Research Paper on:
The Subversive Nature of “Macbeth”

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
was acquired in Shakespeares own time. Macbeth is one of Shakespeares characters that the audience (or the reader) immediately understands will not have an easy time of it. The story  of "Macbeth," after all, is known as Shakespeares "darkest drama." Shakespeares "Scottish Play" is loosely based on an event in Scottish history, the death of King Duncan (sometimes referred  to as "Duncan the Meek") at the hands of a family member -- Macbeth -- who was a great "thane" or lord. It is important to understand that regardless of  the many historical accounts of the lineage and accomplishments of the real Macbeth, certain aspects of Shakespeares "Macbeth" are clearly the constructs of the Bards own imagination and devices making  for a better story-telling. Supposedly, the historical Macbeth was a cruel and ambitious tyrant. The Political World of Macbeth In Macbeths world, it would appear that every character is  a family relation of some sort. Of course, the main family is the one that includes Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, and Macbeth. Another family is presented by Macduff and Ross who  are cousins and Banquo and Lennox are also cousins. Aside from the family connections, relationships are based on soldier camaraderie. The student researching "Macbeth" should understand that there is  virtually no relationships in the play in which people or a group of people can be characterized as simply friends. Regardless of the relationships that do and do not exist  between the characters of the play, the fact remains that "Macbeth" is a play of shadows and echoes, of ambivalence and duplicity in terms of the words spoken and the  actions taken. What is important to understand in considering the political ramifications of what Shakespeare was writing was that it could be interpreted as reflecting on the nature of