Macbeth Context (OCR GCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
Written by: Nick Redgrove
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
Macbeth historical context: Elizabethan or Jacobean?
Shakespeare’s plays dating from before April 1603 are considered Elizabethan as they were written and performed at the time Elizabeth I was on the English throne. Macbeth, since it was written in 1606 (under the reign of James I), is therefore a Jacobean, and not an Elizabethan, play.
Macbeth political context
When Shakespeare was writing Macbeth, James I was a relatively new monarch, and so it served Shakespeare’s interests to create a play that would maintain his lucrative standing as one of the King’s Men, a successful and well-paid theatre company, whose patron was the king.
There are many ways in which Shakespeare’s flattery of James I can be seen in the play:
Macbeth is a play about a Scottish king:
James I was Scottish, and before he became the King of England, he was the King of Scotland for nearly 36 years
The play features the supernatural and witches:
James I was fascinated by witchcraft, and wrote a book called Daemonologie in 1597 where he set out his beliefs that witches are slaves of Satan and should be executed
He attended many witch-burnings, and even personally supervised the torture of women accused of being witches
Shakespeare made significant changes to the historical account of Macbeth to present James I as loyal to, and coming from, a lineage of morally good rulers
Instead of Macbeth being a good and just king, Shakespeare presents him as a treacherous tyrant
In the historical account, Macbeth kills the weak and ineffectual King Duncan on the battlefield
Banquo is presented as morally upstanding in Shakespeare’s version, not a co-conspirator (Shakespeare made these changes because James I believed he was descended from the historical Banquo)
Shakespeare also made Duncan a noble and honourable king to suggest that Macbeth was a threat to the natural order of the state
Macbeth social context: Jacobean beliefs
It is important to view Macbeth in the context of contemporary attitudes and ideas. Find out more about some of the typical beliefs of a Jacobean audience:
Witchcraft
Much like James I, many Jacobeans would have believed in, and had a morbid fascination with, witches
Witches were believed to be the agents of the Devil:
As such, they attempted to undermine or disrupt the order of nature as set out by God
How this links to the play Macbeth |
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The “weird sisters” in the play are constantly attempting to deceive, or even directly harm, human beings. Their ultimate aim is to disrupt the natural order, which they do by tempting Macbeth into committing regicide, and the evidence of this chaos litters the play (horses eating each other; day turning to night; “the frames of things disjoint”, Act 3, Scene 2) |
Gender
Jacobean society was patriarchal
Women were expected to be dutiful mothers and respect the wishes of their fathers and husbands
Men were expected to be dominant, loyal to their kingdom and monarch, and were believed to be superior to women both mentally and physically
How this links to the play Macbeth |
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Lady Macbeth doesn’t conform to societal expectations of being a woman. In fact, she wants to free herself of the limitations of her gender (“unsex me here, Act 1, Scene 5) and unusually (at least initially) she plays the dominant role in the Macbeths’ marriage. Shakespeare could be suggesting that by not conforming to these cultural expectations, she is doomed to suffer negative consequences. |
The Divine Right of Kings and the Gunpowder Plot
Although James I was mostly popular, there were many plots to kill him
The most serious, and famous, of these plots was the Gunpowder Plot of 1605:
These plots were acts of treason
Shakespeare includes multiple references to treason in Macbeth, the most serious being the regicide of King Duncan
James I wrote a book – the Basilikon Doron, or “Royal Gift” – which set out his belief in the Divine Right of Kings:
The Divine Right of Kings was a belief that kings and queens are chosen by God
These rulers are, therefore, representatives of God on Earth
How this links to the play Macbeth |
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In the play, acts of treason have terrible consequences for those who commit them — all are killed, either in battle, by execution, or from suicide. The Divine Right of Kings states that overthrowing a king was a direct act against God. Shakespeare includes multiple references to the afterlife in Macbeth, suggesting that anyone plotting against a king would end up in Hell. Again, Shakespeare can be seen as flattering James I, as well as legitimising his rule. |
Religion and The Great Chain of Being
Jacobean audiences would have been overwhelmingly Christian
They believed in the literal word of the Bible
Jacobean audiences would also have believed in the Great Chain of Being, a belief in an order of things in the universe:
It represented a hierarchy of all things, with God’s authority at the top of the chain
Any attempt to break the chain would upset God’s order and bring about disorder in the world
How this links to the play Macbeth |
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There are many instances where human characters do not act in accordance with their proper status in the play. Macbeth usurps his natural place in the social hierarchy (he should only be a thane, not a king). It could also be argued that Lady Macbeth dominating Macbeth (a woman controlling a man) would have been seen as thoroughly unnatural in the Jacobean era. Shakespeare could be suggesting that both of these infractions result not only in disorder in Scotland, but lead Macbeth and his wife to lose control of their own minds. |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In your exam response, consider both the reactions of a Jacobean audience and universal themes like gender, power and ambition that an audience member from any era would have an opinion on.
