Shakespeare - a literary 'giant' in the 21st century
09.10.2008
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Shakespeare - the myth |
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Macbeth / etext / translation (1 MB) / Original v Modern |
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Central Aspects |
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Formal Aspects |
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Formal Considerations Source: Literary Terms and Definitions * SOLILOQUY: A monologue that is spoken by an actor at a point in the play when the character believes himself to be alone. The technique frequently reveals a character's innermost feelings, such as thoughts, state of mind, motives or intentions, or provides necessary information to the audience. The convention in terms of drama is that whatever a character says in a soliloquy to the audience must be true, or at least true in the eyes of the character speaking (i.e., the character may tell lies to mislead other characters in the play, but whatever he states in a soliloquy is a true reflection of what the speaker believes or feels). The soliloquy was rare in Classical drama, but Elizabethan and Jacobean playwrights used it extensively, especially for their villains. Well-known examples include speeches by the title characters of Macbeth and Hamlet, and Iago in Othello. MONOLOGUE: (contrast with soliloquy and interior monologue) An interior monologue represents not spoken words, but rather the internal or emotional thoughts or feelings of an individual, such as William Faulkner's long interior monologues within The Sound and The Fury. Monologue can also be used to refer to a character speaking aloud to himself, or narrating an account to an audience with no other character on stage. Cf. dramatic monologue. 'DIALOGUE: the lines spoken by a character or characters in a play, essay, story, or novel, especially a conversation between two characters, or a literary work that takes the form of such a characterization. Bad dialogue is pointless. Good dialogue either provides characterization or advances the plot. In plays, dialogue often includes within it hints akin to stage directions. For instance, if one character asks, "Why are you hitting me?" the reader can assume that on stage another character is striking the speaker. |
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Macbeth Soliloquies / Key scenes from the play / RSC Shakespeare
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Shakespeares Sources Duncan I (d. Aug. 1, 1040, near Elgin, Moray), king of the Scots from 1034 to 1040. He was the grandson of King Malcolm II (ruled 1005-34), who irregularly made him ruler of Strathclyde when that region was absorbed into the Scottish kingdom (probably shortly before 1034). Malcolm violated the established system of succession whereby the kingship alternated between two branches of the royal family. Upon Malcolm’s death, Duncan succeeded peacefully, but he soon faced the rivalry of Macbeth, Mormaor (subking) of Moray, who probably had a better claim to the throne. Duncan besieged Durham unsuccessfully in 1039 and in the following year was murdered by Macbeth. Duncan’s elder son later killed Macbeth and ruled as King Malcolm III Canmore (1058-93), and the younger son, Donaldbane, ruled Scotland from 1093-1097. (Vol. III; p. 706) [more] |
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