There are many differences between interpretations of William Shakespeare's MacBeth. This essay wall contrast Shakespeare's original version and a movie version by Roman Polanski produced in 1970. Three major differences will be discussed.…
In this essay we will compare the RSC stage version of Macbeth with the film version by Polanski. We shall look especially at the characterisation of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and the witches; Stagecraft of the setting, the dagger, darkness and light, and the devices of death on stage and soliloquies.…
Macbeth, like any play, is open to interpretation by the performers. Each separate performance is unique. The different stylistic choices made in performances of the play change the way that viewers see the characters and events. This means that while the events of the Goold and Polanski films are the same, they tell us slightly different stories. It is interesting to look at the two films in terms of their faithfulness to, and their divergences from the original text, and the effects that these choices have on their viewers.…
At the start of the play Macbeth is introduced from two different perspectives. He is firstly introduced by the three witches whom are discussing a meeting with him ‘There to meet with Macbeth’. This scene would create immense tension for the audience as the presence of the witches in the play would indicate a series of evil and sinister events occurring later on in the play. King James I was also afraid of witches so this scene would tense the audience even more. Shakespeare uses the supernatural beliefs of the people during that era as it created a dramatic atmosphere and it helped indicate that the plot of the story was going to be full of conspiracies and murder. It also implies that the main character Macbeth is going to be a character which becomes influenced by evil forces. The first scene is set in a battlefield which creates an eerie atmosphere as it links to the prospect of death and danger. The mood of the play is set in the first scene creating suspense and curiosity for the audience.…
There are many motifs in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, but one of the most important is the recurring disassociation of appearance and reality. The entire motif is introduced in the first scene when the witches say “Fair is foul and foul is fair” (1,i,12). This is then reiterated as important when Macbeth says, “So foul and fair a day I have not seen.” (1,iii, 39). Drawing parallels and comparing two polar opposites, such as foul and fair, sets the stage for the dissimilarity between appearance and reality. This motif changes as the characters change, however, and it moves from the main characters not knowing what to believe or trust, to the main characters using the variance to their own advantage and hiding their true motives, to finally causing the main characters to go insane. Throughout the entirety of Macbeth, what the characters have seen and what the readers know to be true have often times been contrasting. This divergence between appearance and reality grows and develops with the characters throughout the play.…
Polanski’s ‘Macbeth’ placed in a traditional setting, allows the viewer to be immersed in the complete realism, a world away from the stylised likes of ‘Shakespeare Retold’. The intensification and brutality highlight the violent realities of war and murder. In the original text, Shakespeare confined most of Macbeth’s violence to offstage; however Polanski moved blades, blood and all, to the centre of his adaptation, executing the piece colder than the textual analogue. The major symbol of blood is a powerful visual effect successfully utilised in Polanski’s ‘Macbeth’ to further enhance Shakespeare’s original theme. Polanski’s interpretative choice by the portrayal of two youthful main characters emphasises the pure passion of the great tragedy. Because the two characters are so young, their naïve personas are alleviated through a lust for material gain and recognition. The vindictive tone Lady Macbeth uses conveys ambition in her thoughts and aspirations but lacks maturity while incorporating a naive inability to see the consequences of her actions. This passion is increasingly effective in displaying the power and influential actions Lady Macbeth has over her husband. Polanski’s film Macbeth displays an in-depth look and understanding of Shakespeare’s original play. The interpretive film uses character casting, shot design, and symbolism to engage its viewer’s attentions by adding to the plot of the play. All in all,…
Furthermore, Macbeth again aside, makes reference to light and the contrast of it with darkness. There is the imagery of nobleness versus the images of death, destruction and darkness. This shows a disturbed mind…
In Act one Shakespeare introduces the characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth using a range of dramatic devices. At the start of the play Macbeth is introduced from two different perspectives. He is firstly introduced by the three witches whom are discussing a meeting with him ‘There to meet with Macbeth’. This scene would create immense tension for the audience as the presence of the witches in the play would indicate a series of evil and sinister events occurring later on in the play which is a technique called foreshadowing. This implies that the main character Macbeth is going to be a character which becomes influenced by evil forces. The first scene is set in a battlefield which creates an eerie atmosphere as it links to the prospect of death and danger. The mood of the play is set in the first scene creating suspense and curiosity for the audience. In comparison, in Act 1, Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as a very ambitious, manipulative woman. We first meet her in Act one, Scene 5, when she is alone, reading a letter from her husband. This is called a soliloquy.…
