Shakespeare depicts Macbeth as traitor, who killed the king Duncan, incited by his own wife, and usurped the throne. Duncan's heir returns from exile, kills the traitor and takes the throne back. In fact, this story is very far from the truth.

Unlike the hero of the Shakespeare's tragedy, real Macbeth had rights to the throne - like his rival Duncan I, he was the grandson of king Malcolm II. Macbeth came to power not by low murder of the king, but by defeating the army of King Duncan and killing his rival in battle at Pitgaveny. Macbeth ruled justly and even managed to unite North and South Scotland, ending centuries old conflicts, and founded the military patrol system that guarded the country, spreading law and order to all the lands. As well Macbeth helped to spread Christianity across the Scotland and even traveled to Rome in 1050 where he made generous donations to the Catholic Church.

Scotland slowly turned into a strong and united country under Macbeth's rule - opposed to the country torn by civil war it previously was. Local nobility, as well as the English royalty wasn't happy with that. The son of king Duncan - Malcolm III, together with Englishmen (or Englishmen together with Malcolm III) gathered an army. Malcolm, supported by Siward, Earl of Northumbria, led a very large invasion of Scotland and in 1054 took Macbeth's castle Dunsinane. Macbeth did not survive the English invasion, for he was defeated and mortally wounded by some MacDuff from the army of Malcolm III, son of Duncan I. This happened on August 15, 1057. The chronicles of Scottish clans depict him as "the last great celtic king of Scotland".