Macbeth (Shakespeare Made Easy)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0812035712 ISBN 13: 9780812035711

Publisher: Barron's Educational Series, 1985

Here are the books that help teach Shakespeare plays without the teacher constantly needing to explain and define Elizabethan terms, slang, and other ways of expression that are different from our own. Each play is presented with Shakespeare's original lines on each left-hand page, and a modern, easy-to-understand "translation" on the facing right-hand page. All dramas are complete, with every original Shakespearian line, and a full-length modern rendition of the text.

1. Helpful background information that puts each play in its historical perspective.
2. Discussion questions that teachers can use to spark student class participation, and which students can use as springboards for their own themes and term papers.
3. Fact quizzes, sample examinations, and other features that improve student comprehension of what each play is about.

Book Description:

This is the most extensively annotated edition of Macbeth currently available, offering a thorough reconsideration of one of Shakespeare's most popular plays.A full and accessible introduction studies the immediate theatrical and political contexts of Macbeth's composition and treats such celebrated issues as whether the Witches compel Macbeth to murder and whether Lady Macbeth is herself a witch. An extensive, well-illustrated account of the play in performance examines several cinematic versions, such as those by Kurosawa and Roman Polanski, and other dramatic adaptations.

From the Publisher:

Are you frustrated by obscure words and unidiomatic phrases in Shakespeare's plays? The new "Access to Shakespeare" series removes the mystery, not the magic, from MACBETH, and makes reading or studying a breeze. This translation of MACBETH into contemporary English -- alongside the original text -- has modernized the difficult passages and expressions which used to make Shakespeare's language such heavy weather.

This unique translation is NOT a literal-minded prose version. It retains the feel and the rhythm of the original, letting you experience the play in the same enjoyable way an Elizabethan audience did. The text is immediately clear to today's readers, making those tedious footnotes unnecessary. You'll find easy-to-follow line numbering, and a glossary of place names and mythological references.

Are you a high school or junior-college student working on an assignment? Do you wish to preview the play before a performance, or are you perhaps learning English as a Second Language? This translation is ideal for you. You will never again hesitate to read THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH because you're mystified by such lines as, "... keep my bosom franchised." The facing page of this edition of MACBETH makes clear what Shakespeare meant, "... keep my conscience free."

The translation reads like a modern book and it's fascinating.