Historical context Flashcards
Witchcraft
Most Jacobeans (17th C) believed in witches; They had a pact with the devil and had familiars who where demon assistants. Witch-hunting and execution was common.
King James and his book on witches
King James I wrote a book called Daemonologie in which he supported and encouraged the trials of witches, who he believed were controlled by the devil.
The number ‘3’
acobean audience would have associated this number with witchcraft - creates horror from number of witches and the triple repetition throughout the playwright
Witches and wind ?
Jacobean audience would have believed witches could control the wind to their will
Hypermasculine society
- There were exaggerated expectations of “male” behaviour.
- Men need to show courage on the battlefield: society celebrates violence used in the service of the king. For Macbeth, this mentality is difficult to change in peace-time.
Fate versus Free will
Jacobean Christians debated whether mankind was fated (pre-destined) to go to heaven or hell, or whether they had free choice. Was Macbeth fated to commit horrific deeds, or did he choose to do it out of free will?
Patriarchal society
- Men dominate and women are subservient; they are expected to obey male relatives and are regarded as the weaker, inferior sex.
- Women are denied the same rights and privileges as men. However, Queen Elizabeth I had been on the throne until her death in 1603, suggesting that in some situations women could hold power.
The ideal King
The Ideal King: kings needed integrity, loyalty to their people, and godliness.
Machiavellianism
Writer Niccolò Machiavelli advocated using intelligence and cunning - not brute force - to gain power. Shakespeare explores the consequences of this ideology: what happens when a Machiavellian character gains power?
The Divine Rights of Kings
The belief that monarchs were appointed by God and had absolute power over their people, being answerable only to God.
The Great Chain of Being
The belief that God had designed an ordered system for everything in the universe within which every creature and person had an allotted place. It was an offence against God for anyone to try to alter their station in life.
Fear of tyranny
- When James became King in 1603, many people feared that he would not be benevolent; many previous kings had been tyrannical.
- A group of Catholic rebels planned the Gunpowder Plot in an attempt to assassinate James. “Macbeth” has been interpreted as a warning to King James I to avoid becoming a tyrant, as the consequences of this are disastrous.
Duncan’s murder off-stage ?
- Murder was done off stage due to political sensitivity ( Gun-powder plot ), if king was killed on stage may portray was was possible
- More suspense made by leaving it to suggestion and audience imagination
