Thursday, April 7, 2011

Macbeth Film Analysis

To do well on this post, you must: 1.) Argue something. 2.) Examine at least one of the film production's closely, describing and refencing relevant scenes. 3.) Say something new and original. 4.) Proofread your post. Write thoughtfully and deliberately. Good luck!

29 comments:

  1. In the Folger performance, Macbeth is dressed simply, like everyone else; his appearance gives no evidence that he is in a higher position. In the movie, he has jewelry and a cape and dresses like he's wealthy. In general, the costumes of the Folger play are less elaborate and probably more like what Macbeth would have worn on a daily basis. The character of Macbeth is vastly different between the two performances. The Macbeth of the Folger play seems conflicted, and often speaks as if he is unsure and trying to convince himself of the need to kill Duncan, even deciding at one point that he no longer wants to go through with the plan. The Macbeth in the movie seems much crueler and more devious in his plotting to kill Duncan. These variations demonstrate the broad spectrum in which Macbeth could be portrayed.

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  2. In Folger’s representation of Macbeth, the dynamic between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is very rugged and edged, whereas in the movie, it is loving. Folger conveys Lady Macbeth as an alpha male. Her tone of voice when calling down the curses during her soliloquy changed rapidly from joyous to angry to fearful continuously. This works to her advantage when seducing Macbeth into a steady mind about his decision to kill Duncan. She asks him many rhetorical questions, building her voice’s intensity and anger with each one. This leads the audience to view the communication in their relationship as very harsh and one sided, as if she were the leader and him the follower. But, interestingly enough is how different Lady Macbeth can be envisioned. In the movie version, Lady Macbeth runs towards Macbeth in a loving manner and he carries her up the stares to their room. Here, when talking him back into the murder, she takes a gentle approach, even smiling at him. From the time she received the letter, she is portrayed as very frail, calm, and innocent. She is pictured petting animals yet, this is deceiving. She wears long robes which hints to the audience that she might have something to hide. This falls in line with her ability to keep a straight face while thinking about the murder and to act as the innocent woman she is at face value. What is interesting about their relationship in this version, is that it is the exact opposite of their relationship in Folger’s representation. Whereas Folger illustrates Lady Macbeth as hostile, the movie shows Macbeth as the aggressive and distraught one. These two takes on the characters and their relationships are complete foils of each other, proving, like Raegan said, that there is a broad spectrum in which the Macbeths can be portrayed.

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  3. In the Folger Production of Macbeth, the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth was very interesting. They seemed to assault each other during their encounters rather than actually savoring them. This swayed the audience into thinking that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were a ravenous and aggressive couple, in love and ambition. While Lady Macbeth was convincing Macbeth to kill Duncan, they kissed in a very aggressive manner. They almost seemed to attack each other. Even when they weren't being romantic they were very physical. Lady Macbeth, at one point, actually slams Macbeth into a door. This displays to the audience that Lady Macbeth is a violent person and will harm anyone, even her husband, to get what she wants. She took charge of Macbeth physically and used her words as almost a back up. In the play, Shakespeare places the emphasis on Lady Macbeth's words and her ability to manipulate, but in this production, her actions are under the spotlight. Like Nicole said, the anger and intensity in her words and actions began to rise while she was trying to convince him to kill Duncan. Even Macbeth took physical charge over Lady Macbeth. After she slammed him into a door he returned the favor. This further proved Macbeth's brutality. He didn't even restrain his aggressions against a woman. The ferocity of this couple in the Folger Production was appalling, but it was all to sway the audience. It was supposed to bias them into thinking that this couple is brutal, vicious, and would even harm each other in love, all for ambition.

