The Time Macbeth was written in 1606, a time of politics and paranoia. James IV of Scotland had taken over the reign from Elizabeth when she passed, and there was much worry of a war over religion,. And the religion that would be dominant in Britain.

The Play The play begins with three witches, talking about their next meeting. We follow Macbeth and his trusty sidekick Banquo when they come across the witches who prophesise that Macbeth will become the King of the Scots and that Banquo would beget a line of Scottish kings. Macbeth and his wife then kill the King so that Macbeth can take his place on the throne but Macbeth is killed by Macduff, a Scottish nobleman who opposes Macbeth’s rise to the throne.

The Issues As in Shakespeare’s other tragedies, there are many underlying themes in Macbeth. Everything from freak weather, to the relationship between cruelty and masculinity. Other themes in Macbeth could be the corrupting power of unchecked ambition and the difference between kingship and tyranny.

The Man Shakespeare was born the mid 1560s, he married 18 years later and had 3 children. The man is well known for his famous play, sonnets and poems. He’s the writer of Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, A midsummer’s nights dream, Hamlet and many other famous pieces of literature.

Fin~ Fun Fact: Shakespeare invented the word “bubble”