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Probably composed in late 1606 or early 1607, //Macbeth// is a relatively short play without a major subplot, and is considered by many scholars to be Shakespeare's darkest work. Shakespeare adds a supernatural dimension to the play that intentionally conspires against Macbeth and his kingdom. On the level of human evil, Shakespeare's Scottish tragedy is about Macbeth's bloody rise to power, including the murder of the Scottish king, Duncan, and the guilt-ridden pathology of evil deeds generating still more evil deeds.

As an integral part of this thematic web is the play's most memorable character, Lady Macbeth. Like her husband, Lady Macbeth's ambition for power leads her into an unnatural, phantasmagoric realm of witchcraft, insomnia and madness. But while Macbeth responds to the prophecies of the play's famous trio of witches, Lady Macbeth goes even further by figuratively transforming herself into an unnatural, desexualized evil spirit. Ironically, her marriage rests on loving bonds but undergoes disintegration as the tragedy unfolds.