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  4. The Folger performance and the movie production portray the characters and the relationship of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth very differently through their costumes. During Act 1 Scene 5 in the Folger production, Lady Macbeth is wearing an elegant purple dress. This is significant because purple is the royal color. Because Lady Macbeth wears purple, this shows that she considers herself royalty and she will do anything to attain that power. In this production, Lady Macbeth is also wearing a dark pink, almost red colored, lip stick. This red symbolizes her thirst of blood which is already touching her lips. This can foreshadow the murder of Duncan. Macbeth is perceived as brutal and unclean in the Folger production because of his clothes. He is shown wearing extremely ripped and rugged clothes. Because of these torn clothes, Macbeth looks as if he has been in battle; therefore, he looks violent. Compared to his wife’s appearance, Macbeth seems like he is in a lower position than she is. She is dressed classy, and his looks make him appear poor. The Folger production did this for a reason to show the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. According to this, because of the way they are dressed, Lady Macbeth is higher than Macbeth. She holds the power. She holds the power because she is in purple. In Act 1 Scene 5 of the movie production, Lady Macbeth is wearing white. This color suggests innocence and purity. Because she is wearing this color, it reveals her character. The Lady Macbeth in this movie is not power-hungry like the Lady Macbeth shown in Folger’s performance. Instead, she is blameless and she has nothing to hide. White also suggests equality. Most of the time, wearing white implies weddings in which the bride and the groom are equals, and this is implied in this movie too. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s relationship in this movie production shows equality. However, this is not shown in Folger’s performance. The way Macbeth is dressed compared to the way he is dressed in the other performance is much nicer. His clothes aren’t ripped, but instead, he is in dress clothes. This not only shows respect, but it also represents his relationship with his wife. They are both dressed very nicely; therefore, they are equal to each other. These unlike, almost complete opposite, costumes and personalities of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth between the Folger performance and the movie production, show the different views of their characters and the wavering inconsistency for the reader not able to know who a character truly is until later in the book.

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  5. In the scene in which Macbeth speaks with King Duncan in his court, Macbeth is portrayed very differently in the Folger's play than he is in the Roman Polanski movie. In the play, he seems happy and at ease and doesn't even seem to be giving his new news from the witches any thought at all. This would be a good way to portray Macbeth because it shows Macbeth acting, which is something he does quite a bit throughout the play. The audience knows he has just been very troubled by the prophesying witches and seeing him acting just as jovial as ever in the presence of the king, whose place he knows he is soon to overtake, helps the audience to realize how convincing of a liar Macbeth can be if he wishes.
    However, in the movie, Macbeth is tense, unsmiling, and troubled-looking and seems to be thinking very hard about the new prophesy. This shows the audience what is going on in his head. It also displays how seriously Macbeth takes the prophesy and reinforces everything Lady Macbeth says to Macbeth about how anyone could read his face like a book- he's such a bad faker. The book itself seems to lean more toward the movie in this scene, seeing as how Macbeth's happiness is forced and fake.

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  6. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are trapped within the prison of the prophecy. In the Folger Production portrayal of “Macbeth,” the room in which Lady Macbeth reads the letter and Macbeth contemplates the murder of King Duncan has a large, thick, wooden door with a small square cut out. Covering this square are metal bars, making the entrance resemble a dungeon door. The room is also located below another room in Inverness where King Duncan enters, just like a dungeon would be located in the bottom of the castle. When Lady Macbeth begins to read the letter, she enters the prison of the prophecy. She becomes so wrapped up in the quest for power that the seed of becoming queen begins to grow into a plot to kill the king. As she reads the letter, her voice becomes louder and her facial expressions become crazier as the hunger for power seizes control of her thoughts. Similarly, Macbeth enters the dungeon of the prophecy as he begins to contemplate whether or not to go through with the assassination of King Duncan. After meditation about what to do, he breaks out of the prison of the prophecy, but only to be captured in the dungeon of Lady Macbeth’s thoughts. As she catches him planning to give up the easy way to power, she slams the door as hard as possible and begins to scold him. With her persuasion, he decides to go ahead with the plan and kill King Duncan. When Macbeth was in the room alone, the door was simply closed, but when both are present, the door is slammed, trapping them both even further into the mind of Lady Macbeth. Therefore, Macbeth is trapped within the mind of his wife, while Lady Macbeth is trapped in the prophecy and her own mind. Both are entombed in the prison of the prophecy, which will most likely prove fatal for both.

