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Introduction to Macbeth
Witchcraft in the late 16th early 17th century
Introduction to Macbeth
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Recommended: Introduction to Macbeth
In the time that King James I ruled, there was a large fear of witches and witchcraft throughout England and Scotland. And during his reign, William Shakespeare wrote the play Macbeth, which is the renamed King’s Men sign of gratitude towards James. Macbeth is interesting because it is “based on a story from Scottish history particularly apt for a monarch who traced his line back to Banquo” (Greenblatt 815). The play also drew from James’ own fears of assassination, eventually leading to Macbeth’s own fear of Banquo and having him killed so that he would not have to worry about his possibility of becoming a traitor. James also had a fear of witchcraft being behind any attempt on his life because he “suspected the hand of the devil in any plot against an anointed king” (816). James had a strong belief in the supernatural and witchcraft and had written a book about witchcraft and believed that the reason for various things that happened in his life to be the fault of witches and lived in fear of the occult eventually bringing everything to an end.
Before an exploration of the actual occult, supernatural and other spooky things that happened in Macbeth, it is best to look at the history of witchcraft in the time and how people dealt with the threat of witchcraft. In the 1840s, Wilhelm Gottlieb Soldan believed that witchcraft was actually something that was made up by monks and that it was actually a non-existent crime while German mythologist Jacob Grimm viewed witches as “wise-women persecuted by the church” (Gaskill 1070). Soldan’s view is also shared by Daniel Fischlin, who “argues that witchcraft during James's reign was a constructed political threat to be punished in order that the king's absolute monarchical a...
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...es." Modern Philology 1.1 (1903): 31-47. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
Shakespeare, William, Stephen Greenblatt, Walter Cohen, Jean E. Howard, Katharine Eisaman Maus, and Andrew Gurr. "Macbeth." Introduction. The Norton Shakespeare Based on the Oxford Edition. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2008. 815-24. Print.
Shakespeare, William, Stephen Greenblatt, Walter Cohen, Jean E. Howard, Katharine Eisaman Maus, and Andrew Gurr. Macbeth. The Norton Shakespeare Based on the Oxford Edition. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2008. 825-78. Print.
Stein, Arnold. "Macbeth and Word-Magic." The Sewanee Review 59.2 (1951): 271-84. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
Yonglin, Yang. "How to Talk to the Supernatural in Shakespeare." Language in Society 20.2 (1991): 247-61. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
Macbeth written by William Shakespeare somewhere between 1605 and 1606, was a play performed at the Globe theatre. There is no doubt that the play was intended for the king at the time, since he had become a patron of Shakespeare’s theatrical company. By the 1590’s Shakespeare was already an established writer of the time by 1599 he had already founded the Globe theater with 6 other associates whom called themselves “The King’s Men”. Around that moment in history, most people were known to believe in superstitions which included witches, ghost, and other supernatural beings. Some of the literature of the time included plots with such themes as it can be seen in Macbeth.
Without a general supernatural stigma from the witches, the story would not be as interesting as it is and wouldn’t lay a clear foundation. The reader can enhance their experience by making predictions about the prophecies, thus grabbing the readers attention to continue to read. The role of supernatural is to also create suspense. Suspense of the prophecies gives the reader a sense of what’s to come next. In contrast this will make the reader have motivation to continue as it is a difficult text to understand. The following quote creates suspense as it shows the reader Macbeth is at decline point while constantly relying on the prophecies to save him The mind I sway by and the heart I bear. Shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear.
During the time period in question it was common belief that witches existed and were to blame for the misfortune of others. There have been a plethora of other explanations for the apparently supernatural incidences. The one that I am going to focus on in this post is that of undiagnosed hallucinations and mental illnesses in 17th century Scotland.
Earlier today, I received a most urgent letter from Macbeth. He told me that he was accosted by three witches on the night of the battle between Scotland and Norway. They greeted him "All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!" Macbeth was "rapt" with what the witches had said and tried to question them further but they vanished into a haze of fog. I could see his enthusiasm from his vocabulary and could tell that he believed the witches, even though they are feared and many hundreds have been burned. He said he "burned in desire" to question them further, indicating that he was almost on fire with this knowledge that came from the "perfect'st report". Witches have metaphysical powers and "more in them than mortal knowledge".
Macbeth begins with a set of supernatural figures. Witches have been always associated with darkness, night and crime. Saul, in Samuel (1), visits the Witch of Endor in order to know his destiny. Saul himself had taken seve...
The main character of the play, Macbeth, is stunned by the prophecies of the three witches. He is unsure of how to take the prophecies of becoming the Thane of Cawdor and then king. Stunned when the second prophecy comes true, Macbeth whispers to himself that “[his] supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good” (I, iii, 130-131). His feelings conflict with each other, as he is both pleased by the good fortunes, and dismayed at the prospect of what he may have to do to attain it. In this way, he is drawn in by the witches’ appearances and words, contrary t...
..., and says: ?Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.? (Act IV, Sene I, ll.85-87). This apparition informs Macbeth that no man born from a woman can harm him. finally, the last apparition appears and is a child crowned, with a tree in his hand. The apparition is saying that he will never bedefeated until Great Birnam wood shall come against him to High Dunsinane Hill. ?Be lion melted, proud, and take no care who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: Macbeth shall never vanquish?d e until Great Birnam wood to High Dunsinane Hill shall come against him.? (Act VI, Scene I, ll.98-102). These apparitions convinced Macbeth that this was his fate and became over confident, and lead him to his death. The use of the supernatural in Macbeth results quite well with the respect of the unknown. Without the witches, the ghost, the visions, and the apparitions, ?Macbeth? would have been a dull and tiresome play. Even today?s readers need motivation to read, and this ancient superstition of spirits enhanced the play dramatically.