In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, it shows many examples of darkness and blood. These give the reader the much intended feeling of eeriness. Macbeth, along with most of the characters introduced in act one all contribute to this feeling. Throughout this act the audience goes through a series of foreshadowing, along with being shown sides of characters that none of the other characters get to see. These characters all show both darkness and blood.…
This essay will attempt to explore what the play ‘Macbeth’ suggests about the states of minds of both the titular character Macbeth, and his scheming wife Lady Macbeth, using extracts from Act 1, Scene 7. I will also examine how the language used emphasises the key themes and ideas within the play. The characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are revealed and developed through their dialogues with use of soliloquies and asides, helping to reveal their personalities, states of mind, emotions and motivation. Much figurative language and imagery is used by Shakespeare to emphasise the themes within the play, creating atmosphere and mood in order to achieve dramatic outcome (109). Initially eager to have the deed done, he would have it done sooner rather than later and hope for the murder to be the finish of it all:…
In "Macbeth", light is a symbol of harmony and order, but darkness is just the opposite.…
Macbeth’s three prayers to darkness could be called the turning points of the play. Each time one of them is recited, the course of the play changes; characters change and react differently to stressful situations. The one preaching the prayer varies; one is by Lady Macbeth and the other two by Macbeth himself. Nonetheless, the purpose is always the same; it calls out for evil, a supernatural evil to do the sin of man. Curiously, the degree of evil that the prayer calls out for varies each time. This difference in degree of evil is what causes contrast and similarity between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.…
There are many examples of visual and aural imagery throughout the play. The murder of Duncan is indicated by the clanging of a bell and the knocking at the gate. Though they are not described in the text, the stage directions are enough to build up the tension. The knocking occurs between each line that is spoken in a rhythmic regularity. There is a great emphasis on the knocking because it startles Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as they quickly try and cover up their involvement in the murder. To add to the intensity, the fact that the entire scene (2.2) takes place at night builds up the suspense as the darkness is used to bring up peculiar components like cruelty and the supernatural. Darkness as a thematic tool is instantly used by Shakespeare in the opening of the play. The three witches enter in “thunder and lightning” which sets the mood of the play, which becomes Shakespeare 's habitual way of introducing the witches into a scene. Introducing the supernatural and the witches to the audience at the beginning, intensifies the significance of their role. The audience can now ascertain that even when the witches do not appear directly in a scene, the progression of the plot will revolve around their prophecies. Shakespeare reminds us of the gloominess of the play by creating uncertainty in Lady Macbeth’s expectant wait for her husband, which soon becomes nervousness and excitement as he arrives. Animal imagery, a frequent motif, in this case, the shrieking of the owl is considered as an indication that “He is about…
Shakespeare's Macbeth, considered as one as of his most brilliant plays, is a definite pleasure to read, particularly for fans of the "medieval-setting" and Old English literature. His style is unique and creative, which, all in all, makes for a very appealing storyline. Regardless of such optimistic facets, Shakespeare's signature mark within most of his plays is his combination of various assorted themes merged together within one captivating scenario. In this case, Macbeth is an ideal paradigm representing this talent. Unlike most his past plays, this particular storyline consists especially of gloomy and sinister themes: infidelity, treachery, lust for power, and ironical situations used to emphasize scenes of tragedy form most of Macbeth's foundation.…
Often times in our world, it can be agreed that not everything is what it seems. People, events, and nature often display signs of one thing while signifying something completely different in actuality. This may consequently lead to confusion between what is real and what is just a figment of the imagination. Authors often pick up on this theme of appearance vs. reality, and use it to enhance their works. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth includes the theme of appearance vs. reality through the Macbeths’ covering of the appending murders, as well as in the couples’ reoccurring hallucinations, which are ultimately used to display the corruptness of ambitious human nature.…