Comments on: The Coming Age, an essay on Macbeth – part 1

By: Jimmy

Jimmy — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 23:59:47 +0000

In my humble opinion, as theater, Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s more accessible and effective works. In terms of literature, it may not be as ornate and elaborate as The Winter’s Tale, or Cymbeline, but as far as a live performance, it is highly effective and not as difficult to make relevant, and understandable, to modern audiences as Hamlet, Lear, or the Tempest much less the histories.

By: Lilly

Lilly — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 10:27:35 +0000

Macbeth may not be his finest work, but there are countless themes, motifs, and symbolism to draw and learn from.
Lilly´s last [type] ..San Antonio Nightlife

By: employee onboarding

employee onboarding — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:21:25 +0000

While I agree that Shakespeare’s resume of works is to be admired, does anyone else believe that Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s weaker works?

One would think that because he was hired on as a professional writer and playwright by various dignitaries and royal family members, he would rush much of his works to accommodate everyone. What does everyone else think?

By: onboarding

onboarding — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:20:50 +0000

This is actually a very good essay concerning “Macbeth.” It’s definitely an intriguing play with many underlying themes, motifs and symbols.

As Gracchi mentioned, I definitely wouldn’t throw any sort of Machiavellian philosophy out of the mix. Although Machiavelli’s views were more prominent in later times, the theme correlations are pretty incredible! In short, Shakespeare was definitely before his time in terms of wisdom. Shakespeare’s resume of plays is to be admired and the we certainly shouldn’t stop analyzing them just because they’re from hundreds of years ago. History always repeats itself in new and interesting ways.

Either way, great essay. This would make any history or English professor proud to be employed at the university that has Ashok Karra as a student. :)

By: gravel

gravel — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:44:20 +0000

I always thought that there was an anti-Queen Elizabeth thread in MacBeth. She oversaw the death of Mary Queen Of Scots, whose son became King. Whereas Q. Elizabeth left no progeny to become ruler: sort of like the prophecy about Macbeth (Eliza -beth?).
And quotes like:
“For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name)(sic)
Disdaining Fortune, with his brandish’d steel,
Which smoked with bloody execution,”
also:
“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 the access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
The effect and it! Come to my woman’s breasts,
And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers,
Wherever in your sightless substances
You wait on nature’s mischief!”
Lady Macbeth, scene v

and the Third Witch whose prophecy is:
“Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none:
So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!”

James the King of Scotland and England after Elizabeth, was the son of the murdered Mary..
Elizabeth feared going to hell, and was very afraid before her death.
Pretty obvious but there it is.

By: ashok

ashok — Sat, 16 May 2009 23:58:42 +0000

I actually have not read that essay – I’ll take a look.

By: thag

thag — Sat, 16 May 2009 23:57:11 +0000

I wonder what you would think about this Jaffa essay on Macbeth — it seems to include at least some of the same thoughts (and it probably should!). Anyway, I found it interesting. Although I gotta admit — a lot of what I find on here is even better than published stuff I come across much of the time.

http://www.claremont.org/publications/crb/id.1510/article_detail.asp

It amazes me that you can pull Creation out of a passage from Macbeth and make it work so well!

By: Gracchi

Gracchi — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 01:11:00 +0000

Ashok you directed me to read this- its very good- I wonder just as an outrageous thought whether you’ve considered if this has anything Machiavellian in it- I don’t know Shakespeare’s intellectual world too much but this does seem in the virtu fortuna territory. Good article