The Real History Behind Shakespeare's Macbeth

The Historical Macbeth

• 👑 In 1040, a Scottish general named Macbethad killed King Duncan to seize the throne of Scotland.
• ⚔️ In 1057, Duncan's son, Malcolm Canmore, successfully led a raid to reclaim the throne from Macbethad.

Medieval Historians as Storytellers

• 📜 Over five centuries, numerous clerics, chroniclers, and poets wrote about Macbethad, but often acted more as storytellers than objective historians.
• ✍️ It was common practice to combine details from various accounts to create new histories that aligned with current cultural norms, moral arguments, or political commentary.

Glorification and Demonization

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 John of Fordun, writing during a war with England, glorified the Canmore dynasty and portrayed Macbethad as a villain to instill Scottish pride.
• 😈 Andrew of Wyntoun further demonized Macbeth, depicting him as the devil's spawn and introducing elements like hallucinated greyhounds and witches.
• 🎭 Hector Boece presented a more nuanced view, seeing Macbeth as a just ruler who succumbed to paranoia, possibly as a criticism of tyrannical contemporary kings.

Shakespeare's Inspirations

• 👑 Shakespeare's version of Macbeth was likely influenced by Hector Boece's work and written during the reign of King James I of England.
• 🤝 To flatter King James, a descendant of the Stuart dynasty (which included Macbeth's fictional friend Banquo), Shakespeare may have expanded Banquo's role and the prophecy of his descendants taking the throne.
• 🔮 Shakespeare's inclusion of witches might have been an attempt to appease King James, who detested witchcraft, or potentially a subtle rebellion against censorship.
• 🤔 Shakespeare's Macbeth is characterized by torment and confusion, questioning his destiny, reality, and agency, mirroring the way medieval historians shaped narratives.