Originally published in 1991. Collecting together commentary and critique on ‘the Scottish play’, this book showcases varied discussions of the text and the theatrical productions. From Samuel Johnson’s brief 1765 comment to the editor’s own piece on the Porter’s scene, the texts included here are popular important accounts of thoughts and scholarship on the play over the years. Some pieces address the most famous early Lady Macbeth – Mrs Siddons, while others look at a theme or specific issue such as Lady Macbeth’s children. This is a great sample of the voluminous body of work looking at the tragedy, considering its images, symbols, meanings and its challenges for the stage.
Preface Joseph G. Price Introduction Samuel Schoenbaum 1. Endnote to Macbeth, from The Plays of William Shakespeare Samuel Johnson 2. from Characters of Shakespear’s Plays William Hazlitt 3. On the Knocking at the Gabe in Macbeth Thomas De Quincey 4. from Life of Mrs Siddons Thomas Campbell 5. Contemporary Notes on Sarah Siddons as Lady Macbeth Joseph G. Price 6. from Shakespearean Tragedy A. C. Bradley 7. from Shakespeare as a Dramatic Artist Richard G. Moulton 8. from Shakespeare G. L. Kittredge 9. from The Imperial Theme G. Wilson Knight 10. from How Many Children Had Lady Macbeth? L. C. Knights 11. from Shakespeare’s Imagery and What It Tells Us Caroline F. E. Spurgeon 12. from An Approach to Shakespeare Derek Traversi 13. from Shakespeare Mark Van Doren 14. from The Well Wrought Urn Cleanth Brooks 15. from Shakespeare’s World of Images Donald A. Stauffer 16. from The Meaning of Shakespeare Harold C. Goddard 17. The Tragic Curve Richard David 18. from The Story of the Night John Holloway 19. The Spectacle of Deterioration: Macbeth and the ‘Manner’ of Tragic Imitation Julian Markels 20. Hell-Castle and Its Door-Keeper Glynne Wickham 21. Image and Symbol in Macbeth Kenneth Muir 22. from The Masks of Macbeth Marvin Rosenberg 23. Enter a Porter (Macbeth, 2.3) S. Schoenbaum 24. ‘Be Bloody, Bold and Resolute’: Tragic Action and Sexual Stereotyping in Macbeth Carolyn Asp
