SHAKESPEARE IN CONTEXT 11.2 Learning Objectives By the end of today’s lesson I will… - Be able to define key terms in relation to context. Be able to discuss some of the historical facts of the Elizabethan and Jacobean era. Challenge: To discuss how those facts relate to the writing of Macbeth. Why is it important to know about the context and background of the play? This is because it represents a third of the marks on the mark scheme. Therefore, we need to make sure that we include relevant ideas in our essays. Reminder of the mark scheme on the next slide. Macbeth mark scheme AO1 Demonstrate a close knowledge and understanding of texts, maintaining a critical style and presenting an informed personal engagement. (10 marks) AO2 Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects. (10 marks) AO4 Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written. (10 marks) What we are learning today will be relevant for A04. PATRONAGE ACCESSION SUCCESSION DOCTRINE DIVINE REGICIDE SACRILEGE GUNPOWDER PLOT SIN CATHOLIC JACOBEAN So let’s do a quiz to see what we already know. Don’t worry if you don’t know them all! Just do your best. We will be covering/revising all these ideas. https://quizizz.com/join?gc=350786 Meaning-The name given to the time of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign 1558-1603 • Elizabeth I became the Queen of England in 1558; six years before Shakespeare's birth. • During her 45-year reign, London became a cultural and commercial centre where learning and literature thrived. • What might this mean for Shakespeare? PATRONAGE ELIZABETHAN ACCESSION SUCCESSION DOCTRINE DIVINE REGICIDE SACRILEGE GUNPOWDER PLOT SIN CATHOLIC JACOBEAN Meaning-A strand of Christianity that was purposefully removed from Catholicism following the Reformation (the creation of a new church) • When Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne, there were violent clashes throughout Europe between Protestant and Catholic leaders and their followers. • How might this be important to our play? PATRONAGE REGICIDE SACRILEGE DOCTRINE DIVINE GUNPOWDER PLOT SIN CATHOLIC JACOBEAN Meaning-The action or process of inheriting a title. Meaning-taking the throne • • • • • When Queen Elizabeth died in 1603 she had no direct family to inherit her throne. So, her cousin, James VI of Scotland ascended the throne to become King James I of Britain. He reigned from 1603-1625 over a united England and Scotland. So now there is a Scottish king on what had been an English throne-how might this link to Macbeth? Remember that Macbeth was first performed in 1606-probably at the court of King James CATHOLIC SUCCESSION PATRONAGE JACOBEAN ACCESSION GUNPOWDER PLOT SIN REGICIDE SACRILEGE Meaning-of or like God or a god. Meaning-A belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a Church, political party, or other group. • During this time, people believed that the King or Queen was divinely anointed; meaning that were specially chosen by God. • So what might the Jacobean audience have thought about the killing of King Duncan • ‘The Great Chain of Being’ doctrine • What does this mean? The Great Chain of Being-Meaning-A belief that every animal/plant/human had an assigned place. How could this be relevant to Macbeth? Here is a short video to help us understand views that were still common in the Jacobean era. •https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHj RtXokQwQ DOCTRINE ACCESSION REGICIDE DIVINE CATHOLIC PATRONAGE SUCCESSION SIN GUNPOWDER PLOT SACRILEGE Meaning-The name given to the time during James I’s reign • James I was not English. He was Scottish • His mother was Mary Queen of Scots • She was a staunch Catholic • What problems might he have in his reign? PATRONAGE DOCTRINE SACRILEGE SUCCESSION JACOBEAN SIN REGICIDE ACCESSION DIVINE As James I’s mother was a strict Catholic; many Catholics in England were hoping he would make the state religion Catholic again, not Protestant. This did not happen. In 1605, Guy Fawkes tries to blow up James and his parliament but placing barrels on gunpowder under the houses of parliament. This was just before our play was written GUNPOWDER PLOT ACCESSION DIVINE PATRONAGE SUCCESSION DOCTRINE CATHOLIC Meaning-The action of killing a king Meaning-violation or misuse of what is regarded as sacred. This attempt to break ‘The Great Chain of Being’ through regicide was considered sacrilege; the ultimate sin. The idea of divine royal order being maintained, and the consequences for disrupting it is an important theme in Macbeth. Meaning-the support given by a patron (financial/ legal etc) ‘Chamberlain’s Men’ – Elizabeth I ‘King’s Men’- James I •The dire consequences of regicide Activity • Can you now build your own mind map with a definition of each of the twelve terms we have been discussing. • Challenge-Can you add ideas about how these ideas might link to Macbeth? You could even add quotations if you can do this (regicide should be a good one for this) • Feel free to research if you need to. SIN GUNPOWDER PLOT ELIZABETHAN REGICIDE DOCTRINE ACCESSION SACRILEGE CATHOLIC SUCCESSION DIVINE JACOBEAN PROTESTANT SHAKESPEARE IN CONTEXT 11.2 Learning Objectives Have we achieved these!!! By the end of today’s lesson I will… - Be able to define key terms in relation to context. Be able to discuss some of the historical facts of the Elizabethan and Jacobean era. - Challenge: To discuss how those facts relate to the writing of Macbeth. Independent Learning • There are various essay questions which some of you have completed for mock revision. • I will add some essay titles so you can complete some practice essays. • I will mark these against exam standards and please make sure that you use the feedback I gave you from mocks to move on (even if it’s just those few extra points!!)
