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REVIEW Wells, Catherine. BLOODY TYRANT OR BENEVOLENT KING: WILL THE REAL MACBETH PLEASE STAND UP? <http://www.sff.net/people/catherine-wells/Machome.htm> Visited:  5 September 2003 Contents: Information about the historical Macbeth. The site is more complex than the title indicates. It has the following sections: The Bare Facts If he was "Macbeth," doesn't that mean his father's name was Beth? Macbeth's World Macbeth's Scotland Macbeth's Predecessors and Contemporaries - the Political Leaders Celtic Kingship The Scottish High Kingship Before the High Kingship The Killing of Duncan and Accession to the High Kingship Dunsinane, or the Battle of Dundee A Tale of Clan Menzies WAIT! WHAT HAPPENED TO MACDUFF? BANQUO? THE THREE WITCHES? There's a lot of interesting information here, but little of it is of much use in interpreting Shakespeare's play, since it's probable that Shakespeare knew hardly any of it, and the author's only commentary on how Shakespeare used his sources is this: "he exercised poetic license in painting Lady Macbeth as an evil, conniving queen who urged her husband to commit murder in order to gain power." Bottom Line: Best for those interested in Scottish history.

Macbeth Navigator Home

Selected Online Resources