Macbeth

By William Shakespeare

Two Scottish generals, Macbeth and Banquo, are on their way home from successful battles when they encounter three witches. With the prophecies of power and fame they give him swirling through his head, Macbeth tells his wife that the witches divined that he would become king of Scotland. Eager to see her husband as king, Lady Macbeth encourages him to murder King Duncan and assume the throne. A tale of obsession and forcing the fates, this unabridged version of William Shakespeare's classic English tragedy was first published in 1623.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lerner Publishing
• Release date: Aug 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781467756525

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is the world's greatest ever playwright. Born in 1564, he split his time between Stratford-upon-Avon and London, where he worked as a playwright, poet and actor. In 1582 he married Anne Hathaway. Shakespeare died in 1616 at the age of fifty-two, leaving three children—Susanna, Hamnet and Judith. The rest is silence.

Book preview

Castle.

ACT 1

aCT 1, SCeNe 1. aN OPeN pLaCe. tHUNDeR aND LiGHTNiNG.

[Enter three Witches.]

FIRST WITCH.

When shall we three meet again?

In thunder, lightning, or in rain?

SECOND WITCH.

When the hurlyburly’s done,

When the battle’s lost and won.

THIRD WITCH.

That will be ere the set of sun.

FIRST WITCH.

Where the place?

SECOND WITCH.

Upon the heath.

THIRD WITCH.

There to meet with Macbeth.

FIRST WITCH.

I come, Graymalkin!

ALL.

Paddock calls:—anon:—

Fair is foul, and foul is fair:

Hover through the fog and filthy air.

[Witches vanish.]

aCT 1, sCeNe 2. a CaMP NeaR foRRes.

[Alarum within. Enter King Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Lennox, with Attendants, meeting a bleeding Soldier.]

DUNCAN.

What bloody man is that? He can report,

As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt

The newest state.

MALCOLM.

This is the sergeant

Who, like a good and hardy soldier, fought

’Gainst my captivity.—Hail, brave friend!

Say to the king the knowledge of the broil

As thou didst leave it.

SOLDIER.

Doubtful it stood;

As two spent swimmers that do cling together

And choke their art. The merciless Macdonwald,—

Worthy to be a rebel,—for to that

The multiplying villainies of nature

Do swarm upon him,—from the Western isles

Of kerns and gallowglasses is supplied;

And fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling,

Show’d like a rebel’s whore. But all’s too weak;

For brave Macbeth,—well he deserves that name,—

Disdaining fortune, with his brandish’d steel,

Which smok’d with bloody execution,

Like valor’s minion,

Carv’d out his passage, till he fac’d the slave;

And ne’er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,

Till he unseam’d him from the nave to the chaps,

And fix’d his head upon our battlements.

DUNCAN.

O valiant cousin! worthy gentleman!

SOLDIER.

As whence the sun ’gins his reflection

Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders break;

So from that spring, whence comfort seem’d to come

Discomfort swells. Mark, King of Scotland, mark:

No sooner justice had, with valor arm’d,

Compell’d these skipping kerns to trust their heels,

But the Norweyan lord, surveying vantage,

With furbish’d arms and new supplies of men,

Began a fresh assault.

DUNCAN.

Dismay’d not this

Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo?

SOLDIER.

Yes;

As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion.

If I say sooth, I must report they were

As cannons overcharg’d with double cracks;

So they

Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe:

Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds,

Or memorize another Golgotha,

I cannot tell:—

But I am faint; my gashes cry for help.

DUNCAN.

So well thy words become thee as thy wounds;

They smack of honor both.—Go, get him surgeons.

[Exit Soldier, attended.]

Who comes here?

MALCOLM.

The worthy Thane of Ross.

LENNOX.

What a haste looks through his eyes! So should he look

That seems to speak things strange.

[Enter Ross.]

ROSS.

God save the King!

DUNCAN.

Whence cam’st thou, worthy thane?

