Module 1:
The Curse of Macbeth
a.k.a. the Scottish Play, the Scottish Tragedy, the Scottish Business,
the Comedy of Glamis, the Unmentionable, or That Play
THE SUPERSTITION
In 1604 Will Shakespeare in his zeal to please King James I, an authority on demonology, cast caution and imagination aside and for the opening scene of Macbeth's Act IV when he reproduced a 17th century black-magic ritual, a sort of how-to to budding witches. Without changing an ingredient, he provided his audience with step-by-step instructions in the furtive art of spell casting:
Round around the cauldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelter'd venum sleeping got.
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot…
The ritual's practitioners were not amused by this detailed public exposure of their witchcraft, and it is said that as punishment they cast an everlasting spell on the play, turning it into the most ill-starred of all theatrical productions.
The superstition seems to have arisen, in part, from the play's depiction of witchcraft, still a vital (though contested) belief in 1606, when the play was first performed. Macbeth was believed to flirt dangerously with the Powers of Evil, bringing catastrophe down upon productions over the succeeding centuries.
Those seeking rational reasons for the Scottish Curse have pointed to several features of the play as conducive to accidents:
THE CURSE
Here are some of the gory particulars:
AVOIDING THE CURSE
The superstition is not so much about doing the play as about naming it. You are not supposed to mention the title in a theatre. If you do happen to speak the unspeakable title while in a theatre, you are supposed to take immediate action to dispel the curse lest it bring ruin on whatever production is up or about to go up.
Being with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou comest in such a questionable shape that I will speak to thee.
a.k.a. the Scottish Play, the Scottish Tragedy, the Scottish Business,
the Comedy of Glamis, the Unmentionable, or That Play
THE SUPERSTITION
In 1604 Will Shakespeare in his zeal to please King James I, an authority on demonology, cast caution and imagination aside and for the opening scene of Macbeth's Act IV when he reproduced a 17th century black-magic ritual, a sort of how-to to budding witches. Without changing an ingredient, he provided his audience with step-by-step instructions in the furtive art of spell casting:
Round around the cauldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelter'd venum sleeping got.
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot…
The ritual's practitioners were not amused by this detailed public exposure of their witchcraft, and it is said that as punishment they cast an everlasting spell on the play, turning it into the most ill-starred of all theatrical productions.
The superstition seems to have arisen, in part, from the play's depiction of witchcraft, still a vital (though contested) belief in 1606, when the play was first performed. Macbeth was believed to flirt dangerously with the Powers of Evil, bringing catastrophe down upon productions over the succeeding centuries.
Those seeking rational reasons for the Scottish Curse have pointed to several features of the play as conducive to accidents:
- Dim lighting
- Stage combatà authentic productions often use broadswords, which are heavy and difficult to wield deftly, capable of inflicting considerable blunt trauma.
- As Shakespeare's shortest play, Macbeth makes a logical last-minute addition to a company's repertoire and so can be dangerously under-rehearsed.
THE CURSE
Here are some of the gory particulars:
- 1st performance,1606 -- Shakespeare himself was forced to play Lady Macbeth when Hal Berridge, the boy designated to play the lady with a peculiar notion of hospitality, became inexplicably feverish and died. Moreover, the bloody play so displeased King James I that he banned it for five years.
- Amsterdam, 1672 -- the actor playing Macbeth substituted a real dagger for the blunted stage one and with it killed Duncan in full view of the entranced audience.
- London, 1703 -- on the day the production opened, England was hit with one of the most violent storms in its history.
- 1721 – during a performance, a nobleman who was watching the show from the stage decided to get up in the middle of a scene, walk across the stage, and talk to a friend. The actors, upset by this, drew their swords and drove the nobleman and his friends from the theatre. Unfortunately for them, the noblemen returned with the militia and burned the theatre down.
- 1775 -- As Lady Macbeth, Sarah Siddons was nearly ravaged by a disapproving audience.
- New York’s Astor Place, 1849 -- a riot broke out when a crowd of more than 10,000 New Yorkers gathered to protest the appearance of British actor William Charles Macready, who was engaged in a bitter public feud with an American actor, Edwin Forrest. The protest escalated into a riot, leading the militia to fire into the crowd. Twenty-three people were killed, 36 were wounded, and hundreds were injured.
