Gareth Hinds is the acclaimed creator of the graphic novels The Odyssey, Beowulf, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, and King Lear. He lives near Washington, D.C.
Paperback
$12.99
- ISBN-13: 9780763678029
- Publisher: Candlewick Press
- Publication date: 02/10/2015
- Pages: 152
- Product dimensions: 6.50(w) x 10.40(h) x 0.50(d)
- Lexile: GN650L (what's this?)
- Age Range: 12 - 17 Years
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Shakespeare's classic story of dark ambition, madness, and murder springs to life in a masterful new graphic novel by Gareth Hinds.
Set against the moody backdrop of eleventh-century Scotland, Gareth Hinds’s captivating, richly illustrated interpretation takes readers into the claustrophobic mind of a man driven mad by ambition. An evil seed takes root in the mind of Macbeth, a general in the king’s army, when three witches tell him he will one day be king. At the urging of his wife, he resolves to take the throne by the most direct path: a dagger in the heart of King Duncan. But "blood will have blood," and when others grow suspicious of his sudden rise to power, is Macbeth prepared to commit more murders to keep the crown?
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From the Publisher
Hinds offers another sensitive adaptation of classic literature in this beautifully colored and evocative rendition of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.... Students struggling to find an entry point into the Scottish play should look no further than this entertaining and elucidating volume. Along with Hinds’ earlier Beowulf (2007) and The Odyssey (2010), an essential addition to Shakespeare collections as well as curricular support materials.—Booklist (starred review)
Teachers and students alike can rejoice that Hinds has turned his considerable talent for graphic adaptation to the Scottish play.... This is an essential addition to Hinds’ growing library of engrossing adaptations and a must-have companion to Shakespeare’s original.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
With its simple, linear plot, its witches and its ghosts, its clear-cut moral questions about the lure of evil and whether and how we control our own fates, (Macbeth) is well suited for teenagers. Gareth Hinds’s stellar new graphic-novel adaptation, aimed at a young adult audience, makes that abundantly clear. The play also, of course, features some epic fight scenes and lots and lots of blood, and Hinds makes the most of these opportunities to show how naturally Shakespeare takes to the comics form.
—The New York Times
Following his adaptations of Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, and King Lear, Hinds turns to the story of the Scottish king who is ruined by his ambition.... Judicious abridging and even rewording make the text more accessible, yet Shakespeare’s language is preserved throughout. "What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?" Lady Macbeth cries as she tries frantically to clean her hands of blood, a moment whose intensity Hinds drives home with close-ups of dozens of hands rubbing each other, over and over. Such visceral, violent imagery is common—Hinds understands, as Shakespeare did, that sorcery and gore are powerful draws.
—Publishers Weekly
Hinds’s Macbeth will make a solid addition to any graphic novel collection, especially those looking for accessible, enjoyable, and quality Shakespeare adaptations.
—School Library Journal
An adaptation both respectful and daring.
—Kirkus Reviews
Hinds provides an authentic and powerful entry point into the original play.
—Horn Book
Children's Literature - Leona Illig
Shakespeare’s Macbeth is well known a tale of power and greed in Middle Ages Scotland. Countless performances of the play have inspired people the world over. In this graphic novel adaptation, the language, plot, and characters of Shakespeare’s play survive mostly intact. The major difference between the play and this book is the addition of the interesting illustrations, presented in comic book format with panels and speech balloons. With colors ranging from vibrant to dull, they match the moods of the characters and the settings. In fact, the success of this adaptation depends on the quality of the illustrations. They are relatively simple and clear, and may appeal to teenagers. It is also true that the pictures support the text. The trouble is that the level of the illustrations is much different than the level of the text. The simplistic pictures may turn off teenagers who can read and understand the rich, dramatic text, or the text may confuse teenagers reading at lower levels. One wonders what the novel would have looked like if Shakespeare’s text had been married to complex, brilliant illustrations. This adaptation is likely to open doors for some readers while alienating others. Even the adaptor/illustrator states that he “highly recommends reading the unabridged play.” Macbeth is regularly taught in its original form in high school. If students read the original, they are not likely to read this adaptation. Also, for better or for worse, graphic adaptations of the classics are often disparaged as “dumbed-down” versions for slow learners. That second prejudice could be dispelled if graphic novel illustrators improved the quality of their artwork. As it is now, adaptations like this one inspire more questions than answers, and their audiences may be limited. Reviewer: Leona Illig; Ages 12 up.The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo
