Revisiting Lady Macbeth - prologue and epilogue

Based on Henze's composition and Shakespeare's play, we developed our own interpretation of Lady Macbethher motivations and motives.This essay reviews the conversations we had during a dozen meetings in 2024, together with samples of Gulys's musical interpretation and recited quotes 1 .To describe our joint interpretation according to the different fields in which we work, we used Engestrm's (2001) activity model, which is described at the end of this text.To provide context for the essay, we next briefly describe Shakespeare's play and Henze's composition. MacbethMacbeth is based on a story from Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1578).The play is considered the bloodiest of Shakespeare's tragedies.The first known performance took place in 1611 in London, and it was first printed in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare's death.The play is about Macbeth, a Scottish lord who, at the beginning of the play, is loyally serving his king, Duncan.In the first act, he meets three witches who prophesy that Lord Macbeth will himself gain the throne.He tells his wife, Lady Macbeth, about what happened, seeing it mostly as a strange experience and something that is unlikely to ever occur.Lady Macbeth, however, sees how the two of them together can control their destiny.Lord Macbeth is initially reluctant but is manipulated by Lady Macbeth into carrying out her plan.When King