Bloody Background: The Historical Context of Macbeth The Scottish Empire Strikes Back – Starring Mel Gibson?
When? - Robert Debruce unified clans to make a much stronger unified military force against England.
- Macbeth was written in 1605 Longshanks – the original poor loser.
Big Man on Campus! - On Longshanks’ death bed, he still believed that England would win, so he requested that his body be
dug up, “when” they do.
- Shakespeare was a very famous man, at heis peak of fame and glory when Macbeth was written
Death of Braveheart – Warrior Leader to Pencil Pusher
It’s all politics man…
- After DeBruce’s death, his daughter became queen. She married a Steward which changed both their
- Macbeth was written for King James the first
names to Stuart (1350)
Revisionist history….
Royalty….always worrying about two things!
- Historians are mostly employed by kings/queens to write the narrative of the present, essentially writing
- Succession from death
their approved history they wish to publish for the rest of time.
- Keeping the throne withing family (heirs)
Would the real Macbeth…please stand up?
- The Stuarts keep the throne for 8 generations
- In the Dark Ages, after killing the previous king Duncan, the Real Macbeth was King in 1040 for 17 years,
till Duncan’s son killed him. Stuart Kings of Scotland…keeping it in the family! But still a little paranoid…
So you want to be King eh? - Because of the length that the Stuarts keep the throne, they fear that other members of the family will try
to take if for themselves
- In the Dark Ages, ⅞ kings are killed or dissapear from mysterious circumstances, to be replaced by the
next king. Early 1500s - Freelance Historian to the rescue..
The original “Battle Royale”! - In recorded history, once the Stuart lost their thone, a “angel” tells “Banquo” that his son will become King
*it is believed that Banquo is made up to cover up what really happened
- Succession was extremely complicated and fundamentally unfair for all.
Mary, Queen of Scots – a Stuart with attitude…and the last person you want as a cousin.
- The more family, the more potential enemies
- She kills her husbands so often that her civillians want her overthrone for killing their kings.
200 Years pass…
- She flees to England without her 1 year old son James.
- England continues to raid Scotland for land
- She plans an assasination of Queen Elizabeth, gets exiled, but after a second attempt, he gets beheaded
Longshanks the Scots Killer and the Stone of Scone! (feel free to steal this title J.K!)
(not a bad death since it was a quick death with all her close friends and associated, and her head isn’t
- 1250 King of England faced toward the blade.)
- Dedicated to invade ALL of Scotland - Seems that Queen Elizabeth has a soft spot for Mary
- Invades a lot of Scotland, especially Scone Meanwhile…James is home alone! (what did you accomplish as a 1 year old?)
- Stone of Scone/Destiny stolen and put under his throne, finally returned back in 1999 - James become King of Scotland, because of his mom’s absence
James heads to Sin City! King James had a serious target on his back…
- On her will, Queen Elizabeth made King James of Scotland the king of England after her death. (uniting - Lots of people wanted to kill him at the time
Scotland and England together with one ruler)
The Witches of Forres
And all the “King’s Men”…
- 3 innocent ladies were killed
Which brings us…finally…to Macbeth
- Story was that 3 witches tried to kill King James wife by attempting to sink their ship while she was
- King James make famous Playwriter Shakespeare the royal playwright to aid public relation about him. onboard
You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours… The shortest of all tragedies with an intense focus…
- In return, Macbeth is written in direct favor for King James - Support King James
Catholic Rage! - Demonstrate the cost of misdeeds
- James is caholic, but he doesn’t lift the anti-catholic ban. That brought rage to many Catholics in England. The play which shall not be named…..
Do you smell gunpowder? - Cursed play (actors been killed, theatres been damaged)
- A small group of catholic terrorists smuggle gun powder into the parlement in purpose blowing it up, killing - Myth: certain lines are actual witch curses, so when they are spoken by the actors, they invoke witchcraft
the entire government, As a result of the unsucessful attempt, King James oversees all Catholics rounded
up and arrested.
So, you want to be a terrorist?
- Guy Fawkes takes blame for the movement.
- Sentenced to → Repeated hangings/stranglings, castraded, disemboweled, cut and pulled into 4 pieces
and beheaded
- Unsuccesful: with the rope around his head, he jumped down the hole willingly, giving himself a quick
death, creating uproar and dissapointment from viewers instead
November 5, Guy Fawkes Day!
- A national holiday to burn created figures of Guy Fawkes.
Fellow conspirator Henry Garnett – the father of “equivocation”
- Doesn’t lie, but uses word tricks to avoid
- Sentenced as well to be (hanged, dried and corded)
- Catholic Mob distacted the event, and pulled Henry down the whole, allowing a quick death for him as
well.
