Today's lesson was an introductory lesson on Shakespeare's Macbeth. I reviewed highlights from the life of Shakespeare and discussed Holinshed's Chronicles as the source of Shakespeare's play. We further reviewed elements of the Elizabethan drama ( ghosts)and discussed the venues where Shakespeare's presented his plays: The Globe, Blackfriars,and at the Royal Court. In this regard, I provided background into the ascendancy of James I ,the Scottish King, and related thematic and plot elements of the play to James I's reign . Last, I discussed how Shakespeare's use of asides and soliloquies vault Shakespeare's plays into the arena of the literary canon .These devices unveil the consciousness of the characters and provide the foundation for the dramatic tension and irony often found in Shakespeare's plays