Macbeth's castle, of which Duncan says, "This castle hath a pleasant seat" (Shakespeare, Macbeth, 1.6.1), was most likely a rough fort. It probably consisted of a central hall built of wood upon a mound of raised dirt that was circled by a log wall.
Succession and feuding in Scotland. When King Malcolm 11 of Scotland died in 1034, his last command was that the throne should pass to his oldest grandson, Duncan. This last request went against the Celtic tradition of succession, which stipulated that the inheritance of the throne alternate between different branches of the family. The historical Macbeth, who was also a grandson of King Malcolm, felt that he should succeed the old king, as prescribed by tradition. He further supported his claim through the ancestry of his wife, the Lady Gruoch, who was a direct descendent of two earlier Scottish kings, Malcolm I and Kenneth III. Despite the fact that Macbeth's claim on the throne was valid, it was rejected in favor of Duncan's claim. The old king's will continued to exert power even from the grave.
Macbeth was not immediately hostile to the new king, but several years into Duncan's reign, he raised an army and openly opposed him.
