The True Origin of Lady Macbeth and Her Eternally Blood-Stained Hands

Like many of the most renowned scenes in the Shakespeare canon, the Macbeths' murder of King Duncan actually derives from Thomas North's life: specifically a true-crime tragedy involving his family

As will be discussed at my upcoming author talk at East Hampton Library (2:00-3:30 pm, 6/29/2024), most — yes, MOST — of Shakespeare’s renowned set-piece scenes derive from Thomas North’s life. This includes one of the most iconic scenes in English literature: the Macbeths’ murder of King Duncan—and Lady Macbeth’s guilt-ridden lament that she cannot was…