Macbeth Context

Macbeth Context

1. Politics in Shakespeare's Time

   • 1606- Jacobean Period
     • Unsettled political period, Elizabeth I had no heir so was passed to Scottish King James (distant relative).
       • Some people saw him as an imposter- Led to Gunpowder Plot (Bonfire Night)
         • Leads to the theme of usurpation (Stealing throne from rightful ruler) in Macbeth
       • Shakespeare's intention for writing MB was to warn those like the gunpowder plotters from the previous year that ambition will always end in downfall- Flattering King James I
         • Banquo: distant relative of King James I characterised as honorable and good hearted: confirms nobility of King James' bloodline.
           • Witches prophesize that Banquo's descendents will be Kings (some with double sceptres- rule multiple countries) alluding to King James !
           • Inserts James as a force of good that triumphs over evil MB
         • Play has a cautionary message about ambition

2. The Great Chain of Being

   • Renaissance Idea: Strict hierarchy- God, King, People. Sacred structure maintains peace and order but when someone oversteps their place (MB) the chain is thrown into chaos.
     • Divine Right of Kings
     • When MB kills Duncan the natural world, heavens and his own mind into chaos until good can restore the hierarchy.

3. Shakespeare's Portrayal of Women

   • Misogynistic Period
   • Middle Ages Ideal of Femininity- Passive & Virtuous / Men- courageous, physically powerful and sexually potent.
     • From Biblical idea- women were the source of sin. Must be controlled by men to prevent them recommitting the sins of Eve.
     • Characterisation of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth subverts these gender roles. LMB- dominance, cruelty / MB- womanly due to his cowardice.
       • LMB- rejects maternal aspect of femininity
       • MB- goes mad, loses masculine virtue of reason.
   • MACBETH & LADY MACBETH ARE INVERSIONS OF TRADITIONAL JACOBEAN GENDER STEREOTYPES
     • Why does Shakespeare do this?
       • Warning about straying from the natural order of gender roles and allowing evil women (LMB &Witches) to corrupt moral male minds.
       • OR Is he challenging these rigid gender roles?
         • OR showing the dangers of the type of masculinity promoted by society- rejecting love and care in the fear of appearing womanly

4. The Form of the Play (Type of Text)

   • Play- Dramatic Tragedy: play with a moral message, everyone usually dies at the end.
   • Renaissance period- rediscovery of sources of art/philosophy/literature from ancient Greece.
     • Shakespeare was hugely influenced by classical Greek theatre.
       • Aristotle formulated the tragedy
         • Key Narrative Stages
           • 1. Tragic hero suffers a turn of fortune
           • 2. Their hamartia (fatal flaw- ambition in MB) leads them down a path of self-destruction.
           • 3. Their suffering makes the audience feel pity (pathos)
           • 4. Eventually the tragic hero realises and accepts their doom.
             • This leads to the audience experiencing an emotional release at their death- catharsis.

5. A time of two ways of thinking about the world (paradigms)

   • 1. Religious (Christian) thought dominated the Middle Ages. Underpinned the way audiences saw the world.
     • SUPERSTITION
       • GHOSTS
       • WITCHES
         • King James fascinated with witches- allusions to these things to indulge him as the new King.
     • DETERMINISM (FATE)
     • HEAVEN AND HELL
   • 2. Renaissance now in full flow. New ideas challenged old religion- power of individual rather than God.
     • INDIVIDUALS CAN SHAPE THEIR OWN DESTINY
       • Shakespeare leaves it open to interpretation whether the ghosts etc. are real or down to MB own hallucinations of madness driven by his own 'black and deep desires'.
       • FREE WILL
     • MB's lack of faith in Christian afterlife at the end of the play- mirrors growing doubt of religion in this period.