"Macbeth"

"Macbeth" is called by actors "the Scottish play"; but how far is it about mediaeval Scotland, and how far about aspects of the human condition that still concern us today? John Turner offers a close reading of the play which discusses these questions in the light of two contrasting productions, each available on video. Polanski's film is set in mediaeval Scotland, a study of aristocratic competition in feudal times; but Trevor Nunn's TV film of his RSC production aspires to be timeless, a study of human society throughout the ages, caught in its recurrent crisis of violence and sacrifice. This guide shows how the different meanings found "in" "Macbeth" depend upon the different choices made in production and the different languages used in criticism. John Turner explores the play's depiction of mediaeval history; discusses the relationship between its imagined feudal past and its contemporary Jacobean present; and explores how, in its openness and playfulness, it may be seen to image a universal human condition that brings history itself into play. The book aims to provide a stimulating introductory guide for students of "Macbeth".