Annotated Bibliography
"Macbeth: Background." BBC News. BBC. 06 May 2013 <http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/english/macbeth/background/revision/1/>.
BBC News offers interpretations of the play Macbeth in various aspects: political, philosophical and historical. As indicated by its title, the article focuses on the background from which William Shakespeare finds inspiration to write the play. The source sites and describes numerous historical figures and their relationship with William Shakespeare and how Shakespeare reflected those relationships within his writing. The article would have been more useful and informative if it had mentioned and elaborated on specific scenes, passages or even motifs of Macbeth that demonstrate relevance or connection to the political, philosophical and historical aspects explained. The historical facts, especially regarding the relationship between Scotland and England, described in this source can be slightly biased; the publisher BBC News is based in England and therefore it might tend to present historical events and facts in a way that is more favorable towards England.
"The Royal Play: James I and Macbeth." Without Feathers. 08 May 2013 <http://www.without-feathers.com/works/writing/prose/royal- play.php>.
In this blog post, the writer investigates the play Macbeth in its historical and cultural context. Most importantly, she discusses the influence of King James I on English history and culture, including religion, William Shakespeare and his writings. The blog post contains in-depth analysis about how the literary elements in the play Macbeth connects to the identity of King James I. Starting from character development, storyline, themes and motifs, the post describes how the history of King James I compliments many components of Macbeth and questions whether the compliments were intentionally made by Shakespeare. The writer suggests theories, which are
constantly contested by professional historians and writers even to this day, as facts. For example, the post claims that it is accurate to say that the character Banquo was a true ancestor of King James I; even though this belief is widely accepted, it has yet been proven and therefore the writer should have mentioned that it is a mere theory. I had to pause and use additional sources to both validate and defy the argument the writer of the blog post was supporting so firmly. The source would have been more reliable if it had included and explained interpretations of James I and Macbeth from various perspectives.
Grace Song & Seowon Kim
British Literature C Block Bedford High School |