MacbethIn 1603, James VI of Scotland ascended the English throne, becoming James I of England. London was alive with an interest in all things Scottish, and Shakespeare turned to Scottish history for material. He found a spectacle of violence and stories of traitors advised by witches and wizards, echoing James’s belief in a connection between treason and witchcraft. In depicting a man who murders to become king, Macbeth teases us with huge questions. Is Macbeth tempted by fate, or by his or his wife's ambition? Why does their success turn to ashes? Like other plays, Macbeth speaks to each generation. Its story was once seen as that of a hero who commits an evil act and pays an enormous price. Recently, it has been applied to nations that overreach themselves and to modern alienation. The line is blurred between Macbeth’s evil and this opponents' good, and there are new attitudes toward both witchcraft and gender. The authoritative edition of Macbeth from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers, is now available as an eBook. Features include: · The exact text of the printed book for easy cross-reference · Hundreds of hypertext links for instant navigation · Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play · Full explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play · Scene-by-scene plot summaries · A key to famous lines and phrases · An introduction to reading Shakespeare’s language · Illustrations from the Folger Shakespeare Library’s vast holdings of rare books · An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play |
Contents
Directors Foreword | vii |
Editors Preface | xi |
Shakespeares Macbeth | xiii |
Macbeth | xv |
Shakespeares Life | xxiv |
Shakespeares Theater | xxxii |
The Publication of Shakespeares Plays | xli |
An Introduction to This Text | xlv |
ACT 3 Scene 2 | 91 |
ACT 3 Scene 3 | 95 |
ACT 3 Scene 4 | 99 |
ACT 3 Scene 5 | 111 |
ACT 3 Scene 6 | 113 |
ACT 4 Scene 1 | 119 |
ACT 4 Scene 2 | 133 |
ACT 4 Scene 3 | 139 |
Text of the Play with Commentary | 1 |
ACT 1 Scene 1 | 7 |
ACT 1 Scene 2 | 9 |
ACT 1 Scene 3 | 13 |
ACT 1 Scene 4 | 25 |
ACT 1 Scene 5 | 31 |
ACT 1 Scene 6 | 35 |
ACT 1 Scene 7 | 39 |
ACT 2 Scene 1 | 49 |
ACT 2 Scene 2 | 55 |
ACT 2 Scene 3 | 61 |
ACT 2 Scene 4 | 73 |
ACT 3 Scene 1 | 81 |
ACT 5 Scene 1 | 161 |
ACT 5 Scene 2 | 165 |
ACT 5 Scene 3 | 169 |
ACT 5 Scene 4 | 173 |
ACT 5 Scene 5 | 177 |
ACT 5 Scene 6 | 181 |
ACT 5 Scene 8 | 185 |
Textual Notes | 193 |
A Modern Perspective | 197 |
Further Reading | 209 |
Key to Famous Lines and Phrases | 221 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
action actors appear arms attend audience Banquo bear become blood called Cawdor comes crown dead death deed desire directions DOCTOR double Duncan early edition England English Enter example exit eyes face father fear fight find first Folger Folio friends give hand hath head hear heart heaven Holinshed honor hope keep kill king Knock LADY MACBETH LADY MACDUFF language later leave LENNOX live London look lord MACDUFF Malcolm meaning moral MURDERER nature night noble notes performed perhaps plays Porter present Press printed quartos readers ROSS royal Scene Scotland SECOND seems sentence servants Shake Shakespeare’s Shakespeare’s plays Sisters SIWARD sleep soldier speak speech stage stand strange Thane theater thee things THIRD thou thought Tragedy University wife WITCH