Was Shakespeares Macbeth Historically Accurate?
Fair is foul and Foul is Fair when it comes to storytelling
What do you do if you’re an English playwright working for a new king? You write a play to get on his good side of course. That’s exactly what William Shakespeare did when he wrote his tragic story of Macbeth.
James, who was king of Scotland, added King of England to his title in 1603. So when the Bard wrote his play, he wanted to tailor it to the likes of his new patron. Witchcraft and ancestry were two of the king's special interests, so Shakespeare knew these were two elements he wanted to include in his story. He also knew the king traced his linage back to Banquo. The Bard did some thinking, and by 1606 Macbeth was ready for prime time. But how much of his information was based on fact? Was Macbeth really the cruel monster the play made him out to be?
A little background
It was Malcolm II who ruled as high king when little Mac Bethad mac Findlaích, or Macbeth, was born in 1005. Scotland in those days was a newly consolidated kingdom. Sometimes everyone played nicely together, sometimes they didn’t. You know how things are when something is new and all the kinks are being worked out.