ROSS.

From Fife, great king;

Where the Norweyan banners flout the sky

And fan our people cold.

Norway himself, with terrible numbers,

Assisted by that most disloyal traitor

The Thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict;

Till that Bellona’s bridegroom, lapp’d in proof,

Confronted him with self-comparisons,

Point against point rebellious, arm ’gainst arm,

Curbing his lavish spirit: and, to conclude,

The victory fell on us.

DUNCAN.

Great happiness!

ROSS.

That now

Sweno, the Norways’ king, craves composition;

Nor would we deign him burial of his men

Till he disbursed, at Saint Colme’s-inch,

Ten thousand dollars to our general use.

DUNCAN.

No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive

Our bosom interest:—go pronounce his present death,

And with his former title greet Macbeth.

ROSS.

I’ll see it done.

DUNCAN.

What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.

[Exeunt.]

aCT 1, sCeNe 3. a heaTH.

[Thunder. Enter the three Witches.]

FIRST WITCH.

Where hast thou been, sister?

SECOND WITCH.

Killing swine.

THIRD WITCH.

Sister, where thou?

FIRST WITCH.

A sailor’s wife had chestnuts in her lap,

And mounch’d, and mounch’d, and mounch’d:—Give me, quoth I:

Aroint thee, witch! the rump-fed ronyon cries.

Her husband’s to Aleppo gone, master o’ the Tiger:

But in a sieve I’ll thither sail,

And, like a rat without a tail,

I’ll do, I’ll do, and I’ll do.

SECOND WITCH.

I’ll give thee a wind.

FIRST WITCH.

Thou art kind.

THIRD WITCH.

And I another.

FIRST WITCH.

I myself have all the other:

And the very ports they blow,

All the quarters that they know

I’ the shipman’s card.

I will drain him dry as hay:

Sleep shall neither night nor day

Hang upon his pent-house lid;

He shall live a man forbid:

Weary seven-nights nine times nine

Shall he dwindle, peak, and pine:

Though his bark cannot be lost,

Yet it shall be tempest-tost.—

Look what I have.

SECOND WITCH.

Show me, show me.

FIRST WITCH.

Here I have a pilot’s thumb,

Wreck’d as homeward he did come.

[Drum within.]

THIRD WITCH.

A drum, a drum!

Macbeth doth come.

ALL.

The weird sisters, hand in hand,

Posters of the sea and land,

Thus do go about, about:

Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine,

And thrice again, to make up nine:—

Peace!—the charm’s wound up.

[Enter Macbeth and Banquo.]

MACBETH.

So foul and fair a day I have not seen.

BANQUO.

How far is’t call’d to Forres?—What are these

So wither’d, and so wild in their attire,

That look not like the inhabitants o’ the earth,

And yet are on’t?—Live you? or are you aught

That man may question? You seem to understand me,

By each at once her chappy finger laying

Upon her skinny lips:—you should be women,

And yet your beards forbid

Reviews for Macbeth

[sdtaylor555 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm not a big Shakespeare fan, so I won't rate any of his works very high

[jonfaith · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself
And falls on the other.

Last winter I heard a report on NPR about Stalin's dacha in Sochi. Such featured some curious design features including a bulletproof sofa with extended headrests that prevented his head being exposed from behind to an assassin. The curtains were also shorter in length from the top to prevent someone from hiding from behind them. As I drove I mused as to what sort of world-view would emerge from someone's sense of self and safety?

The Bard's tale chooses not to address the policy of Macbeth but rather allows him only time to address his version of destiny in such a spirited supernatural environment. Macbeth is a rushed affair. It lacks the splendid pacing of Hamlet. Apparently Fortune favors the breathless as the narrative steps are sprinted and obstacles leaped like some wonky Wuxia. Despite all the gore, there isn't a great deal of introspection or even calculation. Such is strange but not so much as some things one finds on the Heath.(postscript: I just watched the Patrick Stewart led PBS film version: it was simply an avalanche.)

