Introduction/Historical Background

King James I of England Probably written in 1606 by special order of King James I of England/King James VI of Scotland (same person) – Succeeded Queen Elizabeth I in 1603 without bloodshed (was already the King of Scotland at this point) Note: “Jacobean Times” succeeded “Elizabethan Times”

Macbeth Considered to be one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies Other Shakespearean tragedies include Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Antony and Cleopatra, etc.

Where does Macbeth fit in? - William Shakespeare ( ) (1595) Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet (1596) Merchant of Venice, Taming of the Shrew (1601) Twelfth Night, Hamlet (1604) Othello (1605) King Lear (1606) Macbeth (1613) Henry VIII - As you can see, Shakespeare was already well established as a writer when he wrote Macbeth

The Shakespearean Tragedy: focuses on a central protagonist, the tragic hero, whose suffering eventually ends in his/her own death – Dominated by hubris (a tragic flaw), which is really an excess of a certain character trait, such as pride, ambition, etc., that leads to his/her downfall (hamartia – mistakes made based on their hubris). – He is a person of high degree and therefore his actions affect the nation at large

The Shakespearean Tragedy Cont’d: The action presented to the audience will be recognizable to them as real and potential: through seeing it enacted, the audience’s passion – usually suffering – is raised – i.e. they feel it

Topicality Shakespeare wrote Macbeth so that it seemed real and relevant to his audience Macbeth is based in actual historical events and Shakespeare used in Holinshed’s Chronicles as a basis for his play. – Macbeth was a commander of the forces of Duncan who was King of Scotland from Macbeth slew Duncan and then reigned from Macbeth was slain by Malcolm III who was king from Other historical figures found in the play include Siward, Donalbain, Lady Macbeth, Banquo, and Fleance.

Other Topical Elements King James had an interest in witchcraft King James’s ancestry (re: Banquo) Violence of the era and good vs. evil – the violence in Macbeth was the violence of the time (brought home to the audience the struggle between good and evil as everlasting)

Significance of Topicality: Created a charged atmosphere for the play – If we can appreciate this, the play becomes more meaningful to us – Shakespeare “universalized the contemporary” – that’s why we still study him. His themes and messages transcend time and place (the human condition has not changed much – e.g. ambition) – He is not just “some guy” who wrote a long time ago. The themes and messages of his plays are just as applicable today.