Rating: 
Summary: Quite possibly the darkest of the Shakespearean Tragedies...
Review: Just what the world needs: ANOTHER opinion on MacBeth. Even if you ARE reading this, chances are you already know at least a little bit about this play, which is (for good reason) yet another plume in Shakespeare's hat. Long before I was familiar with Macbeth, I knew and appreciated the most powerful line in the play: "Out out, damn spot!" This frantic plea is delivered by Lady Macbeth, while sleepwalking, in a scene near the end of the play, as her psychological guilt and paranoia surface in her subconscious by night. The guilt, of course, is the result of the play's most significant action, Macbeth's murder of the Scottish King, Duncan, carried out with the intention of seizing the throne for himself. But as both Lord and Lady Macbeth (who coerced him into and was party to the murder) find out, such actions do not bring closure to a problem -- they simply establish more serious ones. As in all the Great Shakespearean Tragedies (TM), of course, there is a tragic hero with a tragic flaw, which will result inevitably in his downfall. In this case, Macbeth seems to be the tragic figure (making this the only play in which the protagonist becomes the villain), and his tragic flaw is the burning ambition for power which leads him to kill. What is most unusual about Macbeth is the audience's inclination to sympathize with Macbeth, even in murder -- the motive is a good one, and the resulting course of action is all too plausible, and we sympathize because there is a Macbeth in each of us. Like the better portion of Shakespeare's work, it's hard to attempt a serious criticism of this text now... it's been an established masterpiece for far too long. And, as usual, not without reason.
Rating: 
Summary: macbeth
Review: this is a cool tragic book you must read it.
Rating:
Summary: Greed doesn't pay
Review: I read this book in class, with my Language Arts teacher and the rest of my class. We didn't do the exact play, just read through it, but it was fun. You may think, why are 7th graders reading Shakespeare? Well, the answer is, we have a great teacher with enthusiasm, that is willing to teach us with his characterists before we read it in high school with the most boring teacher in the world. Anyway, reading this was a blast. With the help of the New Folger Library explanations, and my teacher, I understood this play. It teaches that greed doesn't pay, no matter how hard you try, and how many people help you. Also, you will regret what you do, and realize it wasn't worth it when your head has been removed from your shoulders. It has these great messages, as well as no matter how "perfect" your plans are, they aren't and will backfire eventually. The characters are excellent, although some are very greedy, which makes this play interesting. This was the first Shakesspearean play I have ever read, although I have seen Romeo and Juliet at the opera. This got me interested in Shakespeare, and I plan to read his comedies, and possibly Hamlet.
Rating:
Summary: what happened to Fleance?
Review: Macbeth is an intriguing play...very dark, very bloody, and very frustrating. I enjoyed it, but found the characters disappointingly simple after Hamlet (which I loved). Of course I'm not a Shakespearean scholar, but I didn't feel passionate about any of them: Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Banquo, Macduff...Macbeth features a lot of brutal murders, mostly of innocent bystanders. That sucked. However, it does have two really cool scenes: when Banquo returns as a ghost and fills Macbeth's place at the table, and when the horses are described as eating each other. I'm not morbid, but that last one was really creepy and fascinating. The witches are great, and fun at parties, I'll bet.
Rating:
Summary: Great Individual Edition
Review: When I first saw this copy of Macbeth, I was amazed--it wassothick that it looked more like a novel than a play. The reason forthis is 100 pages of introductory essays plus footnotes more thorough than most people would ever want. The introduction also has some very nice pictures, and the essays are insightful and the product of hideously scrupulous scholarship. The margins are slightly larger than average, allowing sufficient room for notes of your own (and it doesn't have that horrible newsprint-quality paper that makes it impossible to write on, like the Folger Shakespeare does). The only disadvantage to this edition is that...only about a third or so of the plays available from the New Cambridge Shakespeare, that it would be quite... impractical to use their texts for all your Shakespearean needs. However, for the student who needs a compact copy of the play to take to class, the New Cambridge Shakespeare is the best I've seen. (Of course, I haven't seen the Arden editions, which are also supposed to be very good.)
Rating:
Summary: good for students who are studying macbeth
Review: i am studying macbeth in school right now, and this audiobook has been extremely helpful. i finally understand what's going on. playing the audiobook while reading the lines is very useful. A must for any student
Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare's best
Review: MacBeth is my favorite of all of Shakespeare's plays. Its great. The best part I think is when MacBeth is talking with the witches. I thought the fortunes for him were very clever and I thought it was cool how they all seemed impossible but came true. The speech MacBeth gives after he found out that his wife died the Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow one was great and moving. I'd recommend this book to anyone who is willing to read through all the olde English. It will be worth you're while.
Rating:
Summary: Macbeth is the precursor for many modern-day stories
Review: I read Macbeth a little while ago, and realized that it mirrored modern-day life a little too well. We have all known a Macbeth, who backstabs Banquo at the height of his power, or a Lady Macbeth who knows exactly how to move her chessmen on the board of life. One always has acted selfishly and asks the question "Was it worth it?" Sometimes, the ends truly justify the means, but, it often catches up to you, as it did Macbeth. I also found Richard III to be somewhat similar.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Drama
Review: Macbeth is about the Great Chain of Being and a man who breaks it. The diction and tone of the play is wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: The BEST Shakespear ever produced
Review: This book is not the type of play you would expect from Shakespear after that Romeo and Juliet junk. It is a play that would make a good movie in today's society. Murder, Courage, Greed, Revenge, and Guilt are all of the things surrounding our main character (MacBeth) as he goes through the play. It is still a Shakespearian tragedy, so you know the character in the title will end up _____ at the end. If you don't try too look to deep into the play then you'll enjoy it.
|