- April 9, 1865 -- Abraham Lincoln chose to take Macbeth with him on board the River Queen on the Potomac River. The president was reading passages, which happened to follow the scene in which Duncan is assassinated, aloud to a party of friends. Within a week, Lincoln himself was dead by a murderer's hand.
- 1882 -- on the closing night of one production, an actor named J. H. Barnes was engaged in a scene of swordplay with an actor named William Rignold when Barnes accidentally thrust his sword directly into Rignold's chest. Fortunately a doctor was in attendance, but the wound was supposedly rather serious.
- 1926 -- Sybil Thorndike was almost strangled by a burly actor.
- Royal Court Theatre, London, 1928 -- during the first modern-dress production at the, a large set fell down, injuring some members of the cast seriously, and a fire broke out in the dress circle.
- 1934 -- British actor Malcolm Keen turned mute onstage, and his replacement, Alister Sim, like Hal Berridge before him, developed a high fever and had to be hospitalized.
- 1934 -- four actors played Macbeth in a single week.
- 1936 -- Orson Welles produced his "voodoo Macbeth," set in 19th-century Haiti. His cast included some African drummers and a genuine witch doctor who were not happy when critic Percy Hammond blasted the show. It is rumored that they placed a curse on him. Hammond died within a couple of weeks.
- 1937 -- Laurence Olivier took on the role of Macbeth. A 25 pound stage weight crashed within an inch of him, and his sword which broke onstage flew into the audience and hit a man who later suffered a heart attack. In addition, the director and the actress playing Lady Macduff were involved in a car accident on the way to the theatre, and the proprietor of the theatre died of a heart attack during the dress rehearsal.
- 1937 -- Macbeth had to be postponed for three days after a change in directors and because Lilian Boylis (the role of Lady Macbeth) died on the day of final dress rehearsal. Her portrait was hung in the theatre. When another production of the play was having its opening (1954), the portrait fell from the wall.
- 1942 – during a production headed by John Gielgud, three actors -- Duncan and two witches -- died, and the costume and set designer committed suicide amidst his devilish Macbeth creations.
- 1947 -- actor Harold Norman was stabbed in the swordfight that ends the play and died as a result of his wounds. His ghost is said to haunt the Colliseum Theatre in Oldham, where the fatal blow was struck. Supposedly, his spirit appears on Thursdays, the day he was killed.
- 1948 -- Diana Wynyard sleepwalked off the rostrum, falling down 15 feet.
- Bermuda, 1953 -- Charlton Heston starred in an open-air production. On opening night, when the soldiers storming Macbeth's castle were to burn it to the ground onstage, the wind blew the smoke and flames into the audience. Heston suffered severe burns in his groin and leg area from tights that were accidentally soaked in kerosene.
- 1954 -- the portrait of Lilian Boylis crashed down on the bar on opening night.
- Stratford, 1955 -- Olivier was starring in the title role and during the big fight with Macduff almost blinded fellow actor Keith Michell.
- New York City, 1970 -- an actor's strike felled Rip Torn's production.
- 1971 -- two fires and seven robberies plagued the version starring David Leary
- Lincoln Center, NY, 1981 -- J. Kenneth Campbell, who played Macduff, was mugged soon after the play's opening.
- St. Paul, Minnesota -- the actor playing Macbeth dropped dead of heart failure during the first scene of Act III.
- New York City, 1988 -- the production starring Glenda Jackson and Christopher Plummer is supposed to have gone through 3 directors, 5 Macduff’s, 6 cast changes, 6 stage managers, 2 set designers, 2 lighting designers, 26 bouts of flu, torn ligaments, and groin injuries. (The numbers vary in some reports.)
- New York City, 1998 -- in the Off-Broadway production starring Alec Baldwin and Angela Bassett, Baldwin somehow sliced open the hand of his Macduff.
AVOIDING THE CURSE
The superstition is not so much about doing the play as about naming it. You are not supposed to mention the title in a theatre. If you do happen to speak the unspeakable title while in a theatre, you are supposed to take immediate action to dispel the curse lest it bring ruin on whatever production is up or about to go up.
