The Tragedy of Macbeth Part II: The Seed of Banquo

by Noah Lukeman

Shakespeare's infamous play Macbeth ends with Malcolm being crowned King of Scotland after Macduff has murdered ambitious, ill-fated Macbeth. Fine and dandy it seems at first, but wait...didn't the witches predict that Banquo would father an endless line of kings? Malcolm is the son of Duncan, not Banquo! Were the witches wrong?

When Noah Lukeman was confronted with this unresolved plot thread, he began to wonder if Shakespeare had planned to continue the tale of Scotland's monarchy in another play. It would make sense; two of Shakespeare's historical plays came in multiple parts. Henry IV had Parts 1 and 2 while Henry VI was split into three. Scouring the original play, Lukeman found lines that indicated Lady Macbeth had a child, yet it never makes an appearance in the original play. Surely the heir to Macbeth's throne would have warranted some mention! Where was the child? Finally, what happened to Malcolm's brother, Donalbain? At the close of the play he is still in Ireland, which seems odd – why has he not returned to his brother's side?

Intrigued by these lingering plot holes, Lukeman decided to finish the play and wrote The Tragedy of Macbeth Part II. In tribute to Shakespeare, Macbeth II is written as a five-act play in measured blank verse. It picks up ten years after the events of Macbeth, with Malcolm still wearing the Scottish crown. But he is an uneasy ruler, haunted by the prophecy that Banquo's sons will take the throne. Fleance, child of Banquo, is gathering men to his side, but that would be a minor threat were Donalbain not building an armada in Ireland. Malcolm wants to trust his brother, but his advisors insist Donalbain means him ill. In desperation Malcolm seeks the witches to dispel the rumors and advise him. Naturally, they answer in riddles, and in attempting to unravel their meaning Malcolm sets himself upon the same course of misinterpretation and disaster that led to his predecessor's demise...

I wasn't sure what to expect from Macbeth II, but I am pleased to report that Lukeman did a top-notch job creating a fresh play in the style of Shakespeare. The story moves quite briskly, and takes quite a few intriguing twists. My biggest concern was that the book would be written in such a way that it would not translate well to stage, but reading through the play I quickly dismissed these concerns. The rhythm of the words and the drama of the story would make for quite a suspenseful and entertaining show. In fact, I really hope Lukeman is in the process of negotiating a production somewhere.

But until the happy day we can see Macbeth II at a local Shakespeare in the Park, check out the book and find out just how the witches' prophecies were finally fulfilled.

 

To read more about The Tragedy of Macbeth Part II: The Seed of Banquo, buy a copy or add it to your wishlist, click here.

Macbeth: The Graphic Novel
by William Shakespeare and team at Classical Comics


If you made it through high school here in America, you've probably read Macbeth. It's one of William Shakespeare's most popular plays (possibly because it is the shortest of the tragedies) known for outstanding characterizations and universal themes that can be easily adapted to any time or place. It is one of the Bard's most frequently performed plays, and thought by many in the theatre community to be cursed. It is not uncommon for actors to refer to it as "The Scottish Play" or "The Bard's Play" rather than saying the name proper.

Classical Comics has taken Shakespeare's Macbeth and created a beautiful graphic novel. It is available in three versions:
Original Text: The complete text of Macbeth, unaltered from the Bard's vision
Plain Text: Macbeth's script is updated to "normal" English, but maintains the form and pacing of the original plain
Quick Text: Macbeth rendered in modern speech. This is the closest version to our regular speaking patterns.

I read the Original Text version, and it was superb. The art was stunning, with bright, vivid colors and bold, clean lines. It looks just like a "real" comic book - let me explain. Often when I have read graphic novel adaptions of literature, the art just isn't that good because the creators are not comic book artists. They might not follow the conventions of comic books, or the figures they draw will look odd because proportions are off...these minor sorts of things. But this is not a problem with Macbeth. Jon Haward is a veteran of the comic book industry, with over twenty years experience, and it shows through in his art.

It's important to keep in mind that Shakespeare's works were meant to be viewed, to be performed, and I feel that graphic novels like Macbeth help bridge the gap between the text in a book and on the stage. The illustrations bring life and energy to the old play, and due to the multiple literacy levels there's an edition that would suit anyone.


To read more about Macbeth: The Graphic Novel, buy it or add it to your wishlist, click here.


Classical Comics appears to be working their way through the Shakespeare canon. Current and upcoming titles:
Henry V (available now)
The Tempest (May 2009)
Romeo & Juliet (July 2009)
Richard III (March 2010)
Hamlet (2010)