The Humanist Language as an Identity Building Aspect on

Shakespeare’s Macbeth

Cinthya Luciano Loureiro

(Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Brazil)

Abstract: This article aims to establish a dialogue between the theorical approach endorsed by authors such as Ernest Gellner and Benedict Anderson on the national identity formation process, and Macbeth, a play written by William Shakespearee (1564–1616) — whose date the scholars cannot precise, but the evidences guide them to believe that this and other tragedies were written around the year of 1601 as a result of a suffering process throughout which the author have gone after the death of his friend, the Earl of Essex. The previous mentioned authors assign a crucial role to historical events as the Protestant Reformation and the Cultural Renaissance in the identify formation process. Taking into consideration that William Shakespeare has lived in an English society which were suffering the consequences of this two events, it is important to access one of his own pieces to achieve a better comprehension of how the humanist language has been appropiated and used by Shakespeare as a propaganda tool in support of the government.

Key words: Macbeth, identity, humanist language