Politics
English Lit: AQA GCSE Macbeth, topic 1.1.4
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).
Test yourself on Politics
Which of these are true of King James I?
What year did Shakespeare write Macbeth?
Which of these are true of Macbeth?