The Terrible Consequences of Regicide in Macbeth by William Shakespeare

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“Shakespeare's play Macbeth is to some extent a cautionary tale, warning any other potential regicides (king-killers) of the awful fate that will inevitably overtake them”(BBC). This relates directly to the theme of the play, excessive ambition will have terrible consequences. Do not commit treason. King James inherited the throne after the passing of the beloved Queen Elizabeth I, who had no heir to the throne. He was a bumbling king. His greatness was nothing compared to the gracious ruler who preceded him. King James I had four obsessions, witch hunting, smoking, the divine rights of kings, and the King James Bible. Shakespeare knew that in order to make it as a writer, there was one person he had to please, the ruler of England, King James I. King James I was a very unique king; he had an interesting historical background, eccentric interests and hobbies, which had a huge influence on Shakespeare's play Macbeth.
King James lived a crazy life. He was born June 19th, 1566 and died March 27, 1625. King James I was the son of Mary Queen of Scots and Henry Stewart. Once Prince James VI of Scotland, he became King James I of England after the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603. “James’s royal entry into London in 1603 had to be postponed for several months because the plague was raging in the city”(Sime 292). At age one, James became King James of Scotland. He was allies with Queen Elizabeth, even after she executed his mother Mary. To Queen Elizabeth, James was a distant cousin. After her passing, King James was remembered for the King James Bible, expressing the divine right of kings. King James believed in the theory the divine right of kings; “This was the belief that the power of monarchs was given directly by God, and ...

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...dward the Confessor”(Mabillard). Many did not believe in James’ power as a king or his ability to be king. Therefore, there were many attempts on his life. The Gunpowder Plot was an attempt on James’ life during his ruling and an allusion to Lady Macbeth encouraging Macbeth to trade his compassion for evil when she says, “...look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under't…”(Mabillard). Shakespeare formatted the play Macbeth around King James’ lifestyle to thrive with his writing, to entertain everyone, and to become favored by the new king of England.
Though he had an intense and unusual upbringing as a child, a lunatic for a mother, a weird and eccentric obsession with witchcraft and demonology, and a extensive involvement in the plot of Macbeth, King James remains known in history as a peculiar king whose greatest achievement was the King James Bible.

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