Dramatic irony is a situation where the audience or reader knows more about the unfolding plot than the characters do. The characters' perception of the situation and the reality that the audience knows are very different and this can produce a comic or tragic effect.
The term dramatic irony originated in Ancient Greek works of tragedy and mythology. One of the most famous historical examples is Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles; the audience knows that although Oedipus is searching for the guilty person, he himself is the guilty person. This device was popular after Shakespeare's works, but the term was defined only after his works were published.
Dramatic irony is used in many of Shakespeare's plays, including Macbeth. We first see dramatic irony when Duncan orders Ross to tell Macbeth that he is Thane of Cawdor immediately after the witches prophecize that he will become Thane of Cawdor and King. This is ironic because we know that the prophecies are coming true, but Ross and Macbeth do not. Next, dramatic irony is shown when Duncan and Banquo compliment the "pleasant" air around Inverness, while inside Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are plotting Duncan's murder. They would not have commented on the beauty of the castle if they had known that Duncan was going to be murdered. A final example is when Macbeth pledges his loyalty to the king and Duncan compliments his deeds in the battle, but in the scene before, Macbeth is shown imagining Duncan's murder taking place. The audience knows that Macbeth is starting to plot Duncan's murder, but Duncan does not. The king would not have complimented and trusted Macbeth if he had known what Macbeth was planning to do.
Links:
Thursday 24 November 2011
Thursday 17 November 2011
Assignment #2: Etext Versions of Macbeth (Link #2)
[http://www.literaturepage.com/read/shakespeare_macbeth.html]
In this post, S.A.M. will be comparing an E-Text version of Macbeth (found on literaturepage.com) with the version we are currently using in class, by Oxford Next. We will be focusing on content differences, such as character descriptions, and setting descriptions, as well as physical differences, such as font, formatting, and punctuation. After contrasting, we will draw a conclusion on if this E-Text is reliable, lasting, and a good version of Macbeth for grade 9 students.
The website www.literaturepage.com was established in 2003, and last edited in 2005. It is a website that allows users to select desired books and place them on their online "bookshelf" as well as utilizing a forum to ensure that readers can discuss read materials with other readers. You can search your literature by author or by title.
However, this version of "Macbeth" contains several differences from the version used in our class, OxfordNext. There are major contrasts, such as a difference in the content of stage directions and setting descriptions. For example, the first scene is described as: An open place. Thunder and lightning. while in the OxfordNext rendition, it is introduced as: The battliefied: Thunder and lightning. This anomaly could cause important differences in how the first act is interpreted. Other major variations regarding the content of the text included variances in character names – the Captain is instead referred to as the Soldier – and several lines are written differently. For instance, in Scene 1 from OxfordNext, “Paddock calls,” and “Anon,” spoken by the second and third witch respectively, are instead included in the next line, said by all three witches.
Additionally, there are many minor changes that forego the trustworthiness of this website’s rendition. The physical layout of the script contrasts greatly with the Oxford Next edition; for example, the names are capitalized and placed above each set of lines, instead of the lines being beside and indented. As well, the stage directions and setting descriptions are placed within brackets, not italicized. The lines are not indented, and as an alternative are placed perfectly in line with each other, which may disturb the way in which this play is read. Additionally, definitions are not provided for the reader, which would take away from the experience of a grade nine reader searching for additional resources to improve their insight on the production.
Taking into consideration the age of the website itself, as well as the many variations on both language and grammar within the text, we believe that the etext of Macbeth found on literaturepage.com is inferior to that of OxfordNext. The inaccuracies found throughout the text compromise its reliability. Therefore, we conclude that this edition of Macbeth is not reliable, lasting, and it will not provide a good resource for grade nine students.
Thursday 3 November 2011
Views on Witchcraft (in Shakespeare's Time)
- Renewed deep faith in destructive powers of witchcraft (SS)
- Because there were unexplainable events, people began to blame these happenings on witches (SS)
- Such events were: the bubonic plague, poor harvests, illness, and fires (MJC)
- Women (old, poor, widows, unprotected) were the main targets of witch hunts (SS)
- Punishment for witches was hanging (not burning, as in neighbouring countries) (AF)
- Queen Elizabeth was more lenient towards witches because her mother (Anne Boleyn) had been accused of witchcraft (on account of a sixth finger and a mole on her neck). (AF)
- Laws concerning witchcraft in Spain and France were much stricter (MJC)
- There was also the concept of 'black' and 'white' witches - 'black' witches used their powers for destructive purposes, while the 'white' witches were helpful and used their powers for good (AF)
- Witch hunts were carried out because people believed that by capturing/killing witches, their bad fortune would end (AF)
- The Church believed that any woman with knowledge of herbs was a witch or possessed a knowledge of witchcraft (MJC)
http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/ideas/the%20supernatural/daemonologie.html
http://www.elizabethanenglandlife.com/elizabethan-witchcraft-and-elizabethan-witches.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)