Macbeth, Shakespeare and the Gunpowder Plot Essay

Among the most influential pieces of British literature in the 15th century stands Shakespeare’s Macbeth. During the 15th century in England, a new era was upon the country as a whole. Macbeth reflects one very unique idea in England at the time known as equivocation. The Gunpowder plot was also directly alluded to in Macbeth several times. The play as a whole was written to please King James, and is even thought by some as a way for Shakespeare himself to avoid suspicion by those investigating The Gunpowder Plot. One of the most important things to know about the play Macbeth is that the original date of publication is not completely certain. The first recorded response to the play was written in 1611 which would†¦show more content†¦Also this voyage is alluded to once again in one of the three weird sister’s chants. One of their chants is as quoted â€Å"weary sev’n nights, nine times nine, shall he dwindle, peak, and pine†. If one counts the da ys of entering and leaving harbor by Tiger’s Whelp, they were absent for exactly 567 days, or 7x9x9 exactly as seen in the three sister’s magical chant. Shakespeare in England was a greatly influential individual himself. At the time he was producing plays, the arts were not always an appreciated skill that people thought highly of. Many play writers were overlooked and never truly appreciated in their day. Shakespeare was one of the lucky few in England as nobility took the time to recognize and see his plays specifically. Shakespeare had to be very mindful of the content of his plays and how he portrayed certain events, such as the Gunpowder Plot, to the audience. Being caught between pleasing his government and maintaining his integrity, Shakespeare managed to fulfill his role to both quite delicately. Shakespeare himself was deeply rooted and connected to the conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot. Shakespeare’s father, John Shakespeare, was very good friends w ith William Catesby who was the head conspirator in the plan to blow up the king. John and William shared illegal Catholic writingsShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth Essay examples1588 Words   |  7 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth The story of Macbeth on a purely literary level could be appreciated as a fantastically dark story teeming with evil and uncertainty and the blind ambition of a blood thirsty warrior. However one would have to merely scratch the surface to discover that it is bursting with periodical references to political and social foundations of Shakespears and James I era. Shakespeares blend of the subliminal political and social references complimentRead MoreTheme Of Hunger For Power In Macbeth956 Words   |  4 Pagesliterary example of the human fault than Macbeth. Much like any other person Macbeth’s ambitions take him down a dark path of confusion and violence. Macbeths actions, aided by the Three Witches and Lady Macbeth, ultimately lead to destruction. Macbeth’s insatiable hunger for power is mostly caused by two major factors; being easily influenced by those around him, and the immense guilt of his actions.How can a paragon of virtue such as the shining hero Macbeth fall into something as evil as the murderRead MoreEssay on Macbeth and the Gunpowder Plot of 16054662 Words   |  19 PagesMacbeth and the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 Shakespeare’s Macbeth was influenced by the gunpowder plot of 1605. The equivocation that was inspired by this event played an important role in the play. The general theme of Macbeth reflects the mood of society at the time that it was written. This relationship is a direct reflection of the mimetic theory. This paper will examine the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 and the role of equivocation in the subsequent prosecutions during the time that Shakespeare wasRead MoreHow The Christian Faith Broke Into So Many Different Denominations?2033 Words   |  9 Pagesfollowed this break and some of the events became violent. These events and the break from the Catholic work influenced English and Scottish literature. Religious Controversies, such as the Gunpowder Plot in the 16th and 17th centuries, changed Catholicism in Scotland and England forever and influenced the play Macbeth. Prior to the Protestant reformation in Europe a majority of people were Roman Catholic. The pope was the ultimate authority of the people and Church and were a big influence on peopleRead MoreEssay on Imagery in Macbeth1147 Words   |  5 Pagesin their literary works. British playwright William Shakespeare uses blood imagery in many of his plays, one prevalent example being Macbeth. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses blood imagery to symbolize guilt, foreshadow negative events, and develop Macbeth as a tragic hero. In his famous tragedy Macbeth, Shakespeare uses blood imagery to symbolize the guilt of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. For example, as soon as he murders King Duncan, Macbeth, regretful and guilt-ridden, says,  ¨Will all great Neptune’sRead MoreCharacterization Of Macbeth1276 Words   |  6 Pages But with this answer comes another question: why would Shakespeare name the main character Macbeth when his monarchs were Elizabeth I and James I? What message was he trying to send by using the name of Macbeth, the king of Scotland in 1040? In Jonathan Goldberg’s essay â€Å"Speculations: Macbeth and source† in Jean E Howard’s anthology on Shakespeare, Goldberg explains how the King Duncan in the play is a reflection of the real life Duncan I from Scotland in the 1030s when Scotland was going throughRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth As A Key Source For Power1631 Words   |  7 Pages During the early 16th century, a famous playwright by the name of Wil liam Shakespeare came out with play Macbeth. This well known play takes place in 10th century Scotland. During this time period there were numerous battles and the desire for power was strong . Although a fictional play, Shakespeare’s Macbeth, written to impress King James I of Scotland, was based on real Scottish history. Shakespeare made many alterations to the original history in order to appease King James I of Scotland.Read MoreComparison between the Great Gatsby and Macbeth3983 Words   |  16 PagesMacbeth is one of Shakespeares most intense plays and one his most complex psychological studies. It is also a play about which there is a great deal of historical background, which I think youll find interesting because it reveals Shakespeares creative process. The play was written in 1605--1606. Its one of the plays where the date is pretty firmly established by internal references to external events, and most scholars have agreed on the date. Shakespeare was at the height of creativeRead MoreEssay on Shakespeare, Kingship, and the Chain of Being in Macbeth814 Words   |  4 PagesShakespeare, Kingship, and the Chain of Being in Macbeth Shakespeares play Macbeth is largely based upon the theme of kingship. Macbeth was written for James the 1st, who would have been interested in kingship and believed in the chain of being and the divine right of kings. The chain of being is the belief that everything is connected like a chain, and is affected by anything above it. God was believed to be at the top of the chain, and the King was believedRead More The Dramatic Impact on a Jacobean Audience of Act 1 Scene 5 of Shakespeares Macbeth1898 Words   |  8 PagesDramatic Impact on a Jacobean Audience of Act 1 Scene 5 of Shakespeare’s Macbeth In this essay I will be examining how Act 1 Scene 5 of â€Å"Macbeth† would have had a dramatic impact on a Jacobean audience. I will also be exploring how Shakespeare’s stagecraft – his use of devices such as symbolism, references to contemporary events and imagery – would have helped to create this dramatic impact. Macbeth was written to be performed – on a stage, by actors, and to an audience