Verdi's opera Macbeth is based on Shakespeare's play about the Scottish general Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth's quest for power. Prompted by prophecies from witches and encouraged by his ambitious wife, Macbeth murders the king to claim the throne for himself. The opera depicts Macbeth's bloody and crazed rise to power through murder and deceit, as well as his eventual madness and downfall, in a dark and ominous journey. The Seattle Opera will premiere a new production of this intense and gruesome drama in May, highlighting the psychological story of absolute power corrupting absolutely.