Beginning Macbeth
Yaaaayyy … !!!
Shakespeare:::
Born 1564
Died 1616
Important part …
“The Lord Chamberlain’s
Men” – Performed for
Queen Elizabeth I
A royal patent  became
the “King’s Men” for King
James I (1603)
James I, King of England (Was
James IV of Scotland
A. 1603-1625
B. It’s believed Shakespeare
wrote Macbeth to please James I
C. He was the personal patron
of Shakespeare’s acting
company
D. Gunpowder plot
(1605)
1. An attempt to assassinate
James I (Protestant)
2. Henry Garnet, in his
defense, invoked the
Doctrine of Equivocation
E. Interested in witchcraft and
the supernatural
1. 1591 the trial of Scottish
witches
2. Wrote book, Daemonologie
A. Purpose of witch – harm king
B. Witches use prophecies to
tempt men’s faith and virtue
Macbeth
• First printed in 1623
• Written after 1603, before
1610.
• 2,500 lines = shortest of
Shakespeare’s tragedies
Continued …
• Wasn’t one of the more popular
plays during Shakespeare’s time
th
• Gained popularity in late 18 C.
th
and early 19 C.
• One of the most frequently
performed plays in world.
Continued …
• Shakespeare “borrowed”
information from
Holinshed’s Chronicles of
England, Scotland and
Ireland
Continued …
• Producing Macbeth is
supposed to be unlucky
• Fires, falls, weapon injuries
• Superstition:
• Called “The Scottish Play”
Historical Background
• Barbaric era
• War and slaughter of one
community by another = okay.
• Survival:
• Capable warlord to protect life
and property, prevent infighting,
and protect from distant enemies.
• Groups of warlords unite under
one king to promote common
interests and war on more distant
countries
• Warlords kill off less capable
family members
History of Macbeth
• Findlaech = Father of M
• Killed and succeeded by his
nephew Gillacomgain
• Gillacomgain and 50 other people
burned to death in retribution
• Probably by M and allies.
• Gillacomgain married to Gruoch =
Son named Lulach the Simple (Not
very Bright, if you know what they
meant …)
• After Macbeth killed Gillacomgain,
took Gruoch for his own wife. (and
raised Lulach as his own)
• Malcolm II, king … murdered
by grandson Duncan
• Duncan becomes king
• Has son Malcolm and
Donald “Bain”
• Thorfinn and Macbeth
defeated and killed Duncan in
1040
• Thorfinn = Northern
Scotland, Macbeth = Southern
Scotland
• Earl Siward of Northumberland
defeated Macbeth at battle of
Birnam Wood
• Macbeth escapes
• (After 17 years of ruling) killed
three years later by Duncan’s son
Malcolm
•Lulach claims
kingship but killed a
few months later by
Malcolm
Defeat of Macbeth
• The defeat of Macbeth’s
evil rule is linked to the
rise of James’ family line
(King James I of England)