Macbeth is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, written around 1606 and first published in the First Folio of 1623, which is the date shown here. It is the story of a Scottish general who is told by three witches that he will become king, and who, urged on by his wife, murders King Duncan and seizes the throne. Guilt and paranoia drive him to further killings, while Lady Macbeth is eventually consumed by remorse. The play examines ambition, fate and the corrupting effect of power. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is loosely based on the historical Scottish king and on Holinshed's chronicles. Its performance history includes the stage superstition that the name should not be spoken in a theatre.
Before and after
- November 1620The Mayflower lands the Pilgrims
- from 2 September 1621 to 9 October 1621Battle of Khotyn
- 1622Publication of Othello
- 15 January 1622Birth of Molière
- 1623Publication of Macbeth
- 1623Publication of Twelfth Night
- 1623Founding of Barbados
- 1623Founding of Weymouth
- 1623Publication of The Tempest
More in Art, literature & culture
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 17th century.