For Books ‘n Beer, we did ‘Macbeth’ this week. It was good to do some Shakespeare. Just good. ‘Macbeth’ is one of Shakespeare’s shortest plays. That’s one of the reason’s we read it. 😉 I do not love Shakespeare and this is the first time I have reread Macbeth in over 30 years. But, it’s importance can’t be understated. There is no way around Shakespeare for an English teacher! 😅(Macbeth is NOT recommended for ESL reading.)
Summary: Macbeth was written around 1606. It tells the story of a brave Scottish general named Macbeth who meets three witches on a desolate heath. They prophesy that he will become King of Scotland. When his wife, Lady Macbeth, hears the news, she becomes consumed by ambition and convinces her husband to murder the current king, Duncan, in his sleep . Macbeth takes the throne, but he is immediately filled with guilt and paranoia, forcing him to commit more and more murders to protect his secret and his power . His reign becomes a brutal tyranny, and both he and Lady Macbeth eventually slip into madness as they try to wash the “blood” from their hands . The play ends with the rightful king being restored, and Macbeth’s unchecked ambition leading to his own tragic downfall .
