Why is the Macbeth play by Shakespeare often called 'The Scottish Tradegy'?

Question

This is for an English homework assignment and I cannot find the answer! Please help...

Answer 1

It all starts with the myth of the witches.

Productions of the play are said to have been plagued with accidents, many ending in death; the play does include more fight scenes and other such opportunities for accidents than does the average play. According to legend, this dates back to the original performance of the play, in which prop daggers were mistakenly swapped for real ones, resulting in a death.

Those who believe in the curse of Macbeth claim its origin to be in the three Witches, who in the play are said to be casting real spells. It has also been suggested that the inclusion of the character Hecate, frequently cut from productions of the play due to questions about her part's authorship, will intensify the effects of the curse.

The popularity of the superstition might also be related to its mild hazing aspect. Veteran actors might relate some tale of woe that they witnessed personally due to someone invoking the curse, lending credibility and immediacy to the tale.

One commonly believed origin is that Macbeth, being a popular play, was commonly put on by theaters in danger of going out of business, or that the high production costs of Macbeth put the theater in financial trouble. An association was made between the production of Macbeth and theaters going out of business. Not to mention, "That Scottish Play" was —and is— a real crowd pleaser, so acting companies short on cash would put up the show, in hopes of raking in more money to keep themselves from going out of business.

The Scottish play and The Bard's play are euphemisms often used for William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Saying 'Macbeth' inside a theatre is often considered taboo, as it is thought to bring on the curse associated with the play. The lead actors themselves are referred to as "Mr. and Mrs. M." or a variety of different names. The euphemism is so named because Macbeth is set in Scotland. Another variation of the superstition forbids direct quotation of the play while within a theatre.

There are a variety of traditional rituals used to ward off evil when the play is mentioned, such as turning three times, spitting over one's left shoulder, swearing, or reciting a line from another of Shakespeare's plays, often "Angels and ministers of grace defend us," (Hamlet 1.IV), or "Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you" (The Merchant of Venice, 3.IV). When the name of the play is spoken in a theatre, tradition requires that the person must leave, perform one of a number of rituals, and be invited back in.

I hope this helps

Answer 2

Perhaps Shakespeare believed in fate, there is certainly enough evidence to back it up. Romeo and Juliet, for example, was a story of star-crossed lovers (meaning that their fate was written int he stars). Or perhaps the idea of fate was just something that appealed to his audiences (as he wrote in a time when the church reigned supreme and there was the belief that God controlled all worldly events). So that's definitely something to think about. I'm guessing that this is for a school essay, in which case there is no right answer. Write about what events make you think shakespeare believed in fate, then write about examples that make you think he doesn't then make your own decision. Noone on here is going to be able to give you a good enough answer without actually writing your paper for you.

Answer 3

There is a superstition that it is "bad luck" to say the name of the play, so they call it The Scottish Tragedy instead to avoid saying "Macbeth" out loud...

Answer 4

The above answers re the superstition are correct. However, it's usually called "the Scottish play" when in the theatre.

Answer 5

Macbeth = Scottish, not Irish, not English, not Welsh, not Persian...

Everyone dies, hence a tragedy.

Hence the Scottish tragedy. ;)

Answer 6

Ummmm, Macbeth was Scottish and his ambition (pushed on by his wife) leads to his downfall. Pretty simple really.

Answer 7

Because action takes place in Scottish lands

Answer 8

some of these people have crazy answers! The superstition is correct. It is bad luck to say, m... well you know.. JK no really it's supposedly bad luck to say macbeth in the theater business if you are into that kind of superstition.
:)

Answer 9

uh, because Macbeth was Scottish and it was a tragedy.