Macbeth

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, and this is our longest episode.

We were happy to talk about the Astor Place Riots, you can see more stuff about it on Wikipedia Here.

It would be easy for us to provide the outlines that we use to produce these podcasts, would you guys be interested in seeing those? Please leave us a comment if you'd like to see them.

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Slings & Arrows: The Complete Collection I can't recommend this show enough: it encompasses the "feeling" and "meaning" of Shakespeare more than any program I've ever seen.
Throne of Blood - Criterion Collection Akira Kurosawa's Japanese version of Macbeth
Scotland, PA: A humorous modern retelling of Macbeth in a modern restaurant setting. Includes Christopher Walken!
Wyrd Sisters The amazing Terry Pratchett takes on Macbeth in a Fantasy setting. Fantastic, like all Terry Pratchett.
Enter Three Witches This is an OK book. I'd only recommend it if you wanted a young teen or tween to read a more PG 13 version of Macbeth.

Macbeth: The DVD Edition (Folger Shakespeare Library) A fan suggested this one. I haven't seen it, but it sounds good!


Someone asked for the outline of the podcast, so here it is: (Beware: it's a little long)



MacBeth

   1. Introduction
         1. Bardcast
         2. Names
         3. MacBeth
   2. play classification/sources
         1. Tragedy, but about History (Again, loosely)
               1. What makes histories and tragedies different?
                     1. Tragedies are about personal loss
                     2. Histories are about public defeat/victory.
                     3. compare Richard II, he's murdered in his cell, but he retains his dignity
         2. Holinshead again
   3. Publications
         1. Actual date released is unknown and unknowable
               1. Almost certainly written following JI, so 1603
               2. so many references to Equivocation, could follow the Gunpowder plot of 1606
               3. There are allusions to it in 1607 (probably), so it has to be in that area.
         2. Only in the Folio
         3. Troublesome
               1. Everyone assumes the Hecate musical numbers are inserted
               2. People also assume the Play has been cut for unknown reasons
   4. What's it About?
   5. Setting
         1. Scotland
         2. Nights
               1. The old theaters were sunlit
               2. It could be this was written for blackfriars (or a similar theater), which they acquired in 1608
   6. characters
         1. MacBeth
               1. Lady MacBeth
               2. Banquo
                     1. Fleance
               3. Doctor/Nurse
         2. Duncan
               1. Malcolm
               2. Donalbain
         3. MacDuff
               1. Lady MacDuff
               2. MacDuff's Son
         4. Witches
               1. Optionally, Hecate
               2. Assorted Prophecizers
         5. Background Guys
               1. Lennox, Ross, Menteith, Angus, Caithness -Lords
               2. A porter, a gentlewoman, 3 murderers and a messenger
               3. Siward and Siward's son, Englishmen
   7. plot
         1. 60 second summary
         2. Normally quote good passages, too many to repeat in this one.  We'll still give it a try
         3. Act I
               1. Scene I
                     1. Witches hang about
                           1. Paddock and Greymalkin are names for animals, (familiars)
               2. Scene II
                     1. Man reports on MacBeth's butt-kicking
               3. Scene III
                     1. Witch describes how she ruined a sailor's sailing out of spite.
                     2. MacBeth and Banquo arrive.
                     3. First prophecies, Cawdor today, King, hereafter
                     4. Banquo prophecies: father of kings, but not king.
                     5. Macbeth is informed he is now Cawdor, already begins to contemplate murder
               4. Scene IV
                     1. Cawdor has been executed: "died" speech
                     2. Duncan is overjoyed to meet with Mac and Banq. Good courtly speech
                     3. MacBeth hurries ahead to meet lady maccers
               5. Scene 5
                     1. Lady M reads letter. Plans to stiffen his resolve. Hears that king is coming. Resolves to remove all virtue from self to steel self for murder.
                     2. MacBeth arrives, lady M tells him to look like the flower, but be the serpent
               6. Scene 6
                     1. Duncan and banq arrive at the castle, are greeted by Lady M.
               7. Scene 7
                     1. Macbeth is conflicted about the murder.
                           1. It would commend poison to his own lips
                           2. He's host, cousin, subject, and (metaphorically) son of duncan
                           3. Duncan is so virtuous it'd be a terrible sin
                           4. He has only ambition as justification
                     2. He decides to not go through with it, Lady M berates him.
                     3. Mentions child here
                     4. she lays out the plan of assassination
                           1. drug guards
                           2. kill king
                           3. blame guards
         4. Act II
               1. Scene I
                     1. MacBeth meets Banquo. Plans to speak later, dismisses everyone
                     2. Dagger speech.
               2. Scene II
                     1. The Murder Scene (Dun Dun Dun!)
                     2. Lady M, "all's well so far, Maccers is killing him now"
                     3. "had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had don't"
                     4. MacBeth returns, he did it, but he thought someone heard him.
                     5. The guards called "murder" (a general cry), but prayed and returned to sleep. Mac couldn't say "amen", pretty obvious symbol there.
                     6. MacBeth is undone by the deed, Lady is still bold, finishes the job (daggers, blood, etc.)
                     7. knocking
               3. Scene III
                     1. Porter scene
                     2. Comic relief, but Knocking is the same knocking that bothers macbeth
                     3. Macduff and Lennox are allowed in, are greeted by MacBeth
