macbeth

To Strut and Fret Upon the Stage: Theatrical Interpretation of Sources for Macbeth -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Literary and theatrical criticisms of drama, particularly of Shakespeare, have long been at odds with each other, with a rapprochement coming into sight only within the last few decades. Literary criticism tends to concentrate on plays as tissues of symbols and philosophy, to the ire of practical actors searching for clues to characterization. Theatrical criticism, on the other hand, leans more …

…his dramatic intentions. Analysis of Shakespeare's sources can prove invaluable to dramatic production as well as literary criticism. For either character sketches or purposes of subtext, source documents can provide additional information or views on the events and personalities that make up the tangled skein of a Shakespearean plot. Directors and doctors can thus come together, examining texts in different ways, but all for the purpose of enlightening and enlivening Shakespeare's complex and multi-faceted works.