Still, this version has held up quite well, and likely represents the opposite end of the visual spectrum from what Coen and company have up their sleeve. Polanski includes an unnecessary amount of nudity for a Shakespeare film, especially in the scene where Macbeth palavers with the entire coven of witches. It's a bloody, brooding film with strange surrealistic touches. Shot on location in some forbidding places around the British Isles, Polanski's Macbeth aimed for bleak period detail. Polanski’s first film after the tragic death of his wife Sharon Tate at the hands of Charles Manson's deranged followers is one of the bloodiest, gloomiest Shakespeare adaptations ever made. It all ends in tears, like any good tragedy. As for Banquo, he will “beget kings.” Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth ( Francesca Annis) collude to assassinate Duncan and take the throne. Macbeth ( Jon Finch), the Thane (or lord) of Cawdor, wins a decisive battle for King Duncan ( Nicholas Selby), and as he and his friend Banquo ( Martin Shaw) return from the war, three witches prophesize that Macbeth will next be awarded Thane of Glamis, then become king. The basic story of Macbeth remains essentially unchanged throughout most of the filmed adaptations, and Rosemary’s Baby director Roman Polanski's version hews close to the text. RELATED: From 'Romeo + Juliet' to 'West Side Story': Comparing Classic vs. In light of Joel Coen's stylized take on The Tragedy of Macbeth with Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand in the lead roles, here's a look at the 7 best cinematic adaptations of Macbeth, ranked. In film, the play has been adapted in straightforward adaptations, or as a muddy, dirty period piece, or as a Bollywood crime thriller. In the '70s, Ian McKellan and Judi Dench played Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in an avant-garde-style production, while Alan Cumming played every part in an amazing one-man show, recasting the whole story as taking place in the mind of a mental patient. Like many Shakespeare plays, Macbeth has proven to be incredibly flexible, having been staged in countless ways. Be sure to include the Witches, the dagger, Banquo's ghost, the apparitions, and the Old Man's observations in your assessment.It's one of William Shakespeare's greatest tragedies, a play with a name so synonymous with personal disaster that you can't even say it out loud in the theater world, simply referred to as "The Scottish Play" or "The Bard's Play". Consider the use that Shakespeare makes of supernatural elements in this play. How do Duncan and Macbeth fit this role? How might Malcolm do so?Ħ. From your reading, explain what Shakespeare imagined to be the qualities of a good king. Do you agree? Or do you think the scene serves other purposes? Explain your answer.ĥ. Some people suggest that the porter scene is included only so that the actor playing Macbeth has time to wash the blood off his hands. Discuss whether Macbeth is truly a tragic figure.Ĥ. Discuss the relationship between the couple as the play develops.ģ. Examine to what extent Lady Macbeth is to blame for her husband's downfall. Agree or disagree with the following statement: " Macbeth is a play about courage, which asserts the triumph of good over evil." In answering this question, you should remember that courageous acts are not always motivated by virtue.Ģ.
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