About the playMacbeth is a Shakespearean tragedy set mainly in Scotland. It tells the story of a brave Scottish general named Macbeth who receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the throne for himself...
Context When Shakespeare wrote Macbeth (1606), James I was King of England and Scotland. He was very superstitious and fearful of witchcraft. Here are some key facts: •Introduced new laws saying practicing witches should be executed. •Whilst King of Scotland, over 300 ‘witches’ tortured and executed. •Wrote a book called Demonologie, about witches and how to find them. The King's Men Shakespeare included witchcraft (as well as several other themes) into the play in order to please King James. It is not surprising that Shakespeare aimed to please James. Shortly after his arrival in London, James insisted that Shakespeare's troupe come under his own patronage, giving them unlimited opportunities and making Shakespeare a wealthy man. |
Regicide |
One of the main themes in Macbeth is regicide- this is the act of killing a king. In 1605 there was a very famous attempt at regicide. Click here to find out more.
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