Smith, John Raphael, Artist, and Henry Fuseli. Lady MacBeth Act, 5th--'One, two; why then 'tis time to do't / / painted by H. Fuseli ; engrved by J.R. Smith. , 1784. [London: Published by I.R. Smith, Jan. 6] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/98505243/.
Macbeth is commonly taught in high schools, particularly in 9th or 10th grade. Because early modern English is not always accessible to students, teaching with images like this one can help provide a way into the text for students. Pairing this image along with specific quotes from the text can help students to think about the interpretive choices that artists like Fuseli made, and also help them to start thinking about their own interpretation of the text. Fuseli’s artwork here adapts a critical scene in Macbeth and is very visually arresting.
Lady MacBeth walking in her sleep, full-length view, carrying candle; a man and a woman observe from a bench on the right in the background.
- Macbeth is a tragedy by Shakespeare and was written, published, and performed in the early 17th century.
- Macbeth was written for and performed for James I, whose interest in the supernatural influenced the writing of Macbeth.
- Because James I traced his own lineage back to Banquo, Shakespeare’s portrayal of Banquo changes from the historical record provided by Holinshed; the witches promise that Banquo will “get kings, though thou be none” (Shakespeare).
- Macbeth was an 11th-century Scottish king who ruled from 1040 to 1057; Shakespeare’s fictionalized account is taken from Holinshed’s Chronicles.
- This particular image is an engraving by J. R. Smith, based on a painting by Henry Fuseli, a Swiss artist who contributed works to John Boydell’s Shakespeare Gallery.
- In the 18th century, when Fuseli worked, Shakespeare’s popularity was growing as he became “the playwright who is exported to the growing British Empire and then, lo and behold, stays behind after a century and a half of the empire” (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust).
- What do you first notice about this engraving?
- How does Fuseli portray Lady Macbeth?
- How does Fuseli use light and shadow in his portrayal? What do they emphasize?
- What choices does he make in portraying Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking? What does he include? What does he leave out?
- Why does Fuseli place the Doctor and the Gentlewoman in the background of the image? Why is Lady Macbeth in the foreground?
- How would you portray this moment in the text?
Common Core State Standards
9-10.7 Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment.
- Students will examine Fuseli’s representation of Lady Macbeth and determine what is emphasized or absent in the image.
11-12.7 Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem, evaluating how each version interprets the source text.
- Students will analyze Fuseli’s interpretation of Lady Macbeth alongside other artists’ interpretations and determine how each source interprets Shakespeare’s play.
- Teachers could have students analyze key scenes from the play alongside artistic representations of those scenes (or artistic representations of the characters in those scenes). So, for example, teachers could have students compare Fuseli’s version of Lady Macbeth in Act V to Fuseli’s later interpretation of “Lady Macbeth Seizing the Daggers,” or to John Singer Sargent’s interpretation of “Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth” from the 19th century. The Victoria and Albert Museum has other images (posters, paintings, stills from theatrical productions) that could also be used for this exercise. The Metropolitan Museum of Art also has images that could be used for this. Teachers could then have students create their own interpretations by drawing a movie poster or sketching or designing costumes for their own production of Macbeth.
- The Royal Shakespeare Company and the Folger Library both have excellent resources for teaching Macbeth.
- There is probably low potential for challenge since Shakespeare is canonical and explicitly included in some states’ standards.
Links to resources for approaching those topics
- “ D. P. Bowers as Lady Macbeth” - This image shows Mrs. D. P. Bowers as Lady Macbeth with her arms outstretched; students could compare this interpretation of Lady Macbeth with Fuseli’s.
- [Dame Judith Anderson and Maurice Evans in a television production of "Macbeth"] - This is an image from a television production of Macbeth with both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Students could discuss the way differences in medium (engraving versus film) and time (18th century vs. 20th century) affect the interpretation of Lady Macbeth’s character.
- “How Did Shakespeare Get So Popular?” Let’s Talk Shakespeare. Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/podcasts/lets-talk-shakespeare/how-did-shakespeare-get-so-popular/
- Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Barbara Mowat and Paul Werstine, eds. Folger Shakespeare Library. Accessed on Jan. 2, 2025. Washington, DC: Folger Shakespeare Library
- MIT Global Shakespeares - Online access to global performances of Shakespeare
- Teaching Shakespeare with the New York Times
- Podcast: Shakespeare Unlimited, 244 - How can educators include discussions about race in their Shakespeare classes?
- Podcast: CodeSwitch, “All That Glisters Is Not Gold”
- Weyward Macbeth: Intersections of Race and Performance (eds. Newstok and Thompson)
- The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare and Race (ed. Thompson)