Book Review: Macbeth by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare, the great English playwright, is renowned for his many
works, ranging from plays to poetry to sonnets. However, Macbeth is
considered to be his best achievement, known for its dark and powerful theme.
Also Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy, Macbeth tells the story of a brave Scottish
general named Macbeth. When he receives a prophecy from three witches that
declares he will be the King of Scotland, Macbeth becomes consumed with his
growing ambition. With the urge of his wife, Macbeth commits a horrible
murder in order to take the throne for himself. This terrible deed soon triggers a
chain of multiple actions that eventually lead to a civil war that throws Macbeth
and Lady Macbeth into a world of treachery, madness, and death.
Compared to the other Shakespearean plays that I have read, Macbeth was fairly
easy to follow, as it had a plot line that was intriguing, almost like a novel. I
found it interesting how Macbeth, who was once an honorable general,
transformed into a heartless monster, whose ambition made him lose all sense of
right and wrong. Overcome with guilt and paranoia, Macbeth begins to slowly
mentally break down, to the point where he sees ghosts, as well as Lady
Macbeth, who becomes convinced that her hands are permanently stained with
the blood of the person they murdered.
All in all, I would certainly recommend this play to anyone who thinks
Shakespeare is frustrating and difficult to read. Macbeth gave me a new insight
on the writings of Shakespeare, and surprisingly, was very enjoyable. For those
who have trouble understanding Shakespeare’s language, I would suggest
finding a version with footnotes that explain and help in comprehending the
Early Modern English. Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s works that everyone
must read during their lifetime, and it reminds us about the danger of ambition
and the evil that lurks in every single one of us.
The Edge Reviews the Classics: Emma by Jane Austen
The story is told from the point of view of Emma: a headstrong, upper-class,
twenty-year-old woman living with her father in the small village of Highbury.
Determined not to marry, she enjoys spending her time matchmaking her
friends, albeit mistakenly. I immediately warmed to Emma’s character; her
constant witty remarks and satirical sense of humour (as well as her arguably
feminist approach to matrimony) made the book much more enjoyable, even
making me laugh out loud more than once.
Admittedly, the book begins rather slowly. It took me a while to adjust to the
language and Austen spends the first three chapters introducing the main
characters. Although the background to each character is usefully provided, it’s
rather tedious to read. We meet Emma’s doting and overly cautious father Mr
Woodhouse, Mr John Knightley and his wife Isabella, who is Emma’s older
sister, and Mr and Mrs Weston, whom Emma recently brought together whilst
Mrs Weston (then, Miss Taylor) was her governess. As well as these characters,
we are introduced to Mr George Knightley, John’s older brother and close
friend to Emma and her father, who visits the Woodhouse’s home of Hartfield
on an almost daily basis. This brings me to my confusion: Austen refers to both
the Knightley brothers as Mr Knightley and so it is often quite difficult to
decipher which brother Emma is talking to. Only until I had reached about
halfway through the book did I realise that it is mostly George Knightley that
Austen is referring to!
After meeting a seventeen-year-old girl called Harriet Smith from the local
boarding school, Emma quickly befriends her, takes her under her wing and
once again plays the role of matchmaker. Having persuaded Harriet to reject a
marriage proposal from Mr Martin, a farmer whom Harriet was infatuated with,
Emma directs her attentions higher up, to the local vicar Mr Elton. The only
problem is that Philip Elton has set his sights on Emma! In a rather awkward
(yet amusing) carriage ride, Mr Elton suddenly declares his love for Emma,
which she swiftly rejects, leaving her feeling confused and guilty for poor
Harriet.
George Knightley criticizes Emma’s friendship with Harriet, suggesting that she
should turn her attention toward Jane Fairfax, a young orphan woman living
with Miss Bates and Mrs Bates. At this point I took a dislike to George; he
comes across as snooty and I completely disagreed with his opposition to the
girls’ friendship. But, as always, he was right. Emma dismisses his suggestion
due to her dislike of Jane, but soon realises that her ill-feelings are actually out
of jealousy, proving that Mr Knightley knows Emma more than she knows
herself. Jane is very similar to Emma: wealthy, intelligent and beautiful… and a
threat to her position in Highbury.
The two women come into competition with each other upon the arrival of the
mysterious Mr Frank Churchill, Mr Weston’s son by his deceased first wife.
Emma soon grows attached to Mr Churchill, ignoring Mr Knightley’s
suspicions of Frank (noting how strange it was for Mr Churchill to travel all the
way to London simply to get his hair cut!). Nonetheless, misjudgement and
heartbreak ensue, threatening to break Emma and Harriet’s friendship.
The novel truly was a page-turner; I was so invested with each character’s story
and was therefore very happy with the ending. I love a good romance, and
Austen’s skilful use of irony and humour made the novel a true joy to read.
Following the entire story from Emma’s point of view ensured that every twist
and turn was a total surprise. In spite of the slight language difficulty, I would
definitely recommend Emma to anyone looking for a light-hearted, humorous
romance, and I could happily read this book again and again!