Selected Topics on Anglophone Cultures
Program: Seminar on SHAKESPEARE’S MACBETH
Dr. Margaret Lee Zoreda. Office hours: Monday/Wednesday 10-12 or by appointment. CELEX,
cubicle D-221. margaret08@prodigy.net.mx
or
mlmz@xanum.uam.mx
Pre-requisite: B2 level (upper-intermediate) minimum of English or above.
Objectives:
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Introduce the student to discovering the universality of Shakespeare through an
intercultural and trans-disciplinary approach to one of his greatest plays, Macbeth, using
as the base text(s) the original play and its modern English version.
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Foster an aesthetic and critical appreciation of the play through cultural and literary
background readings, documentaries, the original and modern version of the play, British
and Japanese cinematographic versions, filmed performances, operatic versions, graphic
novels, visual art, and popular music inspired by Macbeth.
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Gain a critical perspective on different media.
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Improve and enhance communicative abilities in English through critical readings,
reading/reciting aloud, viewing films, participating in small and whole group discussions,
writing short essays, and presentations.
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Handle by the end of the course the knowledge and skills that correspond to the C1 level
of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and the advanced level
of the National Standards for Foreign Language Education (USA).
Methodology:
The teaching-learning approach is that of personal response to literature and art: the student must
first experience personally the text (play, film, art, music, etc.) before making a critical reflection
and sharing viewpoints. This seminar is both an individual and collective process and journey in
encountering the beauty and truth revealed in Shakespeare. As such, it can be called an
experience of “close learning” (Newstock 2013), where students and teachers are physically
gathered in a dynamic, often spontaneous, serendipitous, “interactive” and “open-ended inquiry”
(op.cit).
Assignments and Grading Policy:
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30%: a short essay (2-3 pp.) on one of the readings about Shakespeare or the play
Macbeth in its many versions or on the documentary episode from Shakespeare
Uncovered. It should 1) briefly summarize the point of the author/documentary followed
by 2) an analysis of that point by the student with his/ her own opinion. This is due
during the sixth week.
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40%: a second essay (2-3 pp.) on a topic by the student and also presented before the
class. These are to be delivered during the last week of class.
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30%: active and thoughtful participation, including attendance and punctuality.
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Course Materials:
Materials are at the Papelería LOS CUADERNOS. Check that the folio numbers are correct, and
then have the copies bound. Extra materials may be provided by the professor, copied at the
papelería, or downloaded from the course’s SDIP site.
All films are in the Centro de Estudio Auto-dirigido (CEA) if you miss a class or wish to view
them again. Almost all have subtitles in English.
The following syllabus may be subject to modification in content or procedure.
SYLLABUS
Weeks 1-2
Introduction. Shakespeare and his universality. Some Basic Terms. The Elizabethan era and
theater. The play Macbeth: tragedy and the tragic hero, geography, historical background, main
characters, synopsis of the story, major themes and symbols, language. Readings: Dalrymple,
Heald, lucyinthesky, Mabillard, Spens, Macbeth guide for viewing, PBS Great Performance:
Macbeth. Original text and modern English versions of Macbeth. Projection of Shakespeare in
Love.
Weeks 3-4
Polanski’s Macbeth. Documentary, “Macbeth with Ethan Hawke.” in Shakespeare Uncovered.
Readings on cinema, critics on Polanski’s Macbeth (Berlin, Gunter, Rosenthal, Vela & Wilson).
Weeks 5-6
Filmed performances of Macbeth: the entire PBS production with Patrick Stewart, and scenes
from the RSC play with Ian McKellen and Judi Dench. Reading: Johnston.
Weeks 7-8
Selections from a graphic novel of Macbeth; scenes from Verdi’s opera; Lana Lane’s songs of
Lady Macbeth. Reading on Noh theater and projection of Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood.
Weeks 9-10
Choosing a topic; writing an essay and creating a presentation.
Weeks 11-12
Presentations and final essay.
Bibliography
Aristotle. 1982. Poetics. Translation, Introduction, and Notes, James Hutton. New York, NY:
W.W. Norton & Company.
Berlin, Normand. 2002. “Macbeth: Polanski and Shakespeare.” Welsh, James, Vela, Richard,
Tibbetts, John, eds. Shakespeare into Film. New York, NY: Checkmark Books. 135-139.
Bloom, Harold. 1999. “Shakespeare’s Universalism”; “Macbeth.” Shakespeare: The Invention
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of the Human. New York, NY: Riverhead Books.1-17; 516-545.
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth: The Graphic Novel. Plain Text Version. 2008. Clive Bryant,
editor-in-chief. John McDonald, script adaptation. Character Designs & original Artwork,
Nigel Dobbyn. Towcester, UK: Classical Comics, Ltd.
Durband, Alan. editor and adaptor. 1985. Shakespeare Made Easy Macbeth. Hauppauge, NY:
Barron’s Educational Series. Inc.
Garber, Marjorie. 2004. “Introduction”; “Macbeth.” Shakespeare After All. New York, NY:
Anchor Books. 3-41; 695-723.
Gill, Roma, ed. 2009. Oxford School Shakespeare. Macbeth. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Goddard, Harold C. 1960. “Macbeth.” The Meaning of Shakespeare. Vol. 2. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press. 107-135.
Greer, Germaine. 2002. Shakespeare. A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford university
Press.
Guntner, Lawrence. 2010. “Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear on Film.” Jackson, Russell, ed. The
Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film. Second edition. Cambridge, UK:
Cambridge University Press. 120-140.
