Macbeth was written in 1606, at a time when Shakespeare had already written many great tragedies and was already considered a master of that art form. Yet, Macbeth is also the shortest tragedy that Shakespeare wrote. For this reason, many high school teachers select it as the only Shakespeare play that they will use in the classroom. However, such teachers may be making a mistake; for, although Macbeth contains fewer lines than other Shakespeare tragedies, it deals with issues that are as complex as that found in any of the other tragedies.
The reason that Macbeth is shorter than other tragedies is probably because it was presented as a court performance, a private performance. At that time, James I was the King of England. And, as will be explained later, there are numerous historical references and dramatic devices that Shakespeare included expressly for the satisfaction and enjoyment of his king.
During the Renaissance, plays were often performed privately inside the court or palace of an aristocrat. However, the king or duke or lord might also demand that the performance last only a certain amount of time. He could very easily request the acting troop to take a three-hour performance and present it in two and a half hours or less. The acting troop would gladly accept because the private performance meant additional money for them and possibly a patron.
Such seems to be the case with Macbeth.
Quite possibly the play existed in a longer form and was cut down to fit the time restriction set by King James I. On the other hand, Shakespeare could just as easily have written the play as it exists today without ever having created a longer version of it. A few critics believe that a longer version existed because they feel that last act is too rushed and that the last scene regarding Lady Macbeth is not properly explained. However, the more likely possibility is that a longer version never existed at all. A careful reading of the play will reveal that Shakespeare does provide a number of clues and hints in his text so that the final action of the play does not require any additional commentary or explanation.
The play of Macbeth is one of great historical significance to King James I. One of the major characters in the play is Banquo, who may have been just a legendary figure that never really existed at all. James I, however, believed not only that Banquo was a real person: he also believed that Banquo was one of his direct ancestors.
Another aspect of this play that would have appealed to King James I was the inclusion of witches, ghosts, and other supernatural elements. James I, like many people of his day, believed that there really were witches who were in contact with the devil and who had magical abilities to bring harm to mankind. In fact, James I even wrote a book on that subject.
For the reader who is approaching Macbeth for the first time, one of the key elements to think about concerns the role of the witches. Do they represent evil or fate? Or do they represent something entirely different? The reader’s response to this question will most definitely affect his or her interpretation of the entire play.