Macbeth+Superstition

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=Welcome to //Macbeth// =

//Macbeth// was one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays during it's day boasting the greatest amount of bloodshed in the least amount of time. In fact, //Macbeth// is Shakespeare’s shortest play. While brief, the story includes a great number of characters as well as a number of examples of dark symbolism. Some consider //Macbeth// to be the most challenging of Shakespeare’s plays because of the fast change in so many characters, the powerful role of evil and the supernatural, and the practical matter that the play is set nearly entirely at night time which makes for an interesting production.

//Macbeth// is a play that still today carries a very superstitious connotation. Even now, the word 'Macbeth' is never spoken inside a theatre. It is considered horribly bad luck, but while many practice the superstition, few know the reasons. Let's listen to Patrick Stewart, a famous actor who played Macbeth in a modern day movie rendition, explain why: Patrick Stewart Explains Macbeth Superstition

=Superstition = Before beginning the play, it is very important to establish the role that superstitions played in England at the turn of the 17th century. There are a number of factors that contributed to the belief in witches and the presence of evil power. For the English, evil was a power that had to be defended against. Shakespeare’s decision to open //Macbeth// with a scene that shows three evil witches was a timely and effective technique to assure that his audience was going __nowhere__ until the play concluded.

After over three hundred years, ‘witch trials’ are a thing of the past. However, to assume that mankind has abandoned superstitions would be foolish. Most modern people rely on trinkets, favorite clothing items, pre-game rituals, or horoscopes to influence the outcome of events. Even further, there are some people who believe that spirits of those who have died have the ability to return to the living. Take this poll and we will learn how prevalent this belief runs within our own class:

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If that doesn't work: (backup plans are always nice) https://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/Vz3ZAYd01muAdMc/web

=Assignment: Bring a one page min/max to our next class that reveals an interesting topic about Shakespearean superstitions. You can choose to write on just about anything relating to the belief system of this time period and how or why including 'supernatural forces' in a play would be attractive to the audience of this time period. Cite in APA and include an annotated bibliography of your source/s. (Likely, you won't need more than 1-2 sources here.) Include a brief checklist outline required to assure organization and that you include everything you wanted. (Thesis, topic sentences, a few notes on what you want to mention.) Come ready to show and tell your paper before we begin one of the most haunted plays of all time. =