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Primary sourceBookc. 1606

Macbeth

William Shakespeare · c. 1606

A tragedy by Shakespeare about a Scottish general driven by ambition and prophecy to murder his king, first performed around 1606.

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's own tragedies, written and performed during his lifetime for his company and king.

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About this source

What it is

Macbeth is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, believed to have first been performed in 1606. It was first published in the 1623 First Folio, possibly using a theatre prompt book as its source, and is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy.

Why it matters

The play dramatises the violent and psychological effects of political ambition, and scholars believe it contains more allusions to King James I than any other play Shakespeare wrote during his reign, since James patronised Shakespeare's acting company. It shows how Shakespeare drew on real histories, such as Holinshed's Chronicles, and reshaped them into gripping drama for his own time.

Look closer

  • Why might a playwright writing for a king want to include witches and prophecies in his story?
  • How does the play show ambition changing a person over time?
  • What might real historical events have been left out or changed to make a better story?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of William Shakespeare on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Title page of the First Folio of Shakespeare's plays. Large text reads 'Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies' and 'Published according to the True Originall Copies.' Below is an engraved portrait of a balding man with a moustache and a large white collar. At the bottom: 'London, Printed by Isaac Jaggard, and Ed. Blount. 1623.'Book

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First Folio

William Shakespeare · 1623

Pencil or ink profile drawing on tan paper, facing left, of a man with a bald crown, long wavy hair at the back and sides, a beard, and a plain collared garment. Thin border lines frame the sheet.Painting

Secondary source

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John Henry Robinson · 30 November 1827

Ten Lectures on ShakespeareDocument

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Ten Lectures on Shakespeare

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