"Where was this program when I was in high school?" The Globe and Mail
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Like the other programs in the series, A TASTE OF SHAKESPEARE , the purpose of this video is to help modern audiences, especially students, identify with the universal themes evident in Shakespeare's plotline.
In this great "tragedy of blood", we are plunged into the life of a brave and loyal soldier whose loyalty is tested when it is prophesied that he will be king. Macbeth's greatest weakness may not be his ambition, but how easily he is swayed: first by the fortune-telling of witches, then the overpowering will of Lady Macbeth, and finally by his own tormented inner mind.
Inside this tense thriller, Shakespeare has also woven a heartbreaking story of a crumbling relationship; as tensions rise and lives are taken, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth find themselves driven apart.
There has never been a more heart-stopping thriller which is also a deep, accomplished character study. Here is a fresh and clear look at MACBETH, and the murky themes with which we are all still dealing.
Other titles in this ongoing series are:
Hamlet - A video guide to Shakespeare's most famous play.
The Merchant of Venice - A video guide to the play from Shylock's point of view.
A Midsummer Night's Dream - A video guide to the loveliest of Shakespeare's romantic comedies.
Romeo and Juliet - A video guide to this cautionary tale of teenage love.
King Lear - A video guide to one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies.
Othello - A video guide to one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies, dealing with revenge and pride.
Grade Level: 10-12, College, Adult
US Release Date: 2003
Copyright Date: 2003
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-165-7
VHS ISBN: 1-59458-024-3
Reviews
"Where was this program when I was in high school?" The Toronto Globe and Mail
"A TASTE OF SHAKESPEARE is the answer to a teacher's prayer. It serves a pressing need by introducing students to the plays of William Shakespeare in a way that makes each play accessible and compelling viewing. [Each program] maintains the language and key scenes of the play which are tied together by an intelligently crafted connecting summary. The result in each case is a thoroughly informative and entertaining overview of the key themes and motifs of each of the drama...the students' appetites for the whole play will be well wetted. Equally important, they will be able to undertake their study of the text with a clear understanding of its over-arching architecture and a real feel for its drama and language. This is unquestionably the most satisfying, authoritative and pedagogically useful video introduction to the...plays of William Shakespeare I have seen. This series is a superb achievement - a wonderful marriage of modern scholarship and media production." Dr.
John MacDonald, Professor of English Education, University of Toronto
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