In 1606 when Macbeth is believed to have been first performed, England was still reeling from a prolonged question of succession after Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603 without naming a successor, the thwarted Gun Powder Plot which aimed to unseat the current government by blowing up Parliament, the long and continuing strife between Protestants and Catholics, as well as Scotland joining with England under one ruler: James the First.
Macbeth endures and continues to speak to us because it was born out of this time of cultural and political chaos. One doesn’t need to look far to find parallels to the events of the early 1600s and today. What are the consequences of a violent overthrow of a current government or leader, two groups with strong beliefs who cannot find common ground, joining together disparate cultures under one flag? How do we define truth? The roots of the play are born from these questions.
Shakespeare made his living as an entertainer, however. And butts in seats is what put food on the table. In addition to drawing inspiration from the conflict around him, he gave his audience the entertaining elements of Scottish history, sex, witches, ghosts, and plenty of blood. Take one look at our entertainment offerings today and you’ll see those all still appeal.
During the trials of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators, Jesuit priests invoked the doctrine of equivocation, a Jesuit logic that allowed Catholics to avoid incriminating themselves or others without lying in the eyes of God. Telling the truth without telling the truth or lying without actually lying, as it were. Shakespeare references these trials in the Porter’s speech but also raises the impact of equivocation throughout the play. It is full of double meanings and ambiguous language: a day that is “foul and fair,” witches who are somehow both male and female, Macbeth’s perception that “nothing is, but what is not.” Examining the role of equivocation in Macbeth allows us to examine the many ways intentionally vague, ambiguous, and evasive language fills our feeds today.
It’s Shakespeare’s astute understanding of human nature that is the biggest draw back to the plays throughout the centuries. At its core, Macbeth presents us with a moral conundrum. Who do we blame? What responsibility does Macbeth bear for his actions? What of the witches, Lady Macbeth, societal expectations and norms? What, if anything, is redeemable about him by the end of the play? We struggle to answer these questions today. Are our individual choices our own? Can we foist responsibility for our actions on social media, video games, societal norms, algorithms, AI?
The Macbeths are consumed with the pursuit of what’s next. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth she feels “the future is in the instant.” I cannot help but think of the curated feeds all over social media that lead us to want what’s next, what we don’t have. Macbeth’s instinct to enjoy the present, to wear his new title in its “newest gloss, not cast aside so soon” is quickly overwhelmed by the promise of what’s next. They, like many of us today, have trouble being content with what they have when they compare themselves to others.
And what of our glee at the prospect of a man of humble beginnings who has risen to the top only to crash and burn once he has reached the apex of success? Macbeth’s trajectory feeds into this very human desire today just as it did for the Elizabethans and Jacobians. There’s an opportunity after viewing the play to consider where that impulse arises from and what one is to do with it.
Enjoy deciphering equivocation or wrestling with moral conundrums or considering the role of societal norms or just watching some good old-fashioned magic, ghosts, and blood and gore. It’s why I have read this play over 60 times and never tire of it. It’s why countless directors and actors consider it a jewel in their career to participate in a production of the play. It’s all here for you to drink in and muse over. We hope you find our play “hath a pleasant seat.”
Megan Bennett
Dramaturg, Macbeth