- The most familiar way is for the person who spoke the offending word to leave the room, turn around three times to the right, spit on the ground or over each shoulder, then knock on the door of the room and ask for permission to re-enter it.
- Variations involve leaving the theatre completely to perform the ritual and saying the foulest word you can think of before knocking and asking for permission to re-enter.
- Some say you can also banish the evils brought on by the curse simply by yelling a stream of obscenities or mumbling the phrase "Thrice around the circle bound, Evil sink into the ground."
- Or you can turn to Will himself for assistance and cleanse the air with a quotation from Hamlet:
- Angels and Ministers of Grace defend us!
Being with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou comest in such a questionable shape that I will speak to thee.
Module 2: The King's Speech in Shakespeare's Henry V
How does Shakespeare's Henry V rouse his troops into battle against the larger forces of the French?
Follow the directions and links below to complete the assignment. All work must be turned in before leaving class, completed or not completed. Begin by reading the titled sections below:
The English/French Conflict
The constant strife between England and France during the Middle Ages is the subject of many of Shakespeare's history plays. With William of Normandy's invasion of England in 1066, England had its first French king. Henry II (a French Plantagenet and William's great-grandson) inherited French territory, and his English kingdom included much of what is now modern France. Later leaders gradually lost much of this French territory, but Henry V won a major victory in this ongoing conflict.
Henry V in Shakespeare and in History
After the death of Richard II, the last Plantagenet, Henry IV, the first of the Lancasters, came to the throne. Shakespeare's Henry V presents us with Henry IV's son, now the King of England and English territories in France during the early 1400s. Many say Henry V is Shakespeare's ideal king because he embodies the traits of the Renaissance man. The play shows English patriotism at its height.
Henry's Invasion of France
Early in the play, Henry is convinced by the Archbishop of Canterbury that he has a right to the French throne. Thus, Henry decides to invade France to assert this claim. His first few encounters with the enemy go well. But eventually his troops suffer from sickness and a lack of supplies.
Henry's Character
Even though his troops face difficulty, virtually all his men, whether English, Welsh, or Scottish, seem to admire their king as a leader. Though ruthless in battle, Henry can still show mercy to the poor and weak. He is a wise general who enjoys the company of his followers. The night before the Battle of Agincourt, Henry, in disguise, walks among his troops and overhears his men as they discuss his leadership.
The Battle of Agincourt
Henry has every reason to fear the loss of many Englishmen in the Battle of Agincourt, for the English are outnumbered five to one. At daybreak on St. Crispin's Day, Henry rouses his troops with one of the most famous pre-battle speeches ever composed. Henry's battle plan, along with the fighting spirit of his followers, leads to a decisive victory over the French. The French ruler declares that Henry is the rightful heir of France. The ruler proposes the marriage of his daughter, Princess Katherine of Agincourt, to Henry.
Site 1: Lives of the Saints
- Using the link "Lives of the Saints" read the story of St. Crispin and St. Crispinian to understand why Shakespeare emphasizes that the Battle of Agincourt takes place on St. Crispin's Day.
- Notice particularly how these saints treat their fellow men and how they face an almost insurmountable foe.
Read the speech by Henry V in Act IV, Scene III below to answer the questions that follow:
KING HENRY V
What's he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin:
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires:
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England:
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more, methinks, would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
Answer the following questions about Henry's speech. Answers should be thorough, grammatically correct, and contain textual support to evidence all claims.
- Given your understanding of Saints Crispin and Crispian, what do the repeated references to St. Crispin's Day contribute to Henry's effort to rouse his troops?
- How does Henry respond to Westmoreland's wish that they had more men?
- What does Henry say about those troops who do not wish to fight?
- How will the survivors of the battle be regarded in their lifetime and beyond?
- What does Henry say about how his men, as opposed to those back home, will be viewed? What challenges will the warriors face?
- Write a paragraph in which you offer a brief analysis of Henry's leadership skills based on the arguments presented in the St. Crispin's Day speech. How does he rouse his troops into battle against the larger forces of the French?
