A play of darkness originally conceived for daylight performance at the Globe, Macbeth is a tour de force of theatrical illusion from the supernatural to mere delusion. In this fully annotated edition, Nicholas Brooke investigates the great appeal of the play's use of illusion, relating its changing theatrical fortunes to changes within society and in theatrical conditions. Offering a fresh reconsideration of textual problems, the book makes a major contribution to our understanding of the play within aesthetic history.