While reading Shakespeare's Macbeth in class, we sometimes mention some historical facts regarding medieval Scotland, for instance way that that kingship was inherited. Since we sometimes analyze the play based on the real world history, I wondered whether there is some kind of reality that can be found in this play. Of course, I never expected to find out historical facts about witches, prophecy or any other supernatural elements during my research, but I hoped to find some character and story resemblance. Well, surprisingly characters like Macbeth and Duncan actually existed during the 11th century. Let me list some specific points regarding this revelation:
- Duncan was the king of Scotland between 1034-1040, and Macbeth was his cousin and subject.
- Macbeth rebelled against Duncan and overthrew him, not by assassination but by war.
- Unlike the way he is portrayed in the play, Duncan is not a great leader as Macbeth described him to be.
- Also,Macbeth is generally considered as a wise king, however in the play so far we have witnessed his insane and indecisive nature.
There are several more things to point out, however I don't want to spoil the rest of the play for you.
If you want to read more about this issue, you can check these links out:
Duncan and Macbeth
Macbeth: The Play and the Story Behind It
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