Politics & Monarchy

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Political Unrest

Shakespeare wrote Macbeth around 1606, at the beginning of the reign of James I (James VI of Scotland).

Heritage

James was the son of Mary Queen of Scots, who was Catholic.
Elizabeth I (and James himself) was Protestant.

Catholic and Protestant

Two types of Christians were described.
Many Protestants did not trust him because of his Catholic heritage, and many Catholics thought that he would support them.

Catholic and Protestant reactions

When Catholics realised that James did not support Catholics, some began to develop conspiracy theories, such as the Gunpowder Plot:
- The Gunpowder Plot was a failed attempt to assassinate James I by blowing up the House of Lords with gunpowder.
- The plotters of the Gunpowder Plot were caught and tortured. The plot against the king had failed.

A tale of caution?

Macbeth is, to some degree, a tale of caution – it acted as a warning about what could happen to people who committed treason (a crime against the king).

Divine Right of Kings

In the 17th century, people believed in the Divine Right of Kings.

Belief explained

People believed that kings were appointed by, and only answerable to, God.
They answered to a higher power and could not be governed by anyone on Earth.
Therefore, any attempt to remove monarchs from the throne was sacrilegious (a crime against God and Christianity).

Relevance to the play

In Macbeth, King Duncan is chosen by God as the King of Scotland.
However, after the witches tell Macbeth that he is fated to be King, he plots with Lady Macbeth to plan Duncan’s murder.
Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the throne, going against the will of God and the Divine Right of Kings.
Macbeth was not chosen by God to be king, and therefore disrupts the natural order and suffers horribly for it – he feels a strong sense of guilt, hallucinates, loses his wife, and then loses his own life and the throne.

Relevance to the play (continued)

Macbeth’s loss of the throne after losing his own life helps to restore the natural order, as the next God-appointed king ascends the throne (Malcolm, King Duncan’s son).
Therefore, an early modern audience would see Macbeth as committing a deadly sin, which he would pay dearly for.
- After losing his life, he would likely go to Hell, a horrific consequence for a contemporary reader.

Pleasing the King?

James I became King of England in 1603. Shakespeare soon published Macbeth, possibly in an attempt to please the new king.

Setting

James I was also James VI of Scotland (for much of his reign, he ruled both England and Scotland at the same time) – Macbeth was set in Scotland, written about a Scottish king.

Presentation and role of the witches

James I hated witchcraft and felt that it was evil and went against God – in Macbeth, the witches cause the ultimate downfall of the Scottish king, as they encourage Macbeth to seek his power for himself.
The witches are seen as dark, evil characters who only cause bad things to happen – they destroy life and the natural order of things (e.g. the Divine Right of Kings).

Triumph of the monarchy

In Macbeth, Shakespeare appeals to James I with the resolution (ending) of the play.
He shows that, despite the evil witchcraft which has caused pain and suffering, the royal line ultimately takes control again (when King Duncan’s son, Malcolm, takes the throne).
Shakespeare shows that the monarchy wins, despite the Devil (in the form of the witches) attempting to disrupt the natural order.

1Literary & Cultural Context

1.1Context

1.1.1Tragedy

1.1.2The Supernatural & Gender

1.1.3Politics & Monarchy

1.1.4End of Topic Test - Context

2Plot Summary

2.1Act 1

2.1.1Scenes 1 & 2

2.1.2Scene 3

2.1.3Scenes 4-5

2.1.4Scenes 6-7

2.1.5End of Topic Test - Act 1

2.2Acts 2-4

2.2.1Act 2

2.2.2Act 3

2.2.3Act 4

2.3Act 5

2.3.1Scenes 1-3

2.3.2Scenes 4-9

2.3.3End of Topic Test - Acts 2-5

3Characters

3.1Macbeth

3.1.1Hero vs Villain

3.1.2Ambition & Fate

3.1.3Relationship

3.1.4Unstable

3.1.5End of Topic Test - Macbeth

3.2Lady Macbeth

3.2.1Masculine & Ruthless

3.2.2Manipulative & Disturbed

3.3Other Characters

3.3.1Banquo

3.3.2The Witches

3.3.3Exam-Style Questions - The Witches

3.3.4King Duncan

3.3.5Macduff

3.3.6End of Topic Test - Lady Macbeth & Banquo

3.3.7End of Topic Test - Witches, Duncan & Macduff

3.4Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.4.1Grade 9 - Lady Macbeth Questions

4Themes

4.1Themes

4.1.1Power & Ambition

4.1.2Power & Ambition HyperLearning

4.1.3Violence

4.1.4The Supernatural

4.1.5Masculinity

4.1.6Armour, Kingship & The Natural Order

4.1.7Appearances & Deception

4.1.8Madness & Blood

4.1.9Women, Children & Sleep

4.1.10End of Topic Test - Themes

4.1.11End of Topic Test - Themes 2

4.2Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.1Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.2Extract Analysis

5Writer's Techniques

5.1Structure, Meter & Other Literary Techniques

5.1.1Structure, Meter & Dramatic Irony

5.1.2Pathetic Fallacy & Symbolism

5.1.3End of Topic Test - Writer's Techniques

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