                     4. they allude to bad omens
                     5. Macduff returns to reveal the king has been murdered
                     6. more people arrive, MacBeth reveals he killed the guards
                     7. Malcolm and Donalbain decide to run before the killer gets them too
               4. Scene IV
                     1. more bad omen talk
                     2. the princes have fled, and the suspicion of guilt falls upon them
                     3. Macbeth has already left to be crowned king
         5. Act III
               1. Scene I
                     1. Banquo suspects MacBeth
                     2. tells MacBeth that he's leaving, but will return soon
                     3. Macbeth instructs the murderers to get banquo, and especially his son
               2. Scene II
                     1. m and lady m review the situache
               3. Scene III
                     1. Murderers live up to their name, but lose Fleance
               4. Scene IV
                     1. The Dinner Scene
                     2. Macbeth will sit with the others, while LM sits on the throne
                     3. murderer reports failure
                     4. Banquo's ghost
                     5. everyone leaves,
                     6. Maccers resolves to meet the witches again,
                     7. here's his true resolution to be evil
               5. Scene V
                     1. Witches, probably an addition
               6. Scene 6
                     1. Lennox talks to a noble to win him over against Maccers.
         6. Act IV
               1. Scene I
                     1. Witches again
                     2. Another interruption from Thomas Middleton
                     3. two series of prophecies
                           1. Beware Macduff, one of woman born, and Birnam Wood to dunsinane
                           2. The kings, sons of banquo go to mary/james
                     4. Lennox arrives, Maccers resolves to ambush Macduff's family
               2. Scene II
                     1. MacDuff's son has a good joke
                     2. Murderers kill some macduffs
               3. Scene III
                     1. England, Malcolm and Macduff.
                     2. Malcolm reveals that he would be a far worse king than macbeth until macduff tells him that's a bad idea
                     3. Ross arrives and tells macduff his family is 1. Fine and 2. slaughtered
                     4. They resolve to move on scotland immediately.
         7. Act V
               1. Scene I
                     1. sleepwalking scene
                     2. a little too good a scene for performers
               2. Scene II
                     1. Lennox and other rebels summarize the situation
                     2. gives some insight into Macbeth's mental state
               3. Scene III
                     1. Macbeth prepares for war
                     2. from this moment on, the play must remain active.
                     3. macbeth puts on his armor, and is eager to fight, and have it all end
                     4. Doctor says Lady M's problems are internal, Maccers isn't happy w/ that
               4. Scene IV
                     1. Macduff and Co decide to "hew down a bough" to hide army's numbers
               5. Scene V
                     1. Macbeth is committed to his path of death and no regret
                     2. Lady M has reversed, has killed herself
                     3. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
                     4. orders his troops to attack
               6. Scene VI (Scene VI VII and VIII can be played as one scene)
                     1. rebels drop boughs and ready to fight
               7. Scene VII
                     1. Macbeth kills siward
                     2. Macduff is looking for Macbeth
               8. Scene VIII
                     1. Macbeth and Macduff showdown
                     2. Macduff was from his mother's womb untimely ripp'd
                     3. Macbeth refuses to fight until Macduff says they'll put him on display like an animal
                     4. Macbeth's final stand
                     5. nobles arrive, Macduff arrives with maccers' head,
                     6. Malcolm gives a little speech
   8. themes
         1. divinity of kings, James I was a fan of this
         2. Scotland for James I too
         3. good conversation in Slings and Arrows
               1. "It teaches us about evil". "No, it shows us evil, and teaches us nothing"
         4. unnaturality of the murder
         5. Equivocation, (half-truths of witches, etc.)
   9. evaluation
         1. see next section
  10. performances/interpretations
         1. Stage History
               1. Been popular since the beginning, although it's been "interpreted". Various scenes have been cut and modified, including singing and dancing
               2. all the famous Shakespeare actors have done it
                     1. Garrick, Kean, Orson Welles, laurence Olivier, that other guy that does all the movies, etc.
               3. Sarah Siddons -
                     1. Lady MacBeth
                     2. Final performance, "the audience refused to allow the play to continue after the end of the sleepwalking scene. Eventually, after tumultuous applause from the pit, the curtain reopened and Siddons was discovered sitting in her own clothes and character — whereupon she made an emotional farewell speech to the audience lasting eight minutes."
         2. Throne of Blood
         3. Scotland, PA
         4. Slings and Arrows
         5. Wyrd Sisters
         6. Enter Three Witches
         7. Macbeth, Part II
  11. discussion (Our personal interpretations)
         1. Carson
         2. Jeff
  12. The Scottish Play
         1. Macbeth is a cursed play, and if you say the name of the play or character in a theatre and not during the performance, bad things happen.  Because Shakespeare used real witches spells.  Really.
  13. news
         1. Chop Bard
         2. Anonymous
               1. just one specific thing we've seen so far: if shakey was illiterate, there's no way he could be an actor.
         3. would people like to see our scripts?
         4. My Own Private Idaho sucks
  14. signing off
         1. iTunes,
         2. Bardcast.blogspot.com