Redeeming In Macbeth

William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, first performed in 1606, clearly embodies the attitudes and beliefs of his Jacobean era audience. Performed during the reign of King James I, a time period where religion and superstition was accompanied by scientific discovery and philosophy, the play centres around a heroic Scottish warrior, Macbeth, whose all too human fatal flaw of ambition ultimately corrupts him and leads to his demise. This, combined with his ‘Humanist’ ideology, that man is responsible for his own fate, are the driving forces behind Macbeth’s actions, some of which conflicted with many of the accepted beliefs of the time, including the Divine right of King’s and the Great Chain of Being. While Macbeth reveals certain redeeming
qualities, a highly superstitious Jacobean audience would have viewed his decision to trust in the witches’ prophesy, his role in the murder of King Duncan, and the slaughter of Macduff’s family, as unforgivable crimes, and therefore is justly punished for his actions.