" (I.v.64-66). She even summons the spirits to free her from the weakness of femininity "Come, you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here" (I.v.41-42) because she associates cruelty and lack of remorse with manhood. In many cases, politics is about what takes place behind the cameras in the sense that rivalry, treason and the corruptive influence of ambition are never expressed in an open manner, but kept hidden and set free only when the lights go out. From this point-of-view, Lady Macbeth could represent the instigator, the morally flawed individual who pushes towards wrongdoing even though she does not get her hands dirty. Another important factor which could account for the appeal of the play is the fact that it clearly traces the line between good and evil (Nostbakken, 1997, p. 25) even though language and dialogue suggest the exact opposite. In this sense, equivocation is a very important theme in "Macbeth." Equivocation could be defined as a manner of "answering ambiguously through hairsplitting logic and mental reservations so that the truth remains unclear" (Coursen, 1997, p. 56). Although equivocation is not lying, it is still considered deception, and such deception was linked to the Catholics and Jesuits. This is a direct historical reference aimed at the missionaries that the Catholic Church had sent to England during Elizabeth I's reign (Idem). Equivocation has always been applicable to the political realm, with politicians using demagoguery and dishonesty in order to hide their real interests and intentions.

Understanding...

Many modern productions of Shakespeare's play have proved that the resources of freshness and immediacy of the text are numerous, and that the setting can be other than medieval Scotland which has granted the text relevance in a particular contemporary context. Producers and directors have adapted costumes and scenery to depict the links they sense between "Macbeth" and other similarly tragic political experiences that have occurred in other times and places (Nostbakken, 1997, p. 165).
To conclude, one could safely argue that "Macbeth" will never lose its appeal with general audiences because politics and human nature are two constants, and their interaction will always provide examples of blind ambition which leads to violence, corruption and deceit. From this point-of-view, thanks to "the tangled web of treason and equivocation that defines the darkness of Shakespeare's play" (Course, 1997, p. 72), "Macbeth" can be sure of the capacity to preserve its relevance for decades to come.

Bibliography

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. The Oxford Shakespeare. Internet. http://www.bartelby.com/70/index41.html

Coursen, H.R. (1997). Macbeth: A Guide to the Play.Greenwood Press.

Nostbakken, Faith. (1997). Understanding Macbeth: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Greenwood Press.