Thomas+Macbeth

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
====William Shakespeare and his plays are one of the greatest contributions to the English language. Shakespeare was born in 1564 in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18 he married and moved to London. His first play was Henrys V Part One, and soon after followed classics like Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and A Midsummer’s Night Dream. His performing club, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, built the Globe Theatre in London to perform Shakespeare’s plays. The Globe quickly became the most popular theatre in London, and attracted rich and poor alike. The rich would buy seats on the second and third floor of the theatre, while the commoners occupied the ground floor, so they became known as ‘groundlings’. Shakespeare added over 2,500 words to the English language, most of which we used commonly today. Shakespeare passed away on his birthday, April 23, 1616, at the age of 57. ====

QUEEN ELIZABETH I
====Queen Elizabeth I was born on September 7th, 1533. She was the daughter of Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn. She became Queen of England after her unpopular sister, Queen Mary, died. She ruled for 44 years, and was one of the most popular English monarchs ever. Her rival to the throne was Mary, Queen on Scots. She was the granddaughter of Henry VIII's sister Margaret, and was the Queen of Scotland until she was forced to abdicate in 1568. Mary thought she would be welcomed by Elizabeth, but was instead imprisoned by her, because she was a Catholic. She was locked away for more than nineteen years, and many Lords and Ministers pressured to Queen to have her executed. Elizabeth procrastinated with deciding to sign her death warrant, and finally did so on February 8, 1587. However, when Elizabeth heard that Mary had been executed so soon, she was said to have wept for three days. There were many similarities between Elizabeth and Mary. Both were women, and both were said to be extremely good looking. However, Elizabeth, and England, were Protestant, and Mary, and Scotland, were Catholic. While Mary married numerous times, and had a son, James (who became James VI of Scotland when his mother fled to England, and James I of England after Elizabeth's death), Elizabeth never married, and was known as the Virgin Queen. ====

MACBETH
==== Macbeth is infamously known as the evil Lord who killed King Duncan in his sleep and took for crown for himself. However, Shakespeare's famous play is historical inaccurate. Macbeth became king when he defeated King Duncan on the battlefield. His reign was rather peaceful, and was know for his generosity to the Catholic Church ====

 MALCOLM
==== King Malcolm was King of Scotland from 1005 to 1034. He was the first Scottish king to not name a tanaiste rig, or a chosen heir. Instead he changed to the practice of direct decent, which is used in almost all monarchies around the world. ====

 DUNCAN I
==== Duncan was 33 when he succeeded his grandfather, and he favoured southern (English) ideas. This made him unpopular with his subjects, and he was defeated by Macbeth, one of his commanders, on the battlefield, in 1040. ====

JAMES VI OF SCOTLAND AND JAMES I OF ENGLAND ====James VI of Scotland became the King after his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, fled to England. After the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England, who left no heirs, a messenger was sent to inform King James I, who was distantly related to the late Queen, that he was now King of England. This would be England's first king named James, and so he became King James I of England while being King James VI of Scotland.====

Divine Right of Kings
====The divine right of kings in a power given to monarchs meaning that they are not subject to any earthly authority, meaning the only person they answer to is God. If anyone tries to overthrow the King or limit his power is disobeying God's orders, and so is committing treason. The Divine Right of Kings was strongest in England during the time of King James I, but was abandoned after the Glorious Revolution, in which the Catholic James II was overthrown in a largely bloodless coup. The idea was hurt by the French and American Revolutions, and almost ceased to exist during the twentieth century. ====



ELIZABETHAN ERA ESSAY ==== The. Elizabethan Era was a time a great prosperity for England. It was a time of relative peace for England and between Catholics and Protestants. The time was also known as the English Renaissance, with theatre, writing and the arts booming during this period. One of the most influential writers of this age was William Shakespeare. His plays were extremely popular, and his Globe Theatre in London soon became the home of theatre in that city. Shakespeare was a major contributor to the English language, making almost 1700 new words, most of which we still use today. ====

====The Elizabethan Era was also a time of great explorers. People like Sir Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh explored the New World in England's name, and it was the start of Britain's dominance of the seas. Explorers brought back exotic goods from around the world, including the potato, turkey and tobacco. During this time England had hostile relations with much of its neighbours, such as Catholic Spain and France. In 1588, the Spanish sent an Armada to overthrow the Queen. Even though the British were outnumbered and out-gunned, they were able to repulse the Spanish Invasion. ====

====Queen Elizabeth was one of the most popular English monarchs, and had the sixth longest reign of any monarch of England. She came to power after the death of her unpopular sister, Mary. Queen Mary was Catholic, and spent her four years on the throne persecuting Protestants. She even locked up Elizabeth for some time, because she was a Protestant. However, Elizabeth survived and became Queen at age 25. Although she was the last Tudor, she never married, and was famously known as ‘the Virgin Queen’. One of her greatest rivals to the throne was Mary, Queen of Scots. She was the Queen of Scotland until she was kicked out, and sought refuge in England. However, Elizabeth suspected Mary of plotting to steal her throne, and\ executed her after fourteen years in prison. ====

Is this a **puppy** which I see before me, The **paw** toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, **cute** **canine**, sensible To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but A **puppy** of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain? I see thee yet, in form as palpable As this which now I **pat**.


 * Macbeth Activity Answers**
 * 1) Banquo is troubled by the fact that the witches predictions came true so quickly and that the king is dead. Banquo tells Fleance that he thinks that Macbeth may have had a hand in the murder of Duncan
 * 2) He tells Banquo that he shouldn't believe the witches, probably because Macbeth fears that Banquo will kill Macbeth to become king or to ensure that his descendants can be king
 * 3) Lady Macbeth provided the guardsmen with a lot of alcohol, and so as a result the guards got drunk and fell asleep
 * 4) Act 2 Scene 2 Line 38. Sleep means both death, like eternal sleep is a synonym for death. and normal sleep, and that it will be hard to sleep because of the guilty conscience.
 * 5) Lady Macbeth is horrified when Macbeth brings the daggers to her. She feels that he is an idiot for bringing the murder weapons to their bedroom. She wants him to put it back at the scene of the crime, but Macbeth doesn't want to see Duncan's dead body. The significance of what Lady Macbeth says is that it links with what Macbeth said he heard someone say that he Macbeth with never sleep again.
 * 6)   Macbeth is anxious to get the blood off of his hands, while Lady Macbeth is ashamed of her white hands

hand’ ‘A dagger of the mind’ ‘On thy blade and Dudgeon gouts of blood’ || Macbeth is being pointed towards his fate. Macbeth’s thoughts are Dangerous. The murder that will take place. || I see thee not, yet I see thee still || Macbeth is delusional and believes in omens. Also, he is losing his mind. || To feelings as to sight?' || Macbeth is talking to the dagger, wondering whether it is just a vision or a figment of his imagination. || informs thus to mine eyes || Macbeth is attracted to the evil doings that the apparition could lead him to do || he makes his fateful decision || & Sleep || And wicked dreams abuse the curtain'd sleep || Macbeth's conscience could be forever changed by the act he is about to committ, and he might never have a good nights sleep, because of the murder and the horror it caused || Whose howl's his watch || The wolf is a symbol of death, and inform Hectate of intimate death || ||  ||   ||
 * Dagger || ‘The handle toward my
 * Hands || 'Come let me clutch thee'
 * Eyes || 'Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
 * Blood || It is the bloody business which
 * Nature || Nature seems dead' || The world as Macbeth knows it has stopped while
 * Dreams
 * Wolf || Alarmed by his sentinel, the wolf