[jfoster_sf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Classic tragedy.

[pardamustang · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Manga Classics: Macbeth by William Shakespeare keeps the original text from the play, complementing it with gorgeous manga artwork. Macbeth is one of the Bard's most famous dramas, and my personal favourite of his dramas. As much as I love both the play, and manga style artwork, this book didn't resonate with me so much. It was good, don't get me wrong. I think it just really messed my mind up to have the classic text with this quite modern artwork. However, if you're a fan of the Manga Classics series, or of Macbeth, definitely check it out!***Many thanks to Netgalley and Udon Entertainment for providing an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[therebelprince · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating scholarly edition, but looking forward to the updated Arden edition, to be released in 2014.

[allriledup · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I can't believe I hadn't read this sooner and hope to see a production of it one of these days. I must say I have a soft spot in my heart for the three weird sisters.

[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.

[scott_hercher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Shakespeare can sometimes be intimidating if you aren't a) a English Lit major (or a former one); b) 500 years old; or c) accustomed to speaking in iambic pentameter. I'm none of the above, but love his language, imagery, and stories. This particular edition, featuring Nicholas Brooke's annotations, is the best edition of any Shakespeare I've read. His annotations are informative, but unobtrusive. He explains language that is obscure today, notes the double meanings that would have been commonly known in Shakespeare's time, and creates a context for the story and play.

[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.

[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.

[aimapotis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I got in a massive reading slump as I was into the 3rd act of this wonderful and short tragedy, so it took me a bit more to finish the book. The last 2 acts are packed with action and emotions and the characters are iconic to say the least: Lady Macbeth, the epitome of the power-hungry, manipulative and seemingly emotionless woman, she's the victim of her own humanity, her husband Macbeth whose mortal enemies are his doubtfulness and his mania for control, proof that misunderstanding or underestimating something can be truly fatal. Macduff and his pain are masterfully crafted and we can appreciate his weakness when he's with Malcolm and doesn't hide his feelings of despair and his strength when he faces Macbeth, the cause of his grief. It wasn't the easiest or quickest read I have done, but most definitely worth it. The intro by Cedric Watts is a nice addition as well.

[idiotgirl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Audiobook. Strangely compelling. Narrated by Alan Cummings. A good part of the charm was the great Scottish reading. I have now downloaded his one man show of Macbeth. This is a very interesting project. Would probably be a .5 because of how interesting the project.

[clara53_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Re-reading "Macbeth" to refresh my memory before going to see it on stage. Not even trying to assume I can write a review on this classic. But one thing jumped out at me this time: how it took almost no time at all for Macbeth to decide on his murderous deeds after the prophecy of the three witches. It seemed incredible to me how little he hesitated to fulfil that prophecy at the horrible cost. Even though he did have some guilty conscience that tormented him just before and after the king's murder, being urged by Lady Macbeth was all it took...The images are dark throughout, the choice of words is insanely striking. A very good Introduction to the play by Mark Van Doren.

[john257hopper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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

[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.

