Macbeth [electronic resource] : Text and Performance

The play concerns a trusted general who secretly lusts for power. Encouraged by the prophecies of three witches and urged on by his ambitious wife Macbeth commits regicide. Left fearful and superstitious by this desperate act he is driven to a spiralling course of murder and outrage, almost inevitably culminating in his own death. One of Shakespeare’s most popular tragedies, Macbeth is ostensibly based on the Scottish king although the story represented in the play bears no relation to historical fact as the true King Macbeth was well respected by his contemporaries. This book includes the hero Macbeth becoming more and more evil after he gets told his "destiny" by the witches and becomes greedy with power. Front Matter....Pages 1-8 Front Matter....Pages 9-9 Introduction....Pages 9-15 The Jacobean Macbeth....Pages 16-24 Macbeth and his Fiend-like Queen....Pages 24-29 The Knocking at the Gate....Pages 29-37 Front Matter....Pages 38-38 Introduction....Pages 38-39 The Player King....Pages 39-46 Macbeth’s Dearest Partner....Pages 46-54 Black, and Midnight Hags?....Pages 54-62 Adaptation....Pages 63-69 Conclusion....Pages 69-70 Back Matter....Pages 71-80 Part of The New Penguin Shakespeare series, this text looks at Macbeth with an introduction, a list of further reading, commentary and a short account of the textual problems of the play. The series is used and recommended by the Royal Shakespeare Company