the play. Álvaro Mendoza - Macbeth in ASC s Macbeth Explaining how he perceives the audience as he plays the part of Macbeth. As he goes through the play, Macbeth spends a great deal of time talking to the audience. The practice of characters talking to the audience is a common one in Shakespeare s plays. Actors frequently step out of the action of the scene to speak to the audience in asides, or deliver longer speeches to the audience called soliloquies. One common technique that actors use when they are speaking to the audience is to assign the audience a role as though they were also actors in the play. In scenes where characters are supposed to address a large crowd of people, actors will often pretend that the audience members are the people in that crowd. Sometimes an actor s use of the audience is less straightforward, with the actor viewing the audience in more abstract terms such as friends, enemies, or their own conscience. In rare cases actors may simply view the audience as an audience watching a play, and that is where things get interesting. In Act 5, scene 5 of Macbeth, Macbeth delivers a speech to the audience after he finds out that his wife is dead: Macbeth She should have died hereafter; There would have been a time for such a word. To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time, And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. This speech is particularly interesting because, in it, Macbeth seems to acknowledge that he is a character in a play, strutting and fretting his hour upon the stage. If the actor playing Macbeth delivers this speech to the audience thinking that they are an audience watching the play, those audience members suddenly get drawn into the action of the play in a significant way. This sort of moment in which characters in plays make explicit reference to being in a play is sometimes referred to as metatheatrical. The question of whether or not Macbeth knows he is a character in a play is debatable, but if the actor makes that choice it can have a very interesting effect on Macbeth s speech in Act 5, scene 5 and on the play as a whole. Questions: 1. In his speech in Act 5, scene 5 Macbeth talks about life signifying nothing. How does Macbeth s possible knowledge that he is a character in a play inform this negative view of life? How do you think Macbeth feels about the audience that he is delivering this speech to, and why? 2. In Macbeth are there any other moments that indicate that Macbeth might be aware that he is a character in a play? 3. In this and the other speeches in the play, what other roles might Macbeth assign to the audience? 17

18 DR. RALPH S SHAKESFEAR ACTIVITY (adapted from Ralph Allen Cohen s book, ShakesFEAR and How to Cure It) Symphony of the Sound Effects in Macbeth This exercise can prove to be a project that involves everyone and that produces a souvenir of the play. Macbeth is a play full of sounds. In addition to the normal flourishes (musical fanfares), alarums (trumpet or horn call to arms), and hautboys (oboe mood music), the play has thunder, knocks, hoots, chimes, drums, and other sounds. Make it a class project to orchestrate in the order in which they occur all the sounds from Macbeth. (1) First compile a complete list of all the sounds that take place in the play. You cannot include speech, but if your class elects to, you might include Hecate s song in Act Four, scene one. (2) Divide the class into groups with different responsibilities. Get your band members to handle the horns and, perhaps, the drums. Find other musicians to compose and play the witch s music. Assign another group to the thunder, another to the knocks, another to the chimes, and so on. (3) Make one class a rehearsal session to which everyone must bring the instruments they need for their sounds. Practice the sounds in sequence and make a list of the sequence of sounds which will serve as a score. Remember that every sound must either come from a stage direction in the Folio (i.e, not bracketed in a modern edition) or from an implicit stage direction did you hear an owl hoot? (4) Discuss the overall effect with your students on such things as tempo, tone, and volume. (5) Set the date for the recording session and bring the best recording equipment that you can. (6) Record your official Macbeth soundtrack (it should be about 7 to 10 minutes long). This exercise is a splendid way to make your students appreciate the non-verbal methods with which Shakespeare shaped and colored his play. It should also lead to good discussions of the way sounds reinforce theme and meaning. And when you ve finished the project, you will have your class s Macbeth soundtrack on tape or CD, and your students can have souvenir copies of their production. 18

