Clan Cornelius will attend a local production of The Scottish Play at the end of October. I am keenly looking forward to this, as I have never seen The Scottish Play performed live on stage.
It is my favorite, by far, of Shakespeare’s plays, not least because I have always found it genuinely disturbing. I’ve met a Lady MacBeth or two…
Also, there is the family lore that the MacBean/Bean folk in the family tree are descendants of McBeth, which I take heavily salted. But still.
As I have noted previously, Shakespeare’s MacBeth is not the MacBeth of history. Mac Bethad mac Findláich (c.1005 – 1057) was a Marcher Lord who defended the Highlands around Inverness from incursions by Norwegians. He was a Frontier Partisans War Captain.
No matter. We can love the history and the myth that accretes around it.
The Celtic fringe is a place where history and folklore meet and intermingle, becoming so integrally entwined that they can never fully be separated one from the other. Haunted, you might say. I have a friend who is returning this week from a 12-day exploration of Wales, “doing the Celtic things.” I am eager for a debrief.
I the spirit (sorry) of all this, here are three recently uploaded explorations of the haunted Celtic fringe, narrated by Richard Hardy.
Matthew says
MacBeth is a good example of Great Story that was not good history. It’s just that it is so good it doesn’t matter that it’s not good history.
I really probably should read/see more Shakespeare. I’ve read or seen Romeo in Juliet, MacBeth, A Midnight Summer’s Dream, and the Tempest.
I’ve noticed that in a lot of fiction of the Victorian/early 20th century literature that Scots and Irish were sometimes stereotype as superstitious. Or having mystical abilities. Just something spooky about the culture, I guess.
Really want to go to Scotland sometime.
Natty Bumpo says
It’s no stereotype. I’ve been to both places and have family that came to the US from both places last century as well. It’s part of the culture and it’s actually pretty awesome. While in Scotland one of the natives told me that there’s a different ghost story for every square mile over there. Now with the advent of the 21st century and people not giving a crap about what they did 2 seconds ago I figure much of that history and mysticism will be lost to Twitter brain so I’d suggest going over asap and experiencing for now what you can.
Quixotic Mainer says
That villain part of the MacBeans!? It canna be true! *Grasps angrily for broadsword*
I’ve always loved seeing Shakespeare done, but have yet to see that particular tale done live either. I spent a semester as Petruchio during undergrad, the experience was informative on a variety of levels.
Will says
For an enjoyable historical novel on the life of the real Macbeth, the book I recommend is Nigel Tranter’s Macbeth the King, which I just read earlier this year for the first time. A well written novel that is compelling, interspersed with short history lessons that add to the story and are never too long or heavy, and, so far as I can tell, present a true history of the Scottish king–at least more accurate than Shakespeare’s version, which I love.
JimC says
Thanks Will — I’vE read a bit of Tranter, but not this one.