ssed almost twentypages before the majority of the story. The death of Siwards son is taken mostly from sixteenpages after the description and of conclusion Makbeths final battle. Shakespeare read throughthese stories and from the pieces, created the collage of a script that we know as Macbeth.There are some scenes that seem almost as if Shakespeare wrote them into the playintending to use them, but cut them from the rest of the story without removing their beginning.An example is the prophecy pertaining to Banquo. In Holinsheds it states that Banquho was theThane of Lochquhaber and that the house of Stewards descended from him. It also says thatBanquhos descendants ruled Scotland for many generations, and even in the 1500s the familycollected taxes for the king. As I stated briefly before, Duncan was not the kind and gentle ruler he was made out tobe, he ruled for only about six years, during which time Scotland was plagued with war and terror.The real Macbeths reign was not so quick or as horrible as it was told in Shakespeares version orin Holinsheds. Macbeth actually ruled for about seventeen years, during which time, Scotland andits inhabitants prospered. Macbeth was also the last King to put emphasis on the learning of theCeltic language and tradition. Shakespeare did have good reason for vilifying Macbeth and in turn, glorifying hisdemise. The King ruling England at the time this play was written was James I. This young rulertraced his families lineage back to Scotland and even to King Duncan and Malcolm. By making aplay so favorable to this lineage, Shakespeare hoped to gain James favor. Shakespeare also usedthe witches to this purpose, James was extremely interested in the supernatural and even wrote abook, Daemonologie. Also, in Macbeth, King Edward is able to heal lepers with a simple touch ofhis hand; King James was supposedly blessed with this gift as well. Another compelling example of Shakespeares use of others work as ...
