1 WITCH When shall we three meet again?
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
2 WITCH When the hurlyburly's done,
When the battle's lost and won.
3 WITCH That will be ere the set of sun.
1 WITCH Where the place?
2 WITCH Upon the hearth.
3 WITCH There to meet with Macbeth.
1 WITCH I come, Graymalkin.
2 WITCH Paddock calls.
3 WITCH Anon.
ALL Fair is foul, and foul is fair;
Hover through the fog and filthy air.
So opens Macbeth, one of Shakespeare's most famous and haunting plays. I, like many others, read Macbeth in high school, it wasn't the first Shakespeare play I'd read, nor would it be the last, but it was one that would stick with me for years to come, and it might even be my favourite Shakespearean play. Macbeth tells the story of the rise and fall of it's title character. After Macbeth receives a prophesy from a trio of witches telling him that he'll become king of Scotland, both he and his wife, Lady Macbeth, are consumed with political ambition and paranoia that eventually leads to his fall from power.
Toil and Trouble takes the Macbeth story and twists it around, changing perspectives from Macbeth to Smertae, Cait, and Riata, the three witches who prophesy Macbeth's assent to the throne. And I've got to tell you, this is an incredible rendition. Written and produced by comic book veteran Mairghread Scott with the help of artists Kelly & Nicole Matthews, and published by Archaia (who publishes comics and graphic novels), Toil and Trouble stays true to the Macbeth story, but adds a whole new level of richness and depth to the story. The three witches are introduced as the Guardians of Alba, or Scotland, who have their hand in every event, making subtle, manipulative changes, but ultimately leaving fate to play out as it will. Inner turmoil in this coven leads to Smertae siding with Macbeth, while Riata plots to overthrow him and place Malcolm (the son of King Duncan) on the throne. The graphic novel doesn't toss aside the original story, nor does it change what was written, it simply elaborates, and it does so beautifully with detailed drawings, complex characterization, and really exceptional writing for a graphic novel or comic.
I didn't know what to expect when I jumped into this book. I glanced through it in the store, and thought it might be interesting to dive back into Shakespeare, but my exploratory dive into comics and graphic novels has been a little... lacklustre. I've talked about this in other reviews, but I think it's because I expect too much out of them. I want the depth and girth of a novel, but with pretty pictures! And lately the comic's I've been reading have been pretty... but seem to lack substance, in my very literary-biased mind. However this is not the case with Toil and Trouble. Here the writing is as meaty, deep, and detail-oriented as the original play it's based off of. I was very surprised with how much I enjoyed this graphic novel, and it's one I highly recommend.
If you're worried that it's written in Shakespearean English... don't be, it's not. And actually, that was the only thing that kind of disappointed me. Scott has written an incredible story, with amazing characters in these three witches, I just wish she had channeled a little more of Shakespeare to write her dialogue. But that aside, it's an absolutely beautiful book, spell-binding and elegant, and definitely one I'll be coming back around to.
