Ye Olde Shakespeare Scavenger Hunt
What do you know about good ol’ Will Shakespeare? Maybe you remember something from Romeo and Juliet last year or even from the Sonnets in eighth grade. But how much do you really know? Follow the instructions and clues to learn facts about the bard. Take the guided path through the internet to find out more about Will than you probably wouldn’t have imagined.
Start by accessing www.shakespeare.palomar.edu, answer each of the following questions:
Scroll down and Click Shakespeare Timeline.
Look at Birth.
When and where was Shakespeare born? What were the names of his parents?
Look at Marriage
How old was he when he married? Whom did he marry? What were his kids’ names?
Look at Lord Chamberlain’s Man
Why did the theaters in London close? In what year was Shakespeare’s sonnets first published?
Look at King’s Man
What were the King’s Men? What two tragic events occurred in 1601 that drastically moved Shakespeare to focus on writing tragedies?
Look at Death
When did he die? What did he leave to his wife in his will?
THE PLAYS
Go to http://www.william-shakespeare.info/william-shakespeare-plays.htm
How many plays did Shakespeare write? Page 1 Name the 3 categories of his plays? Other than Macbeth name four other tragedies written by Shakespeare? What year was Macbeth written?
Now, go back to the first website –
Next click Coined by Shakespeare. Find 3 words made up by Shakespeare and tell what play they came from.
MACBETH
Back up to the Works screen and click on Study Guides.
Scroll to the bottom & follow the Enjoying Macbeth link. Skim the Family Entertainment section. List three (3) things that you learned?
Skim The real Macbeth and his Times section. From where did Shakespeare get his story? What was the real Macbeth like? Read The Background section. Why was the play written? What “other name” do actors use when referring to Macbeth? Why do they use this other term?
Report three other interesting facts or ideas from this site.
THE THEATER
Go back and click on the Theater link. Click on Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. Then click Shakespeare and the Globe Theater. Then Shakespeare’s Globe and then click on the Timeline link. When was the Globe built? What happened in 1613? Click on seating arrangements. What are “groundlings”? Find three more facts about the Globe.
Back up to the Theater page and take the Virtual Tour of the Globe. Identify two (2) specific architectural features of the Globe that modern, urban theaters do NOT have.
Go back to the start page and take A Shakespeare Biography Quiz. Answer all questions except 11,18 & 21. Print out your score.
SHAKESPEARES SONNETS
Finally, go back to to http://www.william-shakespeare.info/william-shakespeare- plays.htm
Click on Shakespeares Sonnets
What country is credited as the originator of the sonnet? Who is credited with bringing the sonnet format to England? Finally, select and print out one of the sonnets to paraphrase. Page 2 Record your answers on a separate piece of paper and hand in! Who is on Whose Side? A Character Map of Allies and Enemies
Page 3 Scottish Monarchy MONARCH REIGN MARRIED CAUSE OF DEATH Page 4 Malcolm II 1003 - 1033 Assassinated
Page 5 Duncan I 1033-1039 Sybil Murdered by Macbeth in battle
Macbet 1039-1056 Gruoch Slain at Lumphanan h
Malcolm III 1056-1093 Ingibiorg/Margaret Killed at Seige of Alnwick
Donald III 1093-1093 Ruled for 3 mths, Expelled by Duncan II
Duncan II 1094-1098 Sybil Murdered by Malfrida MacLoen, Earl of Mearns on orders of Donald III
Edgar 1098-1106 Nephew of Donald III, died of old age
Alexander I 1106-1124 Sybil Died at the Battle of Stirling
David I* 1124-1153 Mathilda unknown
Malcolm IV 1153-1165 unknown
William I 1165-1214 Emengarde
Alexander II 1214-1249 Joan/Mary of Coucy
Alexander III 1249-1286 Margaret Plantagenet/ Fell from horse Yolande
Margaret Maid of 1286-1290 Never married Got sick on a voyage to England Norway and died
John Baliol 1290-1296 *Competed for the throne He was tossed in the Tower of since there were no heirs, London and was released lousy king
Robert I the Bruce 1306-1329 Elizabeth of Mar/ Old age Elizabeth de Burgh
(BACK)
Page 6 All The World’s a Stage
TOP 10 GLOBE THEATER “TRIVIA” FACTS
Trivia Fact 1 - The Globe was built in a similar style to the Coliseum, but on a smaller scale - other Elizabethan Theatres followed this style of architecture which were called amphitheatres.
