Queen Macbeth

History and drama often make strange bedfellows, especially when facts obstruct a good story. Shakespeare was particularly masterful at shaping facts to fit the narrative, often driven by the need to satisfy the prevailing political wind. McDermid (Past Lying) reimagines history to rehabilitate one of Shakespeare’s most ill-used victims: Gruoch, a.k.a. Lady Macbeth. Recognizing that Gruoch’s life has more questions than answers, McDermid’s fictional account blends truth and speculation to retell her story. In McDermid’s telling, Scottish king Macbeth kills Duncan, Malcolm’s father, but on the battlefield, not in his bed. Malcolm seeks revenge for his father’s death and aims to capture the Scottish throne for himself. After Macbeth’s supposed death at the Battle of Dunsinane at the hands of Malcolm’s forces, his widow is forced to seek sanctuary, essentially alone except for a few loyal servants. As Malcolm’s men close in and capture her, Gruoch faces certain death. When all seems lost, will loyalty and love triumph?