Macbeth

Shakespeare's play "The tragedy of Macbeth" first performed in 1606 and is based around the information given in "Holinshed's Chronicles" (1587). As such the story is built around the characters of Macbeth, King of Scotland, Macduff, Thane of Fife and Duncan I, King of Scotland.

Origin

Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles First Edition (1577)

Shakespeare's inspiration for the play most likely comes from "Holinshed's Chronicles" which in some parts alligns very closely with Shakespeare's tragedy. This is shown by comparing several sections several sections of the play and the chronicle, as in both Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches which make the exact same prophesy in the chronicle and the play. Despite this there are some intellectuals who think the story is better described by the "Rerum Scoticarum Historia" by George Buchanan which was also available at the time.

Factually there is no written evidence frome the time of Macbeth's reign that support the existence of the Weird Sisters and Banquo. These characters and Lady Macbeth were only mentioned in 1527 some 500 years after the death of the real king Macbeth in the "Historia Gentis Scotorum" by Hector Boece. This mention even carries less weight as it was presumably a way to strengthen the claim of the House of Stewart to the Scottish throne by claiming its succession from Banquo. This combined with depicting Macbeth in a dark light by connecting him with the Weird Sisters and their supernatural fortune telling.