Macbeth is a tragedy.
Macbeth ( [ məkˈbɛθ ] full title The Tragedy of Macbeth ) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare ; it is thought to have been first performed in 1606 . Of all the plays that Shakespeare wrote during the reign of James I , who was patron of Shakespeare 's acting company , Macbeth most clearly reflects the playwright 's relationship with his sovereign . The events of the tragedy are usually associated with the execution of Henry Garnet for complicity in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 .