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  7. In the Roman Polanski rendition of "Macbeth," Duncan is portrayed as a jovial king who is easy to murder and betray; however, in the Folger Production, King Duncan's solemn demeanor creates doubt in Macbeth's mind and presents greater difficulty in completing the act of murder. In the first film, Duncan's greatness is dramatized. The scene in which he arrives at Inverness is grand: the procession of horses, wagons, and carriages is lengthy. When Duncan rides into the castle, every knee is bowed and every head is lowered. That night, at the celebration, King Duncan was relaxed and naïve to any potential threat in the room. This un-expectant manor of Duncan posed less of a threat to Macbeth. Unlike the violent and anxious Macbeth from the Folger Production, the Roman Polanski Macbeth was simply submerged in his thoughts of the plan to murder. Macbeth’s target for murder in the Roman Polanski film presents no challenge to the assassinator and therefore is easy to betray and murder.

    Dissimilar to the first film, King Duncan in the Folger Production of “Macbeth” is serious and guarded. His clothes are plain and he wears no crown or flamboyant jewelry to emphasize his status as King Duncan from the first film does. His deep voice and hard facial expressions convey a somberness of him. Also, his declaration of his eldest son Malcolm to the throne is announced in an indifferent attitude. Contradictory to that, in the Roman Polanski production, King Duncan’s mere arrival at Inverness was celebrated with dancing, wine, and merriment. However, in the Folger Production, Duncan’s apathetic announcement of Malcolm as the heir to the throne further demonstrates his firmness. In that scene, clapping was the extent of gaiety. This guarded demeanor presents greater difficulty for Macbeth to betray the King. The idea to kill this untouchable king results in violent reactions and anguish from Macbeth. His mind is full of doubt and worry while he simultaneously deals with the suffocation from the conniving words of his overbearing wife. The different demeanors of these two kings bring about different reactions and tribulations for the Macbeths while dealing with the plot to murder.

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  8. The relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is portrayed vastly different among the 2009 Folger’s Production and the Roman Polaski’s movie version. In Polaski’s movie, Lady Macbeth wears a white dress, signifying innocence, femininity, and sex appeal. She is adorned with a golden headdress and speaks in an innocent, whiney voice making her appear helpless and pitiful. Her young age emphasizes the softer, tamer side of Lady Macbeth that we can’t see by reading the play. From this version, Macbeth acts as if he is in charge. We still see the man vs. self conflict going on in his head as Duncan arrives, yet Lady Macbeth’s words aren’t capable of influencing his decisions.

    In Folger’s 2009 Production, we see a significantly different portrayal of the marriage between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is definitely in charge in this rendition of the play. She is wearing a long purple dress, signifying lust, royalty, wealth, and luxury. However, because of her older age and average looking features, the audience wouldn’t presume her as being royalty. Instead, she pictures herself as royalty, automatically assuming that Macbeth will become king after the killing of Duncan. Her loud voice echoes throughout the empty stage, and she is constantly standing under the spotlights that shine from backstage. The camera focuses in on her, while Macbeth is only in the camera’s view when being pushed around or kissed by her. Macbeth is wearing normal civilian clothes and doesn’t assume the role that I would expect from an influential man. Macbeth acts kind as Lady Macbeth yells at him, “WE FAIL”. He is persuaded and even pressured into he sexual appeal as she aggressively kisses him to affirm their “love”.

    However, in both plays the common denominator is Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is portrayed, for the most part, with the same characteristics in both renditions that also appear in the play. His emotions and actions are only changed by the way that his persuasive wife acts. As Lady Macbeth’s attitude and aggression changes, we see change in Macbeth’s reactions and ultimately in their marriage.

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  9. In the Folger production of Macbeth, the weird sisters are portrayed as creepy, demented, and supernatural beings. The staging of the weird sisters is extremely vital and portrays their supernatural abilities in the very beginning scene. In the first act, while the soldiers are fighting, the weird sisters are placed on raised objects. One weird sister is even above all the others and is very high up on center stage. The battle and even the other sisters seemed to be centered around this one powerful being.
    Supernatural could be defined as being "above nature" or one who posses forces beyond human understanding. The placement of the weird sisters above the fighting men represents their status. It could be argued that war and fighting is man's nature, and the fact that the weird sisters are above them as they are proclaiming a prophecy, further proves their ultimate power over the characters. The weird sisters are mysterious, and pose many questions throughout the play. However, in the first act, the witches are literally "above the nature of man" in this scene, helping represent the sisters powers.

