Macbeth

Written by William Shakespeare

Narrated by Anthony Quayle

Anthony Quayle, Robert Hardy, Ian Holm, Stanley Holloway and Jill Balcon in an unabridged performance of Shakespeare's Macbeth

• Language: English
• Publisher: Saland Publishing
• Release date: Jan 10, 2010
• ISBN: 9781907818578

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) is arguably the most famous playwright to ever live. Born in England, he attended grammar school but did not study at a university. In the 1590s, Shakespeare worked as partner and performer at the London-based acting company, the King’s Men. His earliest plays were Henry VI and Richard III, both based on the historical figures. During his career, Shakespeare produced nearly 40 plays that reached multiple countries and cultures. Some of his most notable titles include Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar. His acclaimed catalog earned him the title of the world’s greatest dramatist.

Reviews for Macbeth

[barb_h_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Audiobook. It was done like a play and very enjoyable =)

[shanaqui_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read Macbeth when I was younger -- year seven or so -- and watched some kind of adaptation of it made for TV. I didn't remember it well enough to do any kind of review (and Shakespeare is usually too recent for me, and irrelevant for my purposes, since he never touched on the Matter of Britain). Anyway, I had a long car journey today, and a pound or two left of a gift certificate, so I bought myself Macbeth and Hamlet for my Kindle.

I still don't like reading plays, but it is funny when reading Shakespeare's plays to realise how often they're quoted by everyone, often by people who don't know what they're quoting. My cousin quoted Shakespeare at dinner today: I'm not sure he's ever read a book in his life.

Macbeth is a powerful play, even just in text, and I wish I could see it performed.

[391_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Macbeth performed is one of the most thrilling and engrossing plays I've ever seen. Macbeth read is...well. It's Shakespeare's shortest play, and I feel like that is apparent in the rather harried and haphazard plot, the miscellany of characters who wander in and out and are never seen again, and the lack of character development for pretty much everyone who isn't Macbeth himself.But on the other hand, this play is the source of some of the greatest speeches ever written - "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,...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 taleTold by an idiot, full of sound and fury,Signifying nothing."I mean, it's just gorgeous.

[06nwingert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

'Double, double, toil and trouble. Fire burn and cauldron bubble. By the pricking of the thumbs, something wicked this ways comes.'That just about sums up Macbeth, the epitome of self-fulfilling prophecies and ambition. Macbeth, driven by the witches' prophecy, murders all who stand in his way of power.

[msnikki · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Was a great book, at the time I had a teacher who understood how to make Shakesphere approachable to students.It could easily be staged as a leadership bid at one of those Fortune 500s all over Wall Street.

[fluffyblue_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What can you say about Macbeth that's not already been said? I thought I would find it difficult to understand, having not read any Shakespeare before, but it just took a bit of slow reading and thinking about what the meaning might be. I think if you've not read Shakespeare before, this might be a good place to start.

[teknokat · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My very favorite Shakespeare play: pesky witches, nobles hoist on their own ambitious petards, and revenge. What's not to like?

[joles_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of my absolute favorite plays by Shakespeare. The "Scottish Play" contains the supernatural, riddles and memorable quotes. It is a testament about the times and a warning to those that would deceive others to get what they want. This play is a must read/see!

[silverwing2332 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great book (if thats what you call it, maybe play is more accurate) obviously a classic. The modern english parts make it easier to read, but please do not just read those parts, the great thing about Shakespeare is how he wrote and the language that he used.

[jpsnow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My favorite Shakespeare play so far, due to the simple depth of the plot, the cool use of the witches, and the straightforward, yet dynamic characters.

[hamburgerclan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My daughter has shamed me a bit in recent months. She's been on a Shakespeare kick--purchasing his works here and there from book sales and the like. Me, I've read a couple of plays and seen one or two others on television. I've never got around to reading these treasures of English literature. It was this shame, and the need to find a book that would fit in my lunch box, that led me to check out Shakespeare's Macbeth. 'Tis the tale of a Scottish thane or chieftain who, tempted by a cryptic prophecy, murders his king and tries to cover it up. There is much bloodshed and guilt, all set in iambic pentameter. The story was enjoyable enough, though I have to confess, I read through the synopsis before attempting to tackle the 17th Century English. (This, the Oxford School Shakespeare edition, is chock full of notes to help us poor students along in our studies.) Reading it spoiled the drama, but also helped me follow the story. So anyway, now my own guilt has been assuaged--for the nonce--and I can get back to reading more modern fluff. I don't think the child has procured a copy of Othello yet, anyway.--J.

