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Who is Sinel, mentioned in the first scenes of Macbeth?
Quick answer:
Sinel, mentioned in the first scenes of Macbeth, is Macbeth's father and the former Thane of Glamis. Macbeth inherited the title upon Sinel's death. Shakespeare took the name "Sinel" from Holinshed's Chronicles, though historically, Macbeth's father was named Findláech of Moray.
Short Answer: In the play, Sinel was Macbeth's father and the former Thane of Glamis. Following his death, Macbeth inherited his title as Thane of Glamis.
In act one, scene three, Macbeth and Banquo initially meet the Three Witches on the heath. The witches proceed to address Macbeth as Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and future king. After the witches give their prophecies, Macbeth responds by saying,
By Sinel’s death I know I am thane of Glamis. But how of Cawdor? (1.3.72–73).
Macbeth is saying that he knows he is currently the Thane of Glamis—he has inherited the position from his father, Sinel—but he does not understand how he could be the Thane of Cawdor too. One of Shakespeare's primary sources for the play Macbeth was Holinshed's Chronicles, which is where he took the name "Sinel" from. However, Shakespeare's primary source was not historically accurate, and the real Macbeth's father was named Findláech of Moray, who ruled from 1014 until his death in 1020.
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