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Macbeth
By William Shakespeare
“In sixteen o three, at about the middle of Shakespeare’s career as a playwright, a new monarch ascended the throne of England. He was James the VI of Scotland, who then also became James I of England. Immediately, Shakespeare’s London was alive with an interest in all things Scottish. Shakespeare’s company, which became the king’s men under James’s patronage, now sometimes staged their plays for the new monarch’s entertainment just as they had for Queen Elizabeth’s before him. It was probably within this context that Shakespeare turned to Raphael Holinshed’s history of Scotland for material for a tragedy.”
Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy but considered one of his greatest works. Macbeth tells the tale of a war hero, Macbeth, who on his way home from war runs into three witches who prophesize good but seemingly unrealistic tidings for Macbeth. He shrugs them off as nothing but when the first of these prophecies comes true he and his wife Lady Macbeth begin to scheme and plot on how to hurry up the other prophecies; in doing so the couple get themselves in over their heads.
Macbeth is truly the paragon for all tragedies, it explores and attempts to answer age old questions and the Masques are proud to present it to you.
Beginning paragraph by Folger Shakespeare Library, “Macbeth” edited by Barbara A Mowat and Paul Werstine.
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