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Why should you read "Macbeth"? - Brendan Pelsue

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TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

There’s a play so powerful that an old superstition says its name should never be uttered in a theater. A play that begins with witchcraft and ends with a bloody, severed head. A play filled with riddles, prophecies, nightmare visions, and lots of brutal murder. But is it really all that good? Brendan Pelsue explains why you should read (or revisit) "Macbeth."

Additional Resources for you to Explore

For a good edition of Macbeth, consider either the Arden or Folger editions of the play. Both have great introductions and annotations that make the plays easier to understand.

Here is a list of films inspired by Macbeth:

Throne of Blood––Macbeth transposed to feudal Japan.
Scottland, PA––Macbeth set at a small town fast food restaurant.
Shakespeare Must Die––A riff on Macbeth inspired by contemporary Thailand.
Makibefo––a Macbeth-like story set in a fishing village in Madagascar.
Joe Macbeth–a British film which sets Macbeth in the criminal underworld.

For more about Shakespeare’s life and the times in which he lived, considered reading Will in the World, by Stephen Greenblatt.


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Meet The Creators

Educator
Brendan Pelsue
Director
Silvia Prietov
Senior Animator
Jenaro Gonzalez, Diego Doncel, William Cifuentes
Producer
Julian Andrés Sánchez
Compositor
Julian Andrés Sánchez, Ricardo Arias
Animator
Daniela Rueda, Ingrid Solano
Storyboard Artist
Mauricio Vargas
Art Director
Ronald Reyes
Designer
Ronald Reyes
Sound Designer
Alejandro Uribe-Holgin
Composer
Manuel José Gordillo
Associate Producer
Jessica Ruby
Content Producer
Gerta Xhelo
Editorial Producer
Alex Rosenthal
Narrator
Adrian Dannatt

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