Sunday, May 20, 2012

Macbeth Progress

The first time I read "Macbeth" I was in high school where I basically skimmed the play, racing to the end.

I remember the gist of the story through osmosis of pop culture and literature but I really wanted to re-read this, partly for personal reasons and partly because of the Reading Shakespeare project from Breadcrumb Reads. I currently happen to be four months behind but I'm doing things at my own pace.

The play is taking forever to get through, mainly because I have to check on the definition and use of every second word. But reading this way I feel that I get more out of the story and I'm understanding everything rather than skipping over what I don't.

Does anyone else find Lady Macbeth scary? She's murderously ambitious and very pushy when it comes to Macbeth. But she does have some great lines!

"The raven himself is hoarse
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe, top-full
Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood,
Stop up th'access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
Th'effect and it. Come to my woman's breasts
And take my milk for gall, you murd'ring ministers,
Wherever, in your sightless substances,
You wait on nature's mischief. Come, thick night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of Hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,
Nor Heaven peep through the blanket of the dark
To cry, 'Hold, hold'."


Shakespeare consistently leaves me speechless.

Looking through adaptations, people really seem to like making the play into a movie. Also, when looking at some of the actors who've played the title role I'm a bit blown away:

Ian McKellan
Orson Welles
Patrick Stewart

I'm excited to try and watch some of the films though and see how they've decided to shoot the story.

For the moment though, please enjoy these clips!

Blackadder



Orson Welles - Macbeth intro



Animaniacs



Patrick Stewart










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