For the very best answers, examiners want to see your own interpretation of themes and ideas, so commenting on how you — as a modern audience member — might view some of the ideas that Shakespeare is exploring can significantly improve your grade.
Macbeth literary context: a Shakespearean tragedy
Macbeth is known as a Shakespearean tragedy and an audience has certain expectations when watching a tragedy. Discussing the key elements of tragedy in the play can help to elevate your analysis of Shakespeare’s choices as a playwright.
The structure of a tragedy
Many of Shakespeare’s tragedies, including Macbeth, follow the same five-part structure:
Part | Definition | In Macbeth |
|---|---|---|
1: Exposition | The introduction to the play for the audience, and an introduction to the themes and atmosphere | We are introduced to witches (the supernatural) in a storm, who claim that “fair is foul and foul is fair”, foreshadowing the disruption to natural order |
2: Rising action | The tragic hero’s flaw is exposed and an inevitable chain of events starts | Macbeth believes the witches’ prophecies and sends the letter to Lady Macbeth |
3: Climax | The turning point in the play where the tragic hero has come too far to go back | Macbeth finally decides to kill King Duncan |
4. Falling action | The tragic hero and avenging hero clash. The tragic hero comes to the realisation that he will be defeated, called the anagnorisis | Macduff reaches Dunsinane Castle and challenges Macbeth to a duel. Macbeth realises that he is not, in fact, invincible |
5. Denouement | In the denouement, normality and the natural order is restored | Macbeth is killed and Malcolm, the rightful heir to Duncan, becomes king |
How do you get marks for context in Macbeth?
For the Macbeth essay — either the extract or discursive option — there will be 8 marks available (out of a total of 40) for context. However, this doesn’t mean you should allocate a fifth of your time, or a fifth of the number of lines, to cover context in your essay.
All analysis of context should be integrated into your discussion of themes and ideas that Shakespeare is exploring. Any discussion of context should also be directly relevant to the question you’ve been set, and the argument you are making.
What examiners don’t want to see is “bolt-on” context: irrelevant historical or biographical information that doesn’t add anything to your discussion of Shakespeare’s intentions.
OCR-specific tip
OCR examiners love to see students include “relevant generic literary contexts” in Macbeth essays. This means having an understanding that Macbeth is a Shakespearean tragedy, and knowing what the conventions of this genre are.
Some things you could discuss that would come under “generic literary context” include:
Understanding that Macbeth is a play, and so is performed on stage and has an audience:
Any discussion of dramatic irony or foreshadowing is valuable
Any discussion of stage directions, or events that may occur off-stage, is also highly regarded
Acknowledging that Macbeth is a Shakespearean tragedy:
Mentioning the relevant part of a tragedy’s five-part structure when presenting evidence is a great idea. For example, “In the denouement of the play, when Macbeth…”
Being conscious that an audience would know that they are watching a tragedy, and so would have certain expectations, e.g. that the tragic hero is fated to die
Sources
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Edited by Cedric Watts, Wordsworth Classics, 2005
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