{Unit 3: Macbeth

by William Shakespeare

November 4th, 1605

Gunpowder underneath Parliament Guys Fawkes arrested Attempted to murder the new king Fellow conspirator, Henry Garnet, wrote

a book on how to lie under oath: Treatise of Equivocation – lying and deception is a major point of discussion in Macbeth

King James I (VI in Scotland) discriminated against Roman Catholics

“Remember, remember the fifth of November…”

May 19th, 1603 Two months after Queen Elizabeth’s death King James VI (of Scotland) becomes King

James I (of England) James I changes Shakespeare’s company’s

name from The Lord Chamberlain’s Men to: The King’s Men and he sponsors them monetarily.

Shakespeare, it is hypothesized, wrote Macbeth to thank the King for this honour.

Evidence: Banquo, a character in Macbeth, was allegedly an historical figure to whom King James traced his lineage back.

18 months earlier…

In the original story, Banquo helps Macbeth murder the king

Shakespeare changes this detail (perhaps to be in James’ favour?)

Other details include: Having Macbeth murder a stronger, much

more mature King Duncan; Having Scotland ruled under Macbeth’s

dictatorship After the death of Macbeth (in tragedies, the

main characters often die) Scotland is ruled virtuosly by Banquo’s descendants.

A kingly gift…

However, we’re pretty certain that it was first WRITTEN in 1606 due to a joke in reference to Henry Garnet’s Treatise of Equivocation

“here's an equivocator…who committed treason enough for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven: O, come in, equivocator.” (2.3.8-11)

Implying that though Garnet fought for the Catholics, he is burning in Hell

First printed in 1623…

The Great Chain of Being

King James I was frightfully superstitious He believed that the King was the

natural, rightful ruler on Earth beneath God.

Any disruption to his rule would be Unnatural

Wrote The True Law of Free Monarchies as his essay on WHY he should be king

Also believed in the power of Witchcraft and Satanic ritual

Regicide (murdering a king) was a DEMONIC crimeGod’s Representative

and the Natural Order

In Macbeth, the murder of the king leads to nature going haywire

“Fair is foul and foul is fair” – the chant of the 3 Witches in the opening scene is echoed by Macbeth in Act 1, Scene 3 “So foul and fair a day”, foreshadowing King Duncan’s death

Theme: Regicide leads to the disruption of nature

Given a prophecy by the 3 Witches: “All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.48)

Trusts the Witches’ words, and grows bold in his ambition.

Given the chance to choose to either wait or act

Chooses evil over good Begs the questions: Would he have

murdered Duncan if the witches had not prophesied his future? Would he have become king if he had not done anything?

Prophecy, Free will, and Choices

Macbeth’s wife and partner in the crime Upon hearing of the prophecy, she

pushes Macbeth to act on it Taunts Macbeth’s manliness to instigate

him: “When you durst do it, then you were a man” (1.7.49)

Demands nature to “unsex” her, taking away her feminine sensibilities, so that she may be cold and heartless, in pursuit of the crown

Lady Macbeth

“Whenever men are not obliged to fight from necessity, they fight from ambition; which is so powerful in human breasts, that it never leaves them no matter to what rank they rise.”

“…nature has created men so that they desire everything, but are unable to attain it; desire being thus always greater than the faculty of acquiring, discontent with what they have and dissatisfaction with themselves result from it.”

– Noccolo Machiavelli

How do these quotes reflect ambition? Do you agree or disagree? Do they apply to you? Think about a time you wanted to buy something so badly. Once you bought it, did you use it constantly, or want the newest, best thing?

Ambition

See handout

Tragedies