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"Macbeth before Shakespeare is the history of a man and a myth. The man is the historical King Mac bethad while the myth is his literary descendant Macbeth. During the five and a half centuries before William Shakespeare wrote his Tragedie of Macbeth the man was replaced by the myth that was recreated in the hands of successive authors. The real prince's ancestors had been immigrants to Britain from Ireland and Mac bethad's career began after the murder of his father by his cousins. The literary character was created as the family of his rival Malcolm Canmore became supreme and wrote their own history with Macbeth as their villain. The evolution continued and in the fifteenth century he was accompanied by otherworldly beings, diabolical prophecies, and natural phenomenon. Macbeth was recast early in the sixteenth century and took his place in the intellectual warfare of Scotland. The legend moved to England in Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles where a new Macbeth had a complex personality with fashionable interests in law and unfashionable ones in the occult. The succession of King James I of England led English acting companies, such as the Lord Chamberlain's Men with actor and playwright William Shakespeare, to produce plays with Scottish scenes or characters. King James became their patron and as a member of the King's Men, Shakespeare wrote his Tragedie of Macbeth, one of their most popular plays from the seventeenth century to the present"--

Shakespeare's "Macbeth" is one of the best-known literary icons in the English language, but few know that he was a real person with his own story. This work brings the 11th-century tale alive with a detailed touring itinerary that explores Macbeth's Scotland.

'And when I shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars.' This collection of Shakespeare's soliloquies, including both old favourites and lesser-known pieces, shows him at his dazzling best. One of 46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Each book gives readers a taste of the Classics' huge range and diversity, with works from around the world and across the centuries - including fables, decadence, heartbreak, tall tales, satire, ghosts, battles and elephants.

Among the most enduring poetry of all time, William Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets address such eternal themes as love, beauty, honesty, and the passage of time. Written primarily in four-line stanzas and iambic pentameter, Shakespeare’s sonnets are now recognized as marking the beginning of modern love poetry. The sonnets have been translated into all major written languages and are frequently used at romantic celebrations. Known as “The Bard of Avon,” William Shakespeare is arguably the greatest English-language writer known. Enormously popular during his life, Shakespeare’s works continue to resonate more than three centuries after his death, as has his influence on theatre and literature. Shakespeare’s innovative use of character, language, and experimentation with romance as tragedy served as a foundation for later playwrights and dramatists, and some of his most famous lines of dialogue have become part of everyday speech. HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

Thanks to Shakespeare, the name Macbeth has become a byword for political ambition realised by bloody violence. The reality is that Macbeth quickly established himself as an effective and popular ruler. As a Celtic warrior-king, he was responsible for the maintenance of his people's dominance of northern Britain.

Historical finding and current critical thinking are woven together to tell the fascinating story of how Shakespeare conceived and wrote one of his greatest plays. As readers watch the production being mounted, Ross's narrative and Karpinski's carefully researched illustrations bring Shakespeare's world to vivid life. Full-color and black-and-white illustrations.