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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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