Macbeth Context

Witchcraft
• In the Jacobean Times one of the ways to
deal with unexplained things was to blame
witches and witchcraft. In Shakespeare’s
time lots of women were tortured and
executed because they were accused of
witchcraft. They were also blamed for
accidents, misfortunes and other disasters.
Political
• Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in 1606 and the key to the main theme of the play was that
excessive ambition will have terrible consequences.
• Shakespeare’s play could be seen as a cautionary tale, warning any other potential
regicides of the awful fate that will inevitably overtake them.
Philosophical
• During that time many people believed in the idea of ‘The Great Chain of Being’. This
was the belief that God had designed an ordered system for everything.
• It was considered an offence against God for anyone to try to alter their station in life.
Royal rank was bestowed by God, it was a sin to aspire to it.
• Another belief was that the power of monarchs was given directly by God and this was
‘divine right of kings’.