"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble." The Three Witches

"Perhaps the most vivid testament to the power of Macbeth is that actors consider the play itself bad luck. And the themes seem to justify this reaction: Macbeth is an unhappy, bloody story in which ambition proves to be the harshest master and men's lives little more than the playthings of witches." -From Brian Kohl's Introduction

When a trio of witches promise Macbeth the crown of Scotland, the nobleman and his wife fulfill the prophecy by stabbing their king, who is conveniently sleeping in their guestroom. But blood will have blood, and the two must resort to further witchcraft and the indiscriminate butchery of friends and enemies to solidify their power. Neither Macbeth nor his lady can foresee a way out of the bloodshed - at least, no way out in which they can still be royalty. Ambition is a harsh master.

Due to the violent and witchy nature of this play, actors treat this notorious Canon Classic's name as cursed and refer to it only by the euphemism "the Scottish play" when backstage.

The Canon Classics series presents the most definitive works of Western literature in a colorful, well-crafted, and affordable way. Unlike many other thrift editions, our classics are printed on thicker text stock, are bound with distinctive felt paperback covers, and feature individualized designs that prioritize readability by means of proper margins, leading, characters per line, font, trim size, etc. Each book's materials and layout combine to make the classics a simple and striking addition to classrooms and homes, ideal for introducing the best of literary culture and human experience to the next generation.

This Worldview Edition features an introduction divided into sections on The World Around, About the Author, What Other Notables Said, Setting, Characters, & Plot Summary, Worldview Analysis, and 21 Discussion Questions & Answers.