Does anyone understand Macbeth????

[crazypoohbear]

Help.
My DS has read macbeth and has to complete a take home test on it. However, neither one of us understand shakespeare!!
We have read it over and over again and just don't get it! :confused:
The more we look at it the more confused it becomes!
IS there anyone out there who understands Macbeth or can point him in the direction to get the answers he needs??
he has tried sparknotes and cliff notes as well and still just doesn't get it!
any Macbeth buffs out there??

[pink]

I'm not a Macbeth buff but I have read it before. What exactly are you confused about? :mickey:

[SBETigg]

Is it the language tripping him up or plots and themes? I love Shakespeare. Macbeth is a favorite. My son just finished it, too, and his class is taking a field trip to NYC to watch it at the Lyceum on Broadway (featuring Patrick Stewart).

Seeing it performed can really help. I recommend renting a DVD. You should be able to find performances. There's a modern version filmed in 2006 and slightly twisted version based around a hamburger stand called Scotland, PA-- these could help him understand the plot basics. Of course, if the test is due like, tomorrow, hit us with some questions and maybe we can help steer you along a bit to better help him out. Feel free to PM.

[Ian]

Try Wikipedia. They have info on everything.

[offwego]

Most shakespeare comes down to pretty basic stuff..envy being the most common theme.

MacBeth is essentially about MacBeth being envious of the king of Scotland and the power that holds. (In no small way his wife encourges this over and over again) The idea is planted in his head after an encounter with witches who professe this (ala the witches in Hercules if that helps).

MacBeth continues to cling to his illgotten power after murder of the king by killing both friends and fomer soliders in arms, his wife plagued by ghosts to haunt her for her role in this (out gosh spot out but not so much gosh) kills herself and MacBeth receives this news before what becomes his final battle.

To sum up..what goes around comes around..MacBeth is killed by someone who then becomes King.

[Dulcee]

Oh i love shakespeare, haven't read it since high school but what I remember really being stressed when I took AP Lit was the theme of the unchecked ambition and the problems that come with it. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are guilty of it and the ends are different for both of them. Macbeth more or less suffers a break down, while Lady Macbeth suffers with a more internal guilt. Fascinating book, I was a big fan of Lady Macbeth, great strong female character not often seen in early English lit. However, right along with that is Lady Macbeth in this constant internal fight with her feminity. I vaguely remember something about her wanting to "unsex" herself. So gender roles and the assumed characteristics of such roles are also pretty important in this play.

If you've got specific questions that would probably be more helpful then me rambling about my love affair with shakespeare :blush:

[Dakota Rose]

I, too, am a Shakespeare buff and have an English degree. So if I can be of any help, drop me a line.

I also suggest renting a video of MacBeth. That will help immensely. You can usually find them at the local library. There's also a "Shakespeare for Dummies" book that you can probably find at the library or bookstore. It might be a big help, Idunno.

[DisneyDudet]

Reading it out loud or seeing it performed REALLY does help. What we did in AP English was to read it out loud, giving everyone parts, then after every section, review what happened.

I have a few favorite quotes..
"Double Double Toil and trouble
Fire burn and couldron bubble"

And my mother's cat (our cat) from a long time ago was named Germaulkin (after the cat's name in Macbeth!).

Wikipedia is a good place to look. While it is compiled of other people's work, you can get a general idea of the themes. In fact, if you just google macbeth themes or other things, you should get something that can help.

It really is awesome once you figure it out!

[TooGoofy]

I teach Macbeth every year. PM me if I can be of any assistance.

[Wells]

his wife plagued by ghosts to haunt her for her role in this (out gosh spot out but not so much gosh) kills herself and MacBeth receives this news before what becomes his final battle.
Hmmmm....I guess I won't be much help, I always thought that Spot was Macbeth's dog.....:confused:

[crazypoohbear]

Hmmmm....I guess I won't be much help, I always thought that Spot was Macbeth's dog.....:confused:

I see you interpret Shakespeare as well as we do! :D
My DSis Just figured out that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were 2 different people! :D HONEST!

My DS has a learning disability and I think I must have the same one because the more I look it over the more confused I get :(

[DisneyDudet]

If you head to a library, or maybe a Borders or Barnes and Noble, you may be able to find a book that has the play on one side, and an interpretation on the other. We had this in high school, and it helped some, but nothing like seeing it acted out.

[SBETigg]

I see you interpret Shakespeare as well as we do! :D
My DSis Just figured out that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were 2 different people! :D HONEST!

