As you will be aware, it is important to know and be able to write about the historical context of the literature texts that you have studied. Here are some really interesting and useful websites with contextual information about ‘Macbeth’ that you may not have been aware of! (Thank you to Mrs MacDonald for some of these links.)
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/gunpowderplot.html
This site reveals the “deep connections” between Shakespeare and the Gunpowder Plot. Find out how “change after change was made until the play became a perfect propaganda machine that seemed to clear Shakespeare of any suspicion”.
https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-trial-of-henry-garnet-1606
This site tells the story of Henry Garnet, executed for his involvement in the plot. This helps to explain many of the references made in the Porter’s speech in Act 2 Scene 3.
https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/gunpowder-plot-medal
Finally, learn about the Gunpowder Plot medal, the inspiration behind Lady Macbeth’s famous line, “Act like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t”.
GCSE English 