Share MACBETH: CONTEXT, THEMES AND SETTINGS
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Which historical writer did Shakespeare use to get his information about Macbeth (the real person)?
Holinshed
Who was the King at the time that Macbeth was first performed?
James I
What was the name of the book that King James wrote about witchcraft?
Daemonologie
Why might Shakespeare have included witchcraft and the supernatural in Macbeth?
To appeal to or flatter King James I - Shakespeare's acting troupe's patron
Medieval kings wanted to believe that they were chosen by god; what is the term for this?
The Divine Right of Kings
In Holinshed's original telling of Macbeth, who plotted to **** King Duncan?
Banquo and Macbeth
Why might Shakespeare have chosen to change Holinshed's version, with Banquo not being part of Macbeth's evil plot?
Because Banquo was an ancestor of King James I (the Stuart line)
What name was given to the era that James I reigned?
Jacobean
Which Biblical character can Lady Macbeth be compared to, and why?
Eve - Lady Macbeth tempts Macbeth, like Eve tempted Adam
Why is 'Golgotha' significant?
Golgotha was the place where it is told that Jesus was crucified; the Captain compares the battlefield with Golgotha in Act 1 Scene 2
James I King of England and where else?
Scotland! He was James VI
What is "The Great Chain of Being"?
A hierarchical structure of all matter and life, thought in medieval Christianity to have been decreed by God.
In "The Great Chain of Being" what or who is the closest being to God on Earth?
The King
Why did James I believe that all witches were women?
Because he believed that men were too strong to be ensnared by the devil
What denomination of Christianity was England during James i's reign?
Protestant (as opposed to Catholic)
When is "Macbeth" set?
11th-century Scotland
