D U N S I N A N E

A STUDY GUIDE

Written by Cedi Christensen Jack Cobabe Sterling Larson Gloria Swenson Emma Thomas Sarah Turpin

Summary of Macbeth Dunsinane, a modern sequel of an ancient storyline

In the play Dunsinane by David Greig, we get to see a creative take on William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. Dunsinane was published in February of 2010, so it is a fairly new play (especially considering that Macbeth was written over 400 years ago). David Greig shares many of the same characters in this play with Shakespeare. So let’s start off with a brief explanation of William Shakespeare’s, Macbeth. Macbeth starts out with a man named Duncan being king of Scotland. He has a general named Macbeth. Macbeth encounters three ‘witches’ who prophesy to him saying that he will soon become the King of Scotland. After becoming Thane of Cawdor, he tells his wife, Lady Macbeth, about the prophecy. She vows to help him become king at any cost. With this vow, she convinces her husband to kill King Duncan. The King’s death is blamed on Duncan’s son Malcolm. So Malcolm flees, leaving Macbeth to take over the throne. The witches come back and prophecy about how Macbeth will rule Scotland until “Birnam Wood” approaches the castle. He doesn’t worry much about this because how on earth could a forest get up and move? But do you remember King Duncan’s son Malcolm? Now, England, led by a generals Macduff and Siward decide to take a march to Dunsinane, where Macbeth and Lady Macbeth rule over Scotland. Now, the English army decides to use branches and leaves to disguise the army as a forest, thus creating the illusion that Birnam Wood was approaching the castle at Dunsinane. Macbeth receives word from a servant that Lady Macbeth has killed herself, and upon hearing the news that it appears the forest is approaching, he joins the fight where he is killed in battle by Macduff. Dunsinane, picks up this story at the final battle on Dunsinane hill. The British fight, win, and appoint Malcolm just like in Shakespeare’s play. Except this time, Greig writes the story as if the rumor of Lady Macbeth’s death was false. She is still alive, and still actively pursuing the throne. Her name is Gruach. The story continues, portraying the struggle for leadership and peace between Gruach, the English forces, and the many clans of Scotland.

- Jack Cobabe

The power struggle of England vs Scotland The power struggle

British: Scottish: Their Goal: Restore peace Their Goal: Keep the in Dunsinane, Scotland. British out of Scotland They want to help mend and keep control of the broken country their own land, even after MacBeth’s reign. after the reign of Macbeth.

Their Plan: Do whatever it Their Plan: Defend their takes to get Malcom on country at all costs, the throne. That’s what’s even if that means going to bring peace to enemy clans banning Scotland, not another together to defeat the Scottish King. common enemy in Scotland: England.

Their Mentality: Anything Their Mentality: that gets in the way of Dunsinane is their land, the goal is a threat to and therefore it is their the restoration of order job to restore peace, not in the country, and the English. They don’t therefore must be want anyone to try to destroyed. do that for them.

Their Leader: Siward, Their Leader: Gruach , under the direction of under the direction of Malcolm her followers (Moray and other clans)

- Gloria swenson

Map of Scotland

Things to Note:

➢ Major clans include: Alba in the West, Moray in the North, Angus (spelled differently than on the map) in the East, and Glen Lyon in the South ➢ “The Tyrant” was from Mull ➢ Gruach is the eldest princess of the Moray clan ➢ Siward is from Northumbria ➢ Macduff is from Strathspey (spelled differently than on the map) ➢ The Scottish army resides in Birnam Wood ➢ The English army resides in/close to Dunsinane. ➢ Macleod sends Macneil to speak on behalf of the Lordship of the Isles to the West

Don’t be overwhelmed with all of the names, just pay attention to the major clans

Women Warriors Throughout this process, we have been looking closely at the women that we portray in this show.

As women, we talked about female representation, and the positive traits we want to portray through strong, female warriors. We talked about how women in media are often stereotyped as weak, unresourceful, and dependent on men.

The following is a list we put together of traits we want to embody as we play these awesome Scottish warrior women:

● Not submissive ● Supporting others ● Independent ● Loyal ● Fiercely ugly ● Endurance ● Mentally strong (being proud of ● Listening/open- ● Confident who you are) minded attitude leadership ● Embracing ● Willing to ask for ● Powerful femininity help individuality ● Selfless ● Using emotions to ● Embracing faults ● Unified motivate ● Physically strong ● Thoughtful ● Headstrong ● Conviction ● Demanding and ● Vulnerable ● Determination giving respect ● Principled ● Not intimidated ● Ambition ● Unapologetic ● Body positivity ● Passionate

Can you see some of these traits in the women presented in Dunsinane?

Women chant slogans during a protest in Kabul,

Afghanistan November 11, 2015.

Credit: Omar Sobhani/Reuters

British Boys the young men in our cast looked at the British army in the show and the type of men they gradually become during their year together.

They start as young and hopeful boys wanting to promote peace, but then through their interactions with each other and after experiencing the horrors of life, they gradually become men with some pretty toxic traits. We talked about what is expected of men in our society today, and how these traits are cultivated through group mentality and poor role models. They are caused by simple things, like a group leader, or just the environment of a bunch of boys who are each worried about what the others think of him. We discussed how lots of these traits could be positive things if harnessed and used conscientiously, but many times they become negative and harmful aspects of our male psyches.

