The Tragedy of Macbeth

To this list I would add a less-seen movie, SCOTLAND PA, a remake of MacBeth set in PA, in a burger franchise, starring Maura Tierney as Lady MacBeth, James Le Gros, and Chris Walken.., MacBeth makes a better comedy than tragedy. I mention this because I think you might appreciate it, not because it suits the thread. Did you ever see a little movie called SCOTLAND PA? It's MacBeth done as...more

To this list I would add a less-seen movie, SCOTLAND PA, a remake of MacBeth set in PA, in a burger franchise, starring Maura Tierney as Lady MacBeth, James Le Gros, and Chris Walken.., MacBeth makes a better comedy than tragedy. I mention this because I think you might appreciate it, not because it suits the thread. Did you ever see a little movie called SCOTLAND PA? It's MacBeth done as a dark comedy, set in 1970s Pennsylvania in and around a fast food franchise (Big Macs)... Walken as MacDuff, James LeGros as MacBeth, and Maura Tierney is great as Lady McBeth. I heard about it late last year. Roth said he'd always wanted to see MacB played by a real person, and said it was the works. I imagine Roth has a hand in the screenplay. I can't even remember the music in SCOTLAND PA. But after seeing it, I began to wonder if all Shakespeare's plays weren't really comedies, cause it seemed that MacBeth certainly played more easily as one. 'Course that's a tendency of mine -- I'm already convinced that MOBY DICK and a good bit of western lit that's taken very seriously is actually wildly comic. Yep. Ray Winstone's the shit. I hear that he's doing MacBeth as a film with Tim Roth directing.   hide

Again - a school set-work. Discussed to distraction and multiple essays were written during the year! A dark and secretive background - with hidden agendas, murder and then the heaviness of guilt to contend with - the characters are easily recognisable as everyday people. A poetic rendering of history - albeit truth bent by the author, Shakespeare, to suit his storytelling.

I think this is my favorite play of Shakespeare's that I have read thus far. I hadn't expected to like it better than Hamlet, but it exceeded my expectations. It was actually entertaining to read. The most moving scene, in my opinion, is when Malcolm's army is marching towards Dunisane with chopped down trees in front of each and every one of them so that it looks like "the woods are moving."...more

I think this is my favorite play of Shakespeare's that I have read thus far. I hadn't expected to like it better than Hamlet, but it exceeded my expectations. It was actually entertaining to read. The most moving scene, in my opinion, is when Malcolm's army is marching towards Dunisane with chopped down trees in front of each and every one of them so that it looks like "the woods are moving." This would make a moving sequence in a film. As for Macbeth, I actually liked him at first. If it hadn't been for his evil wife taunting him about not being manly enough, Macbeth probably wouldn't have killed the king. Talk about Shakespeare being sexist. He sure didn't seem up to it before. Even so, Macbeth seemed to have a bloodthirsty side to him (killing all of Macduff's family). :/   hide

it was twisted. The character Macbeth was so eager to believe what the three witches told him.And the way Lady Macbeth took actions into her own hands as a way to set him up quicker into the throne was wrong. i felt sorry for King Duncan who was killed off some where's in between the beginning and the middle. I felt sorry for his sons who had to flee right after he was murdered so that they could...more

it was twisted. The character Macbeth was so eager to believe what the three witches told him.And the way Lady Macbeth took actions into her own hands as a way to set him up quicker into the throne was wrong. i felt sorry for King Duncan who was killed off some where's in between the beginning and the middle. I felt sorry for his sons who had to flee right after he was murdered so that they could fight another day. the whole book was a damn tragedy. it's not my typical reading, bit there is one for sure thing....Shakespeare knew how to get a person interested and he definitly knew how to write a good story.   hide

Washing your hands of blood has been done before, likening it to Pontius Pilot washing his hands of the blood of Christ, but the stain can never be erased from our memories. Guilt cannot be assuaged by desire for power, Destiny is not ruled by those who tell the future and when man tries to overide his destiny by force of will it provokes the Gods to laughter. That simple words on paper can...more

Washing your hands of blood has been done before, likening it to Pontius Pilot washing his hands of the blood of Christ, but the stain can never be erased from our memories. Guilt cannot be assuaged by desire for power, Destiny is not ruled by those who tell the future and when man tries to overide his destiny by force of will it provokes the Gods to laughter. That simple words on paper can bring to life a story with such visual clarity, that such power can be transcribed across the ages from its simple tellling, that words can be arranged together in sentences of grace and style that sing as poetry to our ears, words taken to memory and to heart by so many; only proves that the master was at work here be he Shakespeare , or Francis Bacon, or whoever you wish to call him. This work is timeless. As timeless as passion and envy and good and evil. As timeless as . . . the human heart   hide

My favourite shakespeare play, I think Macbeth is not entirely a bad person. He is misfortune enought to have a bad wife. I am not saying that he is not responsible, Macbeth wanted the throne..but he is weak.

Should I list it as my fav? absolutely not, at the beginning of the year when I knew this is my Olevel text for literature, I nearly fainted for the fact that I dont even understand the language But after a while, learning to get into the mind of the murderer, of a brave soldier, the tragic hero who falls for his greed of power, I have to say, I love the play Rich in irony, tension and...more

Should I list it as my fav? absolutely not, at the beginning of the year when I knew this is my Olevel text for literature, I nearly fainted for the fact that I dont even understand the language But after a while, learning to get into the mind of the murderer, of a brave soldier, the tragic hero who falls for his greed of power, I have to say, I love the play Rich in irony, tension and suspense... Macbeth, though a killer, a tyrant, someone who commit murder of his own best friend, his king and innocent women and children, in the end wins our sympathy as a loner, a king who is loved by none, a husband who loses his wife... His soliloquy in the end was depressing but beautiful: Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets in his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more   hide

Behind every great man...... I like how you can see how easily Macbeth gets manipulated by his wife, but then get to see his wife's downfall. Don't ever get too cocky, becuase soon you will have to pay the price. For a Shakespearean tragedy, pretty short and easy one to read.

Because for me, I'm sure lots of people with both agree and disagree, it isn't the same just reading Shakespere, you need to see it performed. I watched the Rep Theatre company (Dundee's own theatre company) perform Macbeth and it was so very alive and full of the passion and hatred and deceit and cowardice that the play embodies that I couldn't instantly fall under it's thrall. The intreague of...more

Because for me, I'm sure lots of people with both agree and disagree, it isn't the same just reading Shakespere, you need to see it performed. I watched the Rep Theatre company (Dundee's own theatre company) perform Macbeth and it was so very alive and full of the passion and hatred and deceit and cowardice that the play embodies that I couldn't instantly fall under it's thrall. The intreague of the plot, from scheming Lady Macbeth to Macduff's overcoming of prophecies in the spawning of the ultimate plot twist there's enough to keep you satisfied. It's hard to hate Shakespere, so you're only left to choose your favourites, and this is one of mine.   hide