The Washington herald., 1911-01-29
STORY OF SHAKESPEARE'S "MACBETH,'
SOON TO BE SEEN IN WASHINGTON

The accession of James made Scottish
subjects popular in England. and the tale
Of Macbeth and Banquo would be one OF
the first to be brought forward, as Ban
quo was held to be an ancestor of the
then new king. A Latin 'fnterlude" on
this subject was performed at Oxford in
l6oo on the occasion Of the Kings Visi,
to the city; but there Is no reason for
supposing that Shakespeare got the hint
Of his tragedy from that source.
1t is barely possible that there was an
earlier play on the subject OF Macbeth.
Collier finds in Registers. Of the Station
ers' Company. under the date OF August
q. 1886. the entry OF a ballad OF Mac
dobeth.' which he gives plausible reasons
for supposing to have been drama, and
not ballad" properly so-called. There
appears to be a reference to the same
piece in kemp's Mine Days Wonder,
printed in 1900, where 1t Is called "a mis-
cradle stolen story" and said to be the
work OF "a penny poet
Stevens maintained that Shakespeare
was indebted. in the supernatural parts
Of Macbeth" to THE WITCH" play by
Thomas Middleton. which was discovered
in a manuscript toward the end Of the
eighteenth century. Malone at first took
the same view Of the subject, but finally
came to the conclusion that Middleton s
play was the later production. and that
he must, therefore. be the plagiartst-
Shakespeare drew the materials for the
plot Of Macbeth" from Holinsheds
Ireland" the first edition OF which. issued
IN 1877. and the second (Which doubtless
was the one the poet used) In 15ss-s7
The extracts from Holinshed in the notes
will show that the main incidents are
taken from his account Of the two sepa-
rate events-the murder Of Duncan by
Macbeth. and that Of King Duffe. the
great-grandfather of Lady Macbeth, by
Donwald. 1t will be seen. too. that
Shakespeare has deviated in other re-
spects from the chronicle. especially In
the character OF Banquo.
Although. as knight remarks. 'the in
tereSt OF Macbeth is not a historical
interest,"" so that II matters little whether
the action Is true or has ,een related as
true, I may add, for the benefit Of my
younger readers that the story of the
drama is almost wholly apocrypha!. The
more authentic history IS thus summar-
lied by Sir Walter Scott:
Duncan. by his mother. Beatrice. a
grandson Of Malcolm II. succeeded to the
throne on his grandfather's death. in Io33
he reigned only six years. Macbeth. his
near relation. also a grandchild of NAL
colin III. though by the mothers side. was
stirred up by ambition to contest the
throne with the possessor. The Lady of
Macbeth also whose real name was
Graoch. had deadly injuries to avenge on
the reign!ng prince. She was grand
daughter of Kenneth ". killed lO63 fight
ing against Malcolm III. and other causes
for revenge animated the mind of her
who has since been painted as the stern
est of women. The old annalists add
iOSfigDripnS Of a kind
to the influence of a vindictive woman
over an ambitious husband. Three women
Of more than human statue and beauty.
appeared to Macbeth in a dream or Wis
ion. and hailed him successfully by the
titles Of Thane e Cromarty. Thare OF
Moray. which the king afterward be-
slowed on him. and finally by that OF