How many times has Shakespeare had to adapt Macbeth to avoid upsetting the monarchy?

Shakespeare dramatically altered Macbeth’s original source material in order to please King James. Macbeth was a real historical figure, a king who ruled Scotland beginning in 1045. It is hard to say how many times Shakespeare consciously made the decision to alter events to avoid upsetting the monarchy; however, I can point you to three major alterations. The first two alternations were certainly made to avoid upsetting the monarchy, while the last was made...

Shakespeare dramatically altered Macbeth’s original source material in order to please King James. Macbeth was a real historical figure, a king who ruled Scotland beginning in 1045. It is hard to say how many times Shakespeare consciously made the decision to alter events to avoid upsetting the monarchy; however, I can point you to three major alterations. The first two alternations were certainly made to avoid upsetting the monarchy, while the last was made as a concession to King James's personal interests. 

The historical Macbeth ruled for fourteen years, and most historians look upon his reign favorably. During his reign, Christianity flourished and the country was peaceful except for a few successful Scottish raids into Northumbria, England. Given that Shakespeare wrote Macbeth at a time when England was still shaken by the Gunpowder Plot, a failed assassination attempt on King James, a realistic portrayal of Macbeth’s virtues would have been inappropriate and dangerous. It was certainly practical to suggest that horror and chaos were the only results of a rebellion against a ruler.

Additionally, since King James was descended from Banquo and Fleance, Shakespeare emphasized these characters’ goodness and cast them as the wronged heroes of the tale. This wasn’t entirely true; in fact, the Chronicles of Holinshed show that the historical Banquo allied with Macbeth even after his murder of Duncan! Banquo is shown as Macbeth’s accomplice instead of a staunch supporter of Duncan and an innocent victim of Macbeth’s mania. 

Now, of course, there were no three witches in the real version of Macbeth’s rise to power. However, it’s important to mention them since King James was incredibly obsessed with the supernatural. He even wrote a book  that described his theories about witches and spirits. By including evil witches in Macbeth, Shakespeare further tailored the play to King James’s interests.