Introduction

About the lecture

In this module, we provide a broad introduction to the world of Macbeth, focusing in particular on the historical, political and intellectual context of early 17th-century England, especially the concepts of harmony and chaos, the importance of the numbers three and twenty-seven in the structure of the play, and the importance of James I, England’s new Scottish king.

About the lecturer

John McRae is Special Professor of Language in Literature Studies and Teaching Associate in the School of English at Nottingham University, and holds Visiting Professorships in China, Malaysia, Spain and the USA. He is co-author of The Routledge History of Literature in English with Ron Carter, and also wrote The Language of Poetry, Literature with a Small 'l' and the first critical edition of Teleny by Oscar Wilde and others.