Context Flashcards
When was Macbeth written?
1606- a few years after the ascension to the throne of king James VI of Scotland who succeeded as the monarch of England in 1603 and was known as James I.
What is the history of Macbeth?
Its a dramatic tragedy that follows Shakespeare’s five act structure with the protagonist as Macbeth and the witches are catalysts to the play’s events.
What is hamartia?
A character’s fatal flaw which is the thing that leads to their ultimate downfall.
What does Catharsis mean?
It means the ‘purging’ or ‘cleansing’ of emotions through pity and fear.
Macbeth’s self-destructive actions climax in Act 5 when he loses his wife and then his own life which leads the audience to pity Macbeth and they experience Catharsis.
How did King James I influence Shakespeare’s work?
James was a supporter and a patron for his work which meant that Shakespeare was greatly influenced by the King.
- In some ways the life of King James I can be referred to as a Scottish tragedy.
- James also had a great interest in witchcraft and he believed that it was an act of Satan. This may have influenced Shakespeare.
- James believed in the Divine Right of Kings so he thought that he was chosen by God to rule England and was the righteous judge.
- In James words, witchcraft is ‘high treason against God’.
How is the Great Chain Of Being shown in the play?
- the sin of regicide and the resulting punishment was such a serious sin.
- when Macbeth + lady Macbeth killed Duncan, they didn’t only commit a carnal sin and a sin against the state but also a sin against the order of the universe.
- Macbeth’s actions distort the natural order of the universe, setting of chaos and bloodshed.
What was the Divine Right of Kings?
The belief that God had chosen monarchs to rule the country so an attempt to kill the one God chose was not just a worldly sin but actually a sin against God.
- Macbeth is a warning against regicide and a representation of what would happen if you did it.
- through Macbeth, the audience is able to see what would happen when power is given to these forces of darkness.
