1. Macbeth: HistoricalBackground Macbeth: Historical Background

2. The King of England in 1606 was James I, a Stuart. 4 There was no Tudor successor to the throne of England. Therefore, Elizabeth I chose James VI of Scotland to succeed her. After her death in 1603, James VI of Scotland became James I of England. 4 Elizabeth I had been instrumental in the death of her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, who was beheaded.

3. 4 On her deathbed, Elizabeth wanted to ease her way into Heaven, so she chose Mary’s son James to become the next King of England. 4 The appointment of James I was a good political move, unifying England and Scotland under one King.

4. Macbeth: a tribute to King James I 4 Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in 1606, during King James’ reign. 4 King James was a devout advocate of the “Divine Right of Kings.” 4 The setting is Scotland, King James’ homeland. 4 Banquo was an ancestor of James and is shown in the play to be a virtuous person. 4 James believed himself to be an expert on witchcraft. 4 James had an interest in faith healing.

5. Macbeth: an appeal to Elizabethan people’s interests 4 Shakespeare demonstrated the Elizabethan belief that the country is stable only if the King is good and virtuous. 4 Elizabethans believed that evil occurs in darkness, which is a recurring theme in Macbeth. 4 Shakespeare included a lot of blood and murder, which the Elizabethans expected to see in a play. 4 The play was considered a thriller – a threat to an anointed King and the perceived evil behind the threat – and alluded to the Gunpowder plot of 1605.

6. History & Macbeth 4 Macdonwald’s rebellion & the invasion of Sweno took place at different times—Shakespeare combined them 4 Duncan is supposed to have been killed by four hired servants— Shakespeare has Macbeth commit the murder 4 History represents Banquo as equal in guilt with Macbeth— Shakespeare whitewashes Banquo’s character as a compliment to King James 4 History makes no mention of Lady Macbeth—her character is almost wholly the creation of Shakespeare 4 In history, Macbeth fled before Macduff— Shakespeare shows Macbeth bravely fighting 4 Used Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland, & Ireland as historical reference for his plays

7. Before the Curtain Opens 4 When the play begins, there are two wars in progress: 1. Civil War - King Duncan vs. Macdonwald’s rebels 2. National War - Scotland, led by King Duncan, against invading Norway, led by King Sweno

8. Setting 4 King Duncan is the King of Scotland. 4 Edward the Confessor is the King of England. 4 The time period is the eleventh century (1000-1099). 4 Shakespeare used poetic license to bend some of the historical information.