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REVIEW
- Moore, R. Shakespeare Macbeth Guide [All Shakespeare, eNotes]
- <http://www.allshakespeare.com/macbeth.php>
<http://www.enotes.com/macbeth>
Visited: 23 April 2003
Note: The exact same content resides at both of the above addresses.
Contents:
--For Free:
- "A brief overview" -- Really brief; 262 words, and half are about Lady Macbeth.
- "Text of the Play" -- Nicely formatted, but there's no search function.
- "Summary" -- There's a short paragraph for every scene. The paragraphs are so short (150 words maximum) that it's all pretty bland.
- "FAQ" -- There are six questions: "Was there an actual Macbeth?" "Why are there three witches?" "Did the Macbeths have any children?" "Why does Macbeth forget to take the daggers from the guards?" "Why does Macbeth slaughter Macduff's family?" "Why does Malcolm test Macduff?"
Each question is answered in a paragraph, but the nature of the answers differs; the answer to "Why are there three witches?" is really about the number three, and the answer to "Why does Macbeth forget to take the daggers from the guards?" is really about the psychology of Lady Macbeth, not Macbeth.
- "Bibliography" -- There are sixteen items listed, but no annotations. All the items listed are included in Macbeth Navigator's Selected Bibliography, which is annotated.
--For US $9.95:
- "Critical Commentary" -- Judging from the tiny little free portions, it appears that the "Commentary" is mostly summary.
- "Character Analysis" -- The free portion is too short to give any clear idea of the quality of the analysis.
- "Critical Discussion and Themes" -- The free portion is too short to give any clear idea of the quality of the analysis.
- "Essays" -- The free portion is too short to give any clear idea of the quality of the essays.
- "Criticism" -- Reprints of essays by four well-known literary critics.
- "Selected Quotes" -- The free portion is too short to give any clear idea of the quality.
Bottom Line: OK, but overpriced.
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