Shakespeare’s Marriage
Shakespeare married his wife, Anne Hathaway, when he was 18 years old. She was 26. She was also 3 months pregnant with his child.
The Patriarchal Society of Elizabethan and Jacobean England
Now, let’s consider the subservient role of women in the patriarchal society of the day. Yes, women were considered the property of their husbands by law, but what did that mean in everyday life? Is it likely that the 17 or 18 year old Shakespeare seduced Anne, or is it more likely that she took the initiative?
If Shakespeare Loved Anne
When we think this way, we can clearly see why he would write parts for clever, passionate, powerful women, like Lady Macbeth. We might infer that he did not see women as weaker or inferior beings, but men’s equal in many respects. And Anne herself would be an odd choice for a highly intelligent, articulate teenager to marry, unless she too were also quick witted and able to keep up with his agile mind.
Moreover, Shakespeare was born during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, a symbol of women’s power and intelligence. We can infer, if we choose, that Shakespeare’s female leads are a celebration of their intelligence, rather than a warning to husbands that they need to control their wives. In this reading, Lady Macbeth is not a sexist creation to prove that women are manipulative and evil.
(In her book Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell interprets the pregnancy is planned by the lovers to force their two families to accept their love and force through the marriage).
If Shakespeare Didn’t Love Anne
On the other hand, if we believe that Shakespeare’s marriage was forced on him, we might argue that Lady Macbeth represents the manipulation of his wife. How likely is it that a 26 year old would get pregnant by accident? How desperate would she be for a baby and a husband in an age where women’s status was determined entirely by who they marry? How desperate would she be to have a child when the average life expectancy was 35, because so many children died young?
We might choose to see the trajectory of Macbeth’s marriage, starting as equals with “my dearest partner in greatness” to Macbeth’s unemotional reaction to her suicide, “she should have died hereafter”, to mirror his own marriage.
Shakespeare’s resentment can be inferred from his will, “I gyve unto my wief my second best bed with the furniture”, which many critics see as a deliberate insult to his wife.
The Value of Friendship in Shakespeare’s Life
Shakespeare’s first child was called Susanna, and his next children were twins, named Judith and Hamnet. Both appear to have been named after close friends. Hamnet Sadler, a baker, and his wife Judith who were both witness to his will. Shakespeare drew the will up aged 52, four weeks before he died. We can infer from this that Shakespeare believed strongly in loyalty and friendship.
Viewed this way, Macbeth’s killing of Banquo is unforgiveable, and much more likely to damage Macbeth than the much more socially damaging regicide of Duncan. This helps explain why Macbeth doesn’t see Duncan’s ghost, he sees only Banquo’s ghost.
The Death of Shakespeare’s Son, Hamnet
Hamnet died at the age of 11, in 1596. Many scholars wonder what effect this had on Shakespeare’s writing.
The tragedy of the play could still happen without any reference to their child’s death. We all believe the tragedy begins with his first meeting with the witches. But if Shakespeare wanted us to assume it was simply the influence of their evil, supernatural power, he would have excluded his child’s death.
Introducing this death gives Macbeth and Lady Macbeth psychological reasons for their desperate desires. Similarly, if Shakespeare simply wanted to portray Lady Macbeth as evil, he would exclude the detail of her child’s death. We can clearly see how their grief is partly responsible for both their tragedies. So then we can also speculate that this may reflect Shakespeare’s own grief at the death of son, Hamnet.
You don’t need to know this stuff to write well about Macbeth. But I love literature, and I hope knowing this sort of context will help you make richer interpretations of the plays you read. If you’d like more, this extract comes from my Ultimate Guide to Macbeth, available on Amazon.