Macbeth

January 12, 2015
Following his adaptations of Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, and King Lear, Hinds turns to the story of the Scottish king who is ruined by his ambition. The play’s supernatural elements give Hinds the chance to bring some of Shakespeare’s eeriest imaginings to life. He paints the three weird sisters—a crone, a pagan goddess, and an African witch—perched on tree branches like crows. The ghost of Banquo sits down for dinner bathed in cool blue light that reddens as blood courses down his skin. Judicious abridging and even rewording make the text more accessible, yet Shakespeare’s language is preserved throughout. “What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?” Lady Macbeth cries as she tries frantically to clean her hands of blood, a moment whose intensity Hinds drives home with close-ups of dozens of hands rubbing each other, over and over. Such visceral, violent imagery is common—Hinds understands, as Shakespeare did, that sorcery and gore are powerful draws. Detailed endnotes provide “making-of” style details. Ages 12–up.

March 1, 1993
Based on an HBO animated series, these condensations emphasize the dramatic content of some of Shakespeare's best known works. As abridged by Garfield in consultation with a panel of scholars, the books on the whole retain the magic of Shakespeare's vision and remain true to his poetics. Linguistic fluidity is perforce sacrificed (omitted lines are presented as italicized summaries interspersed throughout the dialogue), but these versions should still fire children's imaginations. Though the artwork varies in quality, the Eastern European illustrators generally capture the underlying theatrics. Palettes are subdued for the dramas, and appropriately brighter for the comedies (though the tone reproductions frequently seem off). Several plays' illustrations have a cartoony appearance; a few exhibit the stilted look of old Classics Comics. While the plays forgo their complexities--many subplots are omitted--as they become more linear in their themes (Macbeth loses much of his humanity, Romeo and Juliet is pared of its politics), their nobility shines through in these visualized introductions. One hopes that readers will be encouraged to move on to the originals. Ages 10-up.

Starred review from January 30, 2012
Audio productions of Shakespeare’s work can be a challenge to execute, but L.A. Theatre Works delivers a gripping full-cast dramatization that keeps listeners engaged from start to finish. When Macbeth is told he will one day become king of Scotland, Lady Macbeth hatches an evil plot that ends in bloody regicide and tragedy. James Marsters delivers an admirable performance as Macbeth, conveying the character’s conflicting emotions and subsequent arrogance. Equally skilled is Joanne Whalley, whose Lady Macbeth transforms from a determined and opportunistic woman in the beginning of the play to a depressed and despairing one in the final act. Recorded in front of a live audience, this well-produced audio also features music and sound effects—all of which make for an absolutely entertaining listening experience.