Bumping Into Macbeth

We recently returned from a nine-day visit to Scotland and to my joy and excitement, we kept bumping into Macbeth! My fascination with the “Scottish Play” began in the previous century when I provided the sound effects for an amateur traveling company which performed the play in the New York and New Jersey area. This was so long ago that today’s common use of computer audio files was only just a gleam in some computer-nerd’s eye and so for the sound of thunder, I twisted a large thin sheet of metal. This particular effect was very important because, as you may remember, right after Macbeth kills King Duncan, Lennox reports to Macbeth:

It was my responsibility as soundman to make the earth sound “feverous and shaky” so I twisted that metal sheet with fervor. I also provided “strange screams of death” to the best of my ability. Macbeth then responds to Lennox with one of the greatest understatements of all time, “’Twas a rough night.” That line always brought a smile to my face despite the horror of regicide just witnessed.

We traveled from Inverness to Edinburg by car stopping at only a few of the Macbeth referenced sites for the sake of time but passing so many more. It should be kept in mind that most of the castles referenced in the play had actually nothing to do with the historical King Macbeth who reigned from 1040 to 1057.

Inverness and Glamis Castles

At the beginning of the play, King Duncan is traveling to Inverness to visit Macbeth and his lady. There is, of course, a castle in Inverness, now closed to the public for renovation but clearly visible high above the city and I have included a picture of it below. Macbeth is also the Thane of Glamis and Glamis Castle can be visited but once again it has no relation to historical Macbeth.

Cawdor Castle

Early in the play, the witches predict that Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor. He rejects the possibility, “I know I am thane of Glamis; But how of Cawdor? The thane of Cawdor lives, a prosperous gentleman.” Soon after, Macbeth is greeted by one of King Duncan’s officers as the Thane of Cawdor. He is incredulous, “The thane of Cawdor lives: why do you dress me In borrow’d robes?” He soon finds out that that Cawdor has been executed as a traitor and he is being rewarded for his loyalty to King Duncan with the new title. There is a Cawdor Castle and had it not been shut down for maintenance we would have, no doubt, visited it.

FIFE CASTLE

The most ghastly of murders in the play occur at the home of Macbeth’s rival Macduff, a castle in Fife. Macbeth gives the ruthless order to wipe out Macduff’s whole family line:

“The castle of Macduff I will surprise;

Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o’ the sword

His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls

That trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool;

This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool.”

This was one place I would have loved to visit but unfortunately, according to Google, “There are 173 castles, towers and fortified houses in the county of Fife.” So that was out of the question.

Birnam Wood and High Dunsinane Hill

As armies are marshaled against Macbeth, he is secure in the knowledge that he cannot be defeated. For as the witches have told him:

“Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be until

Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill

Shall come against him.”

And

“Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn

The power of man, for none of woman born

Shall harm Macbeth.”

Driving down A9 from Inverness towards Perth you will come upon an exit sign to Birnham. Here you will find the last remaining tree of the Birnham forest which according to Shakespear were cut down to provide cover for the army which defeated Macbeth. True to the witches’ predictions, Macbeth dies when not only does “Great Birnam to high Dunsinane hill come against him,” but his sworn enemy, MacDuff, ”was from his mother’s womb untimely ripp’d” and therefore not of woman born!

SCONE CASTLE

MacDuff slays Macbeth, cuts off his head and presents it to the new king, Malcom. King Malcom then recites the final two lines of the play:

“So, thanks to all at once and to each one,

Whom we invite to see us crown’d at Scone.”

Scone castle is the historic crowning place of Scottish kings. Here was located the Stone of Scone which was used as part of the crowning ceremony until the 13th century. Also known as the Stone of Destiny, this is where the historical Macbeth was actually crowned! The stone remained at Scone until 1296 when the English defeated the Scots and, as they are wont to do, the English stole the stone and moved it to London where it was used for English royal coronations for the next 700 years except for a short period in 1950 when it was stolen by a group of Scottish Nationalist students. In 1996 the stone was moved back to Edinburgh Castle and stored along with the original Crown of Scotland. It now resides in the Perth Museum. The stone remains the property of the British Crown and it is still used for English coronations so in April of 2023 it was transported to Westminster Abbey for the coronation of Charles II.

Edinburgh Castle

Although this castle has no connection to the Macbeth play nor the historical Macbeth, it is an astounding castle where, among other events, Mary Queen of Scots in 1566 gave birth to her son, James.

To this day the Scottish Crown Jewels are displayed here consisting of a crown, scepter and a sword. They can be seen but no photographs are allowed. It is also in this castle that I found an interesting series of murals illustrating the reigning sequence of the early Kings of Scotland and a correction to Shakespear. In the play, King Duncan is murdered by Macbeth who becomes king until he is killed by MacDuff making Malcolm the king; Duncan, Macbeth and Malcom, so writes the Bard. In reality the actual order of succession was Malcolm, Duncan and then Macbeth!

Paul Kreingold

Leesburg, VA