Macbeth: Man and Myth

by N. B. Aitchison

Tony Robinson (Foreword)

A study of Macbeth in all his manifestations: historical, mythological and dramatic. Drawing upon a wide range of material, it begins by contextualizing the historical Macbeth in the turbulent politics of 11th century Scotland, then traces the origins of the myths surrounding the king before culminating in the dramatic figure immortalized by Shakespeare. The real Macbeth is disentangled from the mythical creation.

• ISBN10: 0750926406
• ISBN13: 9780750926409
• Publish Date: 23 November 2000 (first published 23 September 1999)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: The History Press Ltd
• Imprint: Sutton Publishing Ltd
• Edition: New edition
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 224
• Language: English

Reviews

[brokentune]

This was a very thorough book on the historical background of Macbeth, the historical figure, not the Shakespeare character.

I got this on recommendation from a historian and I can see how this would be a great read for someone who has an interest in medieval Scotland.
For me, much of the detail was too complex. That is not a criticism of the book, but a reflection of my own knowledge and interest in this particular era in history.

However, the book did answer the questions I had about Macbeth's background, the differences between the play and historical facts, and the background to the issues of succession in this particular era.