Macbeth: Third Series

By William Shakespeare, William George Clark, William Macpherson, et al.

Book Overview

"A splendid edition: it incorporates the most recent modern scholarship ... and it does so within a compass and format that is both readable and usable." - Around the Globe

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most performed and studied tragedies. This Arden Shakespeare Third Series edition offers students detailed on-page commentary notes highlighting meaning and theatrical ideas and themes, as well as an illustrated, lengthy introduction setting the play in its historical, theatrical and critical context and outlining the recent debates about Middleton's possible co-authorship of some scenes.

A comprehensive and informative edition ideal for students and teachers seeking to explore the play in depth, whether in the classroom or on the stage.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1904271413
• ISBN13: 9781904271413
• Release Date: February 2015
• Publisher: Arden Shakespeare
• Length: 408 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.1" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

Shakespeare is the fabric of our lives.

This review is of Macbeth (Signature Shakespeare), edited by Jesse M. Lander. There may be other versions that come close. Macbeth was made to be watched. However, it is well that we slow down and read the words. I have time to think about the meaning and what they mean to us. There are several renditions in print. However, his rendition is the one you want to handle and display in your library. Short of expensive incunabula, we can display this book with pride. It is not just another pretty face with exquisite laser-cut designs, as we can get insights from the annotation. The introductory material is worth the price alone. If you are new to Macbeth: It starts with three witches who tell a Scottish general, Macbeth, that he will become king. Macbeth's wife eggs him on as suggesting that he dispatch the existing ruler and cousin Duncan to move the process forward. Little did Macbeth and Lady Macbeth (or we, for that matter) suspect at the time that they would encounter more blood and supernatural forces to correct the situation. You may find this a tad more layered than you think, as we must decide if the hero Macbeth is the bad person as suggested by Malcolm and Angus. Do not overlook the politics of the time. Warning: you may find yourself going around and saying, "Out, d-a-m-n-'-d spot!"

Thumbs Up from the Teacher

After struggling with my decision to use this book with my senior students, I am finding they are less hesitant to read AND they are enjoying the concepts in this drama! If it were an honors class, I think I would make students read the original text, but for my regular classes, I am very happy with my decision because they are GETTING IT. We are reading the authentic Shakespeare for the really good lines/soliloquys that shouldn't be missed. This is much better than other renditions that simply paraphrase as far as comprehension is concerned.

Yale's may be the best edition of Macbeth

Virtually all editions of Macbeth will have at least some annotations. Rummaging through five different editions, I preferred this Yale University Press version, edited by Burton Raffel, as having the most comprehensive and comprehensible notes, as well as an excellent introduction to Shakespeare's play. Raffel not only explains the meanings of obscure words, but also gives brief notes pertaining to relevant history, geography, stage directions, etc, that are rarely addressed as fully by other editors. In addition, Raffel frequently gives the proper way to stress the syllables in a line when reading it aloud, which can be extremely helpful. (However, in most places these stresses need to be very subtle, so that you don't sound like "taDUM taDUM taDUM".) And Yale's page layout is among the clearest that I've seen. As a bonus, this edition includes at the back a long essay on the play by Harold Bloom. This is not an uninteresting commentary, but Bloom desperately needs a good editor. His essay is not only at least three times longer than it should be, but is startlingly repetitious. Yale would have been wise to have asked Bloom for a rewrite.

Excellent Macbeth for Middle and High School Teachers and Students

Interfact Shakepeare series only includes Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet so far. Both books are easily readable and allow students and teachers to follow along in its setup. Each scene is explained in a synopsis and the dialogue is faithful to Shakespeare's language. What makes this exceptional is the CD that comes with the book. The book also provides useful information and helps you out with the CD. The CD is a great asset and is filled with easy tests, games, and allows the teacher and students to explore Macbeth without worrying about getting it wrong. This book and CD should be available to all Literature and Language Arts teachers everywhere. Macbeth should not have to be so hard. It's worth the money, believe me. It's truly a bargain.

Shakespeare can be fun

I borrowed this book from a fellow Language Arts teacher and was happy to find fun poems, sample essays, activities, and notes on the play itself.

A "Dummy's" Dream!

This is a fantastic book for someone who has difficulty understanding Shakespeare's language. I was impressed with the way the book is set up--original Shakespeare on the left and a modern translation on the right. It is especially useful to teachers or homeschoolers because of the study questions included in the back of the book. I give it an A+!