"...in which players experience Shakespeare's bloodiest story through Lady MacBeth's [sic] personal devices." Hardly. That title is clearly owned by Titus, which is much bloodier than Macbeth. I mean, most productions won't even show Lady Macduff and the children being killed on stage.
Heck, if you just limit it to actual on stage bloodshed and death, Hamlet beats Macbeth.
Arguably, you could stage the battle scenes (as they might on film) to jack up the blood and body-count, particularly around young Siward's death, but on stage (of just going from the text) there's no way Macbeth outdoes Titus. And if we're going to make the film exception, then any of the Henrys is going to surpass Macbeth, since there are so many more battles.
Actually, besides Banquo, do we see any actual deaths on stage in Macbeth? Caesar requires four to be fully staged; Hamlet five. (I can't believe I'm sitting here counting dead bodies from plays, so I think I'll stop.)
Granted, that line came from PC Gamer, but you'd think the RSC would have clued them in.
A great question about onstage deaths! Baby Macduff and Young Siward are both killed onstage but others – the Lady/Lord, Mother Macduff, Banquo as you note – happen off.
"...in which players experience Shakespeare's bloodiest story through Lady MacBeth's [sic] personal devices." Hardly. That title is clearly owned by Titus, which is much bloodier than Macbeth. I mean, most productions won't even show Lady Macduff and the children being killed on stage.
Heck, if you just limit it to actual on stage bloodshed and death, Hamlet beats Macbeth.
Arguably, you could stage the battle scenes (as they might on film) to jack up the blood and body-count, particularly around young Siward's death, but on stage (of just going from the text) there's no way Macbeth outdoes Titus. And if we're going to make the film exception, then any of the Henrys is going to surpass Macbeth, since there are so many more battles.
Actually, besides Banquo, do we see any actual deaths on stage in Macbeth? Caesar requires four to be fully staged; Hamlet five. (I can't believe I'm sitting here counting dead bodies from plays, so I think I'll stop.)
Granted, that line came from PC Gamer, but you'd think the RSC would have clued them in.
A great question about onstage deaths! Baby Macduff and Young Siward are both killed onstage but others – the Lady/Lord, Mother Macduff, Banquo as you note – happen off.