Macbeth: Biography, Facts and Career

Macbethad mac Findláech (anglicised as Macbeth MacFinlay; died 15 August 1057), nicknamed the Red King (Middle Irish: Rí Deircc), was King of Scotland from 1040 until his death in 1057, during a period when the Scottish kingdom is referred to as the Kingdom of Alba. Little is known about Macbeth's early life, although he was the son of Findláech of Moray and may have been a grandson of Malcolm II, presumably through the latter's daughter, Donada. He became Mormaer (Earl) of Moray – a semi-autonomous province – in 1032, and was probably responsible for the death of the previous mormaer, Gille Coemgáin. He subsequently married Gille Coemgáin's widow, Gruoch. In 1040, Duncan I launched an attack into Moray and was killed in action by Macbeth's troops. Macbeth succeeded him as King of Alba, apparently with little opposition. His 17-year reign was mostly peaceful, although in 1054 he was faced with an English invasion, led by Siward, Earl of Northumbria, on behalf of Edward the Confessor. Macbeth was killed at the Battle of Lumphanan in 1057 by forces loyal to the future Malcolm III. He was buried on Iona, the traditional resting place of Scottish kings. Macbeth was succeeded by his stepson Lulach, but Lulach ruled for only a few months before also being killed in battle against Malcolm III, whose descendants ruled Scotland until the late 13th century. A fictionalized version of Macbeth is best known as the main character of William Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name and the many works that it has inspired. Shakespeare's Macbeth is based on Holinshed's Chronicles (published in 1577) and is not historically accurate.

Quick facts about Macbeth

• Full name: Macbeth
• Born: 1005-01-01
• Nationality: Kingdom of Scotland
• Known as: Royal
• Wikidata ID: Q244403

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