Wills, Garry

Witches and Jesuits: Shakespeare's Macbeth

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ISBN 13:: 9780195102901
author:: Wills, Garry
format:: Paperback
publisher:: Oxford Paperbacks
language:: English
Publication Year:: 1996
Pages:: 240
Dimensions:: 19.6 x 12.7 x 1.8 cm
Genre:: English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
Condition:: New
Availability:: Item usually sent within 10 working days

£25.44

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Description

Description

Garry Wills explores the complex history of Shakespeare's Macbeth, uncovering the reasons behind its often troubled stage productions. By examining the play within its own historical context, Wills reveals how the burning theological and political crises of Jacobean England influenced its original audiences. The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in which a small group of Jesuits narrowly failed to blow up the King and his court, had a profound impact on Macbeth's reception. This shocking event, coupled with the widespread belief that the Jesuits were acting in conjunction with the Devil, created a climate of tension and superstition around the play. Wills' insightful analysis restores Macbeth's suspenseful tension by returning it to its own time, shedding new light on this enduring tragedy.

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