Trivia Fact 2 - The Globe Theatre was built in with the materials and timber 'stolen' from the first 'Theatre' in 1599 when William Shakespeare and the Chamberlain's men were forced to leave because the Puritan owner, Giles Allen, refused to re-new the lease. It only took six months to build!
Trivia Fact 3 - Theatrical Performances proved to be so popular that in 1591 the growing popularity of theatres led to a law closing all theatres were closed on Thursdays so that the bull and bear baiting industries would not be neglected
Trivia Fact 4 - The Globe theatre was also used for gambling and for immoral purposes
Trivia Fact 5 - Outbreaks of the Bubonic Plague were so serious that the Globe Theatre was forced to close. The outbreaks and closures occurred in 1593 , 1603 and 1608. In 1563, in London alone, over 20,000 people died of the deadly Bubonic Plague.
Page 7 Trivia Fact 6 - William Shakespeare and his company built TWO Globe Theatres - on 29 June 1613 there was a fire at the original Globe and the theatre burnt to the ground within two hours. A new Globe was quickly re-built in 1614
Trivia Fact 7 - The motto of the Globe theatre was "Totus mundus agit histrionem" ( the whole world is a playhouse ). The phrase was slightly re-worded in the William Shakespeare play As You Like It - "All the world’s a stage" which was performed at the Globe Theatre
Trivia Fact 8 - No women were allowed to work as actors - female roles were taken by young lads who wore women's clothes and elaborate make-up. The lead content in the white make-up led to many early deaths of the boy actors
Trivia Fact 9 - Different colored flags were used to advertise the themes of plays which were to be performed at the Globe Theatre. A black flag indicated a tragedy, a white flag indicated a comedy and a red flag indicated a History
Trivia Fact 10 - The Globe Theatre was demolished by the Puritans. On 15th April 1644 landowner Sir Matthew Brend demolished the playhouse and built tenement houses on the site
A Theatric Perspective of the stage
Stage direction from the perspective of the audience
Page 8 Source: shakespeare.palomar.edu/images/dewitt500.gif&imgrefurl=http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/theatre.htm
Shakespeare’s Themes for Macbeth
Now that you have watched a brief introduction to Macbeth, consider the four primary themes that Shakespeare highlights and how the concepts could possible still be relevant to today’s society?
Blind Ambition
People will often focus on the end result of their quest without considering the impact or possible consequences of their actions. So focused on the gains, they are not able to foresee the downfalls.
Power Corrupts
That with the gain of authority, individuals’ conscience and sense of a moral code will be tainted, turning them into corrupt/lawless individuals.
Superstition affects human behavior
People will often allow the belief or reliability of premonitions, fortune-tellers or psychics to impact the decisions or actions they take rather than using rational thinking.
Things not as they appear to be
Page 9 This can be both physical as well as intellectual “appearance.” In some cases, events may not appear as reality, as can people and their behavior. Consider what persona the characters present to the public and his/her demeanor when in private.
Page 10 Shakespeare’s Sonnets
The “second best” known style of writing Shakespeare is known for is his sonnets. The sonnet form first became popular during the Italian Renaissance, when the poet Petrarch published a sequence of love sonnets addressed to an idealized woman named Laura. Taking firm hold among Italian poets, the sonnet spread throughout Europe to England, where, after its initial Renaissance, "Petrarchan" incarnation faded, the form enjoyed a number of revivals and periods of renewed interest. In Elizabethan England--the era during which Shakespeare's sonnets were written--the sonnet was the form of choice for lyric poets, particularly lyric poets seeking to engage with traditional themes of love and romance.
