Macbeth gcse

can you give me key simple contexts for macbeth gcse. can u also explain why they are used

The great chain of being - the status of people in life that had been assigned by G-d. Strongly believed in by the Jacobean audience. The Jacobean people had divided social status. It was believed that the King was chosen by G-d. Therefore, going against the King was the equivalent to going against G-d. If you killed the King then you would break the chain of being. When the chain of being is disturbed then so is nature. Evil will seep into the world from hell E.G. witches.

The Jacobean audience strongly believed in witchcraft so the sight of the witches on the stage would have deeply terrified them. King James who was on the throne at the time wrote a book about witchcraft. Shakespeare used witchcraft in his play for that reason. By showing that he was also against witchcraft and displaying its evil showed that he was on the side of the king. He was entertaining the king and pleasing him through this play. King James also travelled across the sea by boat but was hit by a storm and almost drowned. (He wrote the book after the storm). He believed that the storm was caused by witches, assigned my the many people that were against him being on the throne.

Witches were believed to have many capabilities. E.G flying

Women were not meant to assert power over their husbands. Lady Macbeth contradicts this when she orders Macbeth around. She tells the witches to take away her breast milk and reproductive organs. This makes her a bad wife of the time as the key features of a woman were considered to be a caring nature, capability to reproduce and obedience (others aswell but these are the ones that are both important and contradicted by Lady Macbeth.)

Reply 2

BUENO_LOVER

Original post by affiliated-charm

the great chain of being - the status of people in life that had been assigned by g-d. Strongly believed in by the jacobean audience. The jacobean people had divided social status. It was believed that the king was chosen by g-d. Therefore, going against the king was the equivalent to going against g-d. If you killed the king then you would break the chain of being. When the chain of being is disturbed then so is nature. Evil will seep into the world from hell e.g. Witches.

The jacobean audience strongly believed in witchcraft so the sight of the witches on the stage would have deeply terrified them. King james who was on the throne at the time wrote a book about witchcraft. Shakespeare used witchcraft in his play for that reason. By showing that he was also against witchcraft and displaying its evil showed that he was on the side of the king. He was entertaining the king and pleasing him through this play. King james also travelled across the sea by boat but was hit by a storm and almost drowned. (he wrote the book after the storm). He believed that the storm was caused by witches, assigned my the many people that were against him being on the throne.

Witches were believed to have many capabilities. E.g flying

women were not meant to assert power over their husbands. Lady macbeth contradicts this when she orders macbeth around. She tells the witches to take away her breast milk and reproductive organs. This makes her a bad wife of the time as the key features of a woman were considered to be a caring nature, capability to reproduce and obedience (others aswell but these are the ones that are both important and contradicted by lady macbeth.)

woww this is soo gd. Tysm=)

Reply 3

username6318874

(Original post by BUENO_LOVER)woww this is soo gd. Tysm=)

Thats alright. Lemme know if u need anything else.

Reply 4

Mike B

Original post by BUENO_LOVER

can you give me key simple contexts for macbeth gcse. can u also explain why they are used

Historical Context: Written in 1606, "Macbeth" reflects the political and social themes of the time, exploring ambition and guilt against the backdrop of King James I's interest in witchcraft and the divine right of kings.
Social and Cultural Context: The play delves into the nature of ambition, power, and moral corruption, mirroring the societal concerns of early 17th-century England, including the belief in the supernatural and the importance of lineage and legacy.

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