Epics in Literature - Macbeth

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Macbeth, or the Scottish play as it is also called, is set in Scotland in medival times when strong men and clans fought for power. In those unenligtened days people were more prone to superstition than today, so that omens by witches and other future predictors often were believed to be true and relied upon. Macbeth starts out as a brave and dutyful general, loyal to the King. Following a meeting with three witches who foresee him becoming King, Macbeth and his ambitous and scheeming wife, Lady Macbeth, cannot resist the temptation to grab for the power they believe is destined for him. The couple stops at nothing in their ambitious and arrogant manuevering to get and keep the Crown. Starting with murdering the King, Duncan, they commit more and more murders to protect themselves from enmity and suspicion. Macbeth is not unaffected of his misdeeds, though, and becomes ridden of guilt, remorse and paranoia. Finally, the bloodbath and the following civil war take the arrogant and ambitious couple into the realms of madness and death.

About the author

William Shakespeare lived in England 400 years ago 1564 to 1616. He wrote plays for theaters in London in the Elisabethan era, which was a great era in England for arts and literature, and he sometimes performed on stage. He also invested in the theater business and became quite wealthy. He is considered to be the the greatest playwright of all times and his plays are still as thoughtful, human, thrilling, charming and funny as ever before. Shakespeares plays are timeless and no writer in the English language has been quoted as often as he.Shakespeare was also a master poet. His more than 150 love poems, the Sonnets, are, this very day, being read and loved all over the world think of Shall I compare Thee to a summers day. Thou art more lovely and more temperate, as Sonnet 18 begins. Find more in a book shelf, library, book store or on the web.