Witchcraft and Other Nasty Stuff

Witchcraft and Other Nasty Stuff

Witches were thought to have unlimited power, but could only harm those whose own evil instincts let them believe in the power of the evil one. If you were accused of being a witch, you were tortured until you confessed to being one. Then, you were either hung or burned at the stake.

Witches thought to be hideous in appearance were believed to be able to take on the forms of cats or toads, and to make it rain, hail or thunderstorm. Witches also foretold the future. They are described as having skinny lips, chopped fingers, and beards – SCARY stuff.

People really believed in witches in Shakespeare’s day. It was a popular subject. King James I believed in them so much that he wrote two books on the subject. One was based on a trial in which the king presided against a coven of witches who supposedly tried to kill the king in a shipwreck.

This is not a cheery play and is actually considered Shakespeare’s darkest play. A big part of the eariness, fear and pity we feel for Macbeth comes from the subtle imagery of the play – the witches weird chanting and the scary critters we keep seeing (scorpions, snakes, a vulture, a swarm of insects, a tiger, a rhinocerous and a bear). The most subtle is the image of a tiny wren fighting for the lives of her young against an owl. This happens just before Lady MacDuff and her son are murdered. We also have the ghost and apparitions - SPOOKY.

FYI: The Real Macbeth

Macbeth actually lived, but not exactly as Shakespeare portrayed him; although, he did murder Duncan. However, in history, Banquo helped. Of course, Banquo was also an ancestor of King James I, Shakespeare’s monarch and patron, so it wouldn’t do to tell that part of the story.

Duncan wasn’t very good at being king. He invaded England and gained nothing. He went to war against Thorfinn, the Norse Earl of Orkney, and gained less. In fact, Macbeth actually fought for Thorfinn against the unjust invasion and arranged for Duncan’s murder in battle.

Macbeth then became King of Scotland for 17 years. He was good at being king. He earned a reputation as a firm, just and energetic ruler. Duncan’s son, Malcolm, killed Macbeth in battle – it seems the Scots were always killing someone – and became King Malcolm III. Then his son, Duncan II, became king for one year.

Why? You guessed it! He was killed a year later by friends of his uncle, so the uncle could become king. It seems that being King of Scotland was hazardous to your health. Most of the other stuff – the sleepwalking, witches, Lady Macbeth’s suicide – were all made up by Shakespeare to make a rollicking good story.