Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as a violent soldier. An honourable man betrayed by base instincts, by prophecy, spurred on by an ambitious wife, all in a murderous plot for the authority to occupy The Stone of Destiny.

How much did Shakespeare really play fast and loose with Scottish history? Macbeth existed, but the myth began with 14th Century Scottish chroniclers working to preserve Scotland’s claim to sovereignty.

This talk by historian Elizabeth Cory Lopez will delve into the roots of Macbeth, son of Findlay, and what his life, culture, reign and mythical legacy can tell us about the evolution of Scotland as a nation.