19 ABC S 1. After Macbeth kills Duncan he wonders if all of the could wash the blood off his hands. 2. Banquo tells his son,, to fly from the murderers. 3. Both Macbeth and Banquo say that the Witches after they delivered their message. 4. makes Malcolm the Prince of Cumberland 5. is the leader of the Witches. 6. In Act 5, Scene 1 Macbeth says that life is, a tale told by an. 7. In Act 5, Scene 1 Seyton says that the noise Macbeth heard was, the of women. 8. In Act 4, Scene 3 Malcom tells Macduff that they should make us medicines of our great to cure this deadly grief. 9. In Act 1, Scene 7 Macbeth says that he should not kill Duncan because, this even-handed commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice to our own lips. 10. In Act 2, Scene 2 Macbeth says that his hands pluck out mine. 11. In Act 2, Scene 2 Macbeth says to Lady Macbeth, I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a? 12. In the final scene of the play Malcom describes Lady Macbeth as a fiend-like. 13. King Duncan awards Macbeth with the title of Cawdor. 14. Macbeth learns from that Macduff has fled to England. 15. Macduff first meets when he arrives at Macbeth s home. 16. is the first to find King Duncan s body after the murder. 17. Macduff was able to kill Macbeth because he was not born of. 18. Old Siward offers an army of men times one thousand to fight for Malcolm. (Answer may be a Roman numeral or a number.) 19. Old Siward offers an army of men times one thousand to fight for Macbeth. (Answer may be a Roman numeral or a number.) 20. tells Macbeth about Lady Macbeth s demise. 21. The witches tell Banquo that he will be the ancestor of. 22. The witches tell Macbeth he will reign as king until Wood comes to Dunsinane. 23. When he faces Macduff at the end of the play, Macbeth says I will not to kiss the ground before young Malcolm's feet. 24. When Macbeth heard the princes praying he could not say. 25. When she hears of the witches prophesy that Macbeth should be king, Lady Macbeth calls for the spirits to her. 26. When the play begins, Macbeth is the Thane of. a. amen b. Birnam c. cry d. Duncan e. eyes f. Fleance g. Glamis h. Hecate i. idiot j. justice k. kings l. Lennox m. Macduff n. noise o. ocean p. the Porter q. queen r. revenge s. Seyton t. Thane u. unsex v. vanished w. woman x. X y. yield z. zero In case you were wondering For the ancient Greeks, Hecate was the being that controlled fate. Traditionally Hecate was portrayed as three women, who nevertheless represented one being. In Macbeth, Shakespeare plays with this traditional view of Hecate. He uses the idea of one being inhabiting three bodies in his portrayal of the witches, while the character Hecate has power over fate. 19

20 20 MACBETH

21 ACTORS CHOICE Álvaro Mendoza - Macbeth in ASC s Macbeth Describing Macbeth s journey through the play. Macbeth is a nightmare. Macbeth s situation becomes more and more asphyxiating with each scene, until his death, which is the main event of the play. Matthew Sincell Malcolm in ASC s Macbeth Describing Malcolm s journey through the play. [Malcolm] is barely in the first half of the play, so to establish him as a major character for the audience is very difficult. He disappears after the murder of his father and then doesn't re-appear until Act 4, scene 3 And so through the course of the play we must see a young, boyish Malcolm fleeing for his life turn into a soldier and a leader. The only way this can happen is if in the early scenes he is established as a young boy, and then in Act 4, sc 3, dramatically transform into a fearless soldier. By the end, he is King of Scotland. David Loar - Duncan in ASC s Macbeth In response to the question, What was the most challenging part of this show? To some degree I find playing Duncan challenging because he s one of the most boring characters Shakespeare ever wrote. Almost everything he says is in kingly speech. What does one do, other than be kingly, whatever that means? Álvaro Mendoza - Macbeth in ASC s Macbeth In response to the question, What was the most challenging part of this show? It s all challenging. The sequence that goes from Act 1, scene 7 ( If it were done when tis done ) to the end of Act 2, scene 3 (the discovery of Duncan s murder) is really, really difficult. There are huge emotional shifts between the scenes and no time to make them. The dagger speech is almost impossible. Matthew Sincell Malcolm in ASC s Macbeth In response to the question, What was the most challenging part of this show? If Malcolm can pretend to embody all of the vices that he lists to Macduff, and Macduff still makes allowances for Malcolm, then Malcolm knows that Macduff is not to be trusted. If, however, Macduff refuses to support Malcolm after hearing all of his self-proclaimed "vices," then Malcolm knows he can trust Macduff's integrity. A very confusing way to go about testing him. And so the challenge then for the actor playing Malcolm is to make sure the audience is aware that Malcolm is testing Macduff, but not allow Macduff to see that he is testing him. 21