...ve seen Lady Macbeth as a very unattractive, frightening woman, and perhaps even thought her to be a witch, particularly in Act 1 Scene 5, when she is calling to unseen ‘sprits’. She proclaims “Come, you spirits, unsex me here. Come to my woman’s breasts and take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers.” This would be seen as very witchlike activity, and was probably used by Shakespeare to invoke hatred for Lady Macbeth.
The witches have a strong effect on Macbeth's character; they highly influence him in his accomplishments and awake his ambitions. They give Macbeth a false sense of security with their apparitions of truths. Instead they prove to be harmful for Macbeth who takes too much comfort and confidence in his interpretation of the truths. They are the ones who plant the actual idea of killing Duncan into Macbeth's mind. But if it were only the witches prophecies, then Macbeth surely would not have murdered the king. 'When you durst to do it, then you were a man,' (Macbeth, Shakespeare Act 1 Scene 7) Lady Macbeth's constant harassment pushed Macbeth and made him commit all this evil. When you reason things out by yourself you tend to now what is right and what is wrong, a conscience. But with the outside influence from the witches he thinks that that is his destiny and he must do everything to fulfill it. One can wonder if Macbeth ever had a chance of doing what was right after he met with the witches. He is overthrown and killed. Through his own ambitions, the ambition of his wife and the witches' prophesies, Macbeth has caused his own destruction and downfall. We can now clearly see that ambition not achieved through our own ability leads to destruction. 'Hail Thane of Glamis and of Cawdor and shalt be King hereafter'. (Act 1 Scene 3) These prophecies from three strangers are taken without question and probably without good judgment. Just the thought that he may be King clouds his thoughts and ambition takes over. The witches can predict the future, they can add temptation, and influence Macbeth, but they cannot control his destiny.
Written early in the reign of James I (16031625), Shakespeare's Macbeth is a typical "Jacobean" tragedy in many important respects. Referred to superstitiously by actors as "the Scottish play," the script commemorates James's national heritage by depicting events during the years 1040 to 1057 in his native Scotland. The play also celebrates the ruler's intense interest in witchcraft and magic, which was recorded in a book he wrote in 1597 entitled Demonology. Further topical allusions to the king include all the passages in the script mentioning sleeplessness, which are relevant since James was a well-known insomniac.
During the Renaissance, witchcraft was highly praised and believed in. The Renaissance, “like many European cultures of the period, medieval Scotland maintained a belief in witches, including their ability to make prophecies and to affect the outcome of certain events” (The Historical Context of Macbeth). Humankind during the Renaissance believed witches could control one’s outcome; therefore, the witches were able to manipulate the fates of people. Likewise, in Macbeth, Macbeth’s belief in the three witches lead to his impending death. Macbeth was told by the three witches that “The power of man; for none of woman born shall hard Macbeth” (4.1.83). Macbeth trusts them and continues on to do as he pleases because he knows no one could harm him. However, his excessive confidence allows the witches to deceive him. He thought he would not fall until “Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill Shall come against him” (4.1.97), but the witches had twisted the truth and Macbeth is too arrogant to see the reality. Macbeth, who is excessively confident in himself, who allowed himself to be deceived, is ultimately killed by Macduff near the end of the play because of his overconfidence. By exhibiting Macbeth’s hubris, Shakespeare warns society when one is too confident, they will be blinded from reality, and it will lead to
“Macbeth” was written between 1603 and 1606, when James VI of Scotland, became James I of England. It could be argued, this play was definitely constructed with James in mind, as he was interested in witchcraft and superstitious activity, which feature in Macbeth, as illustrated in this essay.
The theme, being the most dominant literary element, shows how the darkness in people has been drawn out. Themes such as appearance versus reality, attempts to control the future, human responses to supernatural powers and loyalty show how we can be easily taken over by the evil in us. After the death of King Duncan, Macbeth tries to convince himself that he did the right thing. He murdered his king in cold blood and regained his consciousness for a brief moment. “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?” this quote, also spoken by Macbeth, gives the reader a sense that he regained his ego and was exposed with extreme guilt. It also gives a sense that he was possessed by a demon. This can be backed up by the theme of human responses to supernatural powers. Although the witches contribute greatly here, I would want to talk about hallucinations first. (In psychology, hallucinations are a form of supernatural powers.) The soliloquy in Act II Scene I show Macbeth hallucinating of an imaginary, bloody dagger. “Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle towards my hand?” This was his illusion of what was upcoming, the murdering of King Duncan. This illusion gives the reader a sense that he is possessed by his alter-ego that he is going to kill the king. The witches foretold the future, and that their prophecies of Macbeth let his own “shadow” take over himself. Being that Macbeth went crazy from murdering his king, he also became aware that this murdering might also happen to him. This he decided to try and control his future – well, at least in several attempts, but always ended up half done. “To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus…” this quote shows that Macbeth is in fear, and he tries to overcome this fear by eliminating anyone that was a threat to him.
...h craft. In that era a lot of witch hunts were also done when many innocent women also were just killed if they were suspected of being witches. Since the play was written with an eye to please the reigning monarch King James the inclusion of witches was needed as James was a strong believer in witches and also was a scholar.James had also written a book called ‘Daemonologie’ and wanted to know the cause for evil in the world.To satisfy James and fan his pride for his scholarship on the subject Shakespeare inserted the element of witchcraft in his only Scottish play.