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Emily Corcoran

Mrs. Dill

British Literature

30 May 2019

The Tragedy of​ ​Macbeth​: A Royal Play

William Shakespeare penned ​The Tragedy of​ ​Macbeth​ during a tumultuous period of

England’s history: shortly after the death of Queen Elizabeth I, as the Jacobean Era began.

Queen Elizabeth I, the virgin queen, never bore an heir, so before her death, she appointed her

nephew James King of England, beginning the reign of the Stuart Dynasty (Main 205-210). King

James I of England ascended to the throne in 1603, and Shakespeare published ​The Tragedy of

Macbeth​ only three years later in 1606 (Sharma 1). Shakespeare based the characters and events

of the play on actual historical figures, using Holinshed’s ​Chronicles of England, Scotland, and

Ireland​ as his main source of inspiration (Williams 13). However, Shakespeare interpreted

Holinshed’s works even more loosely than usual while writing Macbeth (Rosenblum, “Macbeth

Background”). Another significant source of inspiration for Shakespeare was King James I

himself, who was present at the first performance of ​The Tragedy of​ ​Macbeth​ when it was shown

in front of the court (Williams 12-13). In order to persuade King James I of England to continue

his patronage of Shakespeare’s acting company, Shakespeare included characters in ​The Tragedy

of Macbeth​ that would please James.

The first character that Shakespeare obviously invented with King James I in mind is

Banquo, Macbeth’s friend and fellow soldier who is later killed by Macbeth’s hired hitmen

(Boyce, “Banquo”). During the period when ​The Tragedy of Macbeth​ was written, Shakespeare,
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as well as most others, believed that historical Banquho was a relative of King James I. In

Holinshed’s ​Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland​, Shakespeare read about Banquho,

whose “descendants did indeed come after many generations to govern Scotland ‘by long order

of continual descent’” after his son escaped Macbeth’s murderers (Williams 14). Modern

scholars have since determined that there is no way to prove historical Banquho’s existence or

connection to the Stuart Dynasty, but this fact does not nullify Shakespeare’s intentions (Boyce,

“Banquo”). Shakespeare portrays Banquo in a very positive light, as an honorable man who

respects his king and follows orders. During Act III, Banquo tells Macbeth, “Let your highness /

Command upon me, to the which my duties / Are with a most indissoluble tie / Forever knit,”

after Macbeth is crowned King of Scotland (​Macbeth​, 3.1: 16-18). Banquo’s statement shows

that he is a man who is dedicated to his country and respects Macbeth’s royal authority. Unlike

Shakespeare’s Banquo, the historical figure was actually an accessory to Duncan’s brutal

murder: “The historical character Banquo was a privy to the murder of Duncan but Shakespeare

portrays him as an innocent person” (qtd. in Sharma 3). Despite knowing this, Shakespeare chose

to still depict Banquo very positively, likely not wanting to upset King James I. His majesty was

facing a difficult transition, with many people protesting the Stuart line gaining control of the

throne. By painting a flattering portrait of King James’s ancestor, Shakespeare is attempting to

improve James’s image and “remove a stain from the face of the forefather of King James”

(Sharma 4). Even after his death, Banquo remains a central character in ​The Tragedy of Macbeth​,

for Shakespeare wanted to keep the focus on James’s Stuart ancestry (Williams 19). In reality,

the character of Banquo is not at all necessary to the plot of the play, and it can be concluded that

he was only featured so heavily due to his connection to King James.

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When writing ​The Tragedy of Macbeth​, Shakespeare created the character of Malcolm to

be so similar to King James I that the two are nearly parallels. Malcolm clearly represents His

Royal Highness, and Shakespeare gives him a very flattering portrayal. He is written as “a figure

of goodness placed in opposition to Macbeth’s evil” (Boyce, “Malcolm”). Just like King James I,

Malcolm is a double king, ruling both Scotland and England (Sharma 2). Shakespeare's choice is

no coincidence: he included this detail to strengthen the parallel between the two characters and

make their similarity more obvious. Additionally, King James I was actually descended from

King David, the son of historical Malcolm, further improving the image of James’s lineage

