Shakespeare's "Macbeth" Part 2: Characters and Questions
New Books in Literary Studies
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The Distance Between Malcolm and Macbeth
Malcolm returns to Scotland from England, which associates him with the blessed English King. But why aren't we aligned with Malcolm? All the terrible portents that fill Scotland after Duncan's death surely indicate the evil of Macbeth's reign. And so Shakespeare almost sets himself a challenge as an artist. How can you depict someone committing the most inhumane crimes imaginable and still show him as human? You do it by getting close to him. The play does present us with the character who seems absolutely good. Yet we don't really sympathise with Duncan because the play doesn’t bring us close to him."
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