Why did Shakespeare write Macbeth?
1 Answer
He wrote Macbeth to support the kingship of James 1st and to support the natural order of things which if disturbed, will inevitably lead to disaster.
Explanation:
In Shakespeare's time everything had its place in society, reflected in concepts such as feudalism and the Divine Right of Kings. If this is disturbed then there will be fatal consequences.
Duncan's natural place is to be king and succeeded by his sons. Macbeth's ambition and also that of his wife, encourages him to murder Duncan and so upset the natural balance. His seeming impregnability as stated by the witches is in fact his fateful and inevitable downfall.
Macduff kills him and his caesarian birth explains the witches prophecy. Macbeth's enemies in cutting down branches to disguise their movements also explains Birnam wood moving to Dunsinane.
Macbeth's fate is sealed almost as soon as he has these thoughts let alone in the murder of Duncan.
Shakespeare also wrote Macbeth for political reasons. According to Scottish history Duncan was not a good king and his overthrowal by Macbeth led to stability in Scotland. In fact Macbeth could afford to go on a pilgrimage to Rome.
However James VI of Scotland who was now James 1st of England by the time Shakespeare wrote the play was descended from Duncan so Shakespeare made the appropriate adjustments to Scottish history.
Macbeth was killed near Lumphanan in ABerdeenshire.
