Comparing the Opening and Witches Scenes in Macbeth
We watched two different versions of Macbeth. One was the BBC
Shakespeare and the other one was a production called Middle English!
While both productions told the story of the original play by William
Shakespeare they were different in a number of ways.
The BBC Shakespeare presents a traditional version of Macbeth. The
director starts with a long shot of a bleak, empty landscape. As the
camera zooms in it starts to focus on a granite platform with three
objects lying on top. The rock-like platform is bathed in swirling
mists and there is a greyish lighting used with occasional flashes of
light to represent lighting. There are also loud percussion noises to
represent thunder. This is because in Shakespeare's play the opening
scene has stage directions for a storm and the first lines spoken by
the witches also support this idea "When shall we three meet again in
thunder, lighting, or in rain. As the camera goes in for a close up
the mysterious shapes begin to move. Along with their slow movements
they start to unfold and to rise and the music increases in volume and
pitch as if reflecting the movement of the shapes.
It soon becomes clear that these bundles of rags are in fact women.
They are the weird sisters or witches in the play and they are shown
in this version as old and ugly. The director has chosen to present
them as unattractive and menacing and everything about this scene is
threatening and ugly and makes the audience feel uncomfortable impact
on the audience. The music is like funeral music loud and sad. The
witches are old and ugly and dressed from head and faces are...
... middle of paper ...
...ly as the ones in the other version
there is something unpleasant about them. They speak to each other
using an edited version of the original text.
The music used is fast paced. The lighting is bright. The scene is
colourful and the overall effect of this opening is different from the
BBC one. There is a sense of excitement and urgency achieved by the
rapid delivery of their lines -their quick movements as they pack up
and prepares for Macbeth's arrival and the fast music and drum beat
that is part of this scene. Therefore while the BBC Shakespeare is
slow dark and solemn suggesting the play is a tragedy, The Middle
English Programme suggests a frantic excited play of action and pace.
I preferred the more modem filmed version because it was easier to
understand because they where acting it out in a more modem way.
Why is that money and power can changes an individual’s personality? Well, when some humans see something desirable and valuable that doesn’t belong to them, they will go to a great extent to have it. Whether, that is stealing, lying or even killing loved ones. This is simply described as greed. Greed and ambition is a common theme in both Shakespeare’s tragic play, Macbeth and the movie “A Simple Plan”. They both share the concept of wanting something and committing crime after crime to achieve it. Similarly, the main characters in both stories become greedy after finding something valuable and their spouse encourages them further. Once in control, the main characters are willing to do anything to keep possession, even if it means to kill love ones.
Our first scene begins with three piggies as the witches with the original text of Macbeth but changed to suit Shrek. Our second scene is also the text of the original Macbeth and once again changed to suit our play. The characters in this scene are as follows:-Three piggies and Shrek.
In understanding the art form of expression in various ways like music and play writes, it brings together this sense of self identity that the artist wants to fulfill. Having this understanding about the life behind the scene, screen, and/or stage. My paper will present two art forms music by 50 cent “Many Men” and William Shakespeare play “Macbeth” in which I will describe similarities among the characters. My four categories for 50 cent and Macbeth are as follow Greed, Savage, Survivor and Success.
Fate is usually described as what happens during one’s lifetime. Many people conceive that their fate is already planned out before they are born. From the time that books have been written, authors have written about people finding fates through some prophecy. Although many people might consider it futile, the person attempts to change it. However, many of these characters then realized knowing their fate is usually worse than not knowing it. In particular, Macbeth and Lord Voldemort (from Harry Potter). Each of them tries to change their own fate, but it ends in their demise. Although they thought they would benefit from hearing their future, both would have been much better off not knowing.
A quote which really defines Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s ambition regarding power is “Power does not corrupt men; fools; however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power” George Bernard Shaw. Lady Macbeth is more ambitious in terms of gaining power then Macbeth is and that Lady Macbeth will do almost anything to gain power, even evil things that she normally wouldn’t do. This is shown when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth learn about the witches’ predictions, then roles in the plans to murder king Duncan in order to gain power and then finally after the murder, Macbeth doesn’t want to finish the plan making Lady Macbeth angry and causing a chance they might get caught and gain no power at all.
There was a common saying, “Behind every great man there's a great woman”. The men, Macbeth and Winston Smith in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and George Orwell’s 1984 may not be considered as the “great man” however, both Lady Macbeth and Julia are good examples that can be presented as the “great woman” behind the men. Both Lady Macbeth and Julia do an excellent job of pretending to be someone who they are not, they are not only affecting the men in their lives to rethink their previous position but also have a bad ending accompanied with physical and psychological issues.
The last two scenes are a very important part of the play. They are the last two scenes in the play in which Macbeth is alive. They are also a very effective part of the play; the audience will have already realized that something will happen which will decide the ending of the play. This awareness that something is about to happen is made so by the commotion of the two great armies as they prepare to fight and by Macbeth's eagerness and confidence to win.
Macbeth: Shakespeare's Comparisons and Contrasts. Throughout Macbeth Shakespeare uses comparison and contrast to bring out characteristics of his main character, Macbeth. Shakespeare uses comparisons with Duncan, Lady Macbeth, and Banquo to bring out aspects of Macbeth's character. After hearing of Macbeth's courageousness on the battlefield, Duncan, a good and honest king, bestows the title of Cawdor on Macbeth.
The Lady Macbeth of Rupert Goold’s contemporary interpretation of Macbeth and the Lady Macbeth of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth are different in regards to their character traits and appearance. In Ruper Goold’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is depicted as an instrument of evil – a constant figure of fiery wrath. Through dark costumes and makeup, the viewers of the film see her as a morbid housewife, consumed with ambition.
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth tells the story of a general who commits regicide in order to become king. Early in the play, Macbeth is conflicted as to weather or not he wants to kill his kinsman the king. In the first two acts Macbeth is not portrayed as a ruthless killer; he is a sympathetic character who succumbs to the provocation of his wife and a prophecy foretold by three mysterious witches. In contrast, Lady Macbeth is a manipulative, immoral woman. Her ambition is so strong that she is willing to do anything to see her husband succeed. However, in the third act things begin to change. The death of the king and lord and lady Macbeth’s rise to power catalyze profound transformation in their personalities.
going to play a major role in the play by opening it with them. It is
“If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me Without my stir?” Macbeth ponders after three witches foresee that he will become king in the tragic play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare (349). Macbeth is wondering how he could become king of Scotland without him intervening as he is not in line for the throne. He believes that he will have to take action to gain this position. Macbeth was right to doubt fate, because his choices led to his ascension to the throne and, later in the play, to his downfall.
Three witches come into scene with sounds of thunder, as well as flashes of lighter. These three witches are together to figure out when they are going to meet with Macbeth. They eventually agree to meeting Macbeth at sunset once the battle has concluded.
When the play first opens we hear 3 strange witches standing in a field while it is thunder and lightening. They begin to chant spells and talk about their meeting with Macbeth as they vanish into thin air.
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth there are two instances in which Macbeth comes into contact with the three witches. These two instances are located in Act 1 Scene 3 and in Act 4 Scene 1. In both scenes Macbeth is informed about his future. However, these two scenes are greatly different from each other in many ways.