Macbeth
Independent Research
1.
Research the “real” Macbeth. In a short essay write the history
surrounding him?
2.
Research the Globe Theater and follow
the hyperlink to take a virtual tour of the Globe, and then create a visual
layout of the theater. Additionally,
answer the following questions. http://www.english.cam.ac.uk/converse/movies/sound_globe.swf
a. What
was the culture surrounding theater?
b. How
did classism play a role?
c. What
was theater life like for the actors?
3.
Write a well-developed paragraph
discussing Shakespeare’s life. Some
things to discuss are:
a. What
was Shakespeare’s life like?
b. How
was his upbringing?
c. What
class(es) was he a part of?
d. What
was his familial situation?
e. Love
life?
4.
Famous psychotherapist Sigmund Freud
believed that the unconscious mind was divided into three parts: the id, ego,
and superego. Find out how each of these
parts is related and then assign characters in Macbeth to each of these parts of the mind. Why do you believe these are fitting
characters?
5.
Create a map of historical Scotland showing
the locations from Macbeth. Give a short description of what happened in
each location.
6.
Shakespeare fills his plays with ancient
mythology. Explain the meaning behind these
references and what meaning they give to Macbeth.
a. Page
3: “The thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict; / Till that Bellona’s
bridegroom, lapped in proof, / Confronted him with self comparison.”
b. Page
20: “[. . .] witchcraft celebrates / Pale Hecate’s offerings.”
7.
In Shakespeare’s time witchcraft was not
just something seen in plays. It was
widely believed that witches existed in Elizabethan England. What was the process for determining if
someone was a witch? What was the
punishment? How prevalent was witchcraft
believed to be?
8.
Though Shakespeare wrote Macbeth during the Elizabethan era
around the year 1606, the play is set in the medieval period in the 11th
century. The play opens with a battle scene,
but little is told about the details of the battle. What were some of the battle tactics during
the medieval period? What were some of
the weapons used? What special functions
did these weapons have in battle?
Include pictures of the weapons.
9.
Shakespeare was revolutionary in his use
of words. Throughout many of his plays
he coined words, colloquialisms, and sayings that are still used today. Search some of the words and phrases
Shakespeare coined in his plays and provide the definitions/meanings.
10.
In Shakespeare’s time it was believed that there
were 4 bodily humours that were associated with temperaments and health. Find out what these 4 humours were and what
mood they were associated with. It was
believed that an imbalance in the humours would cause health defects. What health issues are associated with these
imbalances? What remedies were used to
treat these conditions?
