The 15The 15thth and 16 and 16thth Centuries Centuries in Europe in Europe

(particularly England)(particularly England)

Of Kings and their shortcomings, Witches and their orgasms, and Playwrights and their scandals…

James IJames I

James I

– James was born to Mary Queen of Scots and Henry Stuart the Duke of Albany on June 19, 1566 in Edinburgh castle.

– Upon birth, he became the Duke of Rothesay

– His father was murdered less than a year after his birth in February of 1567

– His mother soon married the man believed to have murdered his father, James Hepburn, the 4th Earl of Bothwell.

– His mother, imprisoned by Protestants for her Catholic beliefs, was forced to abdicate her throne in 1567, paving the way for James to take up the throne.

– James’s mother would be executed in 1587 after being convicted of treason.

– James was officially crowned James VI, King of Scotland July 29, 1567 at the age of 13 months.

– James was the first English monarch of the House of Stuart.

– James, by the time of his death, would hold the following titles: King of Scots, England, and Ireland, as well as the first to be called the King of Great Britain

James IJames I• James was a Protestant which led to tension with his Catholic subjects, though throughout his reign he

was considered to be fairly tolerant of Catholicism

• James married Anne of Denmark and Normandy, in 1589.

– They had eight children total, three of which survived past childhood; they include: Henry, Prince of Wales who died at the age of 19; Charles, who would succeed his father as king; and Elizabeth, who would become Queen of Bohemia.

– James and the Queen drifted apart over the years; they privately separated after the death one of their daughters.

– James would, ironically, considering his stance on sodomy, go on to form two “close” relationships with young men after he and Anne’s separation.

• James believed in the idea of absolute monarchy, but such did not work well with Parliament during his reign

• James designed the current British flag in 1603.

• James sanctioned an official translation of the bible known as The King James Bible, which became the official bible of much of the English-speaking world.

• James was the target of the “Gunpowder Plot” a plot by Catholic extremists, led in part by Guy Fawkes, to remove James from power and replace him with his daughter Elizabeth, whom they sought to convert to Catholicism.

• James died in 1625 after having reigned for sixty years.

James IJames I

Connection to Macbeth/ Witchcraft

• James was a big believer in witchcraft.

• James’s concern with witchcraft led him to create the post of “Witch-finder General” in parliament.

• He published a book on witchcraft, Deamonology which served as a minor influence to Shakespeare as he wrote the play

• It is also very likely that, as James was the monarch at the time, playwrights such as Shakespeare attempted to please the king by writing plays he could connect with.

• Much of the monarch-plagued-by-witchcraft storyline of Macbeth relates heavily to James’s rule.

• One scene in particular in Macbeth, in which a parade of kings are seen in a vision by Macbeth is thought to be a tribute to the recently crowned King James

16th and 17th Century Perception 16th and 17th Century Perception of European Witchesof European Witches

• Perception of witches

• "Witches" were believed to reject Jesus Christ and believe he had no authority over their lives.

• They were believed to worship the devil and make pacts with him; sell their souls in exchange for Satan's assistance; employ demons to go about their magical deeds; desecrate the crucifix and the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist, which is the Holy Communion.

• They were believed to ride through the air at night to "sabbats", or secret meetings. During these "sabbats" the "witches" were believed to engage in sexual orgies and were even believed to be having sex with Satan himself.

• "Witches" were also believed to be able to change shapes, from human to animals, and back again.

• They were also believed to have "familiar spirits" in the form of animals.

• People believed they kidnapped and murdered children so they could eat them, or render their fat for magical ointments.

16th and 17th Century Perception 16th and 17th Century Perception of European Witchesof European Witches

• Why The Perceptions of Witches Was Accepted

• Demonological theories were widespread and popularly accepted.

• There was an answer needed for a redefinition of moral boundaries.

• Cognitive background for the witch-hunts, economic and demographic changes, together with the emotional need for a target, explain why the witch-hunts were directed at women.

• Europeans executed between 200,000 and 500,000 witches.

• 85% of the "witches" executed were woman.

