Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Macbeth - Tyrant Or Treasure? | 20070813 | 20190401 (BBC7) 20190402 (BBC7) 20080301 (R4) 20250414 (BBC7) | Was the legendary Macbeth a murdering monster, bloody tyrant and paranoid thief of the throne or generous and popular king who ruled a happy Scotland for 17 years? If you think you know all about him, then think again as the real Macbeth comes back to life to help sort fact from the more familiar Shakespearean fiction. Was Macbeth a murderous tyrant or a generous and popular king? Was the legendary Macbeth a murdering monster, bloody tyrant and paranoid thief of the throne or generous and popular king who ruled a happy Scotland for 17 years? If you think you know all about him, then think again as the real Macbeth comes back to life to help sort fact from the more familiar Shakespearean fiction. Was Macbeth a murderous tyrant or a generous and popular king? Was Macbeth a murderous tyrant or a generous and popular king? He's back to help sort fact from fiction. Stars Liam Brennan. |
| 02 | Lady Macbeth - Monster Or Princess? | 20070814 | 20190402 (BBC7) 20190403 (BBC7) 20080308 (R4) 20250415 (BBC7) | Was Lady Macbeth a barren, ambitious, overbearing monster who goes mad from guilt? Or was she a true royal princess, hailed first queen of Scots, who had to marry the man who murdered her husband? If you think you know all about Macbeth then think again as the real Macbeth comes back to life to help sort fact from the more familiar Shakespearean fiction. Was Lady Macbeth a monster or true royal princess? What was Lady Macbeth really like? Was Lady Macbeth a barren, ambitious, overbearing monster who goes mad from guilt? Or was she a true royal princess, hailed first queen of Scots, who had to marry the man who murdered her husband? If you think you know all about Macbeth then think again. The real Macbeth comes back to life to help sort fact from the more familiar Shakespearean fiction. Liam Brennan stars as Macbeth. With members of The National Theatre of Scotland: Fiona Watson Alex Woolf Molly Rorke Produced at BBC Scotland by Pennie Latin. Was Lady Macbeth an overbearing monster or a true royal princess? Macbeth is back to sort fact from fiction. Stars Liam Brennan. If you think you know all about Macbeth then think again as the real Macbeth comes back to life to help sort fact from the more familiar Shakespearean fiction. Was Lady Macbeth a monster or true royal princess? |
| 03 | The Myth Of The Witches | 20070815 | 20190403 (BBC7) 20190404 (BBC7) 20250416 (BBC7) 20080315 (R4) | The three witches boiling up trouble for the would-be king in their cauldron on the heath is one of the most famous and familiar dramatic images from Shakespeare's Macbeth. But the witches didn't exist in the real Macbeth's time so how and why did they become part of the myth? How did the three witches become part of the Macbeth myth? Boiling up trouble for the would-be king in their cauldron, how did the witches become part of the myth? Stars Liam Brennan. |
| 04 | The Reality Of Macbeth's Landscape | 20070816 | 20190404 (BBC7) 20190405 (BBC7) 20250417 (BBC7) 20080322 (R4) | How does William Shakespeare's dramatic landscape compare with the real thing? The real Macbeth comes back to life to take us on a tour of the landscape of the famous play. But just how far-fetched is the blasted heath, Cawdor, Glamis, Birnam Wood and Dunsinane from the landscape of the real Macbeth's story? How does Shakespeare's dramatic landscape compare with the real thing? How does Shakespeare's dramatic landscape compare with the real thing? The real Macbeth is back take a tour. Stars Liam Brennan. |
| 05 LAST | The Political Spinning Of Macbeth | 20070817 | 20190405 (BBC7) 20190406 (BBC7) 20250418 (BBC7) 20080329 (R4) | How was Macbeth's story spun out of all recognition by the politics of kingship? From the chroniclers of history to the nib of William Shakepeare's quill - if you thought the art of 'spin' was a new phenomenon, think again. How was Macbeth's story distorted by politics? How was Macbeth's story distorted by politics of kingship? He's back to reveal 'spin' is not a new art-form. Stars Liam Brennan. |