Essay on Macbeth and the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 - 4662 Words

Macbeth and the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 Shakespeare’s Macbeth was influenced by the gunpowder plot of 1605. The equivocation that was inspired by this event played an important role in the play. The general theme of Macbeth reflects the mood of society at the time that it was written. This relationship is a direct reflection of the mimetic theory. This paper will examine the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 and the role of equivocation in the subsequent prosecutions during the time that Shakespeare was writing Macbeth, and show how Macbeth was influenced by the event. On the night of November 4, 1605, an important discovery was made in London: thirty-six barrels of highly explosive gunpowder, ready to blow a hole in the earth, were†¦show more content†¦Under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558 to 1603), the Church of England that was created by King Henry VIII (who reigned from 1509-1547) was the only tolerated religion in England. The Church of England held that the British Monarchy, rather than the Pope, was the leader of the church. The Catholic religion was forced underground. Guy Fawkes was born a protestant but was surrounded by Catholics as he was growing up. He converted to Catholicism shortly before enlisting as a mercenary in the Spanish army in the Netherlands in 1593. There he was free to practice the Catholic Faith. By the time he was 21 Guy had sold his inheritance and had joined the Catholic forces fighting in the Low Countries. For twelve years he served as a military man in the Netherlands. He was trained as a miner, skilled with gunpowder and in the arts of tunneling.2 The prohibition of Catholicism and the persecution of all who practiced the faith led to a conspiracy to liberate Catholicism in England. When Guy Fawkes returned to England in May, 1604 he met with fellow conspirators. This group included: Robert Catesby: Mover of the scheme; Kit and John Wright: brothers, cousin of Francis Tresham; Francis Tresham: argued to postpone plot; Thomas and Robert Wintour: brothers: Tom became fanatical fought for Spain. Thomas Bates: servant of Catesby Robert Keyes: took charge of gunpowder at Lambeth Thomas Percy: Convert. Under patronage of Northumberland. SirShow MoreRelatedHow The Christian Faith Broke Into So Many Different Denominations?2033 Words   |  9 Pagesfollowed this break and some of the events became violent. These events and the break from the Catholic work influenced English and Scottish literature. Religious Controversies, such as the Gunpowder Plot in the 16th and 17th centuries, changed Catholicism in Scotland and England forever and influenced the play Macbeth. Prior to the Protestant reformation in Europe a majority of people were Roman Catholic. The pope was the ultimate authority of the people and Church and were a big influence on peopleRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth Essay1827 Words   |  8 PagesVaughan 1 Katelyn Vaughan Dr.Ferguson English IV DE/AP 24 January 2016 Macbeth Research Paper Although William Shakespeare is not historically accurate with his play Macbeth, there are many possible reasons as to why his historical interpretation differs from reality. He may have wished to flatter the king and, when taken into historical context, may have wished to warn others of the fate handed to those who would oppose the king. Although there are many differences between the play and history,Read MoreTheme Of Hunger For Power In Macbeth956 Words   |  4 Pagesliterary example of the human fault than Macbeth. Much like any other person Macbeth’s ambitions take him down a dark path of confusion and violence. Macbeths actions, aided by the Three Witches and Lady Macbeth, ultimately lead to destruction. 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Events that were occurring during that time period and the feeling of theRead MoreAllegorical Elements In Macbeth Essay761 Words   |  4 Pagesallegorical devices within Macbeth can also be used as a way of discussing internal political and ethical perspectives. Shakespeare condemns equivocation within the narrative, â€Å"Faith here’s an equivocator that could swear in both the scales against either scale who committed treason enough for Gods sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven† . This is probably in reference to the Jesuit, Henry Garnet a man who was tried and executed for his role in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Garnet published the TreatiseRead MoreComparison between the Great Gatsby and Macbeth3983 Words   |  16 PagesMacbeth is one of Shakespeares most intense plays and one his most complex psychological studies. It is also a play about which there is a great deal of historica l background, which I think youll find interesting because it reveals Shakespeares creative process. The play was written in 1605--1606. Its one of the plays where the date is pretty firmly established by internal references to external events, and most scholars have agreed on the date. Shakespeare was at the height of creativeRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Macbeth s Macbeth 1250 Words   |  5 PagesDeemed Shakespeare’s shortest and most bloody tragedy, Macbeth is the tale of a valiant Scottish general whose unchecked ambition elicited his transformation into an immoral and tyrannical ruler. The story follows Macbeth’s encounter with the three Weird Sisters whose ambivalent â€Å"prophecies† prompted him to murder King Duncan and ultimately triggered his moral decline. Most prominent in the play is the theme of equivocation and a pervasive feeling of uncertainty is felt throughout the entirety ofRead MoreEssay on Imagery in Macbeth1147 Words   |  5 Pagesplaywright William Shakespeare uses blood imagery in many of his plays, one prevalent example being Macbeth. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses blood imagery to symbolize guilt, foreshadow negative events, and develop Macbeth as a tragic hero. In his famous tragedy Macbeth, Shakespeare uses blood imagery to symbolize the guilt of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. For example, as soon as he murders King Duncan, Macbeth, regretful and guilt-ridden, says,  ¨Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean fromRead MoreCharacterization Of Macbeth1276 Words   |  6 Pages But with this answer comes another question: why would Shakespeare name the main character Macbeth when his monarchs were Elizabeth I and James I? What message was he trying to send by using the name of Macbeth, the king of Scotland in 1040? In Jonathan Goldberg’s essay â€Å"Speculations: Macbeth and source† in Jean E Howard’s anthology on Shakespeare, Goldberg explains how the King Duncan in the play is a reflection of the real life Duncan I from Scotland in the 1030s when Scotland was going throughRead MoreComparative Paper on Macbeth.Docx2301 Words   |  10 PagesComparative paper on Macbeth, Throne of Blood, and Final Destination Anà ­bal Ferreira Oriana Gutià ©rrez UACh Abstract On every single text there are many elements to be analyzed, interpreted and at the same time compared with another text, which may present the same or a similar topic. On this paper examples are presented in order to illustrate the similarities and differences founded in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Kurosawa’s Throne of blood, and also the film Final destination directed by James