Jacobean gender roles in a patriarchy - Men were seen as created by God to be superior and dominant, whereas women were viewed as subordinate., The supernatural - Many Jacobeans had a genuine belief in witchcraft and the direct intervention of evil spirits. James 1 wrote 'Demonologie', a book studying the habits of witches, and many people were put on trial for witchcraft during his reign. , The Great Chain of Being - Jacobeans believed that God had created nature and human society in terms of a hierarchy, with every being given their fixed role. Disturbance in one part of the chain could cause chaos over all. For example, when Macbeth murders Duncan, the natural order is disturbed: it is dark in the daytime, owls prey on falcons and horses eat each other., The Divine Right of Kings - Jacobeans believed that the rightful king was appointed by God to rule. The monarch was seen as 'the Lord's anointed temple', the representative of God on earth, so regicide was a particularly heinous sin. James I was a strong believer in this doctrine., The Gunpowder Plot - In 1665, Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, planned to blow up parliament during the state opening attended by James I. 'Macbeth', performed in 1606, examines the terrible consequences when a king is assassinated. A commemorative medal created to celebrate the foiling of the plot showed a serpent under some flowers, and may be referred to when Lady Macbeth advises Macbeth to 'Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it.', Historical origins - The plot of 'Macbeth' is loosely based on Scottish history in the 11th century, as recounted in Holinshed's 'Chronicles of Scotland.' The real-life Banquo was an ancestor of James I, so Shakespeare had a vested interest in portraying him as a noble, loyal character.,

Macbeth context

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