Macbeth 1.1 What the Critics Say

The video explores different perspectives on Shakespeare's portrayal of witches in Macbeth. Samuel Johnson, an Enlightenment figure, believed that if Macbeth were written in his time, Shakespeare would have been dismissed for promoting superstition. In contrast, Romantic critics like Coleridge and Hazlitt appreciated the witches for their emotional and imaginative impact. AC Bradley, a 20th-century scholar, argued that Shakespeare's witches were not supernatural but rather depicted as real women accused of witchcraft.

What was Samuel Johnson's view on Shakespeare's Macbeth if it had been written during his time?

• He believed Shakespeare would have been banished from the theater.

• He would have praised it as a masterpiece.

• He thought it would have been a popular play.

• He considered it a work of historical importance.

How did the Romantic period view the witches in Macbeth?

• As a representation of human imagination and emotion.

• As irrelevant to the play's success.

• As a historical inaccuracy.

• As a scientific anomaly.

What did Samuel Taylor Coleridge believe about the witches in Macbeth?

• They were historically accurate depictions.

• They were a distraction from the main story.

• They were crucial for tapping into the audience's fears.

• They were unnecessary to the plot.

According to AC Bradley, how should modern audiences view the witches in Macbeth?

• As ordinary old women falsely accused.

• As goddesses or fates.

• As supernatural beings.

• As mythical creatures.

What does AC Bradley suggest about the portrayal of witches in Macbeth?

• They are depicted as historical figures.

• They are portrayed as poor, ragged old women.

• They are shown as misunderstood heroines.

• They are depicted as powerful deities.