History as Storytelling
This reimagining of the story of one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies is not just an exploration of the power to affect history by shaping how the story is told from the perspective of the subject; that theme becomes a topic of obsessive concern for the characters. As figures close to the ultimate power of the kingdom with the potential to be remembered just as easily as heroes as they might be remembered as villains—or forgotten altogether—they are intently aware of how history is told by the winners. This self-awareness almost verges into a postmodern construct, but it is not: it just so happens that a major theme which created the idea of the story is also on the minds of the characters themselves.
A Dish Served Cold
Just as the stage tragedy is one of Shakespeare’s bloodiest, so is there a lot of killing going on in this version. What may be a surprising is that much of that killing is carried out by Macbeth long before he ever gets around to disposing of Duncan. The play also happens to be Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy which gives the author plenty of opportunity (along with the historical record upon which her story is based) to situate the story that is familiar with a context that is not quite so much. Revenge is at the heart of Macbeth’s rise to king and while the reader may miss the influence of the Weird Sisters upon the bloodthirsty path to usurper taken by the Macbeth they know, the backstory of the Macbeth they don’t know is not just fascinating, but deepens his entire motivation for transforming into a bloodthirsty psychopath.
Gender and Perspective
Let’s be honest: Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s greatest roles for women. She is in deep and often portrayed as far more cunning, clever and sociopathic than her husband. Despite the fact that she’s a terrific character that a great actress can do much with, the reality is that she is actually not that all that completely fleshed out. Based on text alone, Lady Macbeth probably doesn’t even rank in the top five list of Shakespeare’s greatest female roles. By handing the reins of storytelling over to the Lady, the author not only provides a completely fresh perspective on the events that are known, but provides a backstory worthy of reading even if her second husband was never to get past being a common everyday noble in possession of no land he call his own. Not only does it turn out Lady Macbeth had a previous husband, but Macbeth gets a stepson and she becomes a sort of proto-Merida who gets to learn swordplay thanks to her progressive father.