Macbeth…doesn't feature classically adolescent themes…Yet with its simple, linear plot, its witches and its ghosts, its clear-cut moral questions about the lure of evil and whether and how we control our own fates, it is well suited for teenagers. Gareth Hinds's stellar new graphic-novel adaptation…makes that abundantly clear. The play also, of course, features some epic fight scenes and lots and lots of blood, and Hinds makes the most of these opportunities to show how naturally Shakespeare takes to the comics form. Hinds…has condensed the action of Macbeth a bit and in many places maneuvered Shakespeare's iambic pentameter into prose that fits seamlessly into speech bubbles. Little seems to have been lost in that transition. The major soliloquies are intact…while the lines that serve more expositional functions are sometimes reworked so that they still have an iambic feel, but flow naturally to the modern ear…The art is more realistic illustration than the familiar bursting-off-the-page comics style, but that is fitting. The book feels like a remarkably faithful rendering of the world of the play.Publishers Weekly
01/12/2015Following his adaptations of Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, and King Lear, Hinds turns to the story of the Scottish king who is ruined by his ambition. The play’s supernatural elements give Hinds the chance to bring some of Shakespeare’s eeriest imaginings to life. He paints the three weird sisters—a crone, a pagan goddess, and an African witch—perched on tree branches like crows. The ghost of Banquo sits down for dinner bathed in cool blue light that reddens as blood courses down his skin. Judicious abridging and even rewording make the text more accessible, yet Shakespeare’s language is preserved throughout. “What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?” Lady Macbeth cries as she tries frantically to clean her hands of blood, a moment whose intensity Hinds drives home with close-ups of dozens of hands rubbing each other, over and over. Such visceral, violent imagery is common—Hinds understands, as Shakespeare did, that sorcery and gore are powerful draws. Detailed endnotes provide “making-of” style details. Ages 12–up. (Mar.)
School Library Journal
02/01/2015Gr 8 Up—On the opening page, three Witches sit atop a barren tree in the midst of a bloody battlefield against the backdrop of a gloomy sky, setting the stage for one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. Macbeth, a valiant general of the King's army, is told a prophecy by the three witches that he will one day become King of Scotland. Unwilling to wait for the prophecy to come true on its own, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth plot to expedite the process, murdering the current King Duncan in his sleep. Thus begins their psychological descent into darkness. Shakespeare's text has historically been linked to theatrical productions, the story enhanced by the visual performance, making his plays perfect source material for graphic novels. Hinds, widely praised for his graphic novel adaptations of classic literature, succeeds yet again in bringing Shakespeare to life for modern readers. He captures the haunting and dramatic tone of Macbeth with expert pacing, skillful usage of shadow and color within the panels, and emotional close-ups of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, depicting their journey into madness. Hinds includes a family tree identifying the characters at the beginning of the story and end notes explaining the reasons behind his artistic and language choices. VERDICT Hinds's Macbeth will make a solid addition to any graphic novel collection, especially those looking for accessible, enjoyable, and quality Shakespeare adaptations.—Marissa Lieberman, East Orange Public Library, NJ
Kirkus Reviews
2014-12-06Having previously interpreted The Merchant of Venice (2008), King Lear (2009) and Romeo and Juliet (2013), Hinds turns his pencil to the Scottish Play.In a palette that alternates between gloomy Highlands grays, greens and blues and firelight russets that modulate easily to blood, Hinds evinces a medieval Scottish setting, giving his graphic-novel production a traditional feel. Macbeth is darkly Celtic, Lady Macbeth a Gaelic redhead and Banquo a burly Norseman, neatly capturing Scotland's ethnic mix. From an opening spread that combines a map and dramatis personae, the action plays out in Hinds' characteristically clean and thoughtful panels, with Shakespeare's language largely intact. Many lines have been cut, but those that remain preserve the feel of the original in diction and syntax, only a few words judiciously massaged. Perhaps the biggest change—the recasting of much of the play's iambic pentameter into speech-bubble-friendly prose—is aurally almost indistinguishable from the original. Scenes that rely on acting rather than dialogue to carry meaning, such as Banquo's murder, unfold lucidly, although the porter scene may mystify more than it amuses, Shakespearean humor being particularly reliant upon acting for its success. Copious backmatter, including seven pages of notes explaining various artistic and directorial choices, provides fascinating insight and will be particularly valuable in a classroom setting. An adaptation both respectful and daring that should please all but the most ardent traditionalists. (Graphic drama. 12 & up)