MacBeth Prenotes

Source 1

• Both tones of the play (literal & symbolic) are sinister
• Central characters are evil
•  In 1606, when Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, James I had been King of England for 3 years
  • (Symbolized the union of the Scottish & England crowns)
  • James I was fascinated by witchcraft
• The real Macbeth ruled in Scotland from 1040 to 1057
• First to unite northern and southern Scotland 

Source 2

• Macbeth demonstrates life as brutal and cynical, in order to ask life's toughest questions
• First impression of Macbeth: brutal warrior! he just cut an enemy open from belly button to throat
• Lady Macbeth convinces him to commit murder
• The Macbeth's murder Duncan, their benefactor and guest, in his sleep
• Everybody knows, but they make him king anyway
• Macbeth goes to a witch to see his future, and his head ends up on a stick

Source 3

• Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most intense and most complex psychological studies
• Macbeth was actually written as a tribute to Shakespeare's royal patron, King James I of England
• Shakespeare changed history to simplify he story and to play into King James likes
• The real Macbeth became king in 1040 when he killed the previous king, Duncan, in battle
• This violent record was largely the result of how Scottish kings came to power
• For most audiences the witches are the most spectacular element of the play

Source 4

• One of Shakespeare's favorite sources was Holinshed's Chronicles of the History of England & Scotland.
• Used this document for information in the writing of his histories, and as a source for some of the tragedies in Macbeth

Source 5

• Minor sources that contributed to Macbeth include Reginald Scot's "Discovery of Witchcraft" and King James' "Daemonolgie"
• Changes to these sources serve 3 main purposes:
  • Produced a more exciting story than historical records 
  • Created a more complex characterization of Macbeth
  • Catered to the beliefs and likes of King James I
• In Holinshed's "Chronicles," Macbeth is introduced as a valiant gentleman, and (as in Shakespeare's play) is sent by King Duncan to crush the rebellion led by Macdonwald
• Our first impression of Macbeth is strong
• Shakespeare deviates from Buchanan's depiction of Macbeth as a cruel, barbarous man, an idea also suggested by Holinshed
• Shakespeare's use of Macbeth's guilty conscience was a way for him to intrigue and compliment King James