#5 in Drama & theatre
Macbeth
- 130
- Pages
- about 2.5 h
- Reading time
- Film 1957 +11
- On screen
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Our view
Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy wastes nothing: in about 130 pages a hero turns into a villain, and the play keeps us close enough to see the humanity that survives in him as ambition curdles into weariness. Whether fate or his own choice drives him is left open, which is much of its pull. Some find the language hard going, and those who meet it only as schoolwork may find it a chore; an annotated edition helps.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
The Tragedy of Macbeth, often shortened to Macbeth, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambitions and power. It was first published in the Folio of 1623, possibly from a prompt book, and is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy. Scholars believe Macbeth, of all the plays that Shakespeare wrote during the reign of King James I, contains the most allusions to James, patron of Shakespeare's acting company.
On screen
This book has been adapted for the screen 12 times — from 1909 to 2021.
- FilmThrone of BloodIMDb
- FilmMacbethIMDb
- FilmThe Tragedy of MacbethIMDb
- FilmMacbethIMDb
- FilmMacbethIMDb
- FilmMaqboolIMDb
- FilmMen of RespectIMDb
- FilmMacbethIMDb
- FilmMacbethIMDb
- FilmMacbethIMDb
- Short filmMacbethIMDb
- FilmMacbethIMDb
Adaptation data: Wikidata · On screen →
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.8 across 1,520 ratings. With that many, the reader vote carries 91% of the weight and the score stays at 7.8 — the Drama & theatre average of 7.6 barely moves it.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.0 | 149 | 10% |
| Hardcover | 7.8 | 1.4K | 90% |
Frequently asked
How long is Macbeth?
It has 130 pages — shorter than 66% of the ranked books in Drama & theatre.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Drama & theatre — with scores between 7.5 and 8.0, closest to this book.
