William Shakespeare, the author of Macbeth , most likely wrote this tragedy in 1606, during the Elizabethan era, although it is set in medieval Scotland. The drama tells the story of Macbeth, a Scottish chieftain who, under the influence of witches' prophecies and his own ambitions and manipulations by his wife, Lady Macbeth, commits a series of crimes in pursuit of power.
The action of the tragedy takes place in 11th-century Scotland, mainly in Macbeth's castle in Inverness and in the royal castle in Dunsinane. The dark and mysterious atmosphere intensifies the tragedy of the characters and the dramatic consequences of their decisions. The key role in Macbeth's fate is played by three witches, who predict that he will become the king of Scotland, but his family will not hold the throne. This prophecy awakens in him a lust for power, which leads to the murder of King Duncan and subsequent crimes.
After taking the throne, Macbeth rules despotically, spreading terror. His moral responsibility for his actions is controversial - on the one hand, he acts under the influence of prophecy and Lady Macbeth, on the other, he is the one who makes the final decisions. His crimes lead to madness and downfall. Lady Macbeth, initially strong and ruthless, gradually loses control of herself and eventually commits suicide. Her fate is a warning against the destructive power of uncontrolled ambition.
At the end of the tragedy, Macbeth is killed by Macduff, and the witches' prophecies come true in a perverse way - contrary to his belief that he is invincible, Birnam Wood "moves" against him when Malcolm's soldiers camouflage themselves with tree branches.
Macbeth has been adapted for film many times. The most famous adaptations include those directed by Orson Welles (1948), Roman Polanski (1971), and Joel Coen (2021). Shakespeare's tragedy continues to inspire creators around the world, presenting universal themes of power, fate, and moral responsibility.
In our edition we used the translation made by Józef Paszkowski. The publication refers to the famous edition of Shakespeare's works published by John Bell in London in the 1780s. The text was set in the Monotype Bell font, designed by Richard Austin around 1787. The frontispiece is decorated with the graphic The Birth of Shakespeare by Angelika Kauffmann , and the binding is enriched with ornaments used by bookbinders working for Bell.
ABOUT THE EDITION
The edition consists of only 25 numbered copies, printed on Zuber Rieder 120 g cotton paper in a 166 × 233 mm format. Each copy has been hand-bound in full leather, with marbled block edges and an elegant case.
