Something Wicked: James Shapiro on Macbeth
Superstitious actors may dread the mere mention of the word “Macbeth,” but Shakespeare’s Scottish play has exercised a magnetic pull on dramatists, readers, and audiences for 400 years. With a new film version directed by Joel Cohen now showing in theaters, and a stage production starring Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga arriving on Broadway this spring, Macbeth’s allure has never been greater. To find out why, Richard Hurowitz, The Octavian Report’s publisher, turned to James Shapiro, one of the world’s top Shakespeare experts. Shapiro is a professor at Columbia University, serves on the board of directors of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and is the author of several books, including Shakespeare in a Divided America: What His Plays Tell Us About Our Past and Future.
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