Holland, Peter. 2004. “‘Stands Scotland Where It Did?’: The Location of Macbeth on Film.”
Miola, Robert S., ed. William Shakespeare Macbeth. A Norton Critical Edition. New
York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. 357-380.
Johnston, Ian. 1999. “Introduction to Macbeth.” Consulted December 27, 2013 at
http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/eng366/lectures/macbeth.htm
Lee Zoreda. Margaret. 2014. “Some Basic Terms for Shakespeare’s Macbeth.” CELEX.
Lee Zoreda. Margaret. 2014. “General Macbeth Guide.” CELEX.
Miola, Robert S., ed. 2004. “Introduction.” William Shakespeare Macbeth. A Norton Critical
Edition.New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. vii-xxi.
Osbourne, Charles.1997. “Macbeth.” The Complete Operas of Verdi. London: Indigo. Pp. 143162.
Rosenthal, Daniel. 2007. “Macbeth.” 100 Shakespeare Films. BFI Screen Guides. London, UK:
British Film Institute. 97-128.
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth: The Graphic Novel. Plain Text Version. 2008. Clive Bryant,
editor-in-chief. John McDonald, script adaptation. Character Designs & original Artwork,
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Nigel Dobbyn. Towcester, UK: Classical Comics, Ltd.
Vela, Richard and Robert F.Wilson. 2002. “Macbeth.” Welsh, James, Vela, Richard, Tibbetts,
John, eds. Shakespeare into Film. New York, NY: Checkmark Books. 47-51.
DVDs (stage, documentary, cinema, opera)
“Macbeth with Ethan Hawke.” 2013. Shakespeare Uncovered. Produced by Blakeway
Productions, 116 Films, and Thirteen in association with Shakespeare’s Globe. PBS
Distribution. 45 minutes. Also first 5 minutes of Henry IV & Henry V with Jeremy Irons.
Shakespeare in Love. 2011. Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow. Dir. John Madden. Miramax.
123 minutes.
Shakespeare, William. 2010. Macbeth. Patrick Stewart and Kate Fleetwood. Dir. Rupert Goold.
PBS Distribution. 180 minutes.
Shakespeare, William. 2004 (1979). Macbeth. Ian McKellen and Judi Dench. Dir. Philip Casson.
The Thames Shakespeare Collection. A&E Television Networks. 146 minutes.
Shakespeare, William. 1999 (1979). Macbeth. Jon Finch and Francesca Annis. Dir. Roman
Polanski. Colombia TriStar Home Entertainment. 140 minutes.
Throne of Blood. 2003 (1957). Toshiro Mifune and Isuru Yamada. Dir. Akira Kurosawa. The
Criterion Collection. 109 minutes.
Verdi, Giuseppe. 2012. Macbeth. Royal Opera House, Londan, England. Simon Keenlyside,
Liudmyla Monasturska, Ramond Aceto. Conductor, Antonio Pappano. Director, Phyllida
Lloyd. Opus Arte., 170 minutes. Subtitles.
Verdi, Giuseppe. 2005. Macbeth. Gran Teatre del Liceu, Orchestra and Chorus. Bruno
Campanella, director. Opus Arte, Kultur. 165 minutes. Subtitles.
Audio CDs
Lane, Lana and Eric Norlander.. 2005. Lady Macbeth. Think Tank Media, USA. 54 minutes, 14
seconds.
Shakespeare, William. 1998. Macbeth. Stephan Dillane and Fiona Shaw. Dir. Fiona Shaw.
Naxos AudioBooks. 2 hrs. 20 min. 3 CDs.
“Sound and Fury.” 2007. Shakespeare Is Hip-Hop. Prod. Alex Rappaport. Flocabulary Press.
Strauss, Richard. 1999. Macbeth Op. 23. National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. Dir. Gerhard
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Markson. Naxos 8.554417. 19 minutes, 28 seconds.
Internet sites
Dalrymple, Theodore. 2003. “Why Shakespeare Is for All Time.” Catholic Educational Research
Center. Consulted 16 April 3014 at
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/arts/al0189.html
Mabillard, Amanda. Why Study Shakespeare? Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. Consulted 7
April 2014 at <http://www.shakespeareonline.com/biography/whystudyshakespeare.html>
“Macbeth Curriculum Guide for Teachers and Students.” n/d. Folger Shakespeare Library
(Washington, DC). Consulted December 37, 2013 at http://ww.folger.edu
“Macbeth guide for viewing, PBS Great Performances: Macbeth”. 2010. Downloaded December
27, 2013 at http://www-tc.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/files/2010/09/Macbeth_guide.pdf
“Noh Theater.” 2014. Consulted 28 April 2014 at
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Book&b
Spens, Janet. Elizabethan Drama. London: Metheun & Co. 1922. Shakespeare Online. 19 Aug.
2009. Consulted 7 April 2014 <http://www.shakespeareonline.com/playanalysis/tragedyvscomedy.html>
Additional readings on cinema:
Golden, John. 2008. “Graphic Organizer for Cinematic and Theatrical Elements and Their
Effects.” Consulted September 27, 2010 at http://www.TeachWithMovies.com
Golden, John. 2008. “Introducing Cinematic and Theatrical Elements in Film.” Consulted
September 27, 2010 at http://www.TeachWithMovies.com.
Lee Zoreda, Margaret. 2011. “Universal Film Response Guide.” CELEX- UAM-Iztapalapa.
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