Educational Media Reviews Online

This video is part of the Taste of Shakespeare series, in which the most famous Shakespeare plays are given modern productions and meanings. Actors in the films help to tell the story and play out key scenes, revealing the relationships and attitudes of the main characters. The series is meant to help modern-day students connect to the people in Shakespeare's plays, get through the language difficulties, and to create a forum for discussion of problematic situations found in the plays. All of the videos in this series come with a teacher's guide (although this reviewer did not receive one to examine with this video). Macbeth, known as the "tragedy of blood," is the story of the Scottish king who loses his sanity and his world, and goes from a loyal and brave soldier of the king to an ambitious, shallow, and insane monarch who trusts no one. This Shakespeare play explores the intense character and personality of Macbeth, but also raises questions about ambition, trust, love, and the general character of humanity itself. It is an interesting approach to stop the movement of the play, in order for the actors to explain and discuss key points within the drama along the way. It is well suited for today’s students, who have a hard time breaking through the language and action of Shakespeare to discover the modern-day meanings and overall themes that Shakespeare so wonderfully weaves into his dramas. Teachers of Shakespeare and/or historical drama would find these videos an excellent resource for introducing Shakespeare to their students.