Lady Macbeth is best known to us as Shakespeare’s scheming, sleepwalking villain. But, as with most of his so-called history plays, Shakespeare’s version of the Macbeths is largely fictional.

Dr. Eleanor Janega talks to the best-selling crime writer - and Gone Medieval fan - Val McDermid who has dragged the truth about the real Queen Macbeth out of the shadows to reveal a woman caught up in the patriarchal prejudices and vicious political intrigues of her time.

Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. The audio editor and producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.

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Prof. Muhammad Usman of the University of Melbourne on Quantum Computing