Macbeth

Oxford School Shakespeare: Macbeth - Bestselling GCSE Student Edition
The Oxford School Shakespeare series is trusted by teachers and loved by students worldwide. This bestselling student edition of Macbeth is designed to make Shakespeare accessible, engaging, and fully supported in the classroom or at home.
Packed with clear on-page notes, helpful illustrations, and authoritative academic insight, it is ideal for GCSE and secondary students aged 11+ across all exam boards.
Key Themes Covered
This edition explores essential ideas needed to understand Macbeth's character, including:
- Macbeth as the noble warrior
- The power and consequences of ambition
- Macbeth's approach and relationship to murder
- Macbeth the tyrant
- Macbeth's downfall and defeat
Key Features
- Accessible notes and commentary to support understanding
- Clear two-column layout for quick reference and explanations
- Wide margins for effective annotation and note-taking
- Additional background material, reading lists, and website recommendations
- Contextual and explanatory illustrations throughout
Free Bonus Resources
Includes access to a free teaching pack and 'Shakespeare in Context' video resources filmed at Shakespeare's Globe. Simply scan the QR code on the back of the book.
Suitable For
- Students aged 11+
- All UK exam boards (GCSE and KS3)
The Oxford School Shakespeare series includes over 20 of Shakespeare's plays, as well as revision resources for Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet.

Roma Gill, the series editor, has taught Shakespeare at all levels. She has acted in and directed Shakespeare's plays, and has lectured on Shakespeare all over the world.

Introduction
- About the Play
- Leading Characters in the Play
- Synopsis
- Macbeth: Commentary
- Macbeth: the Man
- Shakespeare's Verse
- Source,Text, and Date
Characters in the Play
Macbeth
Macbeth: the Source
Songs from The Witch by Thomas Middleton
Background
- England in 1606
- Scotland in the Time of Macbeth
William Shakespeare, 1564-1616
Approximate Dates of Composition of Shakespeare's Works
Exploring Macbeth in the Classroom
- Ways into the Play
- Setting the Scene
- Keeping Track of the Action
- Characters
- Themes
- Shakespeare's Language
- Exploring with Drama
- Writing about Macbeth
Further Reading and Resources