'Macbeth' Context
- Created by: Shayla_2003
- Created on: 11-11-18 10:07
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- 'Macbeth' Context
- William Shakespeare
- Married a woman 8 years older than him
- Unusual at the time - deviated from societies norms, similarly to how his plays do
- Had his first child 6 months after marriage
- Would have been frowned upon - celibacy was common and normal - shows his rebellions against society
- Worked for The Kings Men (acting company) - granted patronage from King James I
- Possible beginning of his interest to appeal to the King
- Wrote most of his plays in iambic pentameter
- Covers a wide range of human emotions (guilt, pride, love)
- Covers a wide range of social issues (gender, relations, Divine Right, fate vs. free will)
- 'Macbeth' is his 1st play where the audience are put into the mind of a murderer
- Can see the tragedy of the situation
- Unusual approach - different from average playwrights
- Clever approach to the human mind
- Can see the tragedy of the situation
- Married a woman 8 years older than him
- Historical
- Time 'Macbeth' was set
- Loosely based on a real moment in history with real people
- Macbeth is Mac Bethad - King of the Scots from 1040-1057
- Violent period in history - 17 year reign was impressive
- Scotland became stable and prosperous
- Did kill Duncan but on the battlefield
- Macbeth is Mac Bethad - King of the Scots from 1040-1057
- Macbeth given a negative portrayal - King James I is thought to be descended from the real Banquo
- Witches' prophecy has some truths but still deceiving
- Might offend the King if Macbeth was portrayed as an honest man
- Banquo is portrayed as a hero in the play
- Loosely based on a real moment in history with real people
- Time 'Macbeth' was written
- King James VI of Scotland became the rightful heir to the throne of England - became King James I
- United Scotland and England
- Previously two distinct and openly hostile nations
- Had a different set of values to appeal to
- United Scotland and England
- 'Macbeth' was designed to appeal to King James I and his courts
- Witches were a central part in the play
- Taken very seriously in C17th
- Severe weather, crop failure, opinionated women, or an upset stomach could lead to accusations of witchcraft
- Very little proof needed to confirm a woman as a witch
- Witch trials throughout the world - was very real to the contemporary audience
- King James I had an interest in the supernatural - wrote and published the 'Demonology' (his study of witchcraft)
- Taken very seriously in C17th
- Witches were a central part in the play
- Divine Right of Kings
- A monarch isn't subjected to earthly authority and have the right to rule directly from the will of God
- Makes Duncan's murder and Macbeth's rise to power through usurpation extremely shocking to the contemporary audience
- Appeals to King James I (shows the regression in power due to regicide) - he had survived an assassination attempt
- Believed that if regicide was committed, the natural order in the world would be lost
- Makes Duncan's murder and Macbeth's rise to power through usurpation extremely shocking to the contemporary audience
- A monarch isn't subjected to earthly authority and have the right to rule directly from the will of God
- Gunpowder plot
- Catholic conspirators planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament and assassinate the King
- All conspirators were killed similarly to how Macbeth is killed - would've appealed to the King - both show the tragic and miserable downfall of anyone who conspires to commit regicide
- Would impress the King even more - could serve as a warning to the contemporary audience to not attempt regicide
- 'Macbeth' was 1st performed in 1606 - 1 year after the Gunpowder plot was foiled (5/11/1605)
- The Porter alludes to topical events - "hell-gate"
- King James VI of Scotland became the rightful heir to the throne of England - became King James I
- Time 'Macbeth' was set
- William Shakespeare
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