[tryion · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My all time favorite.

[ragwaine · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not fun to read. A cool line every 20 lines or so. Pretty good story, I would have enjoyed it more if it was written in regular, somewhat poetic prose.

[benmartin79 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Shakespeare is, it goes almost without saying, likely the greatest English author ever. No one else uses the language quite as well as he does. And of all his plays, Macbeth is by far my favorite. It's short and to the point, it has one of the strongest moral messages of any of his plays, contains some of his best character development in the Lord and Lady Macbeth, and it is elegantly written, posessing several of Shakespeare's most impressive soliloquies and an excellent example of his abilities at duplicitous wordplay.

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I think this is one which needs to be seen. It seemed very slow to me, aside from the bits with murder and ghosts.

[morgannakerrie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was my father's, now it is mine. Each fan of Shakespeare has read this one. It's a goodie.

[judithrs · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Macbeth; Complete Study Edition. William Shakespeare, edited by Sidney Lamb. As soon as I found out the Shakespeare Festival was putting on Macbeth, I knew I wanted to see it, but I held back when I found out this production was to be set in a post-apocalyptic society. I have always wanted Shakespeare the way I think “it’s ‘sposed to be.” But the more I thought about it, the more intrigued I was. So when I decided to see it, I decided to re-read it, and I am glad I did. This is good edition for people like me who haven’t read Shakespeare. There are plenty of explanatory notes that explain the history surrounding the play and the unfamiliar vocabulary.

[0912katie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had never thought of reading “Macbeth”, but since I read, Romeo and Juliet at school and at home, I started to like how the structures of Shakespeare poems or plays were set up. What got my attention is the cover of the book because it has a king and a queen, so I thought it had to do with the rich and high-class society. After reading the beginning of the story, I thought Macbeth was a good and loyal man to King Duncan. All of the “Great men” turned out to be fake because all he wanted was to be king, but there was already a king. Three witches had told him that he was going to be king but he had to kill the king. His ambition led him to killing the king and any witness. His wife thought that killing the king was the quickest way to achieve the destiny the witches promised. Macbeth is duly proclaimed the new king of Scotland, but recalling the witches’ prophecy, he arranges the murder of his fellow soldiers Banquo and his son Fleance, both of whom represent a threat to his kingship. Fleance escapes but his dad dies. The next day, according to the witches’ prophecy Macbeth should be aware of an enemy called ‘not born of woman”. Macduff allegiances to young Malcolm and Macduff surrounds and kill Macbeth and Malcolm is crowned the King of Scotland. Not a very good ending for the protagonist but he got what he deserved because his ambition to be powerful lead him to the tomb. Finally, I think this is a great book and I recommended to anybody that likes ambition, mystery, witches, and magic. I love this book and I would like to read more Shakespeare books later on.

[ncgraham_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy and, many would say, his darkest. I’ve also called it my favorite for several years, although I never read it until now, my familiarity with it being limited to the video with Ian McKellen and Judi Dench. So I am very sorry that my experience reading it was not more enjoyable.For sometimes that is what determines our enjoyment of a book or play: the experience, rather than the work itself. Something just doesn’t click, or we come to the material with the wrong material, and from then on everything is ruined. That was how it was for me and Macbeth. I still enjoyed it—but not the way I enjoyed Much Ado About Nothing, or even The Merchant of Venice. Maybe the comedies are simply easier for me to comprehend. I read this play alongside my brother, who had been assigned it in school, and when I tried to explain some of the themes to him I found I was having difficulty with it, even though I had previously thought them fairly simple and straightforward (for Shakespeare, that is).I think in the end what draws me to this play is that it shows us a world where evil is very real, and yet it does not allow for it to completely triumph over goodness. From the witches’ devilish incantations to the guilt Lady Macbeth shows in her famous sleepwalking scene, this is a study of evil, sin, and suffering in all their various forms: vain ambition, jealousy, negligence (one could argue that Macduff is guilty of this—I like that Shakespeare’s good guys are complex even in plays like this), death, revenge. And yet in the end, the Macbeths get their just deserts, and all is righted. (Of course, there are some scholars who maintain that this is not the case, because Duncan was a usurper and Macbeth historically was really in line for the throne. Whatever. They’re old curmudgeons and just want to take away my happy ending.)Along with the play in book form, I do still recommend the video with McKellen and Dench. As it is based on a stage production, it follows the text very closely, and both stars perform superbly. I’ve seen sections of the old Orson Welles film as well, and while it is splendid visually, it is more of an interpretation of Shakespeare’s work than a performance. I assume that many of the other film versions suffer from similar changes.

