Macbeth- Context

Macbeth- Context

1. Written between 1605 and 1606, shortly after the death of Elizabeth I and the ascension of King James of Scotland to the English throne

   • Shakespeare's theatre company was renames 'King's Men'
     • Performed regularly at court for private audiences, including the king
       • Likely he wrote Macbeth with the King in ming
         • Not only does the play deal with King James' direct ancestors, one of which is Banquo, but also explores witchcraft
           • This was a theme of particular interest to James- who had published his own ideas
           • contemporary attitudes towards witchcraft and the supernatural
             • Medieval Scotland believed in witches and their ability to make prophecies to control human affairs
               • generally regarded an evil practice
                 • During the Elizabethan era people blamed unexplainable events as the work of witches - the Bubonic Plague, unexplained deaths or unpleasant illnesses, bad harvests or crop failures, the death of animals and unexplained fires.
                 • it was legal to persecute witches e.g burning at the stake
               • Witches were able to fly A witch was an old hag or crone Witches are closely associated with living alone (house in the wood) Witches are known to keep animals such as cats, frogs, ravens, bats etc. they were supposed to be demon advisors Witches brewed magic potions over a cauldron - wise women had knowledge of herbs such as mandrake, monkshood and many more)
                 • superstitions
                   • also reflected in the witches in Macbeth

2. Play also explores the issue of 'just' kingship and the threat of regicide

   • James faced two assassination attempts himself

3. contemporary attitudes towards religion

   • All of Shakespeare's audience would have a very firm and real belief in the existence in heaven and hell
     • crimes that Macbeth commits against the king, his peers, innocent women and children would have been seen as mortal sins and guarantee that his soul end up in hell

4. The Great Chain of Being

   • This was the belief that God had designed an ordered system for both nature and humankind within which every creature and person had an allotted place. It included everything from God and angels at the top to humans, animals, plants, to rocks and minerals at the bottom.
     • It was believed that provided the natural order was preserved, the state would operate harmoniously
       • but if it was disturbed (e.g by killing the king) the chain was broken and the state would erupt into chaos

5. Divine Right of Kings

   • Belief that the king was appointed by God- God's representative on Earth
     • Therefore killing the king is committing a crime against God

6. Theatrical context

   • Writing at the time when drama was flourishing in London
     • Theatre had become the most popular form of entertainment
       • relevance to staging in Macbeth