[dmsteyn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A profoundly affecting play, Macbeth is Shakespeare's darkest tragedy, though perhaps not as nihilistic as the pre-Christian King Lear. Not that Macbeth's Christian era has any considerable redemptive effect on the play. There is Christian imagery throughout the play, of course, but I would contend with critics like Empson and Bloom that Shakespeare was not a particularly Christian playwright. It has hard to say anything about Shakespeare from his plays - he is the least auto-biographical writer in the Western tradition, one might say. He may well have been Christian (perhaps even Roman Catholic, as some have speculated) but I do not think his plays, Macbeth least of all, espouse any overt religious message. One can tack such a message onto Macbeth, if you wish, by investing Macbeth's opponents (young Malcolm, Ross, Macduff, and the other rebellious thanes of Scotland) with the ethos of 'good Christian knights', sent to kill the emissary of evil. But I would contend that this is a misguided misreading of the play. Macbeth may be morally abhorrent, but the play is closer in structure to a Sophoclean tragedy, with the focus nearly entirely on Macbeth, not on the 'avenging Christian heroes'.Bloom contends that Macbeth is extremely horrifying not because of its disturbing imagery and actions:Titus Andronicus is much more bloody, and yet less horrifying than Macbeth, and in any case, playgoers of his time could go to Tyburn to watch bloody executions. Rather, the horror is in Macbeth's extreme interiority and his proleptic imagination, which infects the whole play, as well as those who watch or read the play. Reading Macbeth awakens anxieties in us because it makes us aware of our own propensity and capacity for evil. 'Evil' is, of course, a particularly ambiguous term nowadays, with relativism making such a strong claim to our morality. But, within the confines of world morality, few would claim that Macbeth and his wife's initial ethos of 'the ends justify the means' is not particularly terrible. Even the Macbeths realise the horror of what they have done, though it has diverging effects on the two. In any case, the though that we may be capable of atrocities is uniquely tempting in this play. Macbeth is initially a 'golden boy', though we sense the danger of his propensity for slaughter, even though it is initially in service of the monarch. I never lost my admiration for Macbeth's bravery throughout the play, though I would strongly condemn his actions. It is this dichotomy between centripetal admiration, and a concurrent centrifugal revulsion, which draws one into Macbeth's unique psychology.Lady Macbeth is the only of other strong character in the play - the thanes and Malcolm are colourless in comparison. But she falls away after the beginning of Act III, and the play then focuses on Macbeth to the near-exclusion of everything else. This is unique in a Shakespearean tragedy - even Hamlet has his mother, uncle, and Horatio. Macbeth is left centre-stage, with his famous soliloquy on death ('Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow...'). Though he is killed, we remain strangely uneasy at the end of the play. I think this is because of the above-mentioned identification with Macbeth: we fear our capabilities for evil, but, in a perverse sense, also exult in them. Even more perversely, I felt a distaste for king Malcolm and his easy morality. Perhaps I am merely a misanthropic egoist, always fearing that the 'do-gooding rabble' might come after me as well. All I can say to that is:Stars, hide your fires!Let not light see my black and deep desires.More seriously (well, you judge whether I was serious previously...) is the role of the witches / weird sisters in the play. Do they control Macbeth, planting the seed of murder in his mind? Or has he always had the potential for evil in him? The text is ambiguous about this, but I suspect that Macbeth considers evil long before the witches appear. For instance, they never, ever tell Macbeth to do anything. He comes to the idea of murder all by himself, with some promptings from his wife. And, conversely, when they make predictions to Banquo, Banquo does not run off to kill the monarch. Evil (whatever you mean by that word) seems to reside in humanity itself, not in the outside universe. Which is a bit of a cop-out: the witches are, after all, in the play. Bloom says, despite his fascination with the witches, that they are nearly redundant, which I would agree with, following my interpretation of Macbeth's own culpability. But, then, why did Shakespeare feel the need to add them to the play? Was it only because James I had an inordinate interest in witches and the supernatural in general? This hardly seems like a good enough reason for such a large aspect of the play. Is it because Holinshed mentions them in his Chronicles, on which the play is based? Shakespeare often leaves out things in Holinshed which he finds extraneous. Or did Shakespeare also find witches fascinating? It could be for anyone of these reasons, but I think the last is the most intriguing.This is, obviously, a great play. It is economical, fast-paced, and cuts to the bone of what Renaissance tragedy could do. It is also frightening, and more so the more one thinks about it. I could say much more about the play - I've left out a whole discussion on the use of humour in the Porter's scene, which Coleridge hated, but which De Quincey examined at length. I also haven't said much about the role of imagery in the play, or the pathetic fallacy of nature responding to the death of the king. Time is short, the art too long.On a last note: thank God this play isn't as amenable to post-modern reimagings as, say, Othello or The Tempest! I hate polemical interpretations which pervert Shakespeare's plays beyond all recognition. Retellings are fine, but don't give me a Marxist-feminist-structuralist play in which Macbeth is a hero of the proletariat, who kills the factory boss, but then descends into a homo-erotic coupling with the cross-dressing 'Lady' Macbeth, who convinces him to re-exploit the poor factory workers.Obviously, at the end, he is overthrown because of repressed longings for Malcolm, who resembles his mother. Obviously.God, help us.

