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Quick answer: If you loved Macbeth, try Hamlet, Richard III, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and Dunsinane. Each one explores ambition, guilt, prophecy or the dark side of power.
Shakespeare's shortest tragedy follows Macbeth, a Scottish general who meets three witches who predict he will be king. Pushed by his ambitious wife, he murders King Duncan and takes the crown, then kills again to keep it. Guilt and paranoia destroy both of them. Readers love its speed, its supernatural mood and Lady Macbeth. These books and plays share its ambition, its guilt and its darkness.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Format | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamlet | William Shakespeare | Play | readers who want Shakespeare's longest tragedy |
| Richard III | William Shakespeare | Play | readers who like charming villains |
| Julius Caesar | William Shakespeare | Play | readers who like political murder |
| King Lear | William Shakespeare | Play | readers who like tragic kings |
| Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk | Nikolai Leskov | Novella | readers who like ruthless women |
| Dunsinane | David Greig | Play | readers who want a sequel |
| The Third Witch | Rebecca Reisert | Novel | readers who want a witch's view |
| Lady Macbeth | Susan Fraser King | Novel | readers who want the real queen |
| Macbeth | Jo Nesbø | Novel | readers who want a crime thriller retelling |
| Crime and Punishment | Fyodor Dostoevsky | Novel | readers who like guilt |
| The Talented Mr. Ripley | Patricia Highsmith | Novel | readers who like ambitious killers |
| House of Cards | Michael Dobbs | Novel | readers who like modern political schemers |
| The Godfather | Mario Puzo | Novel | readers who like power and family |
| Wolf Hall | Hilary Mantel | Novel | readers who like court power |
| Oedipus Rex | Sophocles | Play | readers who like prophecies |
1. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
A prince seeks revenge on his uncle.
Best for: readers who want Shakespeare's longest tragedy.
2. Richard III by William Shakespeare
A scheming duke murders his way to the throne.
Best for: readers who like charming villains.
3. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
Roman senators assassinate Caesar.
Best for: readers who like political murder.
4. King Lear by William Shakespeare
An old king loses everything.
Best for: readers who like tragic kings.
5. Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk by Nikolai Leskov
A bored wife murders to keep her lover.
Best for: readers who like ruthless women.
6. Dunsinane by David Greig
An English army occupies Scotland after Macbeth.
Best for: readers who want a sequel.
7. The Third Witch by Rebecca Reisert
One of the witches tells the story.
Best for: readers who want a witch's view.
8. Lady Macbeth by Susan Fraser King
A historical novel about the real Gruoch.
Best for: readers who want the real queen.
9. Macbeth by Jo Nesbø
A police officer in a corrupt city rises through murder.
Best for: readers who want a crime thriller retelling.
10. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
A student commits murder and is consumed by guilt.
Best for: readers who like guilt.
11. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
A young man murders to take another's life.
Best for: readers who like ambitious killers.
12. House of Cards by Michael Dobbs
A politician schemes his way to power.
Best for: readers who like modern political schemers.
13. The Godfather by Mario Puzo
A crime family's son is drawn into violence.
Best for: readers who like power and family.
14. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Thomas Cromwell rises in Henry VIII's court.
Best for: readers who like court power.
15. Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
A king cannot escape a terrible prophecy.
Best for: readers who like prophecies.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Macbeth: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Macbeth. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
For more Shakespeare, Richard III is the closest in tone, with a villain you can't stop watching. If you want modern retellings, Jo Nesbø's Macbeth turns the play into a crime thriller. Readers who loved the guilt should read Crime and Punishment. For ambition and politics, House of Cards and The Godfather are compelling. The Third Witch gives a fun new view of the witches.
Related: The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare: Summary and Key Takeaways · Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Macbeth about?
A Scottish general murders the king after a witches' prophecy, then is destroyed by guilt and paranoia.
Why is Macbeth called the Scottish Play?
Theater tradition says saying “Macbeth” in a theater brings bad luck.
Who is Lady Macbeth?
Macbeth's ambitious wife, who pushes him to murder and then is consumed by guilt.
Is Macbeth based on a real person?
Yes. Macbeth was a real king of Scotland in the 11th century, though the play is fiction.
Is Macbeth hard to read?
It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy, which makes it a good starting point.
What do the witches predict?
They tell Macbeth he will become Thane of Cawdor and then king, and tell Banquo his descendants will be kings.