The Scottish Play: Macbeth and the Real King Behind the Legend

Before Shakespeare's tragedy, there was a real Macbeth — a 11th-century king of Scotland who ruled for seventeen years, defeated the Norwegian king Thorfinn Sigurdsson, and made a pilgrimage to Rome. This episode of The Story of Scotland separates historical fact from dramatic fiction. We explore Macbeth's lineage as Mormaer of Moray, his marriage to Gruoch (the real Lady Macduff's widow), his victory over Duncan I at the Battle of Bothnagowan, and his subsequent reign. We examine the role of the chronicler John of Fordun, whose accounts influenced Shakespeare, and discuss the archaeological evidence from Scone and Dunkeld. We also look at Macbeth's successor, Lulach — his stepson — and how the House of Dunkeld reclaimed the throne. This is not the murderous usurper of the play, but a complex warlord in a violent age of Norse-Gaelic Scotland. #Macbeth #Shakespeare #MormaerOfMoray #Gruoch #DuncanI #BattleOfBothnagowan #Lulach #JohnOfFordun #Scone #Dunkeld #ThorfinnSigurdsson #NorseGaels #MedievalScotland #11thCentury #HouseOfDunkeld #ScottishHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo