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| The Tragedy of Macbeth | A play written by William Shakespeare about a tragic hero's fatal flaw that leads to his disastrous downfall. |
| Drama Histories | Plays written by Shakespeare that were based on historical fact. |
| Drama Comedies | Plays written by Shakespeare that have happy endings. |
| Drama Tragedies | Plays written by Shakespeare that have unhappy endings. |
| The Five Act Play | All of Shakespeare's plays are written in this format. Each act follows the format of a plot diagram. Act 1 is the exposition, act 2 becomes the rising action, act 3 is the climax, act 4 is the falling action, and act 5 is the resolution of the drama. |
| The Fatal Flaw | Shakespeare's tragic hero always has a weakness that will lead to his own destruction. |
| Fall of Nobility | Shakespeare's tragic heroes normally have wealth and power at the beginning, and losing everything makes their fall more tragic. |
| External Pressures | Shakespeare's tragic heroes are often influenced and manipulated by evil spirits or other characters. |
| Missed Opportunities | Shakespeare's tragic heroes pass up opportunities to save themselves and others, but they pick options that lead to their downfall. |
| Theme | The message or lesson in a story. |
| Characterization | The words that show how a character looks, acts, and feels which is created through character traits. |
| Play | A story written to be performed on the stage. |
| Protagonist | The main character in a story. |
| Character Traits | Words that are used to describe a character. |
| Tragic Hero | A person in a story that always comes to a disastrous end, usually because of a fatal flaw. This person is usually of high rank and considered a decent or good human being in their community. |
| Homonyms | Words that sound the same but have a different spelling and meaning. |
| Confusables | Words that are often confused with another meaning or usage. |
| Guilt | When a person feels bad because of something bad they did or said. This is a theme that is often found in literature. |
| Sonnet | A poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes. All of Shakespeare's plays were written in sonnets. |
| Globe Theater | A London playhouse, built in 1598, where most of Shakespeare's plays were first presented. |
| Unchecked Ambition | The irrational drive to accomplish a person has to accomplish his/her goals even if it means harming anyone who is the way. This theme is often found in literature. |
| William Shakespeare | An English playwright of the late 16th century and early 17th century, he is generally considered the greatest writer in English. |
| Macbeth | A character in the play Macbeth, he was the Thane of Glamis (title given by the King), brave and powerful solider who is deeply in love with his wife. |
| Lady Macbeth | A character in the play Macbeth. She is the ruthless, ambitious wife who is deeply in love with her husband. |
| Banquo | A character in the play Macbeth, he is a friend of Macbeth's, he is a brave soldier. |
| King Duncan | A character in the play Macbeth, he is the King of Scotland. |
| Macduff | A character in the play Macbeth, he is a powerful member of King Duncan's thanes who does not trust Macbeth. |
| Lady Macduff | A character in the play Macbeth, he is the wife of Macduff. |
| The Witches | Characters in the play Macbeth, who make a prophecy for Macbeth and Banquo that begins to come true. |
| Fleance | A character in the play Macbeth; Banquo's son. |
