Human Circus: Journeys in the Medieval World

Holinshed: The Scottish Source


Listen Later

Today we step outside the usual medieval travel subject matter on the podcast for a look into William Shakespeare's historical source for the story of Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and of course, King of Scotland, or at least of Alba.

That story takes us to a 16th-century man named Reginald Wolfe, to Holinshed's Chronicles, and to the 11th-century doings of some familiar figures, of Duncan, Banquo, Macduff, Malcolm, and the rest. There are some familiar scenes, such as at Dunsinane Castle, but there are also unfamiliar elements like the murder of King Duffe, from which Shakespeare did a little borrowing.

If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here.

I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, and I have some things on Redbubble.

Sources:

  • Holinshed, Raphael. Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland. J. Johnson, et al., 1808.
  • The Oxford Handbook of Holinshed's Chronicles, edited by Felicity Heal, Ian W. Archer, & Paulina Kewes. Oxford University Press, 2013.
  • McLuskie, Kathleen. Macbeth. Northcote House, 2009.
  • Patterson, Annabel. Reading Holinshed's Chronicles. University of Chicago Press, 1994.
  • Plomer, Henry Robert. A Short History of English Printing, 1476-1898. Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner and Co., 1900.
  • Shakespeare, William. Macbeth, edited by Sandra Clark & Pamela Mason. Bloomsbury, 2015.
  • Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    Human Circus: Journeys in the Medieval WorldBy D Field

    • 4.4
    • 4.4
    • 4.4
    • 4.4
    • 4.4

    4.4

    196 ratings


    More shows like Human Circus: Journeys in the Medieval World

    View all
    History on Fire by Daniele Bolelli

    History on Fire

    5,637 Listeners

    History Extra podcast by Immediate Media

    History Extra podcast

    3,238 Listeners

    The British History Podcast by Jamie Jeffers

    The British History Podcast

    5,392 Listeners

    The History of Byzantium by thehistoryofbyzantium@gmail.com

    The History of Byzantium

    4,310 Listeners

    History of the Crusades by Sharyn Eastaugh

    History of the Crusades

    1,495 Listeners

    Dan Snow's History Hit by History Hit

    Dan Snow's History Hit

    4,774 Listeners

    The Explorers Podcast by Matt Breen

    The Explorers Podcast

    1,520 Listeners

    Dark Histories by Ben Cutmore

    Dark Histories

    1,871 Listeners

    The Hellenistic Age Podcast by The Hellenistic Age Podcast

    The Hellenistic Age Podcast

    460 Listeners

    Fall of Civilizations Podcast by Fall of Civilizations Podcast

    Fall of Civilizations Podcast

    5,228 Listeners

    Pax Britannica: A History of the British Empire by Samuel Hume

    Pax Britannica: A History of the British Empire

    370 Listeners

    The Ancients by History Hit

    The Ancients

    3,314 Listeners

    The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

    The Rest Is History

    15,609 Listeners

    Gone Medieval by History Hit

    Gone Medieval

    1,897 Listeners

    Not Just the Tudors by History Hit

    Not Just the Tudors

    2,056 Listeners