Though it is possible that he wrote them over a period of several years, most scholars believe he began composing them as early as 1592 or 1593. Shakespeare's 154 sonnets, taken together, are frequently described as a sequence, and this is generally divided into two sections. Sonnets 1-126 focus on a young man and the speaker's friendship with him, and Sonnets 127-52 focus on the speaker's relationship with a woman. However, in only a few of the poems in the first group is it clear that the person being addressed is a male. And most of the poems in the sequence as a whole are not direct addresses to another person. The two concluding sonnets, 153 and 154, are free translations or adaptations of classical verses about Cupid;
It is suggested by historians and scholars, that Shakespeare wrote his sonnets on commission for others to support himself during the down periods of the theater. All 154 poems appeared in a 1609 collection, entitled SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS, comprising 152 previously unpublished sonnets and two (numbers 138 and 144) that had previously been published in a 1599 miscellany entitled The Passionate Pilgrim. Although the works were written by Shakespeare, it is not known if the publisher, Thomas Thorpe, used an authorized manuscript from him, or an unauthorized copy. It is also to Thomas Thorpe the accountability of giving the sonnets numbers. With a handful of exceptions, none of the sonnets had be previously known to have titles. Few believe that Shakespeare supervised the publication of this manuscript, for the text is riddled with errors. Nevertheless, Thorpe's 1609 edition is the basis for all modern texts of the sonnets.
Page 11 Sonnets were also written during the height of classical English verse, by Dryden and Pope, among others, and written again during the heyday of English Romanticism, when Wordsworth, Shelley, and particularly John Keats created wonderful sonnets. Today, the sonnet remains the most influential and important verse form in the history of English poetry.
Sources: http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shakesonnets; http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/; http://www.enotes.com/sonnets/
The Science of Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Shakespeare used a very special “formula” when he developed his sonnets.
Length – Every sonnet has fourteen lines – three stanzas called “quatrains” made up of four lines and “a couplet” of two on the end
Rhyme Scheme – Shakespeare adopted the rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG for his sonnets, having each stanza rhyme within.
Iambic Pentameter – each line of the poem will consist of five “feet” or measures of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables totaling ten total syllables per line.
--- / ---- / --- / --- / --- /
Message - The Shakespearean sonnet usually focused on a message of love, devotion, nature, and in a few a touch of politics. The message was often developed through the use of a sequence of metaphors or ideas, one in each quatrain, while the couplet offers either a summary or a new take on the preceding images or ideas.
Quatrain 1 – the speaker characterizes the “object of his affection”
Quatrain 2 – the speaker describes the relationship with the person
Quatrain 3 – the speaker describes the consequences of the relationship/his love
Couplet – the speaker confirms his resolve (everlasting love, devotion, etc) for the object of his affection
The Message sometimes started off with a tone that was not flattering (mentioning flaws or unappealing characteristics) but in Quatrain 3 the tone will take a sharp turn and become one of passionate devotion or appreciation for the individual. Page 12 Sonnet # 18
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimmed, And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed:
But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st, Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st,
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Now bring Will Shakespeare into the 21st Century!
Line by Line, translate the Shakespearean English into a more modern pattern. Look at the first quatrain -
Will - Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Page 13 Today – Should I compare you to a day in the summer?
Will - Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Today – You are more beautiful and calmer
Will - Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
Today – Hard times can take away your beauty
Will - And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Today – The prime of life is not very long Writing Along with Will
As we finish an act of Macbeth, you will prepare a single mini-essay from one of the prompts listed for each act. Choose one prompt from each act. Compose a 1 to 2 page essay using at least 4 quotes.
Remember to only use the parts of the quote which support your argument and use the (Act . Scene . Line) citation format. You will be graded on the clarity of your argument, the use of supporting quotes, and your efforts at setting up, analyzing, and transitioning between quotes.
Each writing will be worth 20 points Act I
1. Choose Macbeth, Banquo or Lady Macbeth and discuss what kind of person he/she is based on the words he/she speaks. What is revealed about the character from what they say to others and what they say to themselves or in an aside?
2. Discuss how Shakespeare creates a conflict between belief in fate and belief in free will. What do the characters believe? What do you think Shakespeare believes?
3. Argue how the theme of ‘appearances can be deceiving’ is presented in the play. Find examples of when something appears to be what it is not. Consider any paradoxes – when something appears to be two things that contradict one another.
