The arrival of the Vikings in AD 794, upset the delicate political equilibrium between Scots, Picts, Britons and Angles. Scotland in the Dark Ages was still a splintered nation of several kingships. The events which led to MacBeth’s claim to the throne began with the ascension of Kenneth MacAlpin to the throne. However, without Shakespeare’s play, perhaps MacBeth would have disappeared into the annals of time, unknown to all but a few historians and academics.īut who was the real MacBeth? The Kingdom of Alba Apparently, he was disgusted by the bloody action. Interestingly, King James did not like the play and forbade further performances. Guy Fawkes was sentenced to death by drawing and quartering only after intense torture on the rack. Harsh judgement was meted out on the conspirators. Immediately prior to the publication of the play, James had been the intended victim of the Gunpowder plot. He felt that regicide was a high crime against God because of his belief in the divine right of kings. Why does the play MacBeth focus on Regicide? This mirrors the punishment James would have exacted for both witchcraft and regicide. This decision would ultimately result in MacBeth’s death by the rightful heirs to the throne as well as the loss of eternal honour for himself and his wife. MacBeth fails to punish the witches, instead using their predictions to carry out a plot of regicide. It, therefore, comes as no surprise that Shakespeare includes witches in his play and portrays them as having direct ties with demonic beings such as the devil. James had direct involvement in several witch trials. This was the time of the Scottish Witch Hunts where witches were hunted out and punished for their crimes against the crown and against God. The play is a tale of witchcraft, regicide and the ultimate punishment by death with no legacy. Of course, Shakespeare had to turn MacBeth into a villain- James was descended from Duncan and Malcolm III. According to Shakespeare, MacBeth’s reign lasted for several weeks rather than 17 years. King Ducan was not stabbed in the back in his bed. There are no records that Banquo or MacDuff even existed. Glamis was not even a Thaneage at this point in history. MacBeth was never Thane of Cawdor and Glamis. According to Shakespeare King Duncan was old but we now know that he was a young king. The play departs dramatically from the truth. Shakespeare went on to embellish this even more. Alas, Holinshed’s information about MacBeth was inaccurate. Shakespeare used the revised second edition of Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles as the source for most of his historical plays. The play was a form of flattery, playing to some of James’ intense beliefs. King James VI of Scotland had recently ascended to the throne of England. It was written to address the political turmoil at the time. ‘MacBeth’ the play is one of William Shakespeare’s most famous works and was written around 1606. Thus, the myths surrounding MacBeth began and culminated in his vilification by one William Shakespeare. The Kings that followed MacBeth, claimed their ancestry from Malcolm Ceann Mor and historians are apt to appease the sitting king. They say that victors get to re-write history. Seventeen years to the day that MacBeth slew King Duncan at the Battle of Pitgaveny, he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Lumphanan. Meanwhile, Duncan’s son waited in the shadows, nursing his wrath, no doubt fuelled by his Anglo-Saxon benefactors. MacBeth was now King.ĭuncan’s widow fled with her two sons and took refuge in the courts of the Northumbrian Earl. He was carried from the battleground to the nearby settlement of Elgin, where he succumbed to his wounds. Then finally, Duncan I, King of Scots received a mortal blow.
This was the 15 th of August 1040, the twilight years of the Celtic kings of Alba. The blood of kin seeped into the sandy shores of Loch Spynie. The singing swings of the battle axe splintered both shield and bones.
#Malcolm wallace skull and bones mac#
MacBeth mac Findlay’s heart pounded as sword clashed against sword.
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