[nicolesch-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Before reading the play my instinct was to say that the three witches symbolize the three fates. The number is the same and the three witches finish each other's sentences in the way that the fates are usually portrayed as doing. The fact that what the witches predict comes true, and comes true only because Macbeth acted on their prophecy (rather like how Trelawney's prophecy in Harry Potter came true only because Voldemort acted on it).

The biggest difference between the witches and the fates is that (in spite of how popular culture portrays them) in their original mythology the fates do not try to cause harm. They simply do their job creating people's destiny, and occasionally recite a prophecy, without any malicious intent. The witches on the other hand are deliberately trying to lead Macbeth to corrupt his soul. The way that they hint to him that he has good things coming, just enough to make him act to gain those things, even at the expense of others. Even at the expense of his own soul. Because of this I think that the Weird Sisters represent demons, and Hecate, who reprimands them not for the harm that they have done, but for not letting her in on their fun; 'How did you dare/To trade and traffic with Macbeth/In riddles and affairs of death;/And I, the mistress of your charms,/The close contriver of all harms,/Was never call'd to bear my part,/ Or show the glory of our art?'

It appears to me that the Weird Sisters may represent demons, with Hecate representing Satan. Another possibility could be that the witches represent the potential for evil in Macbeth, easily egged on by Lady Macbeth because it is already within his capacity to commit.

The witches apply to the themes of violence and fate. In violence as they spur Macbeth onto violence in his second meeting with them, summoning visions of bleeding heads and murdered babies. And fate as they cause Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and Banquo to question whether the things they predicted would come to pass naturally, or if they will have to act to gain the prophecies.

Without the Weird Sisters the play would not have happened, unless something else took their place. They are responsible for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth resorting to violence, and all the chaos that ensues. They could have been replaced by Macbeth making a conscious decision to kill King Duncan to gain power, but that wouldn't have been as compelling.

Lady Macbeth pushed Macbeth to kill the king trusting on the words the witches enough to believe that Macbeth would become king, but not trusting enough to wait and see if he would become king without them taking action. Ultimately neither husband nor wife could live with the guilt.

(This review was originally a discussion post I wrote for an online Shakespeare class.)

[vivienner_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It wasn't in my reading plans, but today when I came across "the Scottish play" I couldn't resist. What can I say that hasn't already been said? It is astonishing just how far ambition can push a person, and how difficult it is to live with the results. This is one of my favourites from Shakespeare. It never fails to entertain whether on the stage or on paper.

[thebookmagpie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read Lady Macbeth's part at school.

That should tell you all that you need to know about me.

[aethercowboy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Scottish play is well known for those who know a thing or two about Shakespeare. This play tells the tale betrayal, guilt, hubris, and witchcraft, threading together plots and wordplay only as Shakespeare could do.Recommended for any fan of Shakespeare, or by any fan of British fantasy.

