Macbeth Background

William Shakespeare's Macbeth is his shortest yet forceful tragedy. This Presentation covers the background of the drama, containing political, historical and psychological overview and some contrasts seen in the play.

1. Background SHAKESPEARE’S Macbeth

2. Presented to Miss Tasnif Mahmud Sayanna Lecturer, Dept. Of English. Port City International University Presented by Ifrad Mahbub ID: 01605545 Dept. Of English, PCIU

3. Backgrounds Political Historical Philosophical Contrasts

4. Historical Written around 1606 during James’s reign. Real Macbeth is a king succeeding Duncan, reigned in Scotland from 1040 to 1057. Real Duncan was defeated by Macbeth in battle. Macbeth was succeeded by his stepson, not Duncan’s son, Malcom. “Banquo” is a mythical figure, claimed descent by the Suart kings.

5. Historical (Cont.) Historical Banquo, from a historian ‘Holinshed’ is a treasonous figure assisting Macbeth in the Duncan murder where Shakespearean Banquo is wise, noble and regal – in intention to please the Stuarts, specially the King James I. Kings / Queens were seen hold onto power in fear. Witches were associated with dark & death, agents of Satan. James I was fond of witchcraft and wrote a book named “Demonologie ”

6. Political James I, succeeding Elizabeth in 1603 as a distant cousin was not appreciated by many. There were others who had stronger claim over the throne. England under James I followed the Elizabethan “Protestant” theme in England, which aroused many Catholics. Reflected the insecurities of the new Jacobean monarch. Written in the very next to the year of “Gunpowder Plot of 1605”, where Guy Fawkes and his men (6) tried to blow up the King and his parliament, but the conspiracy failed miserably. The play can easily be named a cautionary tale for potential regicides.

7. The Gunpowder Plot Guy Fawkes

8. Philosophical ‘The Great C hain of Being’ – order set by God for nature and humankind, considered an offence to the God to alter anyone’s place. ‘The Devine Right Of Kings’ – supplementary idea for Kings as the chosen ones by the God to rule over humankind. James I was a strong supporter of the idea as the rest of the Stuarts. The disturbing of the ideas create chaos in the flow of nature.

9. C ontrast Elizabethan Shakespeare contained controlled emotion, like Midsummer night’s D reams reflect confidence , happiness and love – Jacobean Shakespeare was more cynical and dark  like The Tempest and Macbeth. In Macbeth conflict of mental stability is a constant and repeating phenomena. From the time Macbeth receives the prophecy of the witch trio, he loses his moral. Good Vs. Evil: At the proposal of his wife to kill Duncan, Macbeth constantly loses himself between dilemma of the lust for power and honor versus morality, treason and fear of being murdered – leading him to keep murdering more people till the very last. False appearance of the witches, hallucination for both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth at various events represent the ideological drift and a grieving consequence for treachery.

10. Contrast ( Cont.) Though Lady Macbeth is a royal woman, her bravely appearance, forceful persuasion ability, taunting, greed and hunger for power suppress the mere female properties off. Macbeth’s refusal to commit the crime himself and then being driven by his wife to do so uplifts a cowardly mask upon brave Macbeth’s face. Trust & Betrayal: For Duncan the wrong men, for Macbeth the wrong prophecy of kingship and invincibility.

11. Thank you