book review macbeth

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Book Review: Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Books: Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb Picture This! Shakespeare: Macbeth by Philip Page and Marilyn Petit Macbeth: A Retelling by Adam McKeown Macbeth by William Shakespeare, annotated by Burton Raffel

Genre: play Publication date: from the 1623 Folio, probably first produced in 1606, according to Burton Raffel’s Introduction

Summary: Macbeth, a Scottish baron, and his wife plot regicide after witches predict that Macbeth is to become king. Macbeth is of two minds about the whole affair, but does the deed with the help of Lady Macbeth. They frame the king’s guards, who Macbeth then kills in his supposed outrage at the king’s murder. The king’s sons doubt that the guards are to blame and flee in the fear that they will be next on the murderer’s list. Macbeth uses their escape to spread the story that the king’s sons paid the guard to murder their father and, thus, Macbeth takes over the throne.

Macbeth’s friends and countrymen begin to suspect Macbeth’s guilt. Banquo, who was with Macbeth during the conversation with the witches, received a prediction as well: that it would be his progeny, not Macbeth’s that hold the throne in the future. Macbeth fears Banquo’s suspicion and realizes that if all the witches’ predictions come true, Macbeth has committed murder to benefit Banquo’s son. Macbeth sends ruffians to fix the problem. They kill Banquo but his son escapes.

Banquo’s ghost, visible only to Macbeth, shows up at a banquet, unnerving Macbeth visibly which causes his guests such discomfort that they leave the table.

Macbeth visits the witches again (“double, double toil and trouble”). With visions, they offer some advice (beware Macduff) and assurances (“none of woman born shall harm Macbeth” and “Macbeth shall never vanquished be, until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come against him”) but they also continue to predict that it will be Banquo’s descendants, not Macbeth’s, who inherit the throne.

Macbeth receives word that Macduff has gone to England to help Malcolm, King Duncan’s son, regain the throne. He sends troops to Macduff’s home where they kill his wife and children.

Lady Macbeth, attended by a maid and physician, is witnessed sleepwalking and obsessively rubbing her hands (“Out, damned spot!”).

Macduff and Malcolm, the prince, march toward Macbeth’s stronghold at Dunsinane with a force of English and Scottish soldiers. They gather in Birnam Wood and order everyone to cut down branches and use them to disguise their presence and number as they proceed across the field to Dunsinane, thus fulfilling the prophecy that Birnam Wood will move against Dunsinane.

The Queen, Lady Macbeth, dies and Macbeth makes this famous speech:

Life’s but a walking shadow; a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.

The battle commences. The castle is lost, but Macbeth fights on, believing that he can not be killed because all men are of women born. Macduff, who demanded of his fellow fighters that he be allowed to kill Macbeth in retaliation for the deaths of his wife and children, seeks out Macbeth and fights him declaring, “Macduff was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped.” Macbeth is slain, fulfilling the last of the witches’ prophecies about him.

The battle ends. Macduff presents Macbeth’s head to Malcolm with the greeting “Hail, King of Scotland,” a cry that is taken up throughout the castle.

The other three books, I read concurrently, one scene at a time. I started with the Picture This! Shakespeare version of Macbeth , a graphic novel. Then, I read the relevant chapter in Macbeth: A Retelling by Adam McKeown, part of The Young Reader’s Shakespeare series. According to the library catalog, The School Library Journal deemed McKeown’s retelling suitable for Grades 5 to 10. It’s a large format chapter book with dramatic drawings, sharp angles and expressive faces, by Lynne Cannoy. And, finally, I read the actual play using the one from The Annotated Shakespeare series by Yale University Press, annotated by Burton Raffel.

Armed with three versions, I worked my way through and I have learned it well enough that I can retell it, as above, and to Rick so that he will also be prepared to see the play tonight.

Appeal: Macbeth is a timeless tale of political intrigue interspersed with witches and battle scenes to entertain all of us who like our stories with a dash of adventure.

Reviews: Here are a couple of other book blogger reviews of Macbeth : Macbeth at Becky’s Book Reviews Macbeth by William Shakespeare at Rebecca Reads

Have you read Macbeth or seen the play? What did you think?

Book Review: Macbeth by William Shakespeare — 20 Comments

What a good system for working through the play! I have a very, very hard time with Shakespeare, but I think reading the play along with a more narrative version might work well for me.

I’m planning to read a couple of Shakespeare plays, hopefully in the near future, and I like your approach! Sometimes I do get lost reading the originals, and a familiarity with the story going in would definitely help.

I was actually in a version of Macbeth in school and have always meant to read it again!

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this play sucks!

LOL! Sorry about that Lilia. Do you have to read it for a class? That often makes literature harder to like than it needs to be.

which one is correct ? Dunisnane or Dunsinane….

Looks like Dunsinane. Thanks! I’ll fix that.

Dunsinane is the correct one. I am 100% sure!

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nice way to read drama of shakesphere………. ……………….. thankyou.

thank u so much for your help

Nice review It helped me a lot do complete my homework

it helped to complete my homework and the summary

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Thanks this really helped me.

warm days will never cease

A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say. – italo calvino, book review: macbeth by william shakespeare.

Macbeth , or the Scottish Play, was first performed in c.1606 but it wasn’t printed until the First Folio in 1623 which was common for Shakespeare’s plays. It’s unknown when the play was actually written, some scholars dating it as early is 1599 even though I disagree with that, but it is commonly associated with James I’s ascension to the throne in 1603 as James believed himself to be descended from Banquo, one of the only completely fictional characters in the play.

There’s a huge amount of superstition surrounding the play. Apparently, Shakespeare used the spells of real witches in his text which angered the witches so they put a curse on the play. No one will say the play’s title in a theatre and even the characters are referred to as Mr and Mrs M. I could spend hours writing about this subject but I should probably get on with the review…

I re-read this play as part of my PhD research because I may be writing a chapter on early modern witchcraft. This is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, definitely in the top three, and I was so happy to have an excuse to read it again and to review it.

Firstly, the characters are bloody amazing. Lady Macbeth is my Queen and I worship at her throne of blood and lies. [Fun fact: I once played Lady Macbeth in a ballet version of Macbeth. ] I’d consider her a Vice character, although others would disagree with me, as she tempts and taunts her husband throughout the play. She’s bloodthirsty but her guilt catches up with her in the end. I also love Macbeth and Banquo. They’re friends and brothers-in-arms who are torn apart by a prophecy made by three weird sisters. They show how power can consume men and destroy them.

The plot is a product of its time, since it was used to pander to James I’s false heritage, but it’s still interesting today. It’s a play about power and glory and suspicion, filled with blood, horror, and amazing lines. It will always be interesting. I’m not saying people still believe in magic and ghosts but no one can deny the power of the sinister prophecy made by the witches.

I also love that it’s set in Scotland. Scotland is such a vibrant place, and it obviously was in the 1600s too, and I think that this play allows for some truly beautiful imagery. Also, most of the characters are based on historical Scots and that’s fascinating when you get into it.

Overall, Macbeth is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays and it always will be. I don’t think I can say much more than that.

Here are some of my favourite quotes from the play…

That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold: What hath quenched them hath given me fire. – Lady Macbeth (Act II, Scene ii)

There’s daggers in men’s smiles. The near in blood, The nearer bloody. – Donalbain (Act II, Scene iii)

But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we’ll not fail. – Lady Macbeth (Act I, scene vii)

Final note, as an academic I always choose the Oxford Shakespeare editions. I’ve tried Arden but I don’t like them. Fight me.