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Unit 4: Shakespeare: Macbeth—Introduction to the Author and the Text

little relation to real events in Scottish history, as Macbeth was an admired and able monarch. Notes
In the backstage world of theatre, some believe that the play is cursed, and will not mention its title
aloud, referring to it instead as “the Scottish play”. Over the course of many centuries, the play has
attracted some of the greatest actors in the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. It has been adapted
to film, television, opera, novels, comic books, and other media.
Here in this unit a detail lifesketch of Shakespeare and brief introduction of the text of the Macbeth
have been given. The literary works of Shakespeare and the sources of the text of Macbeth has also
been dealt with in this unit.
4.1 Shakespeare: Introduction

William Shakespeare scarcely needs an introduction. Born in 1564, he was an English playwright,
poet, actor, favorite dramatist of queens and kings, inventor of words, master of drama, and arguably
the most famous writer of all time. In his 36 plays and 154 sonnets, he left behind the evidence of a
brilliant mind, a wicked sense of humor, a deep sensitivity to human emotions, and a rich classical
education. We know all about his work. But what do we know about the man?
In the 400 or so years since Shakespeare died on his 52nd birthday in 1616, there have been plenty of
rumors about the Bard and the personal experiences that may have inspired his works. Some of
these explanations may well be true; others are pure falsehood. We don’t know much about
Shakespeare’s inner world—he left behind no tell-all confessionals—but we know a lot about his
outer world, and that is perhaps even more important to understanding his genius. Shakespeare
came of age during the Renaissance, a flourishing of arts, culture, and thought that took place in the
middle of the last millennium. All across Western Europe, ideas on everything from God to the
nature of the universe were shifting. In England, it was a time of great literary and dramatic
achievement, encouraged by Queen Elizabeth I and her successor James I. It was the perfect
environment for a gifted dramatist to thrive.
Shakespeare changed the English language, inventing dozens of new words we still use today. His
plays have been translated into more than 80 other tongues and performed in dozens of countries,
where diverse audiences all still recognize the timeless elements of the human experience as depicted
by a young Englishman 400 years ago. And if you are somehow one of the last two people in the
literate world who know Shakespeare but still fail to see the Bard’s relevance? Well, then, a pox on
both your houses.
Shakespeare lived during a time when the middle class was expanding in both size and wealth,
allowing its members more freedoms and luxuries as well as a louder voice in local government. He
took advantage of the change in times and in 1557 became a member of the Stratford Council. This
event marked the beginning of his illustrious political career. By 1561, he was elected one of the
town’s fourteen burgesses and subsequently served successively as constable, one of two
chamberlains, and alderman. In these positions, he administered borough property and revenues.
In 1567, he became bailiff—the highest elected office in Stratford and the equivalent of a modern-
day mayor.
In the mid-sixteenth century, William Shakespeare’s father, John Shakespeare, moved to the idyllic
town of Stratford-upon-Avon. There, he became a successful landowner, moneylender, glove-maker,
and dealer of wool and agricultural goods.

4.1.1 Biography

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon to John and Mary Arden Shakespeare. The
fourth of the Shakespeares’ eight children shares a birthday with St. George, the patron saint of
England. Though April 23, 1564 is commonly accepted as Shakespeare’s birthday, it’s impossible to
know the exact date he was born. It was 450 years ago, people. Just go with it.

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