APPENDIX A
Sources of the Play
Macbeth was a real character in history. He became King of Scotland in 1039 or 1040 by slaying his predecessor Duncan, and he reigned until he was himself slain in battle with Malcolm in 1056 or 1057. It seems that, in rising against Duncan, Macbeth was asserting a legitimate claim to the crown; not he, but Duncan, was the usurper; but the records of the time are very scanty.
Shakespeare, however, acquired his knowledge of Macbeth from Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland (first published in 1577); and Holinshed's account makes no distinction between the meagre facts of history and the myths that had accumulated during five centuries. Shakespeare, in turn, made very free use of Holinshed, rearranging and altering incidents as he pleased. His play, in consequence, is almost wholly unhistorical.
Holinshed says that Macbeth slew Duncan, but he gives no details. He does, however, give a minute account of the murder of another Scottish king, which had taken place sixty-seven years earlier; and Shakespeare borrowed from this a number of hints for his own account of the murder of Duncan. Holinshed narrates the revolt of Macdonwald, the invasion of Scotland by the Norwegians, and the condemnation of Cawdor for treason; but the three events have no connection with one another. Shakespeare condenses them all into a single action, thereby introducing a number of confusions into the story. Holinshed tells of the prophecies made to Macbeth and Banquo by the weird sisters, and of later assurances given to Macbeth by 'a certain witch.' Shakespeare blends the three weird sisters and the one witch into one group of three persons, whom he calls sometimes 'witches' and sometimes 'weird sisters'; and all their part in the play except the bare fact of their prophecies is of Shakespeare's invention. It is noteworthy, also, that according to Holinshed Macbeth reigned seventeen years, and that for the first ten years he ruled worthily and well; but that then he became uneasy about Banquo and caused him to be murdered, and the rest of his reign was cruel and tyrannical.
Several of the most striking incidents of the play are wholly original with Shakespeare; among others, the knocking at the gate and the drunken porter, the appearance of Banquo's ghost, and the sleep-walking. For the chief characters in the play, Shakespeare found only meagre hints in Holinshed; and such things as the soliloquies of Macbeth and the talks between Macbeth and his wife are entirely new. The conversation between Malcolm and Macduff at the English court, on the other hand, is largely a close paraphrase from Holinshed.
The following extract contains Holinshed's account of the murder of Duncan:
'The woords of the three weird sisters also (of whom before ye haue heard) greatlie incouraged him herevnto, but speciallie his wife lay sore vpon him to attempt the thing, as she that was verie ambitious, burning in vnquenchable desire to beare the name of a queene. At length therefore, communicating his purposed intent with his trustie friends, amongst whome Banquho was the chiefest, vpon confidence of their promised aid, he slue the king at Enuerns,[1] or (as some say) at Botgosuane,[2] in the sixt yeare of his reigne. Then hauing a companie about him of such as he had made priuie to his enterprise, he caused himselfe to be proclamed king, and foorthwith went vnto Scone, where (by common consent) he receiued the inuesture of the kingdome according to the accustomed maner. The bodie of Duncane was first conueied vnto Elgine, & there buried in kinglie wise; but afterwards it was remoued and conueied vnto Colmekill, and there laid in a sepulture amongst his predecessors, in the yeare after the birth of our Sauiour, 1046.'