Lady Macbeth: Chapter 20  Summary & Analysis

That spring Macbeth, Gruadh, and an envoy of eighty men on horseback set out to survey Moray. Gruadh insists on brining Lulach so she can look after him, to prove to observers that she and Macbeth have a happy marriage, and to make their party look less like a “war band.”

As Macbeth and Gruadh set out, he mentions Enya, Thorfin’s grandmother, who now lives in northern Moray. Macbeth has met with her, and can attest to her powerful magic, although he will not tell Gruadh what she told him about her future.

On their journey Macbeth, Gruadh, and their party stay with many friendly thanes. Gruadh can see that “approval gather[s] for Macbeth like a wave.” Across the territory men pledge their “admiration and loyalty,” and Gruadh notices men pledging specific numbers of soldiers who can rally behind Macbeth if he needs them. She recognizes that Gilcomgan was resented by his people, and understands that Macbeth knew this, and saw that his people were waiting for him to return to power because they had loved his father, Finlach.

One morning, Gruadh asks Macbeth when he decided he wanted more power than could be attained by simply avenging his murdered father and taking over Moray, and when he began to aspire to be king. Macbeth said that from early childhood Finlach had told him he should be king. He was descended from kings and princesses, and now feels that to fully revenge his father he must not just be mormaer but king.

Gruadh observes that, if they were to become king and queen, they could avenge both of their fathers. Macbeth agrees, and reveals that he had always planned to use her heritage to make his claim. But, he adds, he did not know she would be such a perfect partner, or that the fateful death of Bodhe would motivate her, too, to seek out revenge.

While staying with a mormaer whose territory, Ross, borders Moray, Gruadh listens to a bard tell the story of Deirdre and Naisi. Although Deirdre was hidden from the world with her father, she elopes with Naisi to live in a remote glen. They live in happiness for a while, but in the end Naisi is killed, and Deirdre kills herself in grief. That night, Gruadh talks to Macbeth about the story—she feels that Celts and Gaels no longer have freedom, and cannot live like Deirdre and Naisi anymore. Macbeth says this is for the best, and life is less brutal than it was. Gruadh worries Scotland will become too Roman, or Saxon, or Viking, and hopes they remain Celts.  

Later in their journey, Macbeth gifts Gruadh with a small dagger with which she can keep herself safe. They travel towards Moray’s border with Argyll, where Graudh’s mother, Ailsa, was born, and these men promise Macbeth three thousand men whenever he needs. 

That Saturday Macbeth and Gruadh go to pray at the local church. Macbeth leaves gifts for the priest, who promises to pray for Macbeth’s soul, but Macbeth “asked him to say the prayers for Moray, and all Scotland, instead.”