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Loading... Junior School Shakespeare: Macbethby William Shakespeare
Work InformationMacbeth by William Shakespeare
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I simply love this play, it's one of my most favourite books ever. I was only fourteen when I read it for the first time and I fell head over heels in love with Macbeth and his wife, and the witches, and the walking forest. I love this story, definitely five stars. ( ) I think these are plays you need to understand, before you understand. I know, that's a bit of oxymoron, but on first read, I spent more time on the footnotes and annotations than actually reading the story. Of course, it probably helps to see it performed as well. I'm glad I read, and its certainly going to be added to my reread pile, I think on second reading I will get considerable more out of it. It's a Shakespeare play so obviously it's not bad or anything. It has some beautiful parts and it's interesting to think about after you've read it. The story feels like it's missing a few parts - Macbeth's transition from loyal noble to regicide to king feels a bit unbelievable, I can't find out where it's actually revealed that it's Macbeth behind the murders, and it sort of goes from "Macbeth becoming king" to "everyone hates Macbeth" with nothing in between. And obviously the language is often pretty confusing, which is a big frustration but unavoidable. As a whole, it's pretty good but not astonishing, with some great language and interesting parts that make up for it. That sounds ridiculously philistine, but I'm talking about when I read it as a play in itself - the language issue kind of spoils some of the enjoyment and, apart from Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, none of the characters are interesting. Interesting things to note: the focus on secrecy in the first act - both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth monologue on it separately. The change between everything being fine and everyone hating Macbeth noted above - the way nobles in the play act in general could be read as against aristocracy I feel, they're very amoral although not explicitly. Macbeth's acceptance of his fate at the end, and his weariness with being king. The ending which shows the Anglicisation of Scotland - this was a historical thing and it's weird to note that Malcolm rides in to Scotland at the head of an English army and then institutes the title of Earl. As a comment on the edition I used (Yale Annotated Shakespeare) I didn't read the essay or introduction. The annotations were helpful but sometimes a bit over the top - in places near every word was annotated even when they were pretty common words and it didn't always help with understanding a while line. Well, I zipped through this one, having read it in college and recently watched Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood". I like it. I have to teach it this week, which seems a little daunting at this point, because it's a dense little play. There is a lot of symbolism, a lot of characters running around. I found myself referring to the notes more than I have with other plays by Shakespeare. And it's bloody, mystical and twisted. This is probably the darkest Shakespearean tragedy that I am familiar with. Not much comic relief. And although Macbeth and Lady Macbeth receive their just desserts, there is no sense that the primitively violent culture changed as a result of their downfall. Edited to add: Saw Christopher Hitchens speak on Sunday night and he said that if Robert Ludlum had written this it would be called "The Dunsinane Deforestation". LOLZ. Still brilliant. There is a lot to discuss regarding fate vs. free will. Could have Macbeth have avoided the prophecy given to him by disregarding his wife and quelling his own ambition? Does the act of hearing a prophecy seal one's fate? Belongs to Publisher Series — 44 more Centopaginemillelire (200) Clarendon Press series Shakespeare (Select plays) L&PM Pocket (203) Little Blue Books (247) New Penguin Shakespeare (NS5) Penguin Shakespeare (B12) The Pocket Library (PL-70) Reader's Enrichment Series (RE 322) Reclam Fremdsprachentexte (9220) Signet Classic Shakespeare (CD161) William Shakespeare, Theatralische Werke in 21 Einzelbänden, übersetzt von Christoph Martin Wieland (15) The Yale Shakespeare (31) Is contained inElizabethan Drama in Two Volumes [set] by Charles William Eliot (indirect) The Harvard Classics [50 Volume Set] by Charles William Eliot (indirect) The complete works of William Shakespeare : reprinted from the First Folio (volume 11 of 13) by William Shakespeare The Annotated Shakespeare: The Comedies, Histories, Sonnets and Other Poems, Tragedies and Romances Complete by William Shakespeare (indirect) A Clockwork Orange / Glengarry Glen Ross / Massage / Kvetch / Macbeth / The Maids / Disco Pigs by Marcel Otten 90 Masterpieces You Must Read (Vol.1): Novels, Poetry, Plays, Short Stories, Essays, Psychology & Philosophy by Various Schillers Werke Vierter Band (Wilhelm Tell / Die Huldigung der Künste / Iphigenie in Aulis / Scenen aus den Phönicierinnen des Euripides / Macbeth / Turandot / Der Neffe als Onkel / Phädra) - Illustrierte Ausgabe by Friedrich Schiller Shakespeares Dramatische Werke Sechster Band / Meyers Klassiker (Lear / Macbeth / Timon / Troilus) by William Shakespeare The Norton Shakespeare: Four-Volume Set by Stephen Greenblatt (indirect) The Norton Shakespeare: Two Volume Set by William Shakespeare (indirect) Is retold inHas the adaptationIs abridged inIs parodied inWas inspired byInspiredHas as a reference guide/companionHas as a studyHas as a supplementHas as a commentary on the textHas as a student's study guideHas as a teacher's guideNotable Lists
Classic Literature.
Drama.
Fiction.
HTML: Macbeth is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and one of his best-known plays. Often referred to as an archetypal tale, it warns against lust for power and the betrayal of friends. Shakespeare based the play loosely on a King Macbeth of Scotland. The play is traditionally considered "cursed", and thus many actors refer to it as "The Scottish Play" to avoid naming it. .No library descriptions found.
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Current DiscussionsMacbeth by William Shakespeare – LIMITED EDITIONS CLUB 1939 in George Macy devotees Popular covers
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)822.33Literature English & Old English literatures English drama Elizabethan 1558-1625 Shakespeare, William 1564–1616LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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