Macbeth
Open Library readers: 4.00 / 5 from 151 ratings. Separate from ratings here.Catalogue checked 2026-10-02.
The play concerns a trusted general who secretly lusts for power. Encouraged by the prophecies of three witches and urged on by his ambitious wife Macbeth commits regicide. Left fearful and superstitious by this desperate act he is driven to a spiralling course of murder and outrage, almost inevitably culminating in his own death. One of Shakespeare’s most popular tragedies, Macbeth is ostensibly based on the Scottish king although the story represented in the play bears no relation to historical fact as the true King Macbeth was well respected by his contemporaries. This book includes the hero Macbeth becoming more and more evil after he gets told his "destiny" by the witches and becomes greedy with power.
Your rating & review
Rate this book
Unrated
Ratings & reviews
No ratings here yet. Read it? Leave your mark in the margin.
Editions
Gathering editions from Open Library…
Something tucked inside your copy?
A pressed flower, a ticket stub, an inscription on the flyleaf. Photograph it for Found in Books.
Send your copy travelling
Print a numbered bookplate, pass the book on, and follow where it goes next.
- Who wrote Macbeth?
Macbeth is by William Shakespeare. The catalogue records its first publication in 1623. A later edition may have a different publication date on its copyright page.
- How long is Macbeth?
The catalogue records 135 pages for a representative edition. Pagination varies with the publisher, format, type size and translation, so check the edition you intend to read.
