Macbeth

this edition positions the play in the socio-cultural context of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. macbeth is analysed here in terms of the changing political scenario that influenced attitudes and perspectives of the time. the reader will find this book useful for its range of perspectives that are enlightening and thought-provoking. the introduction provides a brief description of shakespeare's life in addition to conflicting views on theatre activity and censorship in the period. relevant photographs of sketches and paintings, drawings of the globe theatre and its later reconstructions will enable the reader to reflect on the performance aspects of the play and realize the importance of theatre to the renaissance world. the essays in this volume have been divided into two broad sections. the first one offers source material from the elizabethan and jacobean period to give an overview of the socio-cultural discussions that occupied centre-stage at the time. these are meant to encourage engagement with the text and help her/him respond from their own positions in the twenty-first century.