22 Questions: 1. Mendoza uses the image of slow asphyxiation to describe Macbeth s journey through the play. In what ways does Macbeth metaphorically lose room to breathe as he continues through the play? Do Macbeth s actions in the play make him more or less powerful? 2. Sincell talks about an actor s need to show Malcolm turn into a fearless soldier in Act 4, scene 3. Where in that scene do you think this transformation occurs, and why does it happen? 3. Loar describes Duncan as one of the most boring characters Shakespeare ever wrote? Why do you think Shakespeare might have chosen to make Duncan into a boring character, and how does that choice to make Duncan boring affect your interpretation of the character Macbeth? 4. Sincell talks about Malcolm testing Macduff by lying about his (Malcolm s) vices. Why might Malcolm feel the need to test Macduff in this way. How does the scene, and the play, change if you assume that Malcolm is not lying about his vices? In case you were wondering To hear more about our shows from our actors, visit the American Shakespeare Center Podcast Central at Source: Charles and Mary Lamb, Tales from Shakespeare (Philadelphia: Henry Altemus Company, 1901) 22

23 GETTING TECHNICAL CONSIDER THIS ABOUT COSTUMES IN MACBETH: The color purple is often associated with royalty. Who wears purple in this production? In what way does this color connect Duncan with his sons? Trace the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in terms of similarities and differences in their costume colors and textures. Note when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth seem particularly connected or disconnected how do their costumes reflect such connections and disconnections. Using the following list of questions as a guide, consider (through discussion or writing) other aspects of costume design in ASC s Macbeth: o what is reflected by the period and style of clothing? o what is concealed and/or revealed about the character and the plot? o what does the weight, feel, flow of the materials communicate (heavy, see-through, silky)? o what color palette and intensity of color is used? o how do you distinguish the characters from one another? o how do you create relationships between the characters? o how many costume changes are needed for each character? o are there any special needs (such as blood, quick changes, etc.)? If you were asked to design your own production of Macbeth what kind of choices would you make about costumes? CONSIDER THIS ABOUT LIGHTING AND SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS IN MACBETH: All productions at the Blackfriars Playhouse use universal lighting the actors and audience share the same light. The lights remain on during Macbeth, yet the play contains scenes that take place in darkness. According to the director s program notes written by Ralph Cohen, this production of Macbeth aims to recover the power of seeing in the dark by staging darkness as Shakespeare would have done in his story of the night. How do the actors portray darkness, particularly immediately after Duncan s murder? Using the following list of questions as a guide, consider (through discussion or writing) other aspects of lighting and special effects in ASC s Macbeth: o what time of day needs to be shown in the many scenes? o what kind of environment/weather conditions? o what mood needs to be set for the scene or moment (danger, comfort, etc.)? o what actions are dependent on the light or effect (recognize another, keep warm, escape, etc.)? o what special effects are needed (such as: fire, explosions, magic, shadows, ghosts, etc.)? o in what ways might you take advantage of actors and audience sharing the same light? If you were asked to design your own production of Macbeth what kind of choices would you make about lighting and special effects? 23

