• Macbeth is a Dramatic Tragedy written by William Shakespeare. The tragedy surrounds the
protagonist Macbeth, and the witches act as Catalysts for the play’s events
• Shakespeare wrote and published Macbeth during the Jacobean era and the reign of King
James I. Since he was patron, this meant Shakespeare (and Macbeth) was greatly influenced by
the King.
• James I believed in the Divine Right of Kings and Great Chain of Being, so he thought all Kings
were chosen by God and were destined to their fate. Any disruption of the Great Chain of
Being and Divine Right of Kings was a sin against the universe. When Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth conspired and committed regicide, not only was it a cardinal sin, but also a sin against
the universe. Macbeth’s actions disrupt the order of the universe and cause chaos.
• The Gunpowder Plot was a recent occurrence in Jacobean Britain. It was seen as a way to
disrupt the Divine Right of Kings and it was a sin against god. This belief is also seen in Macbeth,
since, due to their actions, they have a fate of eternal damnation. Macbeth can be seen as a
warning against regicide to the audience and the fate of those who commit such a serious sin.
James I also thought there was an element of witchcraft the caused the Gunpowder Plot.
• King James I had a great interest in Witchcraft, so much so he wrote a book called
“Daemonologie.” James was known as a religious fanatic who would often do unjust witch-hunts
on random women. His hatred and curiosity for the supernatural is something Shakespeare used
to grab his patron’s interest. James’ ideas also spread to the people and there was a 53% rise
in reports of Witchcraft after his book was published. Shakespeare uses this fear of witches
in his play.
• Gender roles were controversial in the Jacobean era as the society itself was deeply
misogynistic. James I mentions women as the “weaker sex” within “Daemonologie.” We see
Shakespeare subvert these gender norms throughout the play
, Ambition
Macbeth is a play about ambition run amok. The Weird Sisters’ Prophecies cause Macbeth and
Lady Macbeth to try and fulfil their unholy ambitions. Macbeth, a good general and a good man,
allows his ambition to overwhelm him and becomes a murdering maniac. Lady Macbeth, once she
begins to put into actions the once-hidden thoughts of her mind, is crushed by guilt.
Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth want to be great and powerful and sacrifice their morals to
achieve that goal. By contrasting these two characters with others in the play, such as Banquo,
Duncan, and Macduff, who also want to be great leaders but refuse to allow ambition to come
before honour, Macbeth shows how naked ambition, freed from any sort of moral or social
conscience, ultimately takes over every other characteristic of a person. Unchecked ambition,
Macbeth suggests, can never be fulfilled, and therefore quickly grows into a monster that will
destroy anyone who gives into it.
Fate
By trying to master fate once, Macbeth puts himself in the position of having to master fate
always. At every instant, he has to struggle against those parts of the witches' prophecies that
don't favour him. Ultimately, Macbeth becomes so obsessed with his fate that he becomes
delusional: he becomes unable to see the half-truths behind the witches' prophecies. By trying
to master fate, he brings himself to ruin.
Violence
In the process of all this bloodshed, Macbeth makes an important point about the nature of
violence: every violent act, even those done for selfless reasons, seems to lead inevitably to the
next. The violence through which Macbeth takes the throne, as Macbeth himself realizes,
opens the way for others to try to take the throne for themselves through violence. So,
Macbeth must commit more violence, and more violence, until violence is all he has left. As
Macbeth himself says after seeing Banquo's ghost, "blood will to blood." Violence leads to violence,
a vicious cycle.
Natural and Unnatural
In medieval times, it was believed that the health of a country was directly related to the goodness
and moral legitimacy of its king. Macbeth shows this connection between the political and natural
world: when Macbeth disrupts the social and political order by murdering Duncan and usurping the
protagonist Macbeth, and the witches act as Catalysts for the play’s events
• Shakespeare wrote and published Macbeth during the Jacobean era and the reign of King
James I. Since he was patron, this meant Shakespeare (and Macbeth) was greatly influenced by
the King.
• James I believed in the Divine Right of Kings and Great Chain of Being, so he thought all Kings
were chosen by God and were destined to their fate. Any disruption of the Great Chain of
Being and Divine Right of Kings was a sin against the universe. When Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth conspired and committed regicide, not only was it a cardinal sin, but also a sin against
the universe. Macbeth’s actions disrupt the order of the universe and cause chaos.
• The Gunpowder Plot was a recent occurrence in Jacobean Britain. It was seen as a way to
disrupt the Divine Right of Kings and it was a sin against god. This belief is also seen in Macbeth,
since, due to their actions, they have a fate of eternal damnation. Macbeth can be seen as a
warning against regicide to the audience and the fate of those who commit such a serious sin.
James I also thought there was an element of witchcraft the caused the Gunpowder Plot.
• King James I had a great interest in Witchcraft, so much so he wrote a book called
“Daemonologie.” James was known as a religious fanatic who would often do unjust witch-hunts
on random women. His hatred and curiosity for the supernatural is something Shakespeare used
to grab his patron’s interest. James’ ideas also spread to the people and there was a 53% rise
in reports of Witchcraft after his book was published. Shakespeare uses this fear of witches
in his play.
• Gender roles were controversial in the Jacobean era as the society itself was deeply
misogynistic. James I mentions women as the “weaker sex” within “Daemonologie.” We see
Shakespeare subvert these gender norms throughout the play
, Ambition
Macbeth is a play about ambition run amok. The Weird Sisters’ Prophecies cause Macbeth and
Lady Macbeth to try and fulfil their unholy ambitions. Macbeth, a good general and a good man,
allows his ambition to overwhelm him and becomes a murdering maniac. Lady Macbeth, once she
begins to put into actions the once-hidden thoughts of her mind, is crushed by guilt.
Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth want to be great and powerful and sacrifice their morals to
achieve that goal. By contrasting these two characters with others in the play, such as Banquo,
Duncan, and Macduff, who also want to be great leaders but refuse to allow ambition to come
before honour, Macbeth shows how naked ambition, freed from any sort of moral or social
conscience, ultimately takes over every other characteristic of a person. Unchecked ambition,
Macbeth suggests, can never be fulfilled, and therefore quickly grows into a monster that will
destroy anyone who gives into it.
Fate
By trying to master fate once, Macbeth puts himself in the position of having to master fate
always. At every instant, he has to struggle against those parts of the witches' prophecies that
don't favour him. Ultimately, Macbeth becomes so obsessed with his fate that he becomes
delusional: he becomes unable to see the half-truths behind the witches' prophecies. By trying
to master fate, he brings himself to ruin.
Violence
In the process of all this bloodshed, Macbeth makes an important point about the nature of
violence: every violent act, even those done for selfless reasons, seems to lead inevitably to the
next. The violence through which Macbeth takes the throne, as Macbeth himself realizes,
opens the way for others to try to take the throne for themselves through violence. So,
Macbeth must commit more violence, and more violence, until violence is all he has left. As
Macbeth himself says after seeing Banquo's ghost, "blood will to blood." Violence leads to violence,
a vicious cycle.
Natural and Unnatural
In medieval times, it was believed that the health of a country was directly related to the goodness
and moral legitimacy of its king. Macbeth shows this connection between the political and natural
world: when Macbeth disrupts the social and political order by murdering Duncan and usurping the
