Book Cover of The Tragedy of Macbeth

The Tragedy of Macbeth

by William Shakespeare

Macbeth is a tragedy by William Shakespeare; it is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatizes the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake. Of all the plays that Shakespeare wrote during the reign of James I, who was patron of Shakespeare's acting company, Macbeth most clearly reflects the playwright's relationship with his sovereign. It was first published in the Folio of 1623, possibly from a prompt book, and is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy. A brave Scottish general named Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia. Forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion, he soon becomes a tyrannical ruler. The bloodbath and consequent civil war swiftly take Macbeth and Lady Macbeth into the realms of madness and death. Shakespeare's source for the story is the account of Macbeth, King of Scotland, Macduff, and Duncan in Holinshed's Chronicles (1587), a history of England, Scotland, and Ireland familiar to Shakespeare and his contemporaries, although the events in the play differ extensively from the history of the real Macbeth. The events of the tragedy are usually associated with the execution of Henry Garnet for complicity in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. In the backstage world of theatre, some believe that the play is cursed, and will not mention its title aloud, referring to it instead as "The Scottish Play". Over the course of many centuries, the play has attracted some of the most renowned actors to the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. It has been adapted to film, television, opera, novels, comics, and other media.

Book Details

Language

English

Original Language

English

Published In

2018

Authors

William Shakespeare image

William Shakespeare

United Kingdom

William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon. The son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, he was probably educated at the King Edward VI Grammar School in Stratford, where he...

Books by William Shakespeare

Listen/Download Audiobook

Read by:
00:00
Playback Speed 1.0
00:00
  • Select Speed

Related books

Sabueso de los Baskerville Cover image

Sabueso de los Baskerville by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

El sabueso de los Baskerville es una novela de misterio del famoso detective Sherlock Holmes. Ambientada en el sombrío páramo de Dartmoor, la historia...

Crofton Boys Cover image

Crofton Boys by Harriet Martineau

Crofton Boys is a Victorian novel that offers a glimpse into the lives of young boys attending a boarding school in the 19th century. The story follo...

The Rainbow Cover image

The Rainbow by D. H. Lawrence

The Rainbow is a novel by British author D. H. Lawrence, first published by Methuen & Co. in 1915. It follows three generations of the Brangwen family...

Cuentos de Amor de Locura y de Muerte Cover image

Cuentos de Amor de Locura y de Muerte by Horacio Quiroga

This collection of short stories by Horacio Quiroga delves into the darker aspects of human nature and the raw forces of the natural world. Set primar...

More English Fairy Tales Cover image

More English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs

Joseph Jacobs' "More English Fairy Tales" is a collection of traditional English folklore, bringing together a captivating selection of stories that e...

Vampiro Cover image

Vampiro by John William Polidori

El Vampiro, escrito por John William Polidori, es una novela gótica que cuenta la historia de Lord Ruthven, un vampiro encantador y misterioso, y Aubr...

Warwickshire Lad: The Story of the Boyhood of William Shakespeare Cover image

Warwickshire Lad: The Story of the Boyhood of William Shakespeare by George Madden Martin

This book explores the formative years of William Shakespeare, delving into his childhood in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Through a fictionalized nar...

Nebuly Coat Cover image

Nebuly Coat by John Meade Falkner

In the tranquil town of Cullerne, young architect Westray arrives to oversee repairs on the minster's tower. He finds lodgings with a genteel woman f...

Comical History of Don Quixote, Part 1 Cover image

Comical History of Don Quixote, Part 1 by Thomas D'Urfey

This play, 'Comical History of Don Quixote, Part 1,' is a dramatic adaptation of Cervantes's iconic novel. It presents a comedic and satirical view of...

Mary Tudor Cover image

Mary Tudor by Victor Hugo

Mary Tudor by Victor Hugo is a historical novel that tells the story of Queen Mary I of England. Mary is a powerful and ruthless ruler, and she is det...

Reviews for The Tragedy of Macbeth

No reviews posted or approved, yet...