1. Beginning Macbeth
Yaaaayyy … !!!

2. Shakespeare:::
Born 1564
Died 1616

3. Important part …
“The Lord Chamberlain’s Men” – Performed for Queen Elizabeth I
A royal patent  became the “King’s Men” for King James I (1603)

4. James I, King of England (Was James IV of Scotland
B. It’s believed Shakespeare wrote Macbeth to please James I
C. He was the personal patron of Shakespeare’s acting company

5. Gunpowder plot (1605)
An attempt to assassinate James I (Protestant)
Henry Garnet, in his defense, invoked the Doctrine of Equivocation

6. Interested in witchcraft and the supernatural
1591 the trial of Scottish witches
Wrote book, Daemonologie
Purpose of witch – harm king
Witches use prophecies to tempt men’s faith and virtue

7. Macbeth First printed in 1623 Written after 1603, before 1610.
2,500 lines = shortest of Shakespeare’s tragedies

8. Continued …
Wasn’t one of the more popular plays during Shakespeare’s time
Gained popularity in late 18th C. and early 19th C.
One of the most frequently performed plays in world.

9. Continued …
Shakespeare “borrowed” information from Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland

10. Continued … Producing Macbeth is supposed to be unlucky
Fires, falls, weapon injuries
Superstition:
Called “The Scottish Play”

11. Historical Background
Barbaric era
War and slaughter of one community by another = okay.
Survival:
Capable warlord to protect life and property, prevent infighting, and protect from distant enemies.

12. Groups of warlords unite under one king to promote common interests and war on more distant countries
Warlords kill off less capable family members

13. History of Macbeth Findlaech = Father of M
Killed and succeeded by his nephew Gillacomgain
Gillacomgain and 50 other people burned to death in retribution
Probably by M and allies.

14. Gillacomgain married to Gruoch = Son named Lulach the Simple (Not very Bright, if you know what they meant …)
After Macbeth killed Gillacomgain, took Gruoch for his own wife. (and raised Lulach as his own)

15. Malcolm II, king … murdered by grandson Duncan
Duncan becomes king
Has son Malcolm and Donald “Bain”

16. Thorfinn and Macbeth defeated and killed Duncan in 1040
Thorfinn = Northern Scotland, Macbeth = Southern Scotland

17. Earl Siward of Northumberland defeated Macbeth at battle of Birnam Wood
Macbeth escapes
(After 17 years of ruling) killed three years later by Duncan’s son Malcolm

18. Lulach claims kingship but killed a few months later by Malcolm

19. Defeat of Macbeth
The defeat of Macbeth’s evil rule is linked to the rise of James’ family line (King James I of England)