Political History and Corruption in Macbeth

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Political History and Corruption in Macbeth

To understand many of William Shakespeare's plays, one must understand the history of the time period. A.L. Rowse gives a history of William Shakespeare's time, the late sixteenth to the early seventeenth century and how the government of the time was authoritarian but popular. The person of the Monarch (derived from the Greek "monorchia", the rule of one), the Crown, was something even the lowest character could understand. The monarchs have many different titles, including king, queens, sultan, emperors, empresses, tsars, and kaisers, depending on the type of governments and the location of the state he or she rules.

Oftentimes, the monarch was based on the need for a strong ruler who could gather the countries best men to form and command a military that was used to defend the country. The monarch was absolute and only responsible to God and was considered to be God's representative in all worldly and royal matters. A strong central government was needed to maintain order and provided a stable atmosphere in which trade could flourish. Productive leadership qualities were very noticeable in Henry the VIII, and even more so in his daughter, Elizabeth (Rowse 226-263). Furthermore, "There is no doubt that she regarded herself as appointed by God to rule over her subjects" (Rowse 264). Henry the VIII inherited a kingdom from Henry the VII which lacked natural recourses yet it was surrounded on three sides by water. Even though Henry's kingdom was protected by water, the Scots lived to the north and were allied with France. The Scots were England's ancient and bitter enemy.

Henry's chief concerns had been to control the independence of the nobility and to ...

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"History of the Monarchy." Kings and Queens of England. 21 Mar. 2002. Online. Available. <http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page10.asp.26> Mar. 2002

Swisher, Clarice, ed. Readings on Macbeth. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999.

Rowse, A.L. The England of Elizabeth: The Structure of Society. New York: Macmillan Company, 1950.

Shakespeare, William. "The Tragedy of Macbeth." Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes. The British Tradition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall 1999.

Streatfeild, Noel. The First Book of England. New York: Franklin Watts, 1958.

Wadsworth, Frank W. "Shakespeare, William." World Book Online American Edition. Online Edition. Online. Netzero. 26 Mar 2002.

"William Shakespeare." BBC Homepage. Online. Available <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/culture/shakespeare.shtml>. 26 Mar. 2002.

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