Shakespearanity: Macbeth's Third Murderer and the Evolution of Shakespeare’s Pop Culture Status

Abstract

Shakespeare’s immense cultural value can be seen by the numerous book, movie, and internet references to his work which populate modern society. However, this was not always the case: for hundreds of years Shakespeare remained the almost exclusive property of the aristocracy and academia. Scholars have noted how this perception of Shakespeare shifted during the Victorian era, but have not yet explored how this influences contemporary interactions with Shakespeare. This paper, through a case study on the third murderer of Macbeth, argues that the Victorian Era changed the way modern people conceptualize and interact with the playwright by beginning the legacy of engaging with Shakespeare as a pop culture icon.