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Miscellaneous Macbeth: Man and Myth by Nick Aitchison $19.95 / Sutton Publ. / 2001 If you tell a story convincingly, listeners often interpret it as truth, regardless of fact. In Macbeth: Man and Myth, author Nick Aitchison reveals how centuries of lively storytelling have blurred the lines between fact and fiction regarding Macbeth's life. In the book's introduction, the author promises to show that the real Macbeth was just as dramatic and fated a king as his fictional counterpart. But Aitchison's promise remains unfulfilled as scant historic evidence leaves much of Macbeth's motives and actions to speculation. Yet through painstaking research, some myths are dispelled. Although literature portrays the Scottish king as a usurper, the real Macbeth was the grandson of Malcolm II, the king who arranged the murder of Duncan I in order to seize his throne. Macbeth then attempted, but failed, to capture and murder Duncan's sons. Interestingly, the author suggests that Shakespeare wrote the play Macbeth in order to appease King James I's interest in witchcraft. For although writer Andrew of Wyntoun first introduced the three weird sisters to the Macbeth story, it was Shakespeare who transformed the sisters into the three witches that make the play-and the Macbeth myth-so compelling. Nicely illustrated and with a rich bibliography, Macbeth: Man and Myth provides a valuable resource for study, reminding us that power and betrayal permeate both the history and the myth of this famous king, a timeless figure who still resonates with us today. —Barbara Friedmann

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