A hierarchy of all things that asserted God's authority at the top of the chain
Great Chain of Being
It served as a social hierarchy with kings above lords, and lords above peasants
Men were above women in this social order
Witches
A corrupting influence that seek to undermine the Great Chain of Being
It was believed that any disruption to this Great Chain of Being would cause chaos
Disruption of the Great Chain of Being in the play
1. The regicide of King Duncan
2. Macbeth becoming king (when he was not chosen by God)
3. Lady Macbeth – a woman – dominating Macbeth
Disruption of the Great Chain of Being
Caused many unnatural occurrences
Unnatural occurrences
Storms the night of Duncan's murder
An earthquake (described in Act II, Scene III)
An owl killing a falcon
Duncan's horses eating each other
The day being as dark as night (all described in Act II, Scene IV)
The disruption is seen in the instability of the Kingdom of Scotland under Macbeth'srule
Other examples of the effects of this disruption
Macbeth's murder of innocent people
His and his wife's descent into madness
The battle at Macbeth's castle
Shakespeare is suggesting that the consequences of disrupting the Great Chain of Being are extremely serious, not just for those who disrupt it, but for the whole world
Shakespeare ends the play with the restoration of order: Malcolm – who is the rightful king – becomes monarch. The suggestion is that the chaos is now over
The Chain of Being is the idea that all living things are arranged in an ordered hierarchy, with God at the top.
Humans were considered to be above other creatures because they had reason and free will.
