Macbeth (Vol. 44) | Dieter Mehl (essay date 1983)
Dieter Mehl (essay date 1983)
SOURCE: "Macbeth" in Shakespeare's Tragedies: An Introduction, Cambridge University Press, 1983, pp. 105-30.
[In the following excerpt, originally written in German and published in 1983, Mehl follows Macbeth through the course of the dramatic action, delineating the protagonist's agonizing moral struggles, his progressive corruption, and his increasing isolation. Throughout his discussion, the critic calls attention to similarities and differences between Macbeth and the other major tragedies—as well as Richard III and Marlowe's Doctor Faustus—pointing out the many distinctive and innovative features of this play's tragic hero.]
Compared with King Lear, Macbeth appears much more simply constructed and easier to understand. Its structure is tight, almost classical in its compelling consistency and there is only one plot. The tragic action, at first sight, is...
[The entire page is 13804 words long]
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