Macbeth

From Barnes & Noble

Another Signature Shakespeare edition from Sterling, complete with all the features described above. Like Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth is popular play by the Stratford Bard that has a thorny textual history and numerous internal allusions. A classic delivered with majesty.

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

Children's Literature - Rita Monteiro

In eleventh century Scotland, Macbeth, a cousin of the reigning King Duncan, is a superb military strategist and general, feared by enemies of the kingdom, a loyal retainer, and leader respected by his peers for his valor and noble qualities. At the peak of sophistication and poetic artistry, Shakespeare's drama Macbeth is a powerful tragedy, built on a compelling plot of actions and consequences. Shakespeare walks his audience into the mind and heart of Macbeth, a charismatic character set to reach the acme of success. Feeding on his boundless ambition, lured by convenient prophecies from the powers of darkness, egged on by a complicit and relentless wife whom he loves deeply, Macbeth chooses a path of ruthless murders and corrosive guilt, to the tragic doom he constructs for himself. Powell creates a graphic novel from the original play, together with Daniel, who has worked as a colorist and an illustrator for comic book publishers. Powell retains the dramatic structure of the original play— five acts—with a two-page illustration in lurid green color, by Daniel. A brief original quotation highlights the main theme of the action. Much of the compelling moral power and beauty of the original incisive dramatic poetry, in fluid iambic pentameter, rich in emotional associations and symbols, occurs as fragmented snippets of text. The power of a skilled animator and artistic colorist will appeal to the imagination and sense of visual beauty, as a clever hook to a stage performance, or reading of Shakespeare's play. In support of this consideration, the book has excellent notes on William Shakespeare, the history of the play, Shakespearean language with examples, discussion questions and writing prompts. There are also notes on the retelling author and illustrators. One earnestly hopes that young readers will go from this text to the cathartic original. A confusing error appears in the text at the top on Page 53. Malcolm discusses his concerns with "Macduff," not "Duncan," who lies cold in his grave. Obtain the other Stone Arch "Shakespeare Graphics" novels: Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. These books will make beautiful gifts, especially for young people interested in writing poetry, dramatic performance and stagecraft, printing, illustrating, animation, film scripts and the colorist's art. They are useful additions to a library for those who enroll in the Fine Arts as major subjects. Reviewer: Rita Monteiro

School Library Journal

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