Macbeth #killingit (OMG Shakespeare Series)

by William Shakespeare, Courtney Carbone

Overview

Macbeth, one of the greatest stories ever told . . . in texts?!
 
Imagine: What if that tragic couple, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, had smartphones? A classic is reborn in this fun and funny adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays!
 
A prophecy from three witches.
A social-climbing couple committing a murder most foul.
A cover-up that spins way out of control.

<3 and h8. The classics just got a whole lot more interesting. ;)
 
 
tl;dr A Shakespeare play told through its characters texting with emojis, posting photos, checking in at locations, and updating their relationship statuses. The perfect gift for hip theater lovers and teens.
 
A glossary and cast of characters are included for those who need it. For example: tl;dr means too long; didn’t read.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780553538809
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	01/05/2016
Series:	OMG Shakespeare Series
Pages:	112
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.49(d)
Lexile:	NP (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

COURTNEY CARBONE studied English and creative writing in Baltimore before moving to New York City to become a full-time children’s book editor. When she isn’t collaborating with the greatest playwright of all time, Courtney can be found studying various forms of comedy and trying to finish the joke, “Two groundlings walk into a bard. . . .”
 
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564. He was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s preeminent dramatist. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Editorial Reviews

2015-11-03
Carbone continues her lively updating—or heretical butchery, depending on your point of view—of Shakespeare's plays. Having previously brought into the 21st century/slaughtered Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet (srsly Hamlet and YOLO Juliet, both 2015), Carbone now turns to the Scottish play. "When do u witches wanna meet up next?" asks "witch #1" in a group text with her sisters. This sets the tone for the rest of the adaptation, which plays out in emoji-bedazzled text bubbles, supplemented by notifications, Facebook updates, notes, chat-room screenshots, and reminders ("12:00am / Time to kill Duncan"). The dialogue is a mix of kinda-Shakespearean rebuses and textspeak: after the murder, Macbeth frets, "All the [water emoji] in the [Hokusai-wave emoji] could not wash the blood off my [two-hands emoji]. I [ear emoji] knocking on the [door emoji]. some1 is comin to get me!" It's all ridiculous of course, but there's a method to its foolishness. Many conventions of the medium adapt surprisingly well: asides are rendered as undelivered texts, and stage directions are Foursquare updates. Rather than (just) pandering to its presumed teen audience, it provides a lens through which students can see dramatic possibilities. A Midsummer Night #nofilter publishes simultaneously. Theater in general and Shakespeare in particular are notably protean, and the potential of this and its companions to inspire students to think outside the Globe is significant. (Graphic classic. 12 & up)

Kirkus Reviews