Macbeth Part 1: ‘Look Like the Innocent Flower, But Be the Serpent Under’t’

Episode 222:

We can’t say for sure that ‘Macbeth’ was Shakespeare's next offering after 'Anthony and Cleopatra' as precise dating of these early 17th century plays is next to impossible, but whatever the case, it certainly has a very different feel and focus from it’s near contemporises. Although recounting historical events it is dominated by the presence and effect of the supernatural. This proved a mix that audiences have flocked to ever since and it remains one of Shakespeare’s most performed plays, for tragedy ranking only behind ‘Hamlet’.

The dating of the play

The text in the First Folio and adaptations by Thomas Middleton

The sources for the play

A brief Synopsis of the play

Macbeth and Julius Caesar

Macbeth’s ambition

The importance of the soliloquy in the play

Macbeth’s feelings of guilt

The reports of the play by Simon Foreman

Banquo’s ghost as a manifestation of Macbeth’s guilt

Blood as a symbol of guilt

The torment of sleeplessness

The tensions between destiny and free will

The three witches

Link to ‘That Shakespeare Life’ episode featuring Prof. Laurie Johnson on the ‘weird sisters’:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/that-shakespeare-life/id1372846116?i=1000751203466

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