CONTEXT

What is the main theme of Macbeth?

order vs chaos

When was Macbeth first performed?

1606

Who was the monarch at the time of writing Macbeth?

King James I

What is the great chain of being?

the belief that there is a hierarchy of all beings that needs to be followed to ensure order

What is the divine right of king?

the belief that the monarch is chosen by god and is therefore divine and at the top of the heirarchy

What did James I think of witches?

he wrote a book called ‘demonology’ where he expressed hatred towards witches

he ordered witch hunts

he thought his voyage was unsafe because witches caused storms

What were expectations of women in Jacobean peiod?

• ordinary women were subservient to their husbands

• women could not act in theatre]women were seen as weak and fragile

• women gained power through their husbands

When was the play set?

medieval period

What were views of women in the medieval period?

• strong for survival

• gained power through husbands