Macbeth

The Real Macbeth: “Mac Bethad mac Findláich,” King of Scots, circa 1040:

The Real Historical Timeline: 1040 -He killed the ruling king, Duncan I, in battle near Elgin, Morayshire. Macbeth became king. His marriage to Kenneth III's granddaughter Gruoch strengthened his claim to the throne. 1045 - Macbeth defeated and killed Duncan I's father Crinan at Dunkeld. He ruled successfully and stably for 14 years, and encouraged Christianity.

He was a brave leader and made successful forays over the border into Northumbria, England. 1054 - Macbeth was challenged by Siward, Earl of Northumbria, who was attempting to return Duncan's son Malcolm Canmore, who was his nephew, to the throne. 1057 - Macbeth was killed at the Battle of Lumphanan in Aberdeenshire by Malcolm Canmore (later Malcolm III).

King James’ Confusing Names King of Scots as James VI. King of England and Ireland as James I. 1566 – 1625

His Mother was Mary, Queen of Scots, who was executed by Queen Elizabeth, her cousin, for treason: Ironically, she had fled to England to seek Queen Elizabeth’s protection.

Succession: When Queen Elizabeth died with no heir, King James, who was currently the King of Scotland, succeeded the throne as her closest relation.

Under James, the "Golden Age" of Elizabethan literature and drama continued, with writers such as William Shakespeare, John Donne, Ben Jonson, and Sir Francis Bacon contributing to a flourishing literary culture. King James was a scholar and author himself.

When his betrothed, Anne of Denmark, was forced to the coast of Norway by storms as she sailed for Scotland, King James set sail with a retinue of 300 to fetch her personally.

King James is famous for: The Gunpowder Plot by Guy Fawkes. The first attempt to unite “Great Britain” under one throne. His battle with the Pope/Catholic church over who held the higher authority…the Pope or the King? The King James Bible.

Enter Shakespeare: He wrote and tailored Macbeth specifically to please and entertain King James. Shakespeare’s historical resource was Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles, which was another fictionalized account. He altered it again to clear Banquo, King James's legendary ancestor, of complicity in the murder.

Superstition and Fear of Witchcraft: It is estimated that in the 160 year period between 1500 and 1660, between 50,000 and 80,000 accused witches were executed in Europe.

Due to a Scottish legend that was passed down throughout the years, about a King overthrown by meddling witches, King James was particularly superstitious about witchcraft, and persecuted many on suspicion of witchcraft.

Shakespeare’s plays were not historically accurate Shakespeare’s plays were not historically accurate. Macbeth lived in the 11th century and Shakespeare’s play Macbeth was written in the seventeenth century. The costumes and props for the plays were often castaway, used fashions that the nobles sold cheaply to the theatres, who spent most of their budget obtaining them. The types of costume a character would wear indicated the social position of the character to the audience, and colors were strongly symbolic at the time. Since Shakespeare’s theatres were so sparse, and funding was tight, and he could communicate so much to his audience instantly with “modern” costumes, he could not afford to be historically accurate.

Pop Culture: Shakespeare’s plays were pop culture in his day. He sought to produce entertainment according to the demands of the populace. After King James’ coronation, England became fascinated with all things Scottish. His audience also loved violence and would look for plays titled as “tragedies” because they knew someone would die in those plays. Shakespeare’s play Macbeth would please the King and the populace, allowing him to gain the King’s patronage (“The King’s Men”) and to sell admission to the crowds.

Free-Write: Most of the literature we consider “canonical” or “classic” today, was pop culture in its own time. What current pop-culture do you think will stand the test of time and become part of the canon in the future?