You can view a performance of the speech below:
Module 3: Macbeth Movie Trailer Project
As a culminating project for this unit, you will work with a group to plan, design, and present a trailer for a film version of Macbeth. Your trailer will need to demonstrate your knowledge of the theme and characters of the play as well as to create an appropriate mood through effective use of film elements. Like all trailers, yours will be short (under 3 minutes), so you will need to be concise in what you present. While real trailers are filmed and edited, there are a number of different ways for you to approach this project, depending upon your access to and familiarity with various technologies. Regardless of which option you select, the scoring guide will remain the same, no matter the technology employed. Possible final projects include:
1. High tech: a short movie that has been filmed and edited with music, images, and titles using editing software like I Movie.
2. Medium high tech: a PowerPoint that includes still pictures (15-20) of settings and actors with facial expressions, gestures, and costumes with the lines listed below. Music can be included.
3. Medium low tech: plan and draw a storyboard of your trailer and presenting it on large poster board. All dialogue and music should be identified.
4. Low tech: present your trailer live as a skit in class. You should have costumes, props, and music.
In addition to your trailer, you will need to submit a written piece that explains the choices you made to effectively communicate your intended theme, characters, and mood of the play.
Steps:
1. Look back at the brainstorming sheet for the trailer you completed earlier in this unit and look back through any notes you took during the reading of the play.
2. Make a list of the main themes explored in the play and determine which one you will be able to communicate most effectively. Make a list of the characters in the play and determine which ones you would like to present in your trailer to help you express your identified theme. Last, make a list of moods that have been identified throughout this play and determine which one will be most effective for your theme and characters.
3. With the choices you made in Step #2, complete the "Trailer Prewriting Form."
4. Next, complete the Diction Chart that asks you to identify key lines from the play that will appear in your trailer to help you communicate the theme, mood, and characters.
5. Complete a draft of your trailer and have another group watch/see it and give feedback.
6. Finalize your project, including the written piece that explains your choices.
As a culminating project for this unit, you will work with a group to plan, design, and present a trailer for a film version of Macbeth. Your trailer will need to demonstrate your knowledge of the theme and characters of the play as well as to create an appropriate mood through effective use of film elements. Like all trailers, yours will be short (under 3 minutes), so you will need to be concise in what you present. While real trailers are filmed and edited, there are a number of different ways for you to approach this project, depending upon your access to and familiarity with various technologies. Regardless of which option you select, the scoring guide will remain the same, no matter the technology employed. Possible final projects include:
1. High tech: a short movie that has been filmed and edited with music, images, and titles using editing software like I Movie.
2. Medium high tech: a PowerPoint that includes still pictures (15-20) of settings and actors with facial expressions, gestures, and costumes with the lines listed below. Music can be included.
3. Medium low tech: plan and draw a storyboard of your trailer and presenting it on large poster board. All dialogue and music should be identified.
4. Low tech: present your trailer live as a skit in class. You should have costumes, props, and music.
In addition to your trailer, you will need to submit a written piece that explains the choices you made to effectively communicate your intended theme, characters, and mood of the play.
Steps:
1. Look back at the brainstorming sheet for the trailer you completed earlier in this unit and look back through any notes you took during the reading of the play.
2. Make a list of the main themes explored in the play and determine which one you will be able to communicate most effectively. Make a list of the characters in the play and determine which ones you would like to present in your trailer to help you express your identified theme. Last, make a list of moods that have been identified throughout this play and determine which one will be most effective for your theme and characters.
3. With the choices you made in Step #2, complete the "Trailer Prewriting Form."
4. Next, complete the Diction Chart that asks you to identify key lines from the play that will appear in your trailer to help you communicate the theme, mood, and characters.
5. Complete a draft of your trailer and have another group watch/see it and give feedback.
6. Finalize your project, including the written piece that explains your choices.
movie_trailers.docx | |
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film_trailers_through_a_literary_lens.docx | |
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brainstorming_for_movie_trailer.docx | |
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trailer_prewriting_form.docx | |
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diction_graphic_organizer.docx | |
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rubric_for_movie_trailer.docx | |
File Size: | 13 kb |
File Type: | docx |