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Carpe Coronam (Seize the Throne) Day
“Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown, and put a barren sceptre in my gripe…”
~ Macbeth, Act 3, Scene 1, William Shakespeare, c. 1606
On this "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" day, outdoor Summer Shakespeare performances are a favourite theater tradition in many areas ... if you are fortunate, you might just catch a production of this tartan's namesake play, inspired by real events which took place nearly a millennium ago, these very days in August!
The historical Macbeth ascended the throne on August 14, 1040, after defeating and killing King Duncan I at the Battle of Pitgaveny near Elgin in Moray. This battle marked a dramatic turning point in the power struggles of early medieval Scotland, with Macbeth—then Mormaer (or regional lord) of Moray—seizing the kingship of Alba. His reign lasted 17 years, unusually long for the time, and was reportedly marked by relative stability and legal reform. Macbeth was finally killed on August 15, 1057, at the Battle of Lumphanan in Aberdeenshire, during a campaign led by Malcolm Canmore, Duncan’s son and the future Malcolm III. Thus, the dates of August 14 and 15 bookend both the beginning and the end of Macbeth’s rule—1040 to 1057.
Although the namesake of the Scottish play would not have worn a kilt, the 19th century Macbeth tartan is recognized by Clan MacBeth, also known historically as MacBeatha or Beaton, a clan which traces its roots to the early medieval period, most notably through Mac Bethad mac Findlaích, the very same historical King Macbeth of Scotland (1040 to 1057). While the name later evolved into Beaton and Bethune, many members of this lineage became renowned as hereditary physicians in the Western Isles, particularly serving the Lords of the Isles. These medical families, learned in classical and Gaelic traditions, were highly respected and held official positions in clans such as the MacDonalds, MacLeans, and MacBeans, to whom the MacBeths are historically affiliated.
And by the way, if you're in a theater, remember to not say the name of this play—superstition holds it's cursed, so it’s known as “The Scottish Play.” (Too late. Good luck.) ❤️ 💙 💚 💛 🤍 🖤 🎭 🧙♀️🧙♀️🧙♀️⚔️🤴🔪👑👻🌳🚶♂️🩸😱💀a
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Need to brush up your Shakespeare? Here's a casual version detailing the Scottish Play, abridged for busy page readers.
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Macbeth is the story of a Scottish nobleman named Macbeth who starts off as a loyal war hero, but after a run-in with three creepy witches—known as the Weird Sisters, who open the play cackling “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”—and some seriously aggressive pep talks from his overly ambitious wife, Lady Macbeth, he decides that murder is the quickest way to a promotion. He kills King Duncan, grabs the crown, and immediately spirals into paranoid chaos, seeing ghosts (hi, Banquo—his noble friend-turned-victim, whose heirs were also promised the throne by the witches, making him too inconvenient to keep alive), hiring hitmen, and losing his grip on reality faster than you can say “out, damned spot.”
The witches keep stirring the pot—literally—chanting “Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble” while throwing together a potion with crowd-pleasers like eye of newt, toe of frog, wool of bat, tongue of dog, and other delightful delicacies. As Macbeth barges in, they mutter “By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes” (spoiler: it’s him—when even evil witches call you “wicked,” you’ve truly made it). They tell him he’s invincible because “none of woman born shall harm Macbeth” and he’ll be safe until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane—both of which sound very comforting until an army disguises itself with branches from Birnam Wood and marches toward his castle, making the forest appear to walk. Meanwhile, Lady Macbeth is unraveling with guilt, wandering around the castle muttering “What’s done cannot be undone” and obsessively scrubbing at imaginary bloodstains.
As Macbeth's world begins to unravel, he reflects, before his final battle, that life is “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing,” leaving us reflect that maybe, just maybe, it’s not wise to take career advice from witches boiling lizard parts in a cauldron.
Finally, Macduff arrives and reveals he was born via C-section (aka not technically born of woman) and promptly ends Macbeth’s reign—with a dramatic beheading. Yikes!
In the early 1600s, William Shakespeare was already England’s most celebrated playwright. Around 1606, during the reign of King James I, he composed Macbeth, a dark, fast-paced tragedy exploring ambition, fate, and guilt. The play’s creation was influenced by several political and cultural factors: James’s fascination with witchcraft, his recent survival of the Gunpowder Plot, and his Scottish heritage.
Shakespeare rarely invented plots from scratch. For Macbeth, he drew heavily on Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1587 edition). Holinshed’s account told of a real Scottish king named Macbeth who ruled in the 11th century, though the historical details were altered to serve the drama. Shakespeare condensed events, darkened characters, and heightened supernatural elements to appeal to the King’s interests and the audience’s taste for intrigue.
Exact details of Shakespeare’s writing method are unknown, but scholars believe he wrote relatively quickly, often under pressure to produce plays for the King’s Men (his acting company). In Macbeth, he tailored themes to resonate with King James:
Scottish setting – flattering the King’s lineage.
Banquo’s portrayal – Banquo, an ancestor of James, is depicted as noble and untainted by treachery.
Witchcraft – aligning with James’s obsession, as seen in his treatise Daemonologie.
The earliest recorded performance was likely before King James at Hampton Court in 1606. The King’s Men staged the play in the Globe Theatre and later at the indoor Blackfriars Theatre, where candlelight heightened its eerie atmosphere.
The play was not printed during Shakespeare’s lifetime. The earliest surviving text is from the First Folio of 1623, assembled by Shakespeare’s fellow actors John Heminges and Henry Condell. This edition is thought to have been set from a theatrical promptbook or a scribal copy, which may explain inconsistencies and possible later interpolations (such as the “Hecate” scenes, which some scholars think were added by another dramatist).
From its creation, Macbeth was a work of political flattery, supernatural thrill, and moral warning.
And for an interesting video about the foods the real MacBeth might likely have eaten, click the illustration of actor William Charles Macready in a mid 19th century production of Macbeth!