Macbeth, part 26

THE STORY SO FAR: Dogged by the kind of paranoia that comes with usurping the throne and murdering a bunch of people, Macbeth went to get more prophecies from the three weird sisters and, being the kind of person who murders bunches of people, he decides to murder a bunch more people. 

Ba dum bum TISH.

Macbeth
Dramatis Personae | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30

Macbeth, part 25

It is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to the witches today, mostly for the very selfish reason that they are very amusing and endearing somehow, but also because things get BAD after this. 

See? I told you things get BAD.

Macbeth
Dramatis Personae | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30

Macbeth, part 24

THE STORY SO FAR: Macbeth, hoping to find out more about how his ill-gotten reign will fare in the future, has once again sought out the three weird sisters, who have finally managed to get Hecate to go away and stop embarrassing them. 

So basically in Shakespeare (and, indeed, in most classical literature and drama), if there is a prophecy it will (a) totally come true, but (b) come true in a way that you totally didn't see coming. Prophecies are a pain in that way.

Macbeth
Dramatis Personae | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30

Macbeth, part 23

I know everyone wants to get on with the apparitions and the prophecies and the fun stuff like that, but I've suddenly become very fond of Hecate. Sorry.

Oh Hecate, baby. There's such a thing as trying too hard.

Macbeth
Dramatis Personae | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30

Macbeth, part 22

THE STORY SO FAR: After arranging Banquo's murder Macbeth has got it all, but he's still uncertain about the future. Determined to find out what will happen, he resolves to visit the weird sisters once more...

Poor Hecate. She just can't catch a break. However, to be perfectly honest, her interpolation here is just as unnecessarily silly as it was a few scenes ago. 

Anyways, this is the famous cauldron scene. Here are some samples:

Patrick Stewart's Macbeth

Ian McKellen's Macbeth

Roman Polanski's Macbeth (WARNING: CONTAINS NUDE WITCHES)

Macbeth
Dramatis Personae | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30

"Nighted Colour" Friday Sale!

Cast thy nighted color off and take up some cut-price Shakespeare gifts in the Good Tickle Brain Nighted Colour Friday Sale! From now until Monday, everything in the Good Tickle Shoppe is 20% off. Stock up on the Complete Works of Shakespeare, now in comic book, t-shirt, and tote-bag form:

Or peruse our brand new range of Shakespeare/Burbage campaign goods:

And various other silly Shakespeare gifts:

It’s the perfect time to pick up a gift for the Shakespeare geek in your life, especially if that Shakespeare geek happens to be YOU. All sale proceeds will go to support the operation of your (hopefully) favorite Shakespeare stick figure webcomic.

Visit the Good Tickle Shoppe today!

Macbeth, part 21

Happy Thanksgiving to my U.S. readers! Today I'm thankful for periodic plot expositions.

While this scene is basically plot exposition, I'm very fond of it. First of all, Lennox's report is just FULL of eye-rolls. You can practically hear him rolling his eyes as he says things like:

And the right-valiant Banquo walk'd too late;
Whom, you may say, if't please you, Fleance kill'd,
For Fleance fled: men must not walk too late.

It also serves another purpose: the fact that Lennox feels the need to dress up his criticism of Macbeth in seeming praise shows how much Macbeth's reign has devolved into a reign of fear.

Remember, everything in the Good Tickle Shoppe is 20% off starting tomorrow!

Macbeth
Dramatis Personae | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30

Macbeth, part 20

THE STORY SO FAR: Macbeth has rather proactively fulfilled the witches' prophecy that he would become king of Scotland. But what do the witches think of it all?

There is a general consensus that this scene was actually written by Shakespeare's contemporary and occasional collaborator, Thomas Middleton, and then inserted into Macbeth after Shakespeare's death, presumably to up the showy occult factor. It is so rarely included in performance that I don't think I've actually ever seen it. Have you seen Hecate? Report on it in the comments!

Macbeth
Dramatis Personae | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30

"Nighted Colour" Sale Starts Friday!

In general I like to spend the days after Thanskgiving at home with my family, relaxing, reading, and shaking my head at the hordes of people thronging the streets in search of good Black Friday sales. However, as I am now apparently a small business owner, I feel compelled to flow with the tide of crass seasonal commercialism. And so..

Everything in the Good Tickle Shoppe will be
20% off from November 27-30!

I will also be adding some new products to me store at this time, specifically a Complete Works tote bag and Shakespeare/Burbage campaign t-shirts, tote bags, and bumper stickers! How exciting is that?!? I'm picking them up from the printer this week, and they should be available for purchase on Friday.  Here's a sneak peek:

All in all, this is going to be a great weekend to pick up a holiday gift for the Shakespearean geek(s) in your life while simultaneously supporting Good Tickle Brain's continued operations! Remember to check out my holiday shipping deadlines, and thanks for your support!