Macbeth

by William Shakespeare

Overview

Dark and bloody drama of ambition, guilt, and revenge centers on an ambitious Scottish nobleman who murders the king in order to succeed to the throne. Tortured by his conscience and fearful of discovery, he becomes fatally enmeshed in a web of treachery and deceit that spells his doom.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780486113036
Publisher:	Dover Publications
Publication date:	02/03/2012
Series:	Dover Thrift Editions: Plays
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	778,810
File size:	890 KB
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

William Shakespeare (c. 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, renowned by many as the world's greatest writer in the English Language. Among his plays are "Romeo and Juliet", "Hamlet", "Macbeth" to name but a few.

After his family moved from Hungary to the USA, ALEX BLUM studied at the National Academy of Design in New York. He eventually joined the Eisner-Iger shop, and in 1939, he started illustrating 'Samson' and 'Eagle' for Fox. In 1940 he illustrated 'Purple Trio', 'Neon' and 'Strange Twins' for Quality Comics. In the same year, Blum started contributing to Fiction House, illustrating 'Red Comet', 'Kaanga', 'Midnight' and 'Greasemonkey Griffin' among others. He was presumably also the artist behind the pseudonym Armand Budd, that also drew for Fiction House.

Alex Blum was a top artist for the Classics Illustrated series from the early issues. He illustrated over 25 Classics and stood out for his use of theatrical dramatics, which is probably why he illustrated three of the five Shakespeare Classics. Alex Anthony Blum retired in 1961 and died in 1969.

Date of Death:

2018

Place of Birth:

Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Place of Death:

Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Read an Excerpt

Dramatis Personae
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Macbeth"
by .
Copyright © 2016 William Shakespeare.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

One of the great Shakespearean tragedies, Macbeth is a dark and bloody drama of ambition, murder, guilt, and revenge. Prompted by the prophecies of three mysterious witches and goaded by his ambitious wife, the Scottish thane Macbeth murders Duncan, King of Scotland, in order to succeed him on the throne. This foul deed soon entangles the conscience-stricken nobleman in a web of treachery, deceit, and more murders, which ultimately spells his doom. Set amid the gloomy castles and lonely heaths of medieval Scotland, Macbeth paints a striking dramatic portrait of a man of honor and integrity destroyed by a fatal character flaw and the tortures of a guilty imagination.
A selection of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Macbeth is a blast...ghoulish...beguiling...sardonic...an expression of how captivating an evening of crackling Shakespeare can be." — Peter Marks, The Washington Post

"The explosive and overwhelming effect of a truck bomb...this horrific, riveting Macbeth ought to be seen by as many people as possible." — Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal

Editorial Reviews

"This updated edition of Macbeth reveals thorough research, it is conscientiously annotated, and it appears a superb tool for researchers and students involved in Shakespeare scholarship."
The Year's Work in English Studies

From the Publisher

Gr 10 Up—Shakespeare's tragedy is brought to life in this studio-recorded full-cast performance starring James Marsters and Joanne Whalley. Marsters's Macbeth is solid, and Whalley turns in a remarkable performance of Lady Macbeth's calculated strength and eventual unraveling. The pacing and delivery of Shakespeare's lines are effective and accurate, and the use of sound to depict setting and action provide the essential cues listeners need. The sound effects and the theatrics of the Weird Sisters are wonderful. Listeners should be familiar with the story prior to listening due to the large number of characters and the lack of stage direction in audio format. A good choice to offer students as a reading companion.—Rebecca Flannery, Lyman Memorial High School, Lebanon, CT

School Library Journal

In one of Shakespeare’s shortest plays, a Scots noble, inspired by witches, murders to become king and then loses himself in brutality. James Marsters and Joanne Whalley, as Macbeth and his Lady, are both quite good, if rarely exciting or remarkable. Whalley hits that mark more often. There are, by turns, some flatness and overacting in the lesser roles. There’s too much forced laughter among the supernumeraries and too much grunting during fights we cannot see. Still, the overall production is effective. Without standout performances, the play takes the lead. The music and sound effects, though occasionally overdone, help build a sense of dread and things gone very wrong. Text, performances, and sound combine to deliver an affecting tale of tragic horror. W.M. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2011 - AudioFile