"Shakespeare's play Macbeth is to some extent a cautionary tale, warning any other potential regicides (king-killers) of the terrible fate that will inevitably befall them" (BBC ). This relates directly to the theme of the play, excessive ambition will have terrible consequences. Don't commit treason. King James inherited the throne after the death of his beloved Queen Elizabeth I, who had no heirs to the throne. He was a clumsy king. His greatness was nothing compared to that of the gracious ruler who preceded him. King James I had four obsessions: witch hunts, smoking, the divine rights of kings, and the King James Bible. Shakespeare knew that to become a writer, there was one person he had to please, the ruler of England, King James I. King James I was a very unique king; he had an interesting historical background, eccentric interests and hobbies, which had a huge influence on Shakespeare's play Macbeth. King James lived a crazy life. He was born on 19 June 1566 and died on 27 March 1625. King James I was the son of Mary Queen of Scots and Henry Stewart. Once Prince James VI of Scotland, he became King James I of England after the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603. "James' royal entry into London in 1603 had to be postponed for several months because the plague was raging in the city"( Sime 292). At the age of one, James became King James of Scotland. He was an ally of Queen Elizabeth, even after she executed his mother Mary. To Queen Elizabeth, James was a distant cousin. After his passing, King James was remembered for the King James Bible, which expressed the divine right of kings. King James believed in the theory of the divine right of kings; “This was the belief that the power of monarchs was given directly from God, and… in the center of the card… towards the Confessor” (Mabillard). Many did not believe in James' power as king or his ability to be king. Therefore, there were many attempts on his life. The Gunpowder Plot was an attempt on James' life during his reign and an allusion to Lady Macbeth encouraging Macbeth to trade his compassion for evil when she says, "...resemble the innocent flower, but be the snake underneath..." (Mabillard). Shakespeare structured the play Macbeth around King James' lifestyle to prosper with his writing, to entertain everyone, and to become a favorite of the new king of England. Although he had an intense and unusual upbringing as a child, a madwoman for a mother, a strange and eccentric obsession with witchcraft and demonology, and an extensive involvement in the plot of Macbeth, King James remains known in history as a peculiar king whose most great achievement was the King James Bible.