[shamille_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Anyway, Macbeth is a play about this scottish dude and some witches come up to him and they're like "hey Macbeth! You're gonna be king!" and so Macbeth thinks: Ok it's my fate... so i have to make it happen! like a dummy. So he kills the king.. and the princes flee, and Macbeth becomes king! but to keep his secret he has to kill a whole bunch of other people...But Macbeth sucks as a king, and his wife, who was all evil before, is all weak and has gone crazy.Then Macduff (yes another Mac... it's scotland) comes around with the old king's son, Malcolm. And they're like.. "no way man, Malcolm's supposed to be king! Macbeth's a tyrant!" so they pretty much overthrow him.I know i gave it away but i'm just thinking probably everyone knows this story anyway. uhhhmm.....some facts about this story:# It's really funny# When they give this play people aren't allowed to say Macbeth until it's over... it's bad luck# In Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicolson books, Georgia and her schoolmates are giving the play Macbeth. Since she can't say the name, in her diary (or whatever the hell it is) she calls it MacUseless. Which is funny, because it is.

[the1butterfly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Macbeth is, without a doubt, an awesome play. We read Macbeth sophomore year of high school, and I loved it, but my funniest memory of Macbeth was when some third graders got it in their heads to act out "Macbeth in space". Given that they didn't know the play as well as they thought, I gave them a quick synopsis, and this is some of what they came up with:Macbeth goes up to three (male) witches-"Am I going to be king?""Yes, until the forest moves.""How do you know?""We read it on the internet!"Then Macbeth and the king charge with swords, Macbeth knocks him down, and Lady Macbeth stabs him with a dagger and pretends to wash her hands. Then the trees come and kill Macbeth.They never actually go to outerspace...

[atothel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Classic. My favorite SS play.

[bell7_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

*some spoilers*Three witches meet Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, and greet him with tidings that he will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland. Macbeth can't stop thinking about it, and when the first prophecy comes true, he starts pondering regicide with his wife alongside goading him into action.This is the first of Shakespeare's plays that I ever read, and as such it holds a special place in my memory. In high school, it was the one play I was assigned to read, and I just remember the thrill of surprise as the prophecies that Macbeth put his trust in came back to bite him. The excitement didn't disappoint on rereading, even though I knew what was going to happen. I love the theme of fate vs. free will - could Macbeth have avoided his fate? Would he have become king if he did nothing, much like Banquo's prophecy is likewise fulfilled? The arc of the characters as guilt gnaws them fascinates me as well. One of my absolute favorites of Shakespeare's plays. 5 stars.

[obrien8341 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Obviously, Shakespeare is a poetic genius. This play is beautifully written and contains messages about morality. Although Shakespeare's writing can be sometimes hard to understand, I followed this play very well and found it very entertaining. It is interesting to notice the way that fate plays a huge role in the outcome of the play.

[danielalgara · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

We have much to learn from Maestro's use of language. In Macbeth, it is surprisingly accessible and fast-paced.

I marvel at his choice at what occurs offstage, like the murder of Duncan. Yet the murder of Macduff's family, including children, happens for all to see. It is postulated that the Duncan scene was cut by someone else. But it actually does something interesting. It increases Macbeth's increasingly murderous character, intensifies his evil as a progression in his paranoia.

I have many more thoughts , of course, but I must stew. Perhaps I'll return to solidify my thoughts on this masterly work of art.

[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!

[seraphinac.b4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Macbeth and Banquo defeat two armies of enemies. Later three witches appear and prophesy that Macbeth will become a thane of Cawdor, eventually the king of Scotland, and Banquo will beget a line of Scottish kings. Unsure, neither of them are too concerned. When things are starting to come true, Macbeth tells his wife the good news. Lady Macbeth wants her husband to kill Duncan, the king, so that the rest of the prophecy will come true. Macbeth would become king if the present king "died". He stabs Duncan and the two watchers. Fearful that Banquo's heirs might inherit the throne, he hires murderers to kill him and his son Fleance. Fleance has escaped death and becomes Prince of England. He raises an army and fights Macbeth. Macbeth is killed and beheaded. This play was entertaining and had some rhyming. It was easier to read than most Shakespeare plays because it didn't have many characters. It was a quick read. It only took a few days. It was violent and not happy but understanding. I could read this book again. I would recommend this book to anyone 6th grade and up.

[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.

[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.