Many know of and have heard of the Shakespeare classic, Macbeth. While many know it as one of Shakespeare’s famous works, some may also know it from its peculiar history of bad things happening and how it’s bad luck; most specifically bad luck in theaters. I’ve read one Shakespeare play before (Romeo and Juliet) and I liked it. When I heard I was going to read Macbeth this year, I was happy to see a book that I somewhat knew of. 

Macbeth is a Shakespearean tragedy set in Scotland. It follows the Scottish nobleman Macbeth and his spiral into madness as he tries to control and change his own destiny. He, despite having more than he needs, in fame, respect, and money, still wants more. To get all that he wants, Macbeth goes to extreme lengths (what’s a Shakespeare tragedy without death?), going insane as he does due to his regret and guilt of his actions. 

While the plot may seem rather simple and short, the character development and themes make the story much more elaborate and the execution expands it and helps to create the main themes of the play. I really enjoyed how Shakespeare displayed how Macbeth and his wife went crazy throughout the play, showing how actions can affect everyone, including those who induce them. In the beginning, Macbeth is hesitant to do anything to cause harm, even to get what he wants. It takes a lot of convincing and help from his wife for him to finally act on something. When he commits his first crime, he feels incredibly guilty, but as the story progresses and he commits more crimes, he no longer needs the help or convincing of others and begins to do it himself, no longer regretting his actions. The character development was really good and really helped to drive the story forward and make it interesting to read at the same time. 

Overall, there really isn’t much to say about Macbeth other than it was a pretty good play. It has a simple plot and many themes with great character building and is overall a good read. The only thing that might make it difficult to read is the Shakespearean language it is written in. If you aren’t confident in your Shakespeare language, then this story isn’t the first I would suggest if you wanted something to read. But if you think you can at least somewhat understand, or would like to try, I would definitely recommend it. Macbeth was a fun read and it’s definitely worth a try.

-Nicole R. 

Macbeth by William Shakespeare is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.