Macbeth by William Shakespeare Background Notes

• Source #1
• Play has a very dark tone
• Shakespeare included witches to please King James 1 who believed in witchcraft
• First performed at Hampton Court to the king
• Not an original play; based based on real life

               -Macbeth was ruler of Scotland (17 yrs)
              -He killed Duncan and was killed by Duncans son Malcom

Source #2

• This play tends to upset people....
• Characters "Banquesve and Fleance never existed
• Evil for Shakespeare: Bad human habits and behaviors
• Theme: What is a real man?
• The third murderer is a mystery
• Rumored that play brings bad luck

Source #3

• Lengthy....
• Basically the entire play...

Source #4

• Shakespeare invented a lot of the stuff in the play to make it more dramatic and entertaining
• The main story line still remains to be true

Source #5

• Shakespeare's main source was

              -Hanishbads Chronicles (Macbeth)

              -based on Scotorum Historiae (1592) by Hector Bece