Macbeth

Following his adaptations of Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, and King Lear, Hinds turns to the story of the Scottish king who is ruined by his ambition. The play’s supernatural elements give Hinds the chance to bring some of Shakespeare’s eeriest imaginings to life. He paints the three weird sisters—a crone, a pagan goddess, and an African witch—perched on tree branches like crows. The ghost of Banquo sits down for dinner bathed in cool blue light that reddens as blood courses down his skin. Judicious abridging and even rewording make the text more accessible, yet Shakespeare’s language is preserved throughout. “What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?” Lady Macbeth cries as she tries frantically to clean her hands of blood, a moment whose intensity Hinds drives home with close-ups of dozens of hands rubbing each other, over and over. Such visceral, violent imagery is common—Hinds understands, as Shakespeare did, that sorcery and gore are powerful draws. Detailed endnotes provide “making-of” style details. Ages 12–up. (Mar.)