Macbeth The Great Chain Of Being Analysis

Macbeth was written in 1606, early in the reign of James I of England, a Scottish king that was given the English throne, a decision that faced great protest at the time. Macbeth was originally written as a way for Shakespeare to ensure that he would have King James’ continued support in his playwriting career through promoting his kingship. Within the play Shakespeare uses his influence over the English people at the time to dissuade them from attempting to overthrow King James, likely largely inspired by the attempt on his life known as the ‘gunpowder plot’. Shakespeare communicates this warning against regicide to the audience through the use of supernatural themes and the utilization of the audience’s belief in the “Great Chain of Being” that was still widely known and supported throughout England due to its promotion during the Elizabethan era.

Shakespeare took advantage of King James claim to be descended from Banquo, a mythic figure at the time, through replicating that character within the play, along with the claim that he would sire rightful kings; thus communicating his condonement of King James’ rule. Through the use of a similar technique, Shakespeare also uses the pre-existing myths of Macbeth, a king that rose to power under mysterious circumstances, and King Duncan, a king that was assassinated by a trusted nobleman, to create his storyline and add to his message as the use of known myth characters rather than original characters made the audience more likely to focus on the message Shakespeare was attempting to communicate rather than the characters