Shakespeare's Macbeth

Questions

1. Shakespeare: When and where was he born? What's his family background? When did he go to London?
2. Who ruled England when he was born?
3. What is the Globe theatre?
4. What are Shakespeare's contributions to the world of letters?
5. Is there a controversy about the authorship of Shakespeare's work? Why?
6. What is known about his personal life? Did he leave any significant manuscripts?
7. Tragedy as a genre: What defines a tragedy in the classical meaning of the term?
8. How do those ideas relate to the play Macbeth?
9. Did the characters in Macbeth really exist?
10. How does the play differ from the historical facts? What is the source of the play?
11. Was the play written with anyone particular in mind?
12. What happened to Donalbain?
13. Who is Hecate?
14. What does the word Thane mean?
15. Find some concrete examples of differences between Shakespearean vocabulary and modern English vocabulary.
16. What are the social standards and values in Macbeth's time?
17. How many people did Macbeth kill or have killed? Explain!
18. When does Banquo's line take the throne?

Essay Question

Macbeth's tragic flaw

What are the steps in his degeneration? What was the crack in his armor that made him vulnerable to the things that would lead to his disastrous end? Remember Achilles? Look at Macbeth through the various acts and observe the changes in his attitudes and behavior. How do lines 1-3 in Act 5 reveal his tragic flaw?

Internet Resources

About William Shakespeare
Macbeth
Shakespeare's Work
Shakespearian Authorship Controversy
Shakespeare's Stories  
Summary of Macbeth
Shakespeare Authorship Controversy -- Was it really the 17th Earl of Oxford instead?
Banquo's Issue Shall Be Kings

Michel Daudin, Teacher, and Jackson Wai, AP student, collaborated to develop this web hunt.

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