24 CONSIDER THIS ABOUT MUSIC AND SOUND EFFECTS IN MACBETH: The following songs are performed before the play in the pre-show and after intermission during the interludes: Wave of Mutilation, Dirty Work, and Red, Red Robin. What is significant about each song as it relates to the production? Using the following list of questions as a guide, consider (through discussion or writing) other aspects of music and sound effects in ASC s Macbeth: o what mood is set by the pre-show and interlude music? o what music/songs did Shakespeare include in the text of the play? o what music has been added to set a mood, or clarify or underscore the text? o what actions are dependent on sounds (knock at door, alarum to battle, etc.) o what special sound effects are needed (such as: clocks, birds, explosions, etc.)? o what type, quality, and volume of musical instruments, human voice, or sounds? o should any music or sounds be left to the imagination? If you were asked to design your own production of Macbeth what kind of choices would you make about music and sound effects? CONSIDER THIS ABOUT SCENERY, SET PIECES, AND PROPS IN MACBETH: Theatres often re-use many costumes, props, and set pieces. If you see more than one play at the Blackfriars Playhouse, you may begin to recognize a hat, a cape, or a sword. One large set piece used as the banquet table in Macbeth s Banquo/ghost scene has been used in several productions at ASC. How might this scene between Macbeth and Banquo s ghost be enhanced if you are an audience member who recognizes the banquet table as the same set piece used for Juliet s funeral bier and the murder-bed of Desdemona? Using the following list of questions as a guide, consider (through discussion or writing) other aspects of scenery, set pieces, and props in ASC s Macbeth: o what particular period, style, or culture is represented? o what color and texture of set pieces/props (rustic wood or polished plastic) are used? o how many different locations are needed? o how do you coordinate the changing of the set? o what props are identified with a character (pipe, crown, cane, etc.)? o what props are especially important to the plot (Macbeth s head, Desdemona s hankie, etc.)? o what other props are needed (letters read, food eaten, swords, flags, etc.)? o should any settings or props be left to the imagination? If you were asked to design your own production of Macbeth what kind of choices would you make about scenery, set pieces, and props? 24

25 Directions: Select the BEST multiple choice answer. MACBETH QUIZ 1. What prophecy do the witches foretell for Banquo? a. He will be father of kings b. He ll be a king himself c. He will never sleep again d. Darkness shall surround him 2. The porter scene is the play s a. Beginning b. Dramatic contrast to the c. Comic relief d. Climax witches 3. As king, Macbeth is a. brutal b. wise c. above suspicion d. gentle 4. The former Thane of Cawdor had been a. a traitor b. Duncan s son c. brother to Macbeth d. conspirator with Donalbain 5. Macbeth meets death a. repentant for his wrongs b. willing to consider a c. with desperate courage d. certain that he can yet win noble retreat 6. Banquo s son is a. Fleance b. Sinel c. Malcolm d. Caithness 7. What does the gentlewoman first say Lady Macbeth does while sleepwalking? a. she makes her bed b. she writes something c. she cries d. she sings a mournful song 8. Malcolm is fortified by the aid of a. Siward s 10,000 men b. Northumberland s forces c. dissenters who once followed Banquo 9. Malcolm s army uses Birnam Wood as: a. Camouflage b. material for bantering rams d. the rag-tag sundry deserter c. a place of refuge d. a holding station for Macbeth s fleeing thanes 10. Malcolm s invasion is launched from a. France b. Norway c. England d. Ireland 11. Macbeth is killed by a. Malcolm b. Macduff c. Fleance d. Old Siward 12. Malcolm tests the loyalty of a. Macduff b. Sinel c. Siward d. Ross 13. The wife of the Thane of Fife is a. Lady Macbeth b. Lady Lennox c. Lady Macduff d. Lady Ross 14. For his bravery and loyalty Macbeth becomes a. King of Scotland b. Thane of Fife c. Thane of Glamis d. Thane of Cawdor 15. Lady Macbeth stops herself from killing Duncan because a. She fears death s dire b. He resembles her father consequences as he sleeps c. She supports Macbeth in his proof of action d. She cannot resolve her apprehensions against discover Essay One question that runs through Macbeth has to do with free will and the extent to which Macbeth is in control of his own destiny. As Macbeth progresses through the play, how much control does he have over what he does and what happens to him? (You may want to give particular attention to Macbeth s Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow speech in Act 5, scene 5.) Macbeth She should have died hereafter; There would have been a time for such a word. To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time, And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. 25