Context for Macbeth - Written by Hannah H!
The Man Himself:
Shakespeare was born on the 23rd of April 1564. He died on the 23rd of April 1616; very tragic. He was an English writer, poet and actor. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire and married at the age of 18 to Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children. Shakespeare was also the “sharer” of a playing company called Lord Chamberlain’s Men, which later changed to King’s Men, when King James ascended the throne. An important thing to note is that Shakespeare lived through the Jacobean and Elizabethan era, which was the height of English Renaissance.
The Jacobean Era (1603-1625)
Ruling monarch: King James I of Scotland
King James financially supported Shakespeare’s acting group "King’s Men".
Gunpowder plot in 1605 – an assassination attempt on King James.
It’s well-known that key themes in Macbeth were the anxieties that plagued King James during his reign. For example: the supernatural, witches, the fragile nature of power, conspiracy, murder, betrayal, repercussions of treason, and deep mental turmoil and quarrel.
Also, King James was a firm believer in Divine Right: the belief that the King is appointed by God, and to kill your king is to go against God – unforgivable sin.
When investigating King James’ worry of witches, which is a key theme in Macbeth, you’ll find that it was a cultural fascination. The King himself even wrote a detailed book on witchcraft called ‘Daemonologie’ in 1597. He was heavily interested in the destructive nature and capacity of witchcraft.
