Book 36: Finished.

I really do love Macbeth, which is why I read through it so quickly. It never ceases to amaze me how wonderfully evil it is, and even though I know Macbeth is the bad guy...well, sometimes I still feel like I have to cheer for him!

Like I said before, my favorite scenes are those with the witches. They add a great deal of mysticism to the story and make it seem as though Macbeth's life is really not in his own hands. I also love how beautifully poetic their lines are. Here are a few of my favorite lines from the witches:

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair.
Hover through the fog and filthy air," (I.i. 11-12)

"Harpier cris, 'Tis time; 'tis time.'
Round about the cauldron go;
In the poisoned entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Sweltered venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i'th' charmed pot," (IV.i. 4-9).

"By the pricking of my thumbs.
Something wicked this way comes.
Open, locks,
Whoever knocks," (IV.i. 44-47).

I just love the visual impact the witches have on the play, and the idea that they are manipulating Macbeth's destiny. Seeing this live would me amazing, since there is so much that could be done with the witches now-a-days with special effects to make them even creepier and evil.

Reading this play again simply reminded me how much I love the way Shakespeare manipulates language. He truly had a skill. And even though it can be a little daunting at times to wrap your mind around the words and meter, the story behind the words is still super strong. This tale of deceit, murder, and ambition is strong enough that it shines through long passages and forgotten words. Shakespeare really is a master of his craft.

From here, I really think I need to move away from the Shakespearean pieces I know very well, to things that I haven't had the opportunity of reading yet. A copy of Othello has been sitting on my shelf and that will most likely be the next play I read.


And like I said before, if you haven't read any of Shakespeare's tragedies, Macbeth really is a great place to start. It has a lot of action and suspense, so I think it really grips the reader!