Something wicked this way comes (Macbeth - William Shakespeare)

Member Name: DancingCopper

Product:	Macbeth - William Shakespeare
Date:	30/10/08 (502 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Violence, Magic, Revenge

Disadvantages: You have to work through that language again

Macbeth is not Shakespeare's best work. There appear to be scenes missing and it is his second shortest play, after The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Why then does it seem to capture popular imagination? Why is it the Shakespearean text that more people are familiar with than any other? I would optimistically hope it is more than because it was force-fed us at school.

The story focuses on the successful soldier and nobleman, Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, his rise to power and eventual fall. In the beginning, his valor in combat is reported to Duncan, the King of Scotland. Having defeated the rebel Thane of Cawdor, Duncan sends a messenger to give his title to Macbeth.

While this is going on Macbeth and his colleague, Banquo are making their own way back from the battle. They encounter three 'wyrd sisters', witches who appear to know Macbeth and are able to predict his future.

They identify him correctly as the Thane of Glamis, then call him the Thane of Cawdor before addressing him with the ultimate title of King. Banquo is told he will not achieve personal reward, but his children will be kings.

The witches then vanish, leaving Macbeth and Banquo to joke about the strange-looking women. The tone changes when the King's messenger appears and informs Macbeth, he has been made Thane of Cawdor.

The story that unfolds initially leads Macbeth into conflict with his wife. He is prepared to wait until the Crown falls in his lap. His wife wants a more proactive approach, urging him to kill Duncan. Eventually Macbeth consents and the King is murdered, with Macbeth framing two of Duncan's servants for the act.

Having taken power by force, Macbeth must hang on to it by force. The heroic soldier degenerates into a paranoid insomniac, seeing threats everywhere. He is reduced to planting spies in every castle of the nobility, engaging the services of criminals to kill those who were his closest friends.

Finally he is forced to return to the witches to hear what the future holds for him. Given three cryptic answers, he is initially satisfied but when they start to come true, he is forced into one final confrontation...

Macbeth was a potentially risky play to perform in front of King James I. He could trace his ancestors back to Banquo, thus making sense of the witches prophecy. There is a sequence in the play when Banquo, his son Fleance and a line of kings are summoned by the witches. The final king is alleged to have carried a mirror which was held up to King James, as an appreciation of his lineage.

James was also considered an expert on witchcraft, having written on the subject and taken an interest in trials. The use of superstition and incantation would have played to this interest. Clearly it worked, as under James' reign Shakespeare's company of players were by far the most successful.

Much has been made of the superstition surrounding the play. Bad things are believed to happen when the play is produced and it is very bad luck to say the name Macbeth - actors refer to it as the Scottish play. The roots of this superstition are somewhat less glamorous - as a play certain to fill a theatre, it was a useful 'bail-out' if an awful, unpopular play was staged. If an actor in such a play heard another actor reciting Macbeth in the green room, it was almost certain their play was being axed!

----------Alternative Versions----------

Macbeth is never far from stages. There is usually at least one fairly major production taking place in the UK. If you can't find one and you're not too thrilled about reading the script here are a few alternatives:

Shakespeare: The Animated Tales, Act 1 (The Taming Of The Shrew & Macbeth)
RRP: £3.98
The animated tales are half-hour versions of Shakespeare's plays. They make use of animation and puppetry. The Macbeth version is a cartoon which captures the essence of the story, without leaving you swamped in the language.

Macbeth [1971] Roman Polanski
RRP: £19.99 (but you'll find it much cheaper - £4.98 through Amazon)
The version most schools use to study the play. It aims to give an authentic feel to the story, using period costume and locations. Interestingly, when Shakespeare's plays were performed, there was very little allowance made for historical or geographical accuracy. Polanski's film has turned many of the soliloquies (speeches delivered direct to the audience) into voice-overs. I found these a little tedious at times - they needed cutting.

William Shakespeare's Macbeth [1978] Ian McKellan, Judi Dench
RRP:£12.99
Trevor Nunn's acclaimed 1976 production adapted for film. It has a similar feel to the BBC Shakespeare collection, which I really don't like. It does receive glowing reviews on Amazon but, despite excellent performances, I find it too stuffy.

Macbeth [2006] Sam Worthington
RRP: £15.99
Not one for the purists, this version definitely tries to tap into a Sin City-style post modernity. It doesn't get a particularly good write up, but the 'kidulthood generation' might engage with it.


There are also a range of graphic novel versions of the story. The one which I have heard described most positively is

Shakespeare's "Macbeth": The Manga Edition by William Shakespeare, Adam Sexton, Eve Grandt, and Candice Chow
RRP: £5.99
While I have not read it myself, I think manga is a superb medium for this, one of Shakespeare's darkest stories.


For a more accurate, historical analysis of Macbeth, his wife and the other characters try:

Lady Macbeth (Hardcover) by Susan Fraser King (Author)
RRP: £14.99


While this is still a work of fiction, it does give a better sense of the real Macbeth, the fact he wasn't actually an evil person and that Duncan and Banquo were less reputable than Shakespeare gives them credit.


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Tenuous Link

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Macbeth

The main plot of Macbeth focuses on a successful, loyal and powerful man seduced by the lure of even greater power. This is a similar fate as Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vadar, who allows himself to be corrupted by the Dark Side of the Force, to achieve absolute power.

Summary: Famous story, fascinating background, great if you see it live