Macbeth, By William Shakespeare - 1443 Words

Background Macbeth is a dark play, both literally and symbolically, the tone of the play is sinister and its central characters are evil. Wicked witches and the supernatural influence the action which is characterised by multiple bloody deaths. When Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in 1606 James I had been King of England for three years. The king had previously been James VI of Scotland. King James symbolised the union of the Scottish and English crowns, a union to which Shakespeare refers in the play. It was well known that the new king was fascinated by witchcraft; Shakespeare might have been trying to win his approval by introducing the figures of the three weird sisters into the play. Macbeth was first performed at Hampton Court Palace†¦show more content†¦He was defeated in battle near Aberdeen by Malcolm III, the son of Duncan I, who had invaded Scotland with the help of Edward the Confessor, King of England. Malcolm slaughtered Macbeth s family so that his own kingship would be stabilised. This marked the end of the purely Celtic, exclusively barbaric Scottish people as it led to the gradual breaking down of barriers between England and Scotland and to the introduction of English ways and customs. Shakespeare never let historical fact get in the way of a good story. He changed several key aspects of the original story, either to intensify his drama or to ensure political correctness. As an example of the latter, Shakespeare s Macbeth, who commits the greatest of all crimes by murdering his king, finds he cannot live with himself and the consequences of his actions. He has rebelled against God and the order of creation; he becomes stricken with guilt and can’t live with himself. Banquo Banquo s role in the original source for Macbeth was as Macbeth s co-conspirator. In Shakespeare s play, he is depicted instead as Macbeth s rival; the role of fellow plotter passed to Lady Macbeth. Like Macbeth, Banquo is open to human yearnings and desires: He is, for example, just as keen to hear what the Witches have in store for him in Act I, Scene 3. He is kept from sleep by his dreams of the Witches. Nevertheless, Banquo is a sympathetic figure for several reasons. First, he is ignorant of