According to the source sited below as well as the
tourguides in Inverness, Scotland (who might be a "wee bit" biased), Joe Cochoit has
researched the Eatons, the Stuarts, and the FizAlons and determined that Banquo and
Fleance are fictitious characters. And, the historical accuracy of
Macbeth is altered since Shakespeare took his story from Raphael
Holinshed's Chronicles, a work that Shakespeare knew to be
fictionalized. He altered it further to clear Banquo, King James's legendary ancestor,
of complicity in the murder since, after all, his play was performed before Queen
Elizabeth.
In Holinshed's work, Malcolm tests Macduff in
the same fashion that Shakespeare has him do so. In his discussion of the murder of King
Duff by Donwald in the century before Macbeth, Donwald was nagged by his wife until he
performed the evil deed, and drugged the guards, but Shakespeare adapted these actions
for Macbeth.
Holinshed's section on
Macbeth was purportedly taken from the work of Hecto Boece. In this work, Malcolm II
was murdered at Glamis in 1034 by his fellow warlords, perhaps including his grandson
Duncan. Then Duncan seized the throne by killing his rivals. Macbeth allied with
Thorfinn of Orney, a Norseman, and defeated and killed Duncan I in a battle in Elgin in
August 1040. Thornfinn ruled northern Scotland, and Macbeth ruled southern Scotland.
According to accounts, Macbeth was a good king, strict but fair, for the first decade of
his reign. Macbeth reigned until he was killed by Duncan's son Malcolm. After
Macbeth's death, Lulach claimed the throne with supporters' help. But he was
subsequently ambused and killed a few months later by Malcolm. An aggressive and
successful warrior who invaded England several times, Malcolm married Margaret, a
princess of the Old English royal family. The story goes that he was
eventually murdered by a treacherous soldier.
No comments:
Post a Comment