When? - Robert Debruce unified clans to make a much stronger unified military force against England.
- Macbeth was written in 1605 Longshanks – the original poor loser.
Big Man on Campus! - On Longshanks’ death bed, he still believed that England would win, so he requested that his body be
dug up, “when” they do.
- Shakespeare was a very famous man, at heis peak of fame and glory when Macbeth was written
Death of Braveheart – Warrior Leader to Pencil Pusher
It’s all politics man…
- After DeBruce’s death, his daughter became queen. She married a Steward which changed both their
- Macbeth was written for King James the first
names to Stuart (1350)
Revisionist history….
Royalty….always worrying about two things!
- Historians are mostly employed by kings/queens to write the narrative of the present, essentially writing
- Succession from death
their approved history they wish to publish for the rest of time.
- Keeping the throne withing family (heirs)
Would the real Macbeth…please stand up?
- The Stuarts keep the throne for 8 generations
- In the Dark Ages, after killing the previous king Duncan, the Real Macbeth was King in 1040 for 17 years,
till Duncan’s son killed him. Stuart Kings of Scotland…keeping it in the family! But still a little paranoid…
So you want to be King eh? - Because of the length that the Stuarts keep the throne, they fear that other members of the family will try
to take if for themselves
- In the Dark Ages, ⅞ kings are killed or dissapear from mysterious circumstances, to be replaced by the
next king. Early 1500s - Freelance Historian to the rescue..
The original “Battle Royale”! - In recorded history, once the Stuart lost their thone, a “angel” tells “Banquo” that his son will become King
*it is believed that Banquo is made up to cover up what really happened
- Succession was extremely complicated and fundamentally unfair for all.
Mary, Queen of Scots – a Stuart with attitude…and the last person you want as a cousin.
- The more family, the more potential enemies
- She kills her husbands so often that her civillians want her overthrone for killing their kings.
200 Years pass…
- She flees to England without her 1 year old son James.
- England continues to raid Scotland for land
- She plans an assasination of Queen Elizabeth, gets exiled, but after a second attempt, he gets beheaded
Longshanks the Scots Killer and the Stone of Scone! (feel free to steal this title J.K!)
(not a bad death since it was a quick death with all her close friends and associated, and her head isn’t
- 1250 King of England faced toward the blade.)
- Dedicated to invade ALL of Scotland - Seems that Queen Elizabeth has a soft spot for Mary
- Invades a lot of Scotland, especially Scone Meanwhile…James is home alone! (what did you accomplish as a 1 year old?)
- Stone of Scone/Destiny stolen and put under his throne, finally returned back in 1999 - James become King of Scotland, because of his mom’s absence
James heads to Sin City! King James had a serious target on his back…
- On her will, Queen Elizabeth made King James of Scotland the king of England after her death. (uniting - Lots of people wanted to kill him at the time
Scotland and England together with one ruler)
The Witches of Forres
And all the “King’s Men”…
- 3 innocent ladies were killed
Which brings us…finally…to Macbeth
- Story was that 3 witches tried to kill King James wife by attempting to sink their ship while she was
- King James make famous Playwriter Shakespeare the royal playwright to aid public relation about him. onboard
You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours… The shortest of all tragedies with an intense focus…
- In return, Macbeth is written in direct favor for King James - Support King James
Catholic Rage! - Demonstrate the cost of misdeeds
- James is caholic, but he doesn’t lift the anti-catholic ban. That brought rage to many Catholics in England. The play which shall not be named…..
Do you smell gunpowder? - Cursed play (actors been killed, theatres been damaged)
- A small group of catholic terrorists smuggle gun powder into the parlement in purpose blowing it up, killing - Myth: certain lines are actual witch curses, so when they are spoken by the actors, they invoke witchcraft
the entire government, As a result of the unsucessful attempt, King James oversees all Catholics rounded
up and arrested.
So, you want to be a terrorist?
- Guy Fawkes takes blame for the movement.
- Sentenced to → Repeated hangings/stranglings, castraded, disemboweled, cut and pulled into 4 pieces
and beheaded
- Unsuccesful: with the rope around his head, he jumped down the hole willingly, giving himself a quick
death, creating uproar and dissapointment from viewers instead
November 5, Guy Fawkes Day!
- A national holiday to burn created figures of Guy Fawkes.
Fellow conspirator Henry Garnett – the father of “equivocation”
- Doesn’t lie, but uses word tricks to avoid
- Sentenced as well to be (hanged, dried and corded)
- Catholic Mob distacted the event, and pulled Henry down the whole, allowing a quick death for him as
well.
