Macbeth

Macbeth, the Graphic Novel, by William Shakespeare

Editor in Chief: Clive Bryant

Plain text version

ISBN: 9781906332457

Towcester, United Kingdom:  Classical Comics Ltd., 2008

Plot - Macbeth and Banquo are on their way home from the wars, triumphant for England and King Duncan against uprisings and the King of Norway.  Three witches appear and foretell Macbeth's fate--to become king!  Banquo's fortune is that his children will become kings.  Of course the fates collide immediately and the seed is planted in Macbeth's mind that he might have to make some severe alterations to reality to assure his "rightful" place as king and his children's after him.  Events spill out from that moment including Macbeth's wife's insistance that he should kill Duncan, Macbeth's rise to the throne full of murderous paranoia, the return of the witches portending that all will be well unless the woods begin walking, and that no man born of woman will harm Macbeth.  Macbeth and his wife are over the edge with guilt, both succumbing to the insanity that it brings.  This is a Shakespearean tragedy, so we all know how things turn out, basically, and the ride getting there is full of high drama and some of the most famous Shakespearean quotes.

Critical Evaluation -The story is ageless--greed, envy, murder, downfall--and all the more fantastic because we know in the back of our minds something very, very bad is going to happen, and we are on the edge of our seats wondering if by any chance the anti-hero may just escape his self-made fate.  The editors' Plain Text is a translation of a kind, from the Elizbethan into contemporary English. It reads fluidly and maintains the feeling of a play.  Some of the most famous lines are handled well, some not so.  For instance, 

"If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well
It were done quickly: "

is translated into "If it's going to be done, then it's as well it was done quickly," missing the point of the very first line that Macbeth is not simply hoping for expedience, he is wishing that killing Duncan would be the end of the story instead of the beginning of a long and terrible path he knows in his heart is ahead. One particularly good aspect of the writing is the frequent use of boldface to accentuate certain words, helping with their meaning.  This is exactly what Shakespearean actors must do to help the audience make sense of the voluminous verse.  The story told here is absolutely true to the original in breadth, the editors simply edit out much of the language.  The art is wonderfully comic book dramatic--colorful, expressive, and expertly arranged to match the text. 

Reader's annotation - A general kills his commanding officer, then kills his closest friend, a fellow general, because he heard voices telling him that someday their power would be his; he is set on a journey of murderous rage and paranoia that threatens to undo his dreams and bring his country down with him.  His name is Macbeth.

Information about the author - According to Bill Bryson's research, we know exceptionally little, almost nothing, factual about William Shakespeare.  We do know quite a lot about his body of work, though, and its influence on our cultural imagination and our everyday language can hardly be overestimated.  Did you know....the Oxford English Dictionary attributes to Shakespeare over 3,000 new words into the English language; some scholars believe the Bard actually popularized rather than invented some of those terms; "fancy free" was a Shakespearean contribution, as were "a charmed life" (Macbeth), "sorry sight," and "primrose path." 
Genre - Literature, Graphic Novel
Curriculum Ties - The graphic novel is an excellent way for kids to become familiar with the pattern of the story so that when they read the play or, even better, see it performed, the verse will simply be a vehicle for delivering a story they already know instead of overwhelming them.
Booktalk ideas - 

1.  Tell a hypothetical story of a general, a war hero, who begins to hear voices on his way home from battle.  They tell him he's going to be in charge, and he's thrilled, until he notices that things are not actually going that way.  He kills his commanding officer just to urge things along, hoping that this will be the end of it.  But it's not the end.  He keeps hearing voices that give him false hope.  Is it his fault that he is driven to make their predictions come true?
2. Read the original verse of the famous scene where Macbeth sees the dagger in midair, then have someone read the Plain Text version.  Make the point that this is a great place to begin their Shakespeare journey

Reading level - 12+.

Challenge issues -Violence depicted graphically, some outlines of breasts, some anti-Semitism

Challenge defense ideas:

• Librarian must read the book carefully and include it as a resource intended for older teens.
• Librarian greets students and regularly discusses their reading choices; she provides individualized, age-appropriate guidance in book choice.
• Explain the ways in which the librarian accompanies and guides younger students looking for books, and knows students well as individuals.

Why I included this book - It is a must-have for school and public libraries alike.  This line of Classical Comics includes Original, Plain, and Quick Text versions.  I purchased the Plain and Original texts for my school and I promote them early in the year as a wonderful way for the kids to begin getting the stories into their heads before they read the original plays.  The graphics make it all the more fun.  Shakespeare's works remain vital pieces of literature in our cultural history, and we owe it to our young adults to introduce them in a way that is as much fun, as rowdy, and scary, and as touching as the performances they were written for.  This graphic novel is all that and more.