Aug 16, 2018ย ยท He's known for his treachery, ruthlessness, and dealings with witches - but Shakespeare's Macbeth was based on a real Scottish king, whose life was full of bloodshed May 10, 2019ย ยท At around the same time, Shakespeare wrote King Lear, Othello and Macbeth, all plays warning against unjust and persecuting rule, which many Catholics felt James I was guilty of. Aug 27, 2014ย ยท The superstitions concerning the play Macbeth mean that many actors avoid saying its name while in a theatre. If an actor does utter the name of the famous Shakespeare play before a.