Macbeth, Ruler by Divine Right
Betrayal and Holy Retribution in Macbeth
In the play Macbeth, author William Shakespeare tells the dramatic story of how a man, who becomes obsessed with his own fate and power, falls from grace and is eventually killed by his own obsessions. Written in 1606, this play follows historical figures during the mid 11th century in the struggle for power and the crown of Scotland. When this was written, the Tudor dynasty had just ended its nearly 120 years of ruling England and Shakespeare wished for a peaceful transition of power unlike in the time of Macbeth where out of nine consecutive kings, only two had their rule ended by natural causes. To discourage this mad scramble for power among the nobles, Shakespeare uses the theme of betrayal answered by reprisals to justify the theology of the divine right of kings. During the time of Shakespeare, Europe had become a more ordered place since the time of the Dark Ages. During this time, the lands were ruled by warlords and war raged constantly as various rulers with their own armies struggled for power. Europe emerged from this time period, due in large part to the divine right of kings theology. According to this doctrine, “ God bestows on kings the right to rule. As James I writes, kings “sit upon God his throne in the earth and have the count of their administration to give unto him” (par. 4). An uprising against the king, which James describes as “monstrous and unnatural,” is by extension an uprising against the will of God” (Labbe). Most Europeans at the turn of the first millenium were extremely religious therefore this made subjects much more willing to obey the king without questions. This aspect of the doctrine dramatically helped Europe to stabilize from its previous warring state because those who went against the king were also going against the will of God and therefore risking eternal damnation. Although this theology can easily be dismissed today as a naive invention in order to keep kings in power, it
In the play Macbeth, author William Shakespeare tells the dramatic story of how a man, who becomes obsessed with his own fate and power, falls from grace and is eventually killed by his own obsessions. Written in 1606, this play follows historical figures during the mid 11th century in the struggle for power and the crown of Scotland. When this was written, the Tudor dynasty had just ended its nearly 120 years of ruling England and Shakespeare wished for a peaceful transition of power unlike in the time of Macbeth where out of nine consecutive kings, only two had their rule ended by natural causes. To discourage this mad scramble for power among the nobles, Shakespeare uses the theme of betrayal answered by reprisals to justify the theology of the divine right of kings. During the time of Shakespeare, Europe had become a more ordered place since the time of the Dark Ages. During this time, the lands were ruled by warlords and war raged constantly as various rulers with their own armies struggled for power. Europe emerged from this time period, due in large part to the divine right of kings theology. According to this doctrine, “ God bestows on kings the right to rule. As James I writes, kings “sit upon God his throne in the earth and have the count of their administration to give unto him” (par. 4). An uprising against the king, which James describes as “monstrous and unnatural,” is by extension an uprising against the will of God” (Labbe). Most Europeans at the turn of the first millenium were extremely religious therefore this made subjects much more willing to obey the king without questions. This aspect of the doctrine dramatically helped Europe to stabilize from its previous warring state because those who went against the king were also going against the will of God and therefore risking eternal damnation. Although this theology can easily be dismissed today as a naive invention in order to keep kings in power, it
Cited: Bloom, Harold. 1991. Macbeth. New York: Chelsea House, 1991. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed June 6, 2014). The NIV Study Bible. 10th Edition. Grand Rapids MI: Zondervan House, 1995. Print. Labbe, Michelle A. "Corruption and Theories of Kingship in Macbeth." Student Pulse 2.02 (2010). Shakespeare, William, and A. R. Braunmuller. Macbeth. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1997. Print. Watson, Robert N. "The Revolt Against Nature and the Father." Power in William Shakespeare 's Macbeth. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2009. 98-105. Print.