It is impossible to adequately describe the historical significance of the play without first understanding the context in which it was written. It is no coincidence that Macbeth was written in 1605, only two years after King James IV of Scotland became King James I of England (Historical Context). James was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, whose history of political relationships with England was rather dismal, making this a delicate transitional period. Shakespeare was well aware of his obligations to the throne: his writing must not only appeal to the king in regards to content, but it must also reaffirm the power and legitimacy of the new monarch for the sake of the English commoners. Thus Shakespeare set out to create a piece of drama that was at once engaging, unifying, and reassuring. It is likely that Shakespeare’s most prominent goal in writing, like any other author, was to craft a gripping narrative. In particular, it would pander to the interests of his most important audience member, King James: it would include genealogy of the monarch (to affirm James’ legitimacy, and an interest of James’), witchcraft (a popular and controversial topic of the day, and on which subject James wrote a book), and various references to (and perhaps deviations from) Scottish and English history (a respectful, unifying factor) (Mabillard).
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