Monday, November 23, 2015

Who is Macdonwald in Macbeth and how does he die?

Macdonwald is not a character who appears in the play. He is the leader of the rebel forces fighting against the King of Scotland. He is mentioned in Act I, scene 2, when Macbeth is praised for defeating Macdonwald in battle. Macbeth is given two new titles as a result of this victory. You might say this victory is actually the beginning of Macbeth's downfall.

Although the characters in this play are historical figures, the play itself does not follow historic fact. According to Raphael Holinshed, on whose chronicles Shakespeare based the play, knowing that he would be executed, Macdonwald retreated to his home, killed his wife and children, and then committed suicide. Macbeth found the bodies and decapitated the dead rebel.

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