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Macbeth - Shakespeare: About text and author

About the text

Macbeth, a tragedy by William Shakespeare, follows the story of a Scottish general named Macbeth. After receiving a prophecy from three witches that he will become King of Scotland, Macbeth, spurred on by his ambitious wife, Lady Macbeth, murders King Duncan and takes the throne. Consumed by guilt and paranoia, Macbeth becomes a tyrannical ruler, committing more murders to secure his power. HIs reign leads to civil war, and eventually, Macbeth is overthrown and killed, restoring order to Scotland.

Summarised by CoPilot, from SparkNotes

 

Character map

Sourced from Cliff Notes

William Shakespeare

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William Shakespeare was a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His birthday is most commonly celebrated on 23 April, which is also believed to be the date he died in 1616.

Shakespeare was a prolific writer during the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages of British theatre (sometimes called the English Renaissance or the Early Modern Period). Shakespeare 's plays are perhaps his most enduring legacy, but they are not all he wrote. Shakespeare's poems also remain popular to this day. 

Sourced from Shakespeare Birthplace Trust