ShakespeareShakespeare

Shakespeare

• Born to John and Mary on April 26, 1564 (although April 23 is the accepted date of his birth) in Stratford-upon-Avon

• Survived the plague, unlike his sisters Joan and Margaret; he had seven siblings altogether.

• Attended Stratford grammar school during the reign of King Edward VI, who renamed the school “King’s New School of Stratford-upon-Avon”.

• Headmasters stepped down in those days because of the constant feuding between Catholics and Protestants, including one aspiring Jesuit, Simon Hunt.

• Latin was the primary language, but William had time to learn neither Latin nor English much before he was taken out of school at the age of 13, due to the financial restraints and social tension his father faced.

• Married Anne Hathaway in the early 1580’s and had four children:

– Susanna in May of 1583

– Twins (yes, I’m aware “twins” is not a name) in January of 1585

– Hamnet (1585-1596)

• Debuted as a poet in 1593 with “Venus and Adonis”

• Joined the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (formerly known as “Lord Strange’s Men”).

• For 17 years he was one of the owners of the Globe Theatre

Macbeth: Facts and FictionMacbeth: Facts and Fiction• Duncan became King of Scotland upon the death of the former King Malcolm in 1034. He was a

horrible leader, leading a campaign into Northumbria, but being forced to retreat immediately back to Scotland. His cousin MacBeth, King of the northern Scots, also had a claim to the throne through his mother. MacBeth formed an alliance with his cousin the Earl of Orkney, and they defeated and killed Duncan near Forres in 1040.

• MacBeth claimed the throne for him and his wife Grauch, and after the death of Duncan, made himself king in his place. MacBeth was respected for his strong leadership qualities and for being a wise king; he ruled successfully for 17 years. He lived in Dunsinane, north of Perth, and his rule was sure enough for him to go on a pilgrimage to Rome in 1050. However, Duncan's son Malcolm had fled to Northumbria after the defeat of his father and had never given up his claim to the throne. In 1054, with the support of Earl Siward, he led an army against MacBeth, defeating him at the battle of Dunsinnan. MacBeth remained king, restoring Malcolm's lands to him, but on August 15, 1057, at the battle of Lumphanan in Aberdeenshire, MacBeth was killed and Malcolm became King.

• Shakespeare sets the battle between Duncan and MacBeth in 1040 at Birnam Hill in Perthshire, rather than Forres, and MacBeth dies at Dunsinane instead of Lumphanan. Duncan is portrayed as a strong, wise, and elderly king, when in reality, he was a weak ruler. Macbeth supposedly has no legitimate claim to the throne, but the real MacBeth had a claim through his mother's side; both MacBeth and his wife were descended from Kenneth MacAlpin. Shakespeare also gives MacBeth the title “Thane of Glamis,” but that did not even exist in the 11th century.

Duncan and MacbethDuncan and Macbeth

King Duncan King Macbeth

Extras!Extras!

• When was Macbeth first performed?

The first recorded performance of Macbeth was in April, 1610.

• What do actors call Macbeth when they are afraid to say the name aloud?

The best known of all theatrical superstitions forbids actors from mentioning the name of that Scottish play anywhere inside the theatre other than onstage. If an actor mistakenly lets the “M” word slip in the dressing room, he or she must perform a ritual to reverse the curse. Although these antics vary depending on who you ask, most times the actor will run from the building, turn around three time, spit, and then ask permission to reenter the theatre.

Works CitedWorks Cited"King James I of England." 3 Nov 2006. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 9 Nov 2006

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_I_of_England>.

Mabillard, Amanda. An Analysis of Shakespeare's Sources for Macbeth. Shakespeare Online. 2000. (11/1/2006) <

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/playanalysis/macbethsources.html >.

Mabillard, Amanda. William Shakespeare of Stratford. Shakespeare Online. 20 June 2000. <

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography >.

"Macbeth." 1 Nov 2006. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 9 Nov 2006

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_I_of_England>.

Nachman, Ben-Yehuda. American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 86, No. 1 (Jul., 1980), pp. 1-31.

"Witchcraft." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 12 Nov. 2006

<http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-214883>.