Sep
“Angels and ministers of grace defend us.” — Hamlet, 1.4.39
First performed in 1606 for King James I, the tragic play Macbeth is more than 400 years old, yet its impact, like most all of William Shakespeare’s plays, resonates for the modern audience.
Still performed regularly by theater companies, the play packs a good deal of power, atmosphere, and theme into a rather short drama. It is in fact Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy and is believed to have been shaved to please the king (who wasn’t fond of epics).
Scholars have pored over its every line, dedicated years to the dissection of characters and motives, yet there’s always something new to learn of Macbeth. Indeed, from high school to West End to Broadway (see the 2008 adaptation from Chichester Festival Theatre), it remains one of the Bard’s most well-known and complex plays. It’s also cursed. Read the rest of this entry »
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