The document provides background information on Shakespeare's Macbeth, including that it was written in 1606 during the reign of King James I of England, who believed in supernatural influences and witches. It discusses the ancestry of some characters to King James I and the historical setting of 11th century Scotland, where Duncan is king and Macbeth is a general in his army. It also notes some key differences between how people thought in Shakespeare's time versus today in the post-Darwinian age.

1. An Introduction

2. Written in England in 1606 during the reign of James I James I was a strict Protestant who believed, amongst other things, that: God had a supernatural influence on human affairs Witches and magicians were agents of the devil, working to punish sinners and tempt the virtuous God distinguished kings from ordinary men Several characters are ancestors of James I, including Duncan (the king)

3. 11 th century Scotland Hereditary succession to the throne was only three generations old Duncan is king; he has two sons, Malcolm and Donalbain He is supported by a number of noblemen as they battle Norse invaders Macbeth is a General in the king’s army

4. People in Shakespeare's time didn't think like us. We live in the post Darwinian age. Things are supposed to improve over time as the weak die out. Before Darwin, people assumed that the further we lived after the date of Creation the worse things got, because we lived more distantly from the “perfect time”. http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~maggieoh/Macbeth/chain1.html

5. God Angels Kings/Queens Dukes/Duchesses/Thanes Bishops Earls/Countesses Knights/Local Officials Ladies-in-Waiting Priests/Monks Squires Messengers Merchants/Shopkeepers Tradesmen Yeomen Farmers Soldiers/Town Watch Household Servants Beggars Actors Thieves/Pirates Gypsies Animals Plants Rocks http://arnoldit.com/wordpress/2008/09/20/search-moving-up-the-buzzword-chain-of-being/

6. Disruption in the Chain could cause anything from storms to deaths to absolute chaos.

7. Trailer (Directed by Geoffrey Wright) Prologue (Directed by Roman Polanski)