Seven Ages

Tragedy · c. 1606

Shakespeare’s Macbeth

The shortest major tragedy and the fastest: a Scottish general hears a prophecy, writes to his wife, and within an act the deed is done and the consequences begin.

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By the Seven Ages editors2 min read · Contains affiliate links

It is a study of ambition after the ambition is spent — of what it is like to live inside a mind that has done the unforgivable and knows it.

The play’s compression is its power; there is no subplot, no relief, just accelerating darkness lit by some of the most quotable poetry in the canon. If you want one tragedy readable in a single sitting, this is it.

Which edition?

The full guide: The Best Editions of Shakespeare’s Macbeth →

Typeset series plate: Arden Shakespeare, Third Series — Macbeth. A designed placeholder, not a picture of the book's cover.ARDEN SHAKESPEARE,THIRD SERIESMacbeth

1Arden Shakespeare, Third Series

Ed. Sandra Clark & Pamela Mason · Bloomsbury, 2015

The fullest recent treatment — text, stage history, and the Middleton question, all handled cleanly.

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Front cover: Oxford World’s Classics — Macbeth.

2Oxford World’s Classics

Ed. Nicholas Brooke · Oxford University Press, 1990

Brooke takes the play’s theatricality seriously — the introduction reads like a director’s notebook.

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Front cover: The New Cambridge Shakespeare — Macbeth.

3The New Cambridge Shakespeare

Ed. A. R. Braunmuller · Cambridge University Press

Dense, scholarly, and especially strong on the play’s language.

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Typeset series plate: Folger Shakespeare Library — Macbeth. A designed placeholder, not a picture of the book's cover.FOLGER SHAKESPEARELIBRARYMacbeth

4Folger Shakespeare LibraryFirst read? Start here

Ed. Barbara Mowat & Paul Werstine · Simon & Schuster

The shortest tragedy, kept at reading speed — glosses beside the verse.

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Cover images from Open Library.

Macbeth on stage

Macbeth on screen

Typeset plate for the screen adaptation Macbeth (1948), directed by Orson Welles. A designed placeholder, not a picture of the poster.1948MacbethORSON WELLES

1Macbeth (1948)

Film · dir. Orson Welles

Typeset plate for the screen adaptation Throne of Blood (1957), directed by Akira Kurosawa. A designed placeholder, not a picture of the poster.1957Throne of BloodAKIRA KUROSAWA

2Throne of Blood (1957)

Film · dir. Akira Kurosawa · inspired by Macbeth

Typeset plate for the screen adaptation Macbeth (1971), directed by Roman Polanski. A designed placeholder, not a picture of the poster.1971MacbethROMAN POLANSKI

3Macbeth (1971)

Film · dir. Roman Polanski

Typeset plate for the screen adaptation Scotland, PA (2001), directed by Billy Morrissette. A designed placeholder, not a picture of the poster.2001Scotland, PABILLY MORRISSETTE

4Scotland, PA (2001)

Film · dir. Billy Morrissette · inspired by Macbeth

Typeset plate for the screen adaptation Maqbool (2003), directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. A designed placeholder, not a picture of the poster.2003MaqboolVISHAL BHARDWAJ

5Maqbool (2003)

Film · dir. Vishal Bhardwaj · inspired by Macbeth

Macbeth in the Mumbai underworld

Typeset plate for the screen adaptation Macbeth (2010), directed by Rupert Goold. A designed placeholder, not a picture of the poster.2010MacbethRUPERT GOOLD

6Macbeth (2010)

TV film · dir. Rupert Goold

Typeset plate for the screen adaptation Macbeth (2015), directed by Justin Kurzel. A designed placeholder, not a picture of the poster.2015MacbethJUSTIN KURZEL

7Macbeth (2015)

Film · dir. Justin Kurzel

Typeset plate for the screen adaptation The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021), directed by Joel Coen. A designed placeholder, not a picture of the poster.2021The Tragedy ofMacbethJOEL COEN

8The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)

Film · dir. Joel Coen

Seven Ages recommends editions on their merits and takes no payment for placement. As an Amazon Associate, Seven Ages earns from qualifying purchases.

Reading Macbeth this year?

Mark it in your record when you finish — one seat, kept for decades.

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