本集內(nèi)容

如果說莎士比亞創(chuàng)作的喜劇多以有情人終成眷屬收場的話，那么其悲劇則以主人公的死亡而告終。不過都是那些原因導致一個往往高貴或英勇的人物走向毀滅？

Shakespeare wrote 12 tragedies but the best known are perhaps Hamlet 哈姆雷特, Othello 奧賽羅, King Lear 李爾王 and Macbeth 麥克白。

We focus on Shakespeare's shortest, and some say, his darkest tragedy Macbeth.

Macbeth is one of the most performed tragedies throughout the world.

Why does it have such a universal appeal?

What is the message 要傳遞的信息 that Shakespeare wanted to give to the audience in the 16th century?

How relevant 相關聯(lián)的 is such a play to modern society?

Yang Li and William Kremer discuss the play with two experts. They also talk about the features common to all Shakespeare's tragedies.

As you listen, try to answer these questions (the answers are at the bottom of this page):

1. What was Macbeth's fatal flaw?

2. Macbeth is shorter than Shakespeare's other tragedies. True or false?

3. Why do people sometimes call Macbeth The Scottish Play?

莎翁名言

Today's S Words features the well-known phrase 'to wear my heart on my sleeve' 容易流露感情的。 Do you know where it came from?

大家可以點擊下面的鏈接收聽莎翁名言的錄音或下載文字稿。

下集預告

Next week we will look at Shakespeare's contributions to the English language in Shakespeare the Wordsmith.

Answers to the quiz:

1. Ambition

2. True

3. Because of a theatrical superstition