Page 67 - DENG403_BRITISH_DRAMA

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

James I was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots (cousin to Elizabeth I) and this less-than-direct connection Notes
meant that James was eager to assert any legitimacy he could over his right to the English throne
(even though he was a Scot).
Shakespeare's portrayal of Banquo as one of the play's few unsoiled characters (in Holinshed's
Chronicles, Banquo helps Macbeth murder the King) is a nod to the Stuart political myth. King
James traced his lineage to Banquo, who is thought to be the founder of the Stuart line. In Act I,
scene iii, the witches predict that Banquo's heirs will rule Scotland and later, the witches conjure a
vision of Banquo's descendants—a line of eight kings that culminates in a symbolic vision of King
James, who was crowned King of Scotland and England (and also claimed to be king of France and
Ireland).
Shakespeare, whose theater company (the Lord Chamberlain's Men) became the King's Men under
James's rule, seems intent on flattering the King. Shakespeare also dramatizes one of the king's
special interests: witchcraft. In Macbeth the three "weird sisters" feature centrally in the plot. They
show Macbeth visions of the future and manipulate his murderous ambition in a play full of dark
forces and black magic. Witchcraft was a hot topic in England at the time and James even published
his own treatise on the subject in 1597, entitled Daemonologie. As James's court play-maker,
Shakespeare would've known that inclusion of the dark arts would interest the King.
Beyond the abstract of evil, James was also the target of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, where a group
of rebel Catholics tried to blow up the King and Parliament (this is the historical version of Guy
Fawkes, that guy in V for Vendetta). Macbeth's murder of King Duncan, then, would have struck a
sensitive chord with the play's audience. There's also another allusion to the Gunpowder plot during
the Porter's infamous comic routine in Act II, scene iii. The Porter refers to Catholic "equivocators,"
which is a reference to Jesuit Henry Garnet, a man who was tried and executed for his role in the
Gunpowder Plot. Garnet wrote "Treatise on Equivocation," a document that encouraged Catholics
to speak ambiguously or, "equivocate" when they were being questioned by Protestant inquisitors
(so they wouldn't be persecuted for their religious beliefs).
Why Should I Care?
Macbeth is a story about power struggles among the elite. What makes Macbeth great is its incredible
insights into what the lure of power can do, and how blind it can make a person to moral reason
and common sense. By studying men (and one woman) of great power, we get a glimpse into their
minds. As it turns out, they're not as infallible as we sometimes think they are. They suffer the same
feelings that all regular people suffer.

Discuss the extent to which Macbeth fits into the genre of “tragedy.”
It isn't just power politics, but human emotion that Macbeth focuses on. These things still influence
the world. For example, Angelina Jolie has the power inspire you to listen up about genocide or
human rights. Macbeth is no less subject to sticky human emotions, especially as they apply to the
realm of attraction – just check out Macbeth's interaction with his wife as she inspires, or shames,
him to action. Lady Macbeth constantly references his manhood, which is tied to his emotional
state, but also plays out in his physical courage. Many critics contend that the seat of Lady Macbeth's
power is not only her sharp mind, but her sexual appeal. Just imagine Lady Macbeth as Angelina
Jolie. She's giving the speech about how she'd dash out her child's brains while it suckled at her
breast. You kind of see why Macbeth is so messed up, right?
Power is attractive, and you can't deal with Macbeth without getting into the individual psyche (mind)
of a man. Macbeth is at first determined to not murder Duncan (the King), is convinced by his wife to
kill the King, and then is so destroyed by the consequences that he seems to be numb when Lady
Macbeth dies. Let's not beat around the bush – the man is whipped, but he's also just a man.

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