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  10. The Roman Polanski production's usage of light and color better represents the message of the play. In the Folger production, all of the scenes we watched were extremely dark and gloomy. Their costumes were dim and only represented one of the emotions Macbeth is feeling. The darkness represents that killing the king is wrong and that Macbeth will go to hell for it. Hell is commonly known as a dark and gloomy place and the usage of dark and dim colors brings out the idea that he is already in hell having to make this decision. We can assume here that the director wanted to emphasize the fact that Macbeth feels like he is already in hell.
    However, in the Roman Polanski production, the director shows both sides that Macbeth is feeling through the lighting and colors. The light blue color that Lady Macbeth is wearing almost seems heavenly or peaceful. This represents the idea that killing the king is the right thing to do and there will be no negative consequences. The way the light is always shinning through the windows and the fact that she is in full lighting outside represents this message also. Then, when Duncan is riding up to the castle, we see Lady Macbeth standing on the roof, reciting spells. During this scene, her dress is a darker color, the sky is clouded over, and the lighting is dimmer. This represents the dark side of Macbeth that thinks killing the king is wrong and that he will go to hell for it. This director took full advantage of lighting and color to represent the message of the play.

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  12. MALIA:

    I never imagined Lady Macbeth as an emotional character, but the movie adaption made me think of her as that. In the movie I believe that the Producers wanted to stress the fact that Lady Macbeth was in fact a lady. They made her more emotional than I would’ve imagined from the script. Lady Macbeth made her husband make the decision to kill Duncan by crying, whining, and begging. She had little to no strength, and I never would’ve imagined so while reading the script.
    I imagined Lady Macbeth saying “we fail” in a questioning and antagonizing manner. How we have portrayed Lady Macbeth in class makes her seem as if she is condescending towards her husband.
    Even in the Folger production the portrayal of the line surprised me. It seemed to be the climax of what we watched. I believe when Lady Macbeth screamed “we fail” Duncan’s fate was sealed. I also underestimated the emotion that could be put into this version. I expected Lady Macbeth to stress the “we” as if she would not take responsibility if Macbeth was found out. I expected her to say it like she would leave him if he was discovered. But Lady Macbeth believed that if they failed, they failed. They had to try. Duncan had no chance after Lady Macbeth said this, her voice loomed with pride and faith in her husband and there was no going back.
    I did not expect the emotion in any of these adaptations. The acting was phenomenal, and the performances opened my eyes to the diversity and freedom authors leave to actors in order to deliver their lines. I had this revelation by hearing two words. These were truly powerful performances.

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  13. The Folger production and Polanski’s movie portrayal of Macbeth depict each character’s personality very differently, especially Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s. While in Folger’s play, Lady Macbeth is shown to be the powerful, controlling character as Macbeth seems unsure and meek, in Polanski’s movie, Lady Macbeth is shown to be more innocent and Macbeth is shown to be the leader of their relationship.

    Folger’s representation of Macbeth shows Lady Macbeth as the powerful one in the relationship. Macbeth seems insecure of himself and his decisions throughout Act I and Lady Macbeth becomes the one making decisions for him. As Lady Macbeth reprimands her husband for refusing to kill Duncan, she is especially shown as the heartless, scheming leader of the couple’s plans. Her controlling personality in this scene portrays her as the one who “wears the pants” in the relationship, telling her husband what to do and forcing him to do it.

    Polanski’s movie depiction of Macbeth paints an entirely different picture, giving Lady Macbeth a sweeter disposition and portraying Macbeth to be the cruel leader of their plan to kill Duncan. After hearing of the King’s plans to name Malcolm as heir to his throne, the wrath of his speech reveals Macbeth to be the mastermind of the plan to kill Duncan. Instead of leaving it to his wife, Macbeth is the one in control as Lady Macbeth stands back.

    The differences in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth between the Polanski movie and the Folger play create a contrasting idea of who is in control. In the Folger production, Lady Macbeth is the leader and her husband is the sidekick. In Polanski’s movie, it is the other way around.

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  14. The reading of Macbeth’s letter to Lady Macbeth (performed by Lady Macbeth) is a crucial component to Shakespeare’s original play, the 2009 Folger theater production, Polanski’s 1971 film, and any other adaption of Macbeth. However, in Roman Polanski’s version of the classic play, he depicts this scene, the first soliloquy of the play, the introduction to Lady Macbeth, and the introