Throughout Shakespeare's works, there is a yearning for peace that stands out against the grim backdrop of violence and war. It surfaces in fleeting lines, often entrusted to a minor character – barely a word, little more than a sigh  - for instance an unnamed lord in Macbeth implores, "Give to our tables meat, sleep to our nights, / Free from our feast and banquets bloody knives."

The tragedy overflows with blood – blood on Macbeth's face as he returns from war, blood from the bodies of those who stand in his way to power, blood staining Lady Macbeth's hands as she sinks into madness and death. Yet, Macbeth is a history play, rooted in actual facts from a distant past. Through Macbeth, Shakespeare explores recurring historical cycles, the insatiable thirst for power, and the elusive pursuit of peace.

Shakespeare's legacy is boundless, like the sea: the more we take, the more there is to take – and that is because he loves his characters infinitely. Even Macbeth.

When Macbeth dies, a part of us dies with him — we might call it ambition, or a reckless imagination that can’t be stopped. Yet despite his darkness, his vitality endures within us. While we may struggle to love him as Shakespeare does, we are imbued by him and this makes us all the more deeply understand the stuff that we are made on.

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Suitable for ages 13 and up.