Macbeth

By William Shakespeare

"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing."

- Macbeth, Act 5, scene 5, lines 23-27

What's it about?: One of Shakespeare's most popular plays tells the story of Macbeth, a Scottish general who, upon helping to vanquish two invading armies, meets a trio of witches who tell him that he will eventually rise to the throne of Scotland. After initially dismissing their prophecies as foolish, Macbeth is intrigued when some of them come to fruition. Macbeth's wife, Lady Macbeth, is particularly intrigued and orders her husband to murder the reigning king and assume his throne. That action sets off a string of bloody murders, prophecies, ghostly encounters and battles that make Macbeth a Shakespearean favourite.

Why your child should read it: Chances are your child will be required to study Shakespeare in school. And again, chances are they may not take to it at first. Sometimes works such as Shakespeare's need to be explored by young readers at their own pace, as opposed to that of the classroom setting where they're tested and graded. Macbeth is a favourite among Shakespeare fans, and even those who don't usually like the bard's work, for many reasons. Among them is the fact that the story is easy to follow, it's got a lot of action, and it plays upon the basest human impulses of temptation and lust for power. And again, your child may realize that they already know the story from the Simpsons episode that parodied it. If nothing else, Homer has good taste in literature!

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