Read Macbeth Online

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Source of the Plot. It is a well-known fact that Shakes- 
peare borrowed his plots from old histories, chronicles and 
other plays. The source of the material used in Macbeth is 
mainly Holinshed's Chronicles, and it is the only play 
treating of Scotland which he wrote. The historical period 
of time treated is the eleventh century. The essential differ- 
ence between the Holinshed and the Shakespeare story is 
in the murder of Duncan, which Shakespeare for dramatic 
purposes places in Macbeth's own castle, the details of which 
closely resemble Holinshed's account of the murder of King 
Duff by Donwald. At times Shakespeare follows Holinshed 
very closely, as in the following : "Banquho the thane of 
Lochquhaber, of whom the house of the Stewards is de- 
scended, the which by order of linage hath now for a long 
time inioied the crowne of Scotland, euen till these our daies, 
as he gathered the finances due to the king, and further