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The Tragedy of Macbeth
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The Tragedy of Macbeth Paperback - 2013

by William Shakespeare; Barbara a. Mowat (Editor); Paul Werstine (Editor)

About this book

Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a tragic play that delves into the destructive consequences of unchecked ambition. The story follows Macbeth, a Scottish nobleman, who, driven by his wife's relentless ambition and the prophecies of three witches, succumbs to his own inner darkness. As he ascends to the throne through deceit, Macbeth becomes consumed by guilt and paranoia. The play explores themes of power, guilt, fate, and the corrupting nature of ambition. Through vivid imagery, complex characters, and dramatic soliloquies, Shakespeare masterfully crafts a tale that exposes the psychological turmoil and moral decay that accompany the pursuit of power, leaving the audience with a haunting reflection on the human condition.

Macbeth's precise date remains uncertain, but it is generally considered contemporaneous with other canonical tragedies such as Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear. While some suggest an original writing date as early as 1599, it is more likely that the play was composed no earlier than 1603, celebrating King James' ancestors and the Stuart accession to the throne. Scholars believe Macbeth was written in 1606, following the Gunpowder Plot, with references and allusions to the plot and its trials. The play also reflects the political context of James' reign, exploring themes of kingship and rebellion.

Summary

The world’s leading center for Shakespeare studies.

Each edition includes:

• 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

• An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play

• Illustrations from the Folger Shakespeare Library’s vast holdings of rare books

Essay by Susan Snyder

From the publisher

The authoritative edition of Macbeth from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers. In 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 his opponents' good, and there are new attitudes toward both witchcraft and gender. This edition includes:
-Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play
-Newly revised explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play
-Scene-by-scene plot summaries
-A key to the play's famous lines and phrases
-An introduction to reading Shakespeare's language
-An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play
-Fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library's vast holdings of rare books
-An up-to-date annotated guide to further reading Essay by Susan Snyder The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is home to the world's largest collection of Shakespeare's printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs. For more information, visit Folger.edu.

First Edition Identification

The “First Folio” of 1623 remains the primary source for the play and the only early printed text, although some interpolations and additions are suspected. The “First Folio” is indeed the first printing of 36 of Shakespeare’s plays, and it was first published in 1623 by Edward Blount and William and Isaac Jaggard. It is believed there were 750 copies of the First Folio printed in 1623. Only 235 of those are known to survive today, most of them held by The Folger Shakespeare Library.

Details

  • Title The Tragedy of Macbeth
  • Author William Shakespeare; Barbara a. Mowat (Editor); Paul Werstine (Editor)
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Updated
  • Pages 304
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Simon & Schuster
  • Date 2013-10-08
  • Features Bibliography, Price on Product - Canadian, Table of Contents
  • ISBN 9781451694727 / 1451694725
  • Weight 0.8 lbs (0.36 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.7 in (21.08 x 13.72 x 1.78 cm)
  • Reading level 1230
  • Themes
    • Cultural Region: British
  • Library of Congress subjects Scotland, Drama
  • Dewey Decimal Code 822.33

About the author

William Shakespeare was born in April 1564 in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, on England's Avon River. When he was eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway. The couple had three children--an older daughter Susanna and twins, Judith and Hamnet. Hamnet, Shakespeare's only son, died in childhood. The bulk of Shakespeare's working life was spent in the theater world of London, where he established himself professionally by the early 1590s. He enjoyed success not only as a playwright and poet, but also as an actor and shareholder in an acting company. Although some think that sometime between 1610 and 1613 Shakespeare retired from the theater and returned home to Stratford, where he died in 1616, others believe that he may have continued to work in London until close to his death. Barbara A. Mowat is Director of Research emerita at the Folger Shakespeare Library, Consulting Editor of Shakespeare Quarterly, and author of The Dramaturgy of Shakespeare's Romances and of essays on Shakespeare's plays and their editing. Paul Werstine is Professor of English at the Graduate School and at King's University College at Western University. He is a general editor of the New Variorum Shakespeare and author of Early Modern Playhouse Manuscripts and the Editing of Shakespeare and of many papers and articles on the printing and editing of Shakespeare's plays.
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