King Duncan did indeed get killed, in 1040, and Macbeth was around, and maybe even was near him at the time, but Duncan wasn’t old, he wasn’t asleep in bed, and there was no crime, because Macbeth’s forces slaughtered Duncan’s forces in battle, and Duncan was one of the slaughtered. In this episode, Anne explains all of the history that can be explained — it’s a slippery bunch of facts, but there was a King Duncan, he did die, and Macbeth was king after him. Michelle explains the historical sources, and mentions the novels, but really what she wanted to know was where the hell that theatre superstition about not ever saying the title of the Scottish Play in the theater, at pain of being made to do whatever silly things are in fashion at the time — well, where the hell that came from. And we want to know, too.
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