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THANE
(thayn)
A
Scottish feudal lord Common
clues: Macbeth's title;
Title for Macbeth; Macbeth, for one; Scottish baron; Macbeth's
honorific; Scottish feudal lord; Clan chief; Macbeth or
Macduff Crossword
puzzle frequency:
2 times a year Frequency
in English language:
45411 / 86800 Video: Macbeth:
Act 1, Scene 1
Macbeth
is a play written by William Shakespeare. It is considered one of
his darkest and most powerful tragedies. Set in Scotland, the
play dramatizes the corrosive psychological and political effects
produced when its protagonist, the Scottish lord Macbeth, chooses
evil as the way to fulfill his ambition for power. He commits
regicide to become king and then furthers his moral descent with
a reign of murderous terror to stay in power, eventually plunging
the country into civil war. In the end, he loses everything that
gives meaning and purpose to his life, before losing his life
itself.
The
play opens amidst thunder and lightning, and the Three Witches
decide that their next meeting shall be with Macbeth. In the
following scene, a wounded sergeant reports to King Duncan of
Scotland that his generals—Macbeth, who is the Thane of
Glamis, and Banquo—have just defeated the allied forces of
Norway and Ireland, who were led by the traitorous Macdonwald and
the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth, the King's kinsman, is praised for
his bravery and fighting prowess.
In
the following scene, Macbeth and Banquo discuss the weather and
their victory. Macbeth's first line is "So foul and fair a
day I have not seen" (1.3.38). As they wander onto a heath,
the Three Witches enter and have been waiting to greet them with
prophecies. Though Banquo challenges them first, they address
Macbeth, hailing him as "Thane of Glamis," "Thane
of Cawdor," and that he shall "be King hereafter."
Macbeth appears to be stunned to silence. When Banquo asks of his
own fortunes, the witches inform him that he will father a line
of kings, though he himself will not be one. While the two men
wonder at these pronouncements, the witches vanish, and another
thane, Ross, arrives and informs Macbeth of his newly bestowed
title: Thane of Cawdor, as the previous Thane of Cawdor shall be
put to death for his traitorous activities. The first prophecy is
thus fulfilled, and Macbeth immediately begins to harbour
ambitions of becoming king.
This
article is licensed under the GNU
Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia
article "Thane".
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