Many of our year 11 students spent a Friday afternoon in late January watching a performance of Macbeth at the Liverpool Empire. It is one of the texts that the students are studying for their English literature GCSE course.
Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies. It is about a Scottish thane (thanes were noblemen who served the king) whose loyalties are tested by three witches – the weird sisters – who uncover his suppressed ambition to be king.
After distinguishing himself in battle, Macbeth is promoted to Thane of Cawdor, thus fulfilling the witches’ first prophecy and further igniting his desire to become king.
Macbeth explores themes such as ambition, violence and the supernatural. It is a tale of Macbeth’s destruction as he listens to the witches’ prophecies and, with the support of his wife, Lady Macbeth, decides to take matters into his own hands – with devastating consequences.
