Tragic Hero

Tragic Hero: Often the main character in a tragedy. Usually male, this person is a noble and great person, aside from a fatal flaw or sinister force on the inside or outside that will be his downfall, which greatly contrasts his previous, happier position. The downfall should make the audience be in awe of how far the hero has fallen, and feel pity for him.  The tragic hero is usually high-ranking member of the military and/or a nobleman.

Root: A similar word, hamartia, is described as a hero’s fatal flaw. This word was defined by Aristotle in his works Poetics. This is a work of dramatic theory, and talks about comedies, tragedies and lyric poetry.

How it applies to Macbeth: In the play Macbeth, Macbeth would be the tragic hero. His fatal flaw is ambition, or, to be specific his greed for the crown. Macbeth is also largely influenced by the witches’ prophecy and his wife persuading him to kill King Duncan. He is also a military commander and a thane (noble).

- LK, VF, and MC


Sources:

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/601884/tragedy/51117/Shakespeares-tragic-art

http://www.field-of-themes.com/shakespeare/essays/Emacbeth3.htm

http://shakespeare.nuvvo.com/lesson/4435-elements-of-a-tragic-hero-in-literature

http://www.walkinginthefog.net/files/TragicStructureInMacbeth2.ppt

Comparison of OxfordNext Macbeth script and Bibliomania Macbeth script

The first difference I noticed between the Bibliomania version and the OxfordNext version was in the "Dramatis Personae". In general, the OxfordNext version gives better descriptions of the characters. For example, it says mentions that Malcolm is Duncan's oldest son, and heir to the throne, whereas in the Bibliomania version, it simply says that Malcolm and Donaldbain are Duncan's sons. However, the Bibliomania version mentions when characters may be called something different in the script, such as that "Boy" is also referred to as "Son". Two other things of note are that the "Captain" is a "Sergeant" in the Bibliomania version, and that Fleance is mentioned as the son of Banquo, whereas he is not mentioned in the OxfordNext version.

 In the actual scripts themselves, one of the most major differences between them is that the OxfordNext version numbers the lines, but in the Bibliomania version, the lines are not numbered. This makes citing and referring to sections the Bibliomania version more difficult. There are also numerous punctuation and spelling differences, such as phrases in the Bibliomania version occasionally being separated by colons instead of commas or periods, or spelling "Norwegian" as "Norweyan", or "Memorize" as "Memorise". I also noticed that the settings are rather different.

The OxfordNext version sets the first scene at a battlefield and the second scene at the king's headquarters, while the Bibliomania versions sets the first scene at a "desert place", and the second scene at a "Camp near Forres". Lastly, I noticed that the Bibliomania version has an extra line at the end of Scene 2, which is the first line of Scene 3 in the OxfordNext version. Both scripts seem to generally be lacking stage directions, which could make using them more difficult for actors. Overall, while one's reading of the play would not differ too dramatically if using the Bibliomania version or the OxfordNext version, I would say that OxfordNext version is a better resource for Grade 9 students studying the play, because it has notes on the script explaining the terms used in the play, and it is easier to cite from and refer to.

Online Resource: http://www.bibliomania.com/0/6/3/1075/frameset.html

Women - In the real Macbeth's time and in Shakespeare's day

General Information on women during the Elizabethan period (MC):

-Women were expected to be housewives and mothers.

-Childbearing was seen as a great honor and a gift from god.

-Women were regarded as the "weaker sex" physically and emotionally.

Source: www.elizabethi.org/us/women

Married Women (VF):

-Married women were supposed to bring a dowry to the wedding

-this would include goods, money and the woman's property after the marraige

-Women could marry at 12

Source: www.william-shakespeare.info/elizabethan-women.htm

Women's Education (LK):

- In the Elizabethan times, although noble girls were educated by tutors, they did not go to university.

- Music and dancing were essential skills for noblewomen.

- Common women were only trained to be good wives (e.g. cook, manage the household).

- They would not have attended school or received any other type of formal education.

Source: www.william-shakespeare.info/elizabethan-women.htm

Introduction

Welcome to our plog! Enjoy our lovely posts about the play Macbeth!

From Your Three Witches,

The Ice Shadow Beast (MC)
C-gull (LK)
Victory of Fife (VF)