A famous tragedy by William Shakespeare about a Scottish general whose ambition leads him to murder and madness, or the main character in that play.
From the historical King Macbeth of Scotland (ruled 1040-1057), whose name comes from Gaelic 'Mac Beatha' meaning 'son of life.' Shakespeare's 1606 play fictionalized this historical figure's life with supernatural elements and invented plot points.
Actors are so superstitious about 'Macbeth' that many refuse to say its name, calling it 'The Scottish Play' instead—the superstition probably began because the play uses real witchcraft incantations that may have offended people during Shakespeare's time, but now it's a magical piece of theatrical folklore.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.