Who or what does Shakespeare show to be responsible for the murder of Duncan in his play Macbeth.
Shakespeare wrote his play Macbeth in the time when James I was reigning king over England and Ireland and who had previously been James VI of Scotland.
James I was a patron of Shakespeare's acting company and with this insight into Royalty, Shakespeare created Macbeth, or for the superstitious, "The Scottish play".
It was a time when Witches and Witchcraft were brought to light by King James I, having attended the trial of the
North Berwick Witches, in which several people were convicted and put to death having been accused of using their powers
to create a storm intended for the ship that carried James and his wife Anne of Denmark. Obsessed with the thought that
witches were plotting against him and the country he wrote a treaty on demonology.
There were also many other plots on the crown. The most famous being The Gunpowder plot by Guy Fawkes, who planned to blow up the houses of Parliament and kill James and his family, amongst others, but the plot failed.
The story has several sections which are as follows:
Power and Unchecked Ambition
The main theme of the story is of destruction when ambition goes unchecked. Macbeth was courageous and loyal to the King
he fought for him in battle. Not noted as doing evil deeds, he was driven by visions of the witches, who left him craving power by giving him the thought that he was to become King. After the deed of killing Duncan he was driven by guilt and paranoia which brings about his downfall.
Lady Macbeth has greater desires than her husband and has much determination... 'Duncan will die and Macbeth will be King'... never a maybe, although she was the one who seemed to have the evil side and strength, she soon cracks under
the guilt of what was done and is less capable than Macbeth to withstand the repercussions of what they had done.
Issues of Gender
Is there a relationship between...