My DS has a learning disability and I think I must have the same one because the more I look it over the more confused I get :(

Shakespeare is like a foreign language to some people. I wouldn't take it to heart that you can't grasp it. That makes you more the norm, I think.

But I am really surprised that the teacher hasn't led a class discussion to make this all clearer to your son in class. My son's teacher discussed it for weeks and they even read it aloud. All this should have helped him somewhat. I'm suspecting that your son's teacher really dropped the ball on this. It's hard to imagine that he would be confused to the extent of not knowing Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were two different characters had he been involved in any class discussions on it. This may be something to call the teacher over and discuss with her.

[crazypoohbear]

Shakespeare is like a foreign language to some people. I wouldn't take it to heart that you can't grasp it. That makes you more the norm, I think.

But I am really surprised that the teacher hasn't led a class discussion to make this all clearer to your son in class. My son's teacher discussed it for weeks and they even read it aloud. All this should have helped him somewhat. I'm suspecting that your son's teacher really dropped the ball on this. It's hard to imagine that he would be confused to the extent of not knowing Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were two different characters had he been involved in any class discussions on it. This may be something to call the teacher over and discuss with her.


:D It was my sister who didn't know the difference. My DSon did. sorry for the confusion.
His whole school has dropped the ball this year :( He is really not getting any instruction at all.

[meldan98]

When I was in High School, we read Macbeth in my AP English class. We read it aloud and assigned parts. It was really a lot of fun. Our local college also did a production of it and it was interesting because they actually reversed the gender of all of the roles. It was very empowering.

The thing with Shakespear that I found was that if you read it out loud it makes so much more sense. Most of Shakespears works were written to be preformed and not read like a book. His works really lose a lot of value if they are read.

[crazypoohbear]

he is working on it now. We found something online that has the original text on one side and the "modern english"text right next to it.

Hopefully this will help him.

He HAD a really great teacher who loved shakespeare and would put on plays and he worked stage crew. ( She went back to school herself but the evil principal locked her out of the school when she gave her notice)! Even then he would have a hard time understanding but by the end of the week he could tell me who was who and what they were doing.
My youngest DS would explain it to me during the play :blush:
To me it's like gibberish, I try to understand and feel like a fool and just tune out :confused:

[Dakota Rose]

My youngest DS would explain it to me during the play :blush:
To me it's like gibberish, I try to understand and feel like a fool and just tune out :confused:

Sounds like my DH and football. I swear the man can't spell NFL much less explain what a first down is. :)

[SgtTigger]

In High school we had to listen to it on a Record......
I sleep through it for 3 days since I could not understand anything.....
Come test day I took the test and....... I am the only one that passed it......
The Teacher was so mad...... "the only kid that passed sleep through the whole thing"......




:cop: :tigger:

[crazypoohbear]

In High school we had to listen to it on a Record......
I sleep through it for 3 days since I could not understand anything.....
Come test day I took the test and....... I am the only one that passed it......
The Teacher was so mad...... "the only kid that passed sleep through the whole thing"......

:cop: :tigger:

Gee Brett thanks :D
He's gone to bed now, should I wake him and give him the papers???? :blush:
He STILL has not completed the test!!! He's been working on it for about 11 hours in total!
He still has an essay to write.
For those of you who PM'ed me I'll get back to you when I see the final product.

After this week if I NEVER hear Macbeth again I'll die happy. Now I understand why it's cursed!

[SgtTigger]

Gee Brett thanks :D
He's gone to bed now, should I wake him and give him the papers???? :blush:



Hey I am so helpfull what can i say.....
:haha::rotfl:




:cop: :tigger:

[DisneyDog]

I was an English major, but never really enjoyed Shakespeare. I did take a semester of it. I got hold of the Cliff's notes, which really helped me. In fact, I managed to get an A. Still not sure how that happened!

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

I did too know that Macbeth & Lady Macbeth were two different people. What did I say to make you think I thought they were one and the same? I said it was the prose that I didn't understand.

[jeddalynn]

Please forgive me, all you English teachers out there.

But I never understood why teachers would have kids READ Shakespeare. I mean, he wrote them to be acted and watched, not read like a novel.

So I definately say rent a film version. I liked Macbeth in H.S. I had a great Eng. teacher though, who explained everything really well. Basically, she read us the play aloud (she was great at reading aloud) and made comments along the way. Shakespeare makes a lot more sense when you see it performed. At least, it does to me!