Shakespeare and the Stage / With a Complete List of Theatrical Terms Used by Shakespeare in His Plays and Poems, Arranged in Alphabetical Order, & Explanatory Notes

Chapter 70: MACBETH

Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

About This Book

A historical and practical study of dramatic performance and stagecraft that traces how medieval religious spectacles gave way to secular comedy and tragedy, examines inn-yard presentations and purpose-built playhouses, and surveys company organization, acting practice, court performances, and theatrical allusions. The work describes theatre architecture, audience arrangements, production practices, and contemporary documents and illustrations, and concludes with an alphabetically arranged glossary of stage terms associated with Shakespeare, each entry supplied with explanatory notes to clarify period usage and theatrical meaning.

MACBETH

ACT. PROLOGUE.

Two truths are told

As happy prologues to the swelling act

Of the imperial theme.

I, 3, 128.

PLAYER. STAGE.

A poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more.

V, 5, 24.

SHOW.

Then yield thee coward

And live to be the show and gaze o’ the time.

We’ll have thee, as our rarer monsters are,

Painted on a pole and underwrit:

“Here may you see the tyrant.”

V, 7, 53.