How Did Shakespeare Create A Universal Order In The Elizabethan Era

The Elizabethans believed the universe was organized under, according to Alexander Pope, a “vast chain of being,” a universal order established under the authority of God. God was responsible for the creation of the universe and its inhabitants. In John Fortescue’s accounts on the laws of nature, God created an assortment of dissimilar “things,” as well as creatures, to create a system of superior and inferior beings. All existence was divided into classes of increasing order: the inanimate beings (rocks), fire, vegetation (plants), animals, humans, angels, and God. The Renaissance picture illustrated this sequence in a stairway, dividing each component based upon their intellect and complexity. The inanimate objects were lacking in life while the vegetative class was blessed with existence. Animals, who possessed some qualities of existence,
The medieval society was divided based upon your social status and divine powers. In a monarchical government, the king, positioned at the highest order, was closest to God through the authority of the divine right of kings. Therefore, challenging and betraying the king would, in turn, defy the authority of God. In Macbeth, King Duncan is murdered at the hands of Macbeth. Macbeth, the thane of Cawdor, rebelled against a man of a superior standing; instead, he, who is a man of lower status, should have served and respected his king. Greedy for power, he set off the balance of nature and the universal unity. As a consequence of his impiety, the great chain of being will experience a downfall, and disorder will fall upon Scotland. The shattered chain invites evil beings of Hell, a world unbound by the order. The recurring appearance of the three witches could be foreshadowing imminent danger and turmoil. For the assassination of King Duncan, Macbeth may have to face death himself in order to revive the natural