The Tragedy of Macbeth

i would love to read this book

Macbeth is among the best-known of William Shakespeare's tragedies, loosely based on historical account of King Macbeth of Scotland. As in all great Shakespearean tragedies, Macbeth is a fatally flawed hero, extremely valiant but a slave to the flames of ambition fanned by his wife and the three witches. This leads him to murder his king Duncan and his friend Banquo who "would beget...more

Macbeth is among the best-known of William Shakespeare's tragedies, loosely based on historical account of King Macbeth of Scotland. As in all great Shakespearean tragedies, Macbeth is a fatally flawed hero, extremely valiant but a slave to the flames of ambition fanned by his wife and the three witches. This leads him to murder his king Duncan and his friend Banquo who "would beget kings" - before falling himself to Malcolm and MacDuff (who had been from his "mother's womb untimely ripped") avenging army. The grandeur of this play has rarely been equalled even by Shakespeare himself. amust read for students of literature.   hide

If Shakespeare wrote a play besides "Romeo and Juliet" that is a good one to begin reading his material, this is it, tragedy is your thing. Unlike "Hamlet," which tends to wander about more in its plot, "Macbeth" stays far more focused on the central conflict about the rise of the man to power who does terrible things and can never forget. One of my favorites. For...more

If Shakespeare wrote a play besides "Romeo and Juliet" that is a good one to begin reading his material, this is it, tragedy is your thing. Unlike "Hamlet," which tends to wander about more in its plot, "Macbeth" stays far more focused on the central conflict about the rise of the man to power who does terrible things and can never forget. One of my favorites. For selecting that first Shakespeare play if you're reading (rather than watching, since that's technically what you're SUPPOSED to do with them), this is it, if tragedy's your thing. It's easily one of the most straightforward plots that Shakespeare wrote, but still well-written, sticking to the conflict around Macbeth.   hide

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

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

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

good

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

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