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A review by calarco
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
5.0
Macbeth is probably my favorite Shakespeare play, at least of all the ones I have read so far. It is an excellent tale of the corruption of greed, and has some of the most interesting and iconic characters of literary history.
One of my favorites is easily Lady Macbeth. In addition to be an extra diva of a villain (or so I like to envision her), she is one of the more multilayered female villains of her time. Most all villains meet an end in blood or moral dilemma/comeuppance, and her demise is brought upon by her own internal moral conflict. The source of her anguish at the novel's close, is not the shame of a woman who dared to reach for power, but guilt from the deaths she caused. To see a woman in early 17th century literature guilted, rather than shamed, is pretty refreshing.
I am also forever fascinated by the three witches. To the best of my knowledge, this is one of the first appearances of this now famous trope in Western Literature. Three powerful witches who act as catalysts for malignant or benevolent change can now be seen in Sleeping Beauty, The Black Cauldron, Charmed, Hocus Pocus, and To Wong Foo. My favorite witchy antagonists are not powerful due forceful aggression, but rather are strong in their ability to troll humanity and allow people to corrupt themselves.
Also, the use of prophecy in this drama is superbly compelling. Delivered in a carefully crafted riddle, the witches' divination clearly lays out what will be Macbeth's demise, but do so in a way that bolsters him with false hope. As the Second Apparition states:
Who in the 1600s would even consider an attack from someone born via c-section?
Overall, my continuing love for this play largely stems from the fact that it's just fun story telling, excellent prose, and a narrative that is easily subject to nuanced interpretation. One particularly good adaptation is Akira Kurosawa's 1958 film, Throne of Blood, with the Scotsmen re-imagined as samurai.
It's probably obvious, but I super recommend this play, if only so you can see how this one drama effected an entire magical zeitgeist.
One of my favorites is easily Lady Macbeth. In addition to be an extra diva of a villain (or so I like to envision her), she is one of the more multilayered female villains of her time. Most all villains meet an end in blood or moral dilemma/comeuppance, and her demise is brought upon by her own internal moral conflict. The source of her anguish at the novel's close, is not the shame of a woman who dared to reach for power, but guilt from the deaths she caused. To see a woman in early 17th century literature guilted, rather than shamed, is pretty refreshing.
I am also forever fascinated by the three witches. To the best of my knowledge, this is one of the first appearances of this now famous trope in Western Literature. Three powerful witches who act as catalysts for malignant or benevolent change can now be seen in Sleeping Beauty, The Black Cauldron, Charmed, Hocus Pocus, and To Wong Foo. My favorite witchy antagonists are not powerful due forceful aggression, but rather are strong in their ability to troll humanity and allow people to corrupt themselves.
Also, the use of prophecy in this drama is superbly compelling. Delivered in a carefully crafted riddle, the witches' divination clearly lays out what will be Macbeth's demise, but do so in a way that bolsters him with false hope. As the Second Apparition states:
Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn
The power of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth.
Who in the 1600s would even consider an attack from someone born via c-section?
Overall, my continuing love for this play largely stems from the fact that it's just fun story telling, excellent prose, and a narrative that is easily subject to nuanced interpretation. One particularly good adaptation is Akira Kurosawa's 1958 film, Throne of Blood, with the Scotsmen re-imagined as samurai.
It's probably obvious, but I super recommend this play, if only so you can see how this one drama effected an entire magical zeitgeist.