Macbeth (A Literary Analysis Through Cards)
About halfway through reading Macbeth, I noticed many correlations between Shakespeare's Macbeth and many of the cards that I play with and encounter every day. Through this I decided to build a deck that I feel expresses the play as best I could.
I chose Sen Triplets as my commander for one major reason. The number three reoccurs many times throughout the play, in fact the Dark Prophecy that the three witches (Bogbrew Witch, Accursed Witch
and Bitterheart Witch) made that started the whole mess mentions the "Thrice to thine and thrice to mine and thrice again, to make up nine." (1.3.36-37) From the witches' prophecy we see the number three mentioned three times, we can correlate this back to Sen Triplets by observing its number of color symbols, power, and toughness. In Sen Triplets we see the recurring pattern of three threes similar to that of Macbeth. A few examples of the dreaded threes occuring in Macbeth include but are not limited to; the number of witches present at the beginning of the tale, the number of Murders on the night of King Duncan's (Mikaeus, the Lunarch who becomes Mikaeus, the Unhallowed upon his death), and the number of murderers(Royal Assassins).
Another large theme that is placed around the play Macbeth is Greed, which is why Macbeth in this deck is expressed as King Macar, the Gold-Cursed. Through Greed, Macbeth makes some decisions which would be considered unethical by almost any standard, for example Macbeth Murders Duncan in 2.2. At the time in which Macbeth is staged (The Renaissance period in Scotland) the king is considered god, and killing god would be the ultimate act of blasphemy. This is largely why I chose to use Mikaeus, the Lunarch as king Duncan, because he is considered holy and upon his death he is no longer so as Mikaeus, the Unhallowed. Due to Macbeth Murdering Duncan in his sleep, we can express this as a Curse of Disturbance, this curse kept Macbeth from sleeping and eventually drove him mad. Macbeth's Greed also drove him to kill Banquo (Brago, King Eternal), his best friend, because the prophecy said that Banquo's children would be kings in the future. I chose to use Brago, King Eternal for Banquo for several reasons. First, Banquo's ghost visits Macbeth at his feast to uphold the promise he made in 3.1, so it would make sense if the card we had chosen was also a spirit. Second, Banquo's sons were prophesied to be made kings, so it is makes sense that we can express Banquo as an eternal king. Macbeth's reasoning to kill Banquo was largely due to the fact that his own children could not be kings, which meant that he was probably infertile, he goes on to say "Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown and put a barren scepter in my grip, Thence to be wrenced by an unlineal hand, no son of mine succeeding." (3.1.64-66) For cards we can express this with the Crown of Empires, the Scepter of Empires, and the Throne of Empires, and rather conveniently this is another form of threes that is expressed.
Throughout Macbeth, ambition (Increasing Ambition) is another theme that is centered throughout the play, especially blind ambition (Blind Obedience). Through his ambition to become and stay king, he kills countless people to hide the Murders he has done, and to secure his crown (Crown of Doom). After becoming king, he begs the witches for another Prophecy. This Prophecy is also made into three parts, which is awfully convenient, that describe what his weaknesses are. What he doesn't know is that Hecate (Liliana of the Dark Realms) has orchestrated the entirety of the prophecy. Driven mad by his Ambition's Cost, he interprets the prophecy as a need for more bloodshed. Thus he sends his team of Murderers to kill Macduff (Tezzeret the Schemer).
Some other cards that are in the deck are based off of the many famous quotes that are in MacbethEvery time that the witches enter there is thunder that booms around them Brainstorm
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair hover through the fog and filthy air" (1.1.12-13) Witch's Mist
"Where hast thou been, sister? Killing swine." (1.3.1-2) Curse of the Swine
"Thrice to thine and thrice to mine and thrice again, to make up nine" (1.3.36-37) Three Wishes, Three Dreams, Ring of Three Wishes
"The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan" (1.5.28-29) Raven's Crime
Banquo, after hearing of his kings death says "Against the undivulged pretense I fight of treasonous malice." (2.3.111-112) Sword of Vengeance
"His presence at the tyrants feast, I hear Macduff lives in disgrace" (3.6.24) Land Tax
"Double, double toil and trouble, Fire burn and cauldron bubble" (4.1.10-11)-Bubbling Cauldron
"Fillet of a fenny snake, In the cauldron boil and bake. Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adders fork and blind-worms sting, Lizards leg and owlets wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble." (4.1.12-19)-Festering Newt and Turn to Frog.
"Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill Shall come against him." (4.1.96-98) Gift of Immortality
"What, you egg?" (4.2.77-78) Dingus Egg
Flip
