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TED-Ed

The murderous medieval king who inspired "Macbeth" - Benjamin Hudson

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1,409 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

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Of all Shakespeare’s plays, perhaps none is stranger than “Macbeth”— a parable on power rife with supernatural elements. But according to texts from the 11th century, this tragedy has its roots in reality. What’s more, other accounts mention witches, prophecies, and arboreal armies. Which raises the question: just how much of Shakespeare’s strange story is true? Benjamin Hudson investigates.

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Meet The Creators

Educator
Benjamin Hudson
Director
Sarah Saidan
Narrator
Adrian Dannatt
Storyboard Artist
Sarah Saidan
Art Director
Sarah Saidan
Animator
Paul Cotoni
Compositor
Paul Cotoni
Composer
André Aires
Sound Designer
André Aires
Director of Production
Gerta Xhelo
Produced by
Sazia Afrin
Editorial Director
Alex Rosenthal
Editorial Producer
Dan Kwartler
Script Editor
Iseult Gillespie
Fact-Checker
Charles Wallace

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