4. How does the concept of ambition affect Macbeth and Lady Macbeth? What are their thoughts about ambition? How does this create tension between the two? Page 14 Act II
1. Discuss how Shakespeare uses symbolism in the act to foreshadow the consequences of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s treasonous murder of the King. How does the use of this imagery impact the audience?
2. The porter who attends the castle creates a scene of comic relief. His humorous comments on the types of people who wind up at the gates of hell seem innocent, but How is Macbeth like or unlike the sinners described by the porter? Why did Shakespeare include this scene in the play? What does the scene do for the mood and action of the play?
3. Discuss how some of the following themes develop in the act(pick at least two): Ambition, The Supernatural; Good vs. Evil; The Tragic Hero; Power; Conscience.
4. How is Macbeth’s claim that he will “sleep no more” foreshadowed or indicated earlier by the witches in Act I scene III?
5. Characterize the changes in the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. If the main theme of Macbeth is ambition, whose ambition is the driving force of the play— Macbeth’s, Lady Macbeth’s, or both?
Act III
1. Compare and contrast Macbeth’s and Banquo’s suspicions of one another. How are they similar? How are they different?
2. Discuss Macbeth’s attitude toward the murderers. How does Macbeth view them? How does he convince them that Banquo is their enemy?
3. Describe the state of Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s relationship. What change occurs in 3.4? Has Macbeth or Lady Macbeth changed in any way since Act 1?
4. Choose Macbeth, Lady Macbeth or the Lords and examine how he or she reacts during the scene with Banquo’s ghost. How does what the character knows or does not know affect his or her reactions?
5. Figure out the purpose of scenes 3.5 and 3.6. Why are they included? What do they add to the story? Could they be left out?
ACT IV
1. One of the important themes in Macbeth is the idea of political legitimacy, of the moral authority that some kings possess and others lack. With particular attention to Malcolm’s questioning of Macduff in Act IV, scene iii, try to define some of the characteristics that grant or invalidate the moral legitimacy of absolute power. What makes Duncan a good king? What makes Macbeth a tyrant?
2. Banquo is a foil to Macbeth in that both are the subject of prophecies concerning the future kingship of Scotland, but they react to these prophecies differently. How does each respond to his encounter with the witches? Are there key differences? Why does Shakespeare include two sets of prophecies? What is the effect of this juxtaposition? Page 15 3. Apart from the Weird Sisters, there are only two significant female characters in the play. Compare/contrast Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff. Are they foils to one another? Why or why not? What do they have in common? How do they differ?
ACT V
1. How does Lady Macbeth change in act V? Contrast this with your earlier impressions of her.
2. Examine Macbeth’s state of mind in act V. Pay particular attention to 5.3.
3. Look at scenes 5.2, 5.4, and 5.6. How do these scenes function within the act? How are they a contrast to what is happening with Macbeth in the alternating scenes? How do they add up and build tension?
4. What changes and realizations does Macbeth make in 5.5?
5. How have the issues of ambition, conscience or fate vs. free will been resolved?
6. Is Macbeth a moral play? Is justice served at the end of the play? Defend your answer.
More Literary Terms to Live By
Alliteration – is the repetition of initial sounds in neighboring words.
But now I am cabined, cribbed, confined, bound in To saucy doubts and fears. (III.iv)
Allusions – The use of another source of reference to make a comparison. Shakespeare uses both mythological and Biblical allusions throughout the play. For example, the sergeant compares a bloody scene of death on the battlefield to Golgotha, the site of the death of Christ.
Blank Verse – refers to a poem that's written in unrhymed iambic pentameter
Diction – the author's choice of words, taking into account correctness, clearness, and effectiveness. With Shakespeare, the use of iambic pentameter for the “noble” characters sets them apart from the common soldiers, servants and tradesmen.
Page 16 Dramatic Irony – when the words and actions of the characters of a work of literature have a different meaning for the reader than they do for the characters. This is the result of the reader having a greater knowledge than the characters themselves.
The most dramatic example of this is Macbeth’s acceptance that no man “of woman born shall harm Macbeth” and that he is safe until Birnam Woods move. Macbeth continues to feel confident of his safety even though the audience, through the previous scene learn of the dramatic irony, has seen the woods coming to Macbeth long before he realizes it.
Page 17