(Boyce, “Malcolm”). One of Malcolm’s defining characteristics is his patriotism towards

Scotland. While testing Macduff’s loyalty, Malcolm shows that he truly wants what is best for

his nation: “What I am truly, / Is thine and my poor country’s to command” (​Macbeth​, 4.3:

133-134). He is dedicated to Scotland and is truly a man of the people. Malcolm is essentially the

doctor who will heal dying Scotland, suggesting that James is the doctor who will heal England

(Boyce, “Malcolm”). During the chaotic period of England’s history, Shakespeare was trying to

assure the English people that King James I would be a good leader who would improve the

country and return it to its former glory.

In stark contrast to Malcolm (and King James) is Macbeth. Shakespeare portrays

Macbeth very negatively, as a cruel, evil tyrant (Rosenblum, “Macbeth”). He becomes a

senseless murderer who does not think before acting, killing without regret or second thought:

“from this moment / The very firstlings of my heart shall be / The firstlings of my hand. And

even now, / To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought / and done” (​Macbeth​, 4.1: 146-149).

He decides that he no longer cares about basic human decency or values human life. Despite the
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literary character’s cruelty, Macbeth was actually historically a good ruler. To strengthen the

contrast between Macbeth and Malcolm, Shakespeare exaggerated Macbeth’s evil nature:

“Though the historical character Macbeth was a good king, Shakespeare has made him a

blood-thirsty despot” (qtd. in Sharma 3). One detail that Shakespeare embellished was the

murder of King Duncan. Unlike his namesake in ​The Tragedy of​ ​Macbeth​, historical Macbeth

did not murder Duncan in his sleep, but instead killed him on the battlefield, in a much more

honorable manner (Sharma 3). Shakespeare’s goal was to craft Macbeth into a cruel, deceptive

coward who was the polar opposite of Malcolm. Macbeth is ultimately defeated, leaving

Malcolm to be crowned King of Scotland, and conveying the idea that James’s bloodline has

always succeeded (Boyce, “Malcolm”). With Macbeth’s failure and Malcolm’s success,

Shakespeare once again flatters and enhances the image of King James I.

Moreover, Shakespeare obviously wrote the Weird Sisters into existence with His

Majesty in mind. King James I was obsessed with the occult, and a key element of ​The Tragedy

of​ ​Macbeth​ is Shakespeare’s “dramatic use of witchcraft, a matter on which James considered

himself an authority” (qtd. in Santi 4). The king was very knowledgeable about the supernatural,

even writing a book about witches entitled ​Daemonologie​ (Santi 6). James’s publication is

evidence of his dedication to the topic of witches, even bordering on obsession. His Royal

Highness reiterated “in ​Daemonologie​,… that Satan can deceive only those who ‘first willfully

deceive themselves by running unto him, whom God then suffers to fall in their owne snares, and

justly permits them to be illuded with great efficacie of deceit’” (qtd. in Rosenblum, “The

Witches”). King James believed that only those with bad intentions can be fooled by the devil, so

he would have been pleased by the fact that Macbeth was defeated after falling for the witches’
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illusions. On the other hand, Banquo is wary of the witches, and does not trust them, telling

Macbeth, “​oftentimes, to win us to our harm,/ The instruments of darkness tell us truths,/ Win us

with honest trifles, to betray's/ In deepest consequence” ​(​Macbeth​, 1.3: 125-128). His majesty

hated witches and would have agreed with his supposed ancestor’s opinion that witches have evil

intentions and are not to be trusted. Additionally, the Weird Sisters show Macbeth apparitions

who predict that the ancestors of Banquo, including King James I, will be the Kings of Scotland

(Sharma 4). Because King James was a believer of the supernatural, he likely would have given

much weight to these predictions and reveled in the fact that mystical beings in the play

predicted his reign. The apparitions also likely reassured James of his divine appointment during

a time when he “​was overly paranoid of espionage, conspiracies and rebellions because he felt

insecure about his sovereignty” (Song and Kim).​ Overall, His Royal Highness would have been

very pleased with Shakespeare’s inclusion of the witches in ​The Tragedy of​ ​Macbeth.​

In including the characters of Banquo, Malcolm, Macbeth, and the Weird Sisters in ​The

Tragedy of​ ​Macbeth​, Shakespeare pleased King James I of England for many reasons. When

Shakespeare included Banquo in his play, he was under the impression that the historical

namesake was a relative of His Majesty. As a result, he made Banquo out to be an important

character as well as a moral man, despite historical Banquho’s indiscretions, in an effort to

improve the perception of King James’s family. Shakespeare wrote the character Malcolm as a

near copy of King James I: a double king who would heal his country and return it to prosperity.

