Shakespeare's "Macbeth" Part 1: the Story
New Books in Literary Studies
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Macbeth and the Thane of Cordor
Shakespeare does a really clever thing in the construction. King Duncan names his oldest son Malcolm as heir to the throne. In Scotland at that time, rulers could choose their heir and they often chose a brother or cousin. When Macbeth sees that he will not simply become king, he starts wondering if he could make himself king. His wife summons dark spirits to come fill her with direst cruelty so she can convince Macbeth to do whatever is necessary to attain the crown. And what is necessary is to kill King Duncan. He initially agonises over this possibility but by the time the scene ends he has been persuaded to go ahead with the murder. That night Lady Macbeth waits
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