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Loading... Witches and Jesuits: Shakespeare's Macbeth (original 1995; edition 1995)by Garry Wills (Author) meandmybooks | Oct 28, 2017 |    ) Devil_llama | Mar 2, 2023 | The discussion requires genuine interest in Jacobean England, Shakespeare, and/or theological politics to be fully interesting, but I had two out of three and did okay with it. For me, the best part was Wills' close examination of how the presentation of witchcraft in "Macbeth" fits into the historical context: the legal and popular understanding of what witchcraft was, especially regarding contracts with the devil. There are some great ideas about how to use the various "triple invocations" and circling actions to highlight themes when staging the play. I would recommend this book to anyone who is going to be reading, viewing, performing, or studying "Macbeth." (  ) jsabrina | Jul 13, 2021 | Remember, remember the Fifth of November, After reminding readers of the powerful cultural impact of more contemporary events, such as Pearl Harbor or the Kennedy Assassination (the book was written in 1995), Wills examines this connection from various angles, demonstrating how aspects of the play, such as Malcolm's testing of Macduff, which may seem to modern readers to be diversions from the “main” story, would have been of keen interest to audiences in Shakespeare's day, showing how a shrewd ruler avoided betrayal. Similarly, Wills illustrates the connection between the witches and the Jesuits behind the Gunpowder Plot, drawing on material from a range of Gunpowder plays (I didn't even know there was such a thing!). I knew something before this about James I's concern with witches, but I would never have drawn the connections between Macbeth and witchcraft (aside from the obvious ones) that Wills points out. Admittedly, I didn't always find his readings convincing, and the stuff about the “curse” on the play just seems silly to me (I'm not a theatre person, so I have no idea whether this is something anyone, aside from Wills, actually takes seriously), but many of his arguments seemed convincing, and this will certainly add to my appreciation of the play. Three and a half stars. ( ) meandmybooks | Oct 28, 2017 | ) rg_parker | Aug 23, 2006 | |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)822.33Literature English & Old English literatures English drama Elizabethan 1558-1625 Shakespeare, William 1564–1616LC ClassificationRatingAverage: (4)
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After reminding readers of the powerful cultural impact of more contemporary events, such as Pearl Harbor or the Kennedy Assassination (the book was written in 1995), Wills examines this connection from various angles, demonstrating how aspects of the play, such as Malcolm's testing of Macduff, which may seem to modern readers to be diversions from the “main” story, would have been of keen interest to audiences in Shakespeare's day, showing how a shrewd ruler avoided betrayal. Similarly, Wills illustrates the connection between the witches and the Jesuits behind the Gunpowder Plot, drawing on material from a range of Gunpowder plays (I didn't even know there was such a thing!). I knew something before this about James I's concern with witches, but I would never have drawn the connections between Macbeth and witchcraft (aside from the obvious ones) that Wills points out. Admittedly, I didn't always find his readings convincing, and the stuff about the “curse” on the play just seems silly to me (I'm not a theatre person, so I have no idea whether this is something anyone, aside from Wills, actually takes seriously), but many of his arguments seemed convincing, and this will certainly add to my appreciation of the play. Three and a half stars. (