Macbeth Setting

Scotland and England in the 11th century

The play opens on a foggy heath amidst a terrible thunder storm. Most of the subsequent action also takes place under the cover of darkness, whether it's at Macbeth's first castle, Inverness, or later, at the palace in Dunsinane. Despite these set changes, the staging of the play can be done very sparsely. Minimal furniture, excessive darkness, and thunderous sound effects add to the already eerie atmosphere. Light and shadow are so central to the play that they might be considered their own set-piece as well.

Macbeth is the only Shakespearean play that's set in Scotland. (This likely has something to do with the fact that after Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603, and King James VI of Scotland was crowned King James I of England, just a few years before the play was written. FYI: James also dubbed Shakespeare's acting company "The King's Men" so, Shakespeare may have been aiming to please the monarch.) Though the play is set in the 11th century, there are plenty of allusions to contemporary (that is, 17th century) events that would have resonated with Shakespeare's original audience. There's an allusion to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 in Act II, Scene iii and the play portrays King James I in the witches' apparition in Act iv, Scene i. Check out "Quotes" for "Power" for more on this.