Description
Witches appear out of the mists in the opening scenes of Macbeth, setting a mysterious and foreboding tone from the very start. One of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, the play charts the sudden rise and fall of the Scottish leader Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth. A rising military hero, Macbeth encounters three witches on the heath who prophecy that he will be king, despite the fact that the current ruler, King Duncan, still sits on the throne. However, the strange supernatural prediction awakens Macbeth’s ambitions and spurs him to take matters into his own hands. Goaded on by his power-hungry wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan while he is a guest in Macbeth’s own home. Yet for Macbeth, one killing merely paves the way to more murders, as he finds that he must silence his critics in order to protect his crown. Haunted by ghosts and plagued by visions and doubts, Macbeth clings to the witches’ prophecy, believing that no one can harm him. Events begin a downward spiral as Lady Macbeth, insane with guilt, commits suicide, and Macbeth’s enemy Macduff prepares for battle. Overconfident until the very end, Macbeth learns too late that he has misinterpreted the witches’ words. Macbeth leads us on a journey along the tenuous line between the supernatural and human agency that destroys one of Shakespeare’s most villainous heroes—and sounds a warning to all who would seek their “fate.”
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Opening Lines (Experimental)
DUNCAN, King of Scotland.
MALCOLM, his Son.
DONALBAIN, his Son.
MACBETH, General in the King's Army.
BANQUO, General in the King's Army.
MACDUFF, Nobleman of Scotland.
LENNOX, Nobleman of Scotland.
ROSS, Nobleman of Scotland.
MENTEITH, Nobleman of Scotland.
ANGUS, Nobleman of Scotland.
CAITHNESS, ...
Ratings for 'Macbeth' by Shakespeare, William
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Macbeth
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