The positive portrayal of Malcolm, along with their familial relationship, was aimed to improve

King James’s image among his subjects. Shakespeare crafted Macbeth as a literary foil to

Malcolm. With every exaggerated flaw he placed on Macbeth, Shakespeare was able to further
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emphasize the goodness of Malcolm, which consequently reflected well on King James as well.

Because His Majesty was obsessed with the supernatural, Shakespeare included the Weird

Sisters as an occult element. Their negative portrayal would have satisfied James, as would their

prediction that his family line would continue to rule Scotland for generations to come.

According to literary critic Linda Cookson, “One thing does seem clear…; of all Shakespeare’s

plays, this offers beyond doubt the most direct and personal tribute to his royal patron. ​Macbeth

is a play about a king, and for a king” (qtd. in Sharma 2). Linda Cookson has written countless

analytical essays about Shakespeare’s works and agrees that he focused on James I while writing

The Tragedy of Macbeth​. Shakespeare created many of the central characters in ​The Tragedy of

Macbeth​ to please James I, the king of England, and to persuade him to continue his patronage of

Shakespeare’s acting company.

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Works Cited

Boyce, Charles. “Banquo.” ​Critical Companion to William Shakespeare, 2-Volume Set​, Facts On

File, 2005. ​Bloom's Literature​,

online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=17176&itemid=WE54&articleId=93024. Accessed

20 May 2019.

Boyce, Charles. “Malcolm.” ​Critical Companion to William Shakespeare, 2-Volume Set​, Facts

On File, 2005. ​Bloom's Literature​,

online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=17176&itemid=WE54&articleId=93572. Accessed

20 May 2019.

Crowther, John, ed. “No Fear Macbeth.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2005. 4

February 2019.

Main, C. F. “The Renaissance.” ​Elements of Literature,​ Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 2003, pp.

205–210.

Rosenblum, Joseph. “Macbeth.” ​The Facts On File Companion to Shakespeare,​ Facts On File,

2012. ​Bloom's Literature​,

online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=17176&itemid=WE54&articleId=472933.

Accessed 20 May 2019.

Rosenblum, Joseph. “Macbeth Background.” ​The Facts On File Companion to Shakespeare,​

Facts On File, 2012. ​Bloom's Literature,​

online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=17176&itemid=WE54&articleId=476459.

Accessed 20 May 2019.

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Rosenblum, Joseph. “The Witches.” ​The Facts On File Companion to Shakespeare,​ Facts On

File, 2012. ​Bloom's Literature​,

online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=17176&itemid=WE54&articleId=472935.

Accessed 23 May 2019.

Santi, Angelica. “Occasional Macbeth: King James and Witchcraft.” pp. 6. ​Academia,​ Academia,

www.academia.edu/33087654/Occasional_Macbeth_King_James_and_Witchcraft.

Accessed 01 May 2019.

Sharma, Brahma Dutta. “Macbeth: A Defence of King James I.” ​Punjab Journal of English

Studies,​ VIII, 1993, pp. 1–5. ​Academia,​

www.academia.edu/463860/Macbeth_A_Defence_of_King_James_I. Accessed 01 May

2019.

Song, Grace, and Seowon Kim. “Connections.” ​Macbeth & King James I,​

macbethandkingjames1.weebly.com/connections.html. Accessed 25 May 2019.

Williams, George Walton. “‘Macbeth’: King James's Play.” ​South Atlantic Review​, May 1982,

pp. 12–21. ​JSTOR​, jstor.org/stable/3199207. Accessed 01 May 2019.