Were you subdued by Shakespeare? Did To be or not to be make you want to be somewhere else? If so, this book is for you. Irreverent, rude and darkly funny, Fair is Foul exposes the alternative history of Macbeth, as witnessed by the Thane of Rosse, a key insider at the court of the Scottish King and a man who takes no prisoners when it comes to voicing an opinion! Think of the Alan Clark Diaries written by Black Adder! If you love celebrity-watching, politics or fashion you will enjoy this wicked satire. Power, sex and glamour combine to reveal the true story of what really happened on that fair and foul day. If you thought Shakespearean comedy was just a bunch of men in tights, think again

Rebecca Reisert's mesmerizing first novel re-imagines Macbeth, Shakespeare's classic tragedy of power and madness, through the eyes of a mysterious young woman on a dangerous quest for vengeance. For the girl called Gilly, life in the wilds of Birnam Wood is little more than a desperate struggle for survival. Seven long years have passed since she was first taken in and sheltered by Nettle and Mad Helga, the hut-dwelling wise-women whose inscrutable powers of alchemy and prophecy are feared and reviled throughout good King Duncan's kingdom. Living under the threat of deadly persecution by witch-hunting villagers, the threesome ekes out a life by peddling potions and elixirs, scavenging for food, and robbing the bloodied corpses of Scotland's battle-scarred hills for precious metals and weapons. But Gilly is haunted by recollections of a much brighter life. She clings to fading memories of a time when she was contented and adored -- until tragedy swept all that happiness away and young Gilly's life was changed forever. I have made my life an arrow, and His heart is my home. I have made my heart a blade, and His heart is my sheath....Obsessed with avenging her loss and putting out the fire that still rages in her heart, Gilly has dedicated herself to destroying Macbeth, the boundlessly ambitious man who took away her childhood, and his goading wife. Disguising herself as a poor servant boy, she insinuates herself into their lives and, as she bears horrified witness to Macbeth's violent path to power, Gilly subtly begins to take a hand in the forces governing his fate. But as the culmination of her revenge draws near, Gilly finds her own life at risk when she confronts the troubling legacy of a long-concealed heritage. The Third Witch is a brilliantly imagined, wonderfully satisfying novel. In a riveting story of ruthlessness and revenge, debut author Rebecca Reisert demonstrates a profound understanding of the Bard's timeless drama -- and of the real-life Macbeth upon whom Shakespeare's incarnation is modeled.

There is now considerable support for the view that a performance by an actor of genius can constitute a critical interpretation of a play and that only through such performance studies can a completely valid judgement about the play be made. In this paperback edition of a pioneering work, Dennis Bartholomeusz reconstructs from prompt copies, playbills and contemporary accounts, the major interpretations of the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth on the English stage from 1611 to the 1960s and relates the outstanding peformances of Burbage and Olivier, Siddons and Thorndike to the overall production history of Macbeth.

William Shakespeare, more than any other author, was able to capture the essence of human nature in all its manifestations. His political plays offer enduring insights into our humanity, our vanity, our noble and baser drives, what makes us great, and what makes us loathsome. He tells us about ourselves and about our world. This volume gleans valuable lessons from the writings of William Shakespeare and applies them to contemporary politics. Original chapters covering over a dozen different plays take up perennial political themes including power and leadership, corruption and virtue, war and peace, evil and liberty, persuasion and polarization, and empire and global overreach.Features of the text:

What is the best approach for helping students to understand higher level concepts? How can specific subject knowledge be implemented in lessons? Ready to Teach: Macbeth brings together the deep subject knowledge, resources and classroom strategies needed to teach Shakespeare’s tragic play, as well as the pedagogical theory behind why these ideas work, helping teachers to deliver a knowledge-rich curriculum with impact. Each chapter contains lesson-by-lesson essays and commentaries that enhance subject knowledge on key areas of the text alongside fully resourced lessons reflecting current and dynamic best practice. The book also offers an introduction to the key pedagogical concepts which underpin the lessons and why they are proven to help students develop powerful knowledge and key skills. Whether you are new to teaching or looking for different ways into the text, Ready to Teach: Macbeth is the perfect companion to the study of ‘the Scottish play’.