Years before the "Scottish play," Lady Macbeth was a well-born only child, the last surviving daughter of the son of a king. She was a little wild and, without supervision, she roamed the forest and learned the secrets of nature. When her cousin MacDuff, and Duncan, the future king of Scotland, visited her castle and went for a hunt in the forest, she had a vision of an old woman. Human, witch or spirit, the woman predicted her future and told her that she must sacrifice her son by fire and that she would rule as queen of Scotland. At 15, she was married to a vile and abusive man, but through him, her station was advanced-and indeed, they had a son. The thane of Glamis, MacBeth, slew her husband and took back the castle that was stolen from him-he also married her and adopted her son. She finally had a happy marriage and things went well for them. But politics and ambition threatened their lives, and the book ended with MacBeth also seeing a vision of three women whose predictions would elevate and destroy him and his wife...and the play begins.
Morris has a wonderful way with language and his sentences are lyrical. His tale is fascinating but the way he writes also has to be considered and appreciated for the beautiful way that he uses words. I immediately got caught up in the story of this poor girl whose value only lies in who she marries and whether she bears a son or a daughter. She realizes that she is more than a vessel for a child and that she possesses the wisdom to rule, if only given a chance. And she just might be given one...
Reviewed by Donna Ballard
Publication date - March 12, 2024
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