Macbeth Context and Themes Quiz

Macbeth’s Context

• Macbeth was written in 1606, during the Jacobean Period, after the death of Queen Elizabeth I
• James I, a relative of Elizabeth, became the first King of both England and Scotland
• The Gunpowder Plot, an attempted assassination of James I, occurred a year before the play
• The play explores the theme of usurpation and the consequences of ambition
• The play is seen as an allegory for James I’s rise to power and his legitimacy as ruler
• Banquo, a distant ancestor of James I, is portrayed as honorable, contrasting with Macbeth’s villainous actions
• The witches’ prophecy that Banquo’s descendants will be kings, alludes to James I’s dual rule over England and Scotland

The Great Chain of Being

• The Great Chain of Being was a dominant Renaissance concept that influenced Macbeth
• This belief system emphasizes a divinely ordained hierarchy with God at the top, followed by the king and then the people
• When someone disrupts this hierarchy, as Macbeth does by killing King Duncan, chaos unfolds
• Macbeth’s act triggers turmoil in the natural world and in his own mind.

Renaissance Humanism

• Macbeth was written during a period of transition between medieval religious thought and emerging Renaissance humanism
• The play explores the clash between pre-determined fate and free will
• References to ghosts, witches, and hell are alluding to medieval superstition and the belief that individuals were bound by fate
• However, the play also suggests that Macbeth’s actions are driven by his own ambition, showcasing humanist beliefs in free will

Gender Roles in Macbeth

• Shakespeare’s female characters are shaped by the prevailing gender stereotypes of the Jacobean period
• Women were expected to be passive and virtuous while men were expected to be strong and dominant.
• Lady Macbeth embodies traditionally masculine traits of dominance and cruelty, subverting this expectation
• While Macbeth is portrayed as weak and indecisive, showing a reversal of expected gender roles.

Classical Influence on Macbeth

• The play's form and structure are influenced by classical Greek theater, especially the ideas of Aristotle.
• Macbeth follows the traditional narrative stages of Greek tragedy: parapattaya (turn of fortune), hamartia (fatal flaw) and anagnorisis (realization).
• The play culminates in the tragic hero's downfall, evoking catharsis in the audience.