Practical Electronics:

The most memorable references to Jacobean England in the play, however, are those which chronicle events of the notorious Gunpowder Plot--a conspiracy by Catholic sympathizers to blow up the Parliament building and all the heads of state on November 5, 1605, approximately one year before Shakespeare’s play was written. On that date, Guy Fawkes and his band of Jesuit-sponsored papists smuggled an immense amount of gunpowder into a vault under the Parliament, which would have killed everyone in the building in a fiery cataclysm had the king not detected the explosives prior to their detonation. According to a recent book by Garry Wills, Witches and Jesuits (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995), James claimed to have discovered the plan by “inspiration” from God, who wished to save England from Rome’s “Popish plot.” Through popular mythology following the event, Jesuits were branded as “equivocators” who had tried to attack both England and the Reformation through a perverse use not only of gunpowder (“the devil’s invention”), but also of the very nature of language, which they employed in double and triple entendre to hide from the king and his court their fiendish intentions." <http://www.bard.org/education/resources/shakespeare/macbethfair.html>

In a BBC programme on Shakespeare I heard that he was Catholic too -and distantly related to the gunpowder plotters..... According to the programme -the need to tread carefully with regard to the religious politics of the day was what made Shakespeare such a nuanced artist in comparason to his contempories..... Assuming, of course, that Shakespeare did actually write the plays attributed to him.

 "John Shakespeare's eldest son had been born in dangerous times. It was less than half a century since the Queen's father, King Henry VIII, had broken with Rome, despoiled and looted church landholdings and shrines, executed notables from Sir Thomas More to two of his own wives, including Elizabeth's mother.

The Elizabethan era was fast approaching its apogee — a sustained period of military, political, scientific and cultural achievement without parallel in British history. But it was also an age of ferocious religious persecution. Herself a deeply devout and civilised woman, Elizabeth presided with apparent reluctance over the pursuit, torture and execution of papists, in sporadic purges of varying intensity. But it was a time for followers of the 'old' faith to tread carefully, to worship in corners — for some, if necessary, to deny their faith or at the least 'equivocate'.

In 1757, a century and a half after John Shakespeare's death, a document of great significance was found hidden in the rafters of the family house in Henley Street — by then occupied by Thomas Hart, a direct lineal descendant of William's sister Joan. Retiling Hart's roof was a team of workmen led by Joseph Moseley, a master-builder described as 'very honest, sober, industrious', who on 29 April came upon a small 'paper-book', or pamphlet, tucked between the old tiling and the rafters. Its six stitched leaves turned out to contain fourteen articles amounting to a profession of Roman Catholic faith." <http://www.englishhistory.info/Shakespeare/shakespeares-catholicism.html >

Apparently the British secret service (which of course doesn't exist) was also well established in Elizabethen times -with the notorious Walsingham as its head.... "Sir Francis Walsingham (c. 1530 – April 6, 1590) is remembered by history as the "spymaster" of Queen Elizabeth I of England. An admirer of Machiavelli, Walsingham is remembered as one of the most proficient espionage-weavers in history, excelling in the use of intrigues and deception to secure the English Crown. He is widely considered as the "Father of Modern Intelligence." " <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Walsingham>

"‘Macbeth’ is the third of Shakespeare’s plays that deals with monarchies, following on from Hamlet and King Lear.  It was probably written around 1605 and was firstly performed for King James I around about 1607, just shortly after Guy Fawkes and some other conspirators were caught plotting to kill the King.   These conspirators were Roman Catholic activists.

‘Macbeth’ was clearly a controversial play, dealing with the assassination of a King, but one can assume that Shakespeare intended the play to compliment monarchs, and it is no co-incidence that James I was descended from Scottish ancestry.  No doubt the subject of the early Kings of Scotland would be interesting to the King.

It should be noted that Shakespeare quotes directly from James I’s Handbook, which gives details on good government, in the play ‘Macbeth’.

As with the other works of Shakespeare, there have been numerous adaptations and films over the years.  Notable films are ‘Throne of Blood’ by Akiro Kurosawa, 1957 and ‘Macbeth’ by Roman Polanski, 1971. Arguably the best portrayal of the title role was by Orson Welles in a black and white film, which provided a realistic atmosphere.

There is a great deal of superstition about this play and actors believe it to be bad luck to mention ‘Macbeth’, so they refer to it as ‘The Scottish Play’."
<http://www.bookwolf.com/Free_Booknotes/Macbeth/Author-macbeth/author-macbeth.html>