Reviews tagging 'War'

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

48 reviews

ilmaldileggere's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, and War

Minor: Suicide

roadki77's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A notable piece from Shakespeare that isn't overly dramatized. Realistic human behaviors. Metaphors.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Cursing, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Police brutality, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

Some content warnings not to be taken literally, due to the time period the play is set in. Example: "police brutality" adjacent to atrocities the knights committed (specifically against Macduff's family).

maddyisnotilliterate's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Mr Shakespeare has got something. I think he might make it big one day if he keeps up this good work.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Murder

Moderate: War

Minor: Sexism

solouncapitulomas's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

4.2

lady macbeth x macbeth is the ideal gaslight gatekeep girlboss x manipulate mansplain malewife, change my mind

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Child death, Blood, and War

Minor: Suicide

blueberry0531's review

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War

Moderate: Animal death, Suicide, and Violence

henyouise's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I think this play gets a bad rep. I did not feel like it was slow or boring or just brutal all around. I read whole acts at a time that's how engaged I was with the story! It's a look into man's desire for power and what lengths some will go to in order to gain that power.
Macbeth doesn't necessarily start out as a power hungry noble. He's seen as a loyal member of Duncan's court until he meets the witches who provide him with the temptation of being king. It's very psychological, really.
Also people who say there's no comedy in this play clearly did not make it to the last act:
"Macbeth: Damn the devil black tho cream faced loon! Where got'st thou that goose look?
Servant: There is ten thousand-
Macbeth: Geese, villan?
Servant: Soldiers, sir." (Macbeth V.III.12 - 16)
Is this Macbeth's descent into madness? yes. Is this also hilarious? yes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War

farah_2007's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Frankly, I assumed that Macbeth would be mirdered in the end. But it was actually unexpected that Macduff killed in the end. Lady Macbeth's death was also unexpected plus it was suicide totally a heavy plot twist. It was actually a good read from Shakespeare but still I struggle reading the original English hence I need to go back and forth from original to translated one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, and War

reneetrinket's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Infertility, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, and War

susiebilashenne's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War

allisonshewfelt's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes." - second witch
"What, you egg!" - murderer
These are both so iconic but the egg one is better

I don't know why I always find Shakespeare funny but this book was quick and really funny. I definitely loved it more than romeo and juliet. One of my goals was to read more dark books and this is definitely really dark. The audiobook is so good too. I don't think I would have gotten through it without it. I thought it was interesting how Macbeth didn't originally want to kill Duncan but then ofc our psychopath Lady Macbeth is greedy af and talked him into it. But then as the play progresses, he's now the overconfident and greedy one and she's troubled with all the murders. Like girl you literally started this. Ok but Banquo's ghost haunting Macbeth was hilarious, everyone thought he was mentally sick. And then he literally starts killing everyone, including his friends, and I'm like sir are you alright? I can't wait to see the new movie like the cinematography looks amazing and denzel washington...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Blood, and War

Minor: Child death, Slavery, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent