The 17th century saw a complete change in the course of British history, particularly in the world of politics and foreign affairs. Modern England has undergone an adjustment of sorts, one known as the Union of the Crowns, which concerns the merging of the English and Scottish monarchies under a single ruler, James VI of Scotland and I of England. This decisive and unifying event in the progression of the British dynastic line of monarchs gave rise to the current amalgamation of territories known today as the United Kingdom. The Union of the Crowns in 1603 coincides with the beginning of the Jacobean era of English and Scottish history, notably around the time of the publication of Shakespeare's Macbeth. Written early in the reign of King James, Macbeth, Shakespeare's bloodiest and most emotionally intense tragedy, was greatly influenced by political events in and around England. Shakespeare clearly alludes to his patron, King James, throughout the plot of the play, reflecting both the real connection Shakespeare had with his sovereign as well as his obvious need to pay homage to the royal court, in particularly to the aristocrats who financed his work. Macbeth, while not deeply complex or complex, nevertheless resonates with modern Western literature and culture as well as Shakespeare's 17th-century English audiences due to the timeless and intensely human nature of the major theme of the play, the problems caused by uninhibited ambition. Almost immediately after receiving a prophecy that he will become king from three "sister wyrds" of destiny, Macbeth sets off on a path of destruction that begins with the murder of the current king, Duncan, and ends with death of almost everyone associated with it. with the new son... middle of paper... himself, in his overzealous ambition, murders needlessly, killing Duncan and effectively losing any chance of respect and trust from the nobility who suspect him of being the culprit of the murder. Macbeth, a man who was once appalled by his own sin, looking at the spilled blood of the king on his hands, now realizes that he has "forgotten the taste of fears." The horrors of his own crimes against his fellow men have become "familiar" amid the ambition, guilt and "murderous thoughts" that have become part of his conscious mind. Ultimately, as humanity continues, each individual must be aware that if their means to achieve an end result are immoral, corrupt, and perhaps violent, they certainly cannot realize the full potential of their work; and, more often than not, the individual will fall from grace as quickly as he achieved success..