Can a benevolent ruler successfully retain power? Or are readers hoping for the impossible when they wish Macbeth would be a truly good king?
Category Archives: Absolute Power
The “Scottish” Play
The Scottish setting of Macbeth seems crucial—after all, it’s Scottish history—but numerous adaptations set around the globe have proved that the setting is far from essential.
Macbeth’s encounter with the witches
Shakespeare’s source material, Holinshed’s Chronicles, appeared in two versions. Scholars from Oxford University have recently made side-by-side comparisons available online.
Relationships Are More Important than Ambition
Imagine your classmates twenty years from now: Who will be happier—the friend who becomes a high-powered entrepreneur with a car to match, or the friend who chooses a modest lifestyle with time for friends and family? Learn why some people are more ambitious than others and whether ambition can make them happy.
Manga ‘Macbeth’, graphic novel ‘Romeo’, it’s Shakespeare for 21st century readers
Find out about some unexpected recent adaptations of Shakespeare’s works.
Watergate Scandal
Scheming to increase power didn’t start with Macbeth and didn’t end with Nixon. Read about the latter’s career-ending crimes.
Venezuela jails opposition leaders in new crackdown on opponents
Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro continues to consolidate his power—in part by jailing those in the press and politics who oppose him.
Fair is foul and foul is fair: Macbeth in Tunisia
How did a 400-year-old English drama apply to the Arab Spring?
On the Bard’s birthday, is Shakespeare still relevant?
How can Shakespeare still be relevant in the age of the smartphone? Alexandra Petri takes a light-hearted view in this opinion piece.
Why Washington Relinquished His Power, and Why He Returned
Shakespeare’s Macbeth wanted to rule so badly that he was willing to kill for the crown. Read about how one of our greatest leaders took the opposite approach to power.
Dunsinane: An Interview with the Playwright
Read about a recent sequel to Macbeth, based not only on Shakespeare’s tragedy but also on the historical record.
How Dictators Come to Power in a Democracy
A conservative columnist looks to Nazi Germany for lessons that might apply closer to home.
Take It from ‘Hamilton’: Why Unyielding Ambition Is a Blessing and a Curse
An entrepreneur applies themes from a hit musical to his career choices.
Macbeth Defeated at Dunsinane
Dig into the history of the real-life Macbeth.
James I on the Divine Right of Kings
King James I of England was a proponent of the divine right of kings: the idea that a king’s power came directly from God. This idea is key to several of Shakespeare’s plays, including Macbeth, and was delineated in a speech the king gave to Parliament in 1609. This site provides the original text, a transcript, and an audio recording.
Can Shakespeare help reform prisoners?
Learn about a professor who set up a Shakespeare reading program for maximum security prisons and what the prisoners gained from the experience.
Oscars: “The Look of Silence”
Movies can be more than just entertainment. One recent documentary shines a light on state-sanctioned oppression and murder in Indonesia.
Hurricane Katrina: Facts, Damage, and Aftermath
Learn about the powerful impact of Hurricane Katrina, from how it formed to how it changed our approach to disaster preparation.
Toil and Trouble: The Curse of Macbeth
Actors have long avoided saying the title of Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy inside theaters in fear of the famed “curse of Macbeth.” What’s the evidence for such a curse, though?
James Thurber Lost Most of His Eyesight to a Tragic Childhood Accident
Writer and cartoonist James Thurber was once the most popular humorist in America. To reach that peak, the author of “The Macbeth Murder Mystery” had to overcome considerable hardship.