Macbeth
by William Shakespeare
- Grade range
- Grades 10–12
- Age range
- Ages 14–18
- Pages
- 249
- First published
- 1606
- Genre
- Tragedy
- ISBN-13
- 9780743477093
About this book
A Scottish general, spurred by a witches' prophecy and his wife's ambition, murders the king and spirals into tyranny and paranoia. Shakespeare's shortest tragedy is a near-universal 10th to 12th grade text and appears on both AP Literature and IB English syllabi.
Themes
- ambition
- guilt
- fate vs free will
- corruption
- supernatural
Content notes
- violence
- murder
- supernatural themes
Common Sense Media recommends age 13+.
Where this book is assigned
AP English Literature & Composition
- recommended· 12th gradesource: AP Lit drama representative text
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
- recommended· 10th gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 9-10 drama exemplar
- recommended· 10th grade · Massachusettssource: MA ELA Framework grade 10 Shakespeare
Similar grade-level books
Common questions
- What grade level is Macbeth?
- Macbeth is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 10–12. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What curricula assign Macbeth?
- Macbeth appears on reading lists for AP English Literature & Composition, Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Macbeth banned in schools?
- Macbeth does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
- What themes does Macbeth explore?
- Central themes in Macbeth include ambition, guilt, fate vs free will, corruption, supernatural. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.