We came up with a list of traits normally associated with masculinity that were kind of problematic for us:

● Entitlement ● Blaming others ● Controlling sexual ● Always being the ● Not taking no for urges is leader an answer impossible ● Inherent ● The need to be ● Arrogance stupidity/not strong ● Incapable of thinking things ● Naturally inferior compassion through to women (in ● Muscular physical ● Aggression some areas) appearance ● No crying, or ● Being forceful ● “Boys will be intense emotions sexually boys” that aren’t anger ● Being the sole ● Needing to be tall ● Being a provider ● Competitive loudmouth ● Prideful ● Having a “Stone ● Dominating over ● Being a “lone cold” women wolf” temperament

Do you recognize any of these traits in the British boys in the play?

In your life, could you justify any of these statements?

Yes▢ No▢ I am willing to fight and risk death for my country. Yes▢ No▢ I am willing to lose someone I love for the good of my country. Yes▢ No▢ I am willing to fight for a different country and risk my life. Yes▢ No▢ War can be justified if it’s for a good cause. Yes▢ No▢ For peace, it is morally acceptable to kill an adult. Yes▢ No▢ For peace, it is morally acceptable to kill a child. Yes▢ No▢ I am willing to risk my physical health for the good of people I don’t know. Yes▢ No▢ I am willing to risk my emotional and mental health for the good of people I don’t know.

Iraq & Afghanistan When he wrote Dunsinane in 2010, David Greig said that he was heavily influenced by the current events surrounding America & Britain’s involvement in the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan. WE asked some people who have had experience with those wars to tell us their stories.

Jessica Sudman, an IB Coordinator here at Hillcrest, was asked to share her experience with Afghanistan and how it affected her personally: “I am an army brat, my father served in both Iraq wars, and served time in Afghanistan. I lived on military bases almost my whole life, experienced the Iraq war while living overseas among children whose families hated America and our military involvement, and many of my friends from childhood and high school are in the service and have been stationed in Afghanistan and more. I have lost many friends to alcoholism and suicide due to the stress of returning home from war; I don’t have the perspectives of a soldier, but I do as an Army Brat for my dad’s 20 years in the military and how it affected our family, and how military life still affects my friends from when they were first enlisted up to now.”

We then talked to Kurtis Judson, a doctor who had three years of his medical school paid for by the government in return for his service in Iraq.

In the war, did you see yourself as someone seeking to create peace? KJ: I didn’t really think about peace when I was there. I had and have a role to care for those that are injured or wounded. My goal was to take care of the patient in front me the best way I could with the resources that I had.

What changes did you see in yourself while serving? KJ: I changed while deployed physically because of the free time that I had. I went to gym daily and came home in the best shape of my life. I changed mentally and socially as well though. I did slide into a type of depression called an adjustment disorder. While I was able to find happy moments, I spent a lot of time separated from those I love, so it made me quick to be irritated and short with others frequently. I probably took over a year, getting out of the military, a new job, and a new city.

What was your relationship with the Afghan natives like? KJ: My only relationships were in trying to take care of their injuries. My interactions were brief, because these patients were taken out of my care quickly so that they could be interrogated/interviewed.

Were there a lot of casualties in your unit? KJ: (There were no) casualties in my unit because I was stationed inside a base and I was not allowed to leave.

Do you remember arriving? What was it like? KJ: I don’t remember my arrival in Iraq. I do remember my night in Qatar prior to making the jump into the Iraq. A 100 members of multiples units crammed into a large tent with the AC blowers going at a 100 mph because it was unbelievably hot. I also remember the flight in as well, sitting cramped in a KC-130 loaded down with my flak vest and gear. The next clear memory I have is interacting with the leaving unit.

What was your relationship like with other soldiers? KJ: I had a good relationship with others. Myself, another officer/physician, and two members of our support staff played cards (hearts) almost every night for the entire deployment. I also had a close connection with the Army physicians that were on base (I deployed to a join Army-Air Force base). We were the primary care service for any casualties but they would support us every time we were needed to care for wounded.

We would like to thank those who have served our country and have sacrificed to provide freedom for all.

How this affects us today For many people, theatre is a great way to be immersed in a different realm. They watch theatre to escape their own problems for a few hours. We at Hillcrest have learned that theatre can and should be so much more than that. It can be a way to generate new thoughts and feelings, and to generate change in the world. As we compare England’s invasion into Scotland with the US invading Afghanistan, we invite you to take a closer look at the reality that in some ways Dunsinane is happening in our own world today. Information for the following timeline is taken from CBS-BBC.

Militia waiting for U. S. planes to bomb King Zahir Shah, who ruled for 40 Taliban positions years until he was ousted in 1973

U.S General David Petraeus in Kandahar Vote of 2005: Fist political poll in more than 30 years

Loya Jirga counsel delegating adopted new constitutions

-Emma Thomas and Sterling Larson