My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
One thing I really liked about this book was how it emphasized the strength of conscience and the immense extent to which it is capable of affecting (and yet, Macbeth was oblivious to the root of his problem). Macbeth failed to notice what was truly nagging at him. The whole issue of conflicting emotions and mental struggles began the second he committed a murder. It was his conscience that troubled his mind, but he didn’t realize it and kept subjecting such feelings to the lack of “completion” of his plans, which was why he impulsively decided to murder Banquo and more, digging an inescapable hole for himself until the deeds he committed accumulated up to the point of not being manageable. For example, when his wife died, Macbeth did not even react. He killed so many people that he could only see life as a mere illusion (no longer seeing value in something he could control so easily…!).
Also, I loved the brutally explicit portrayal of the boundaries that conscience sets on our deeds. No matter how hard Macbeth and his wife tried to justify what they committed in the name of bravery and obligation regarding fate, the subsequent suffering that was waiting for them was inevitable. Often, in old classics, I notice that such limits that the human emotions set on ourselves are not included, which is not realistic, of course! So it felt very refreshing to see the protagonist going through the realization of the weight of his wrongdoings and experiencing the aftermath.
Oh, and witnessing the way society began to alter its shape drastically as it was solely ruled by the king with the absence of any centralized system was a stirring experience — yes, predictable indeed — but again, stirring. The grand power of tyranny and his hidden vulnerabilities are two things that are… not usually portrayed in the book simultaneously. I think that’s what makes Macbeth stand out among other old tragedies.
+ One more thought I constantly had in the back of my mind — I would DIE to see this as an actual performance! Sure, reading was a fun experience, but this would have been soooo dynamic, intriguing, and appalling as a play :(… Seeing this as an actual play would literally bring up all the tension and anxiety that…makes you sit on the edge of the seat and sweat on your eyebrows..!