Macbeth Background Notes

• written by Shakespeare
• tone: dark
• first performed at Hampton Court Palace before James 1
• based on real facts
• witchcraft 
• Even though he murdered Duncan, Macbeth is still made king.
• "Macbeth"= "son of life"
• three witches= the three Fates of Greek mythology and the three Norns of Norse mythology
• 1950: decided that Macbeth was written to please King James
• Lady Macbeth= misogynist
• play full of ambiguity, double meanings, and prophecies
• deeper meaning of Macbeth: to show us our own lives and make us think
• Shakespeare used and twisted history to better the play and further please King James 1 
• main historical source used to create Macbeth: Holinshed's Chronicles of Scottish History
• during Dark Ages
• most spectacular elements: witches and ghost of Banquo
• Shakespeare invented to make play more dramatic and intense
• dramatic alterations serve three main purposes: 
• the dramatic purpose of producing a more exciting story than is found in sources
• the thematic purpose of creating a more complex characterization of Macbeth
• the political purpose of catering to the beliefs of the reigning monarch, King James the First