"Macbeth' is one of Shakespeare's tragedies and is also known as the Scottish play because of its setting.
It tells the story of Macbeth who listens to a prophecy by three witches who tell him he will become king of Scotland. Spurred on by his ambition and his wife, Macbeth murders the king and takes the throne for himself. Guilt and paranoia consume him as he becomes tyrannical and commits more murders to keep his throne before ending in tragedy. For a complete copy of the play including modern English translation click here. To view a complete version of the play check out the video below. The motifs (recurring elements and patterns of imagery which support the play's themes) are:
* Nature / the natural world, and its disruption when the bounds of morality are broken. For example:
* Light and darkness representing innocence and evil. For example:
* Children, representing the future and highlighting evil when they are abused. For example:
* Blood, representing evil plans and consequences of overreaching ambition. For example:
* Sleep, a natural process and its disruption as caused by the fracture of the moral order. For example:
* Visions, representing the extensions of a guilty conscience. For example:
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The main themes in 'Macbeth' are:
* Ambition and the devastation which follows when ambition oversteps moral boundaries. Some related scenes:
* Kingship (or natural order) and the difference between appropriate use of power and tyranny. Some related scenes:
* Fate and free will and the extent to which we control our own destinies. Some related scenes:
* Appearance and reality and how people and events are often not as they seem. Some related scenes:
The videos below analyse the play. The first is from 'Shakespeare Uncovered' with Ethan Hawke (actor) and the second is with Ian McKellan (actor).
The following videos are various adaptations of 'Macbeth'.
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