Context
Author
- Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, his father was a successful glove-maker
- as a child, Shakespeare went to grammar school but he never visited a university
- in 1582, he married Anne Hathaway and they had three children together
- when Shakespeare left his family in order to join a group of a actors as a playwright and actor as well, he became famous very quickly and has ever been considered as the most popular playwright in England
- both Queen Elizabeth I and King James I favoured Shakespeare as a playwright
- when Shakespeare died in 1616, he was a wealthy and renowned man
- after his death, his works were collected and printed in numerous editions
- due to his low education, there are some theories that hint at the fact that Shakespeare did not write all of the texts by himself - some believe that it was Francis Bacon who wrote some texts
- however, many scholars do not consider those theories to be true due to the lack of credible evidence
- Shakespeare is thus the author of 37 plays and 154 sonnets
Historical Background
- while Queen Elizabeth I favoured plays about confidence, happiness and love (such as Midsummer Night‘s Dream), the plays that Shakespeare wrote during King James I‘s reign were a lot more cynical and dark - most likely reflecting the insecurities of the young king
- the concerns of the time are specified in the plays which often revolve around the kings‘ and queens‘ struggle to hold onto their power
- Macbeth as a tribute to King James I
- the setting is Scotland, King James’ homeland
- Banquo was an ancestor of James and is characterized as a virtuous person in the play
- James believed himself to be an expert on witchcraft
- historicity of Macbeth
- Duncan was king of Scotland at the time the real Macbeth was born
- when Duncan was murdered at the age of 38, it was believed that Macbeth was the actual murderer
- Macbeth was then elected king of Scotland
- Macbeth ruled Scotland for 17 years, during which Scotland became comparatively peaceful and stable
- Duncan’s son Malcolm invaded Scotland in 1054, supported by Edward the Confessor
- Macbeth was killed on August 15th in 1057 and was then buried at Iona, the sacred burial place of the Kings of Scotland
Political Background
- it is believed that Macbeth was influenced by an incident called the Gunpowder Plot that took place in November 1605
- some opponents of the Anglican church tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament, kill King James I and replace him with a Catholic monarch
- however, this endeavor was thwarted and the plotters were tortured and executed
- nowadays, that day is remembered as Bonfire Night
- just like the Gunpowder Plot, Macbeth is about treason, how a king is overthrown and how the murderers face their downfall
- in addition, King James was an ancestor of Banquo (the Thane of Lochaber) - referring to that, the witches‘ prophecy makes even more sense
- Banquo‘s son Fleance‘s escape also resembles King James‘ escape from the Gunpowder Plot