Introduction to Shakespeare’s
Macbeth
John Worston,
Macbeth and Banquo
Meeting the Witches
Introduction to William
Shakespeare’s Macbeth
 The Meanings of
Macbeth
 Brief examination of the
historical context of
Macbeth
– A Macbeth for King James?
 Witches and Witchcraft
in Macbeth
 For next day:
– Themes and Imagery
– “The Bloody Man”
The Many Meanings of Macbeth
 A historical thriller
– a fast-moving, action-packed
murder mystery demonstrating
that crime doesn’t pay
 A psychological study of
a murderer’s mind
 A play of political and
social realism
– how oppressive and
hierarchical society can corrupt
individuals
 A play of illusions
– the effect of the mysterious or
supernatural on humans
 A play of ideas or themes
– for example, “appearance
versus reality”
 A tragedy
– the fall of a great person
brought about by a fatal flaw in
their character
Historical Context of Macbeth
 Shakespeare was a
playwright, not an
historian. However,
he knew that history
provided great
material for plays:
war, conflict,
ambition, the downfall
of great rulers.
 Eleventh-Century
Scotland was a violent and
troubled country.
 Feuding families and clans
fought to control trade and
territory.
 The castle was the power
base of each rival war-lord
(thane).
 Political murder and
revenge killings were
commonplace.
The Real Macbeth
 The real Macbeth was
born in 1005, the son of a
ruling family.
 Macbeth’s father was
murdered by his cousin.
 Macbeth married the
granddaughter of the High
King of Scotland (Gruach)
Martin, Banquo and Macbeth on the Heath
Duncan and Macbeth
 Duncan was the king of
Scotland at the time the
real Macbeth was born
 Duncan was 38 at the time
of his murder - a murder
possibly committed by the
real Macbeth.
 Macbeth ruled Scotland for 17
years, during which time
Scotland became comparatively
peaceful and stable.
 Duncan’s son, Malcolm,
invaded Scotland in 1054,
supported by Edward the
Confessor.
 Macbeth was killed on August
 Macbeth was elected High
King of Scotland in 1040.
15, 1057 and buried at Iona, the
sacred burial place of the Kings
of Scotland.
A Macbeth for King James?
 King James succeeded Queen Elizabeth in
1603 - a Stuart, he was already King of
Scotland
 Shakespeare’s Macbeth may have been
performed for the first time before King
James in 1606
 Macbeth contains many echoes of King
James’ interests . . .
A Macbeth for King James?
 Banquo (pictured at right)
– an elaborate family tree of the
Stuart dynasty suggests that King
James is descended from a real
Banquo (Holinshed). In fact,
Banquo never existed.
– Shakespeare lays full
responsibility for Banquo’s death
upon the Macbeths
– the change to the traditional telling
of the story was probably made to
appease King James, who hated
King-killers (regicides).
Henry Fuseli, Macbeth, Banquo and the Witches on
the Heath
A Macbeth for King James?
 King James’ interest in
witchcraft was well
known
 King James visited
Oxford in 1605 and
was greeted by three
witches who hailed
him as the descendent
of Banquo . . .
interesting.
Alexandre-Marie Colin, The Three Witches from
Macbeth
Witches & Witchcraft
 A witch-mania
characterized the
Elizabethan era.
 Most people believed in
witches and circulating
pamphlets containing tales
of witches and witchcraft
were the equivalent of
today’s popular
newspapers.
Henry Fuseli, The Three Witches
Witches and Witchcraft
 Witches were said to have “diabolical” powers. They could:
– predict the future
– bring on night in the daytime
– cause fogs and tempests
– kill animals
– curse enemies with fatal, wasting diseases
– cause nightmares and sterility
– take demonic possession of any individual
– raise evil spirits by concocting a brew
 It was believed that witches allowed the devil to suck their blood.
Accused witches were examined for the “Devil’s Mark” - a red
mark on their body from which the devil had sucked blood.
Witches and Witchcraft - Misogyny?
 Between 1560 and 1603, hundreds
of people, nearly all of them
women, were convicted as witches
and executed
 In 1604 an official Act of
Parliament decreed that anyone
found guilty of practicing
witchcraft should be executed
 Those who confessed to being
witches did so under torture or
because they were in the grip of
delusions recognized today as
psychiatric disorders.
beginning Macbeth. . .
 Trance
– “look how our partner’s rapt”
 Changed Appearance
– “why do you make such faces”
 Inability to Pray
– “ “Amen” stuck in my throat”
 Disturbed Behaviour
– “I have a strange infirmity”
 Lack of Fear
– “I have almost forgot the taste
of fears”
 Indifference to Life
– “She should have died
hereafter”
 Visions
– “Is this a dagger I see before
me?”
 Invitiations to evil spirits
– “Come, you spirits”
Your Journal. . .
 Consider one of the following
in a short journal response:
– Only once (in I, iii., l.5) does
someone call the weird sisters
“witches”. Consider alternative
ways of dramatizing these
characters and clarify your
reasoning.
– Compare/contrast two opposing
points of view about the play:
Shakespeare is flattering King
James in his play, Macbeth;
Macbeth reflects matters of
interest to the general public of
1605-1606.
Macbeth Tartan
For Next Day . . .
 Close reading of Act I
(please do this tonight!)
– Pay particular attention to
the themes and images that
are introduced here.
– Jot down a list of themes
and images that appear in
Act I.
– Be sure to reference scene
and line numbers!