[ckarmstr1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Macbeth has become a curse in the theater community. If you say his name three times in a row, your performance is doomed. Knowing this, I wanted to find out what Macbeth was all about. Coville's adaptation of the Shakespearan tale helped me discover this. Macbeth fights with himself over heroism and evil. The witches add a fantasy element. I think this book can be enjoyed by any student grades seven and up!

[john257hopper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Haven't read this since school. Thundering great stuff, and the witches are magnificent. 5/5

[paradox98_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not my favorite in any sense. An interesting read. Worth the read for the exposure to Shakespeare's writing. The story itself, however, wasn't as engaging for me personally. Because I read it at 2AM had something to do with it, I'm sure. I'll revisit it, I'm sure.

[jeroenberndsen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic editions this is, the play on the right page, and explanations and supprt material on the left. You don't have to read it, but if you come across words you don't understand, It's pretty convenient!The story itself, well that off course has lost nothing of it's magic....

[tygers_eye · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A shakespeare play full of tragedy, love, and a crazy hunger for power. An amazing play by William Shakespeare.

[decemberbird · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Scottish general Macbeth happens to meet three witches, who predict that he will become king. So Macbeth and his wife decides to murder Duncan, the Scottish king. Lady Macbeth smears blood on the swords of the sleeping guards, so they will be accused of the murder. When the king's body is discovered by a nobleman named Macduff, Macbeth kills the guards saying that they are guilty of the crime because of the blood on their swords. Macbeth becomes king and more murders occur, but the guilt of the murder tortures Lady Macbeth and she decides to commit suicide. In the end, Macduff kills Macbeth to avenge Duncan, and he becomes king.I think Macbeth has more than one theme. Greed, guilt, ambition and revenge. It showed me how far humans will go for money and reputation. Macbeth killed king Duncan for power, Lady Macbeth committed suicide because of guilt, Macduff killed Macbeth because of revenge. These feelings drive humans mad and make us do the unthinkable, like murder. I realized that most of the sinful things in this world is fueled by the lust for power, money and love.This story is very deep and filled with complicated emotions, which almost makes it difficult to understand. There are many wise thoughts that will keep you thinking and you will realize obvious things that you have never thought about before. I think Shakespeare has written many intelligent plays and this is definitely one of the best. I really recommend this book.

[kaelirenee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's interesting to consider the role fate has in this play. And of course, it helps to have the guides at the bottom of the page that explains some of the texts.

[mjmbecky · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although I'm an English teacher, I have to admit that Macbeth is not one of my personal favorites. Does that mean that the play isn't brilliant? Absolutely not. Shakespeare, once again, exhibits the full range of characteristics and emotions that a human can display. Great play about the way a seemingly good man, can descend into the madness of becoming greedy and a murderer.

[xicanti_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderful play with so many great things going on. One of my favourite lines comes when MacDuff learns that his family has been killed. He says, "Oh, my pretty chickens!" As those of you who've read the play will know, much of it revolves around the idea that fair is foul and foul is fair. Pretty chickens are fair fowls. I can't help but wonder if Shakespeare did that deliberately.Stuff like that kills me.

[athenamilis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Macbeth is a tragic tale of power and corruption. The main character, Macbeth, is persuaded by his wife and supernatural forces to kill the sitting king he serves in order to take the throne himself. To cover up his crime he is forced to kill others including his close friend Banquo. The plot of this story is intense and highly interesting. The inclusion of witches and voices and daggers and the tolling of bells create a level of suspense that may keep young readers on the edge of their seats if they can understand the language. The old English style is often hard for students who use the modern vernacular to understand. In addition, students need to understand that the author wrote this play to be preformed and not read. Therefore, I feel that English language learners as well as struggling readers may have trouble reading this book on their own. It is definitely a play that can be read and acted out as a whole class at the high school level.

[Ling Long · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great voice actors and absolutely true to the play as I have had it in front of me this whole time really made me feel as if I was a part of the play