Genre

Macbeth

by William Shakespeare

Macbeth: Genre 1 key example

New! Understand every line of Macbeth.
Read our modern English translation.
Genre
Explanation and Analysis—Tragedy vs. History:

In 1623, seven years after Shakespeare's death, his colleagues published a collection of 36 of his plays in folio format. The First Folio, as it is commonly known, groups Shakespeare's plays into three distinct categories: comedies, tragedies, and histories. The First Folio designates Macbeth as a tragedy, but this classification is dubious for a number of reasons.