Macbeth by William Shakespeare (Review)

'A brave Scottish general named Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia.'

I really loved this play.

Taking place in The Middle Ages, the eleventh century to be exact. This play is set in various locations across Scotland and England. Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's shortest and bloodiest plays and as such it has been captivating and shocking readers and audience for centuries.

While Macbeth is not one of Shakespeare’s most complex plays, it is undoubtedly one of his most powerful, gripping and emotionally intense works. As a tragedy, the dark and foreboding tone of this play shouldnt surprise readers.

Macbeth is a dark, foul assassination of humanity, nature and relationships. The themes and characters in this play display corruption, cruelty and unnatural aggression. One of the main themes dissected throughout this play is that of unchecked ambition.

One of the questions that is raised in relation to the characters unchecked ambition really stays with the reader. That question being; Once you decide to use violence in a quest for power is it possible to then stop using violence in the future?

Another of the themes discussed in Macbeth is that of the differences between men and women, and masculinity and cruelty.

Macbeth has been labeled my many critics as a misogynistic play. While I can understand kind of these comments, at least to some to an extent, I personally see that both the male and the female characters in this play can be as evil as each other, they just have different ways of achieving their goals.With the female characters more likely to use manipulation and deception to get what they desire, the male characters are more prone to outward aggression.

With murder, violence, and utter chaos permeating this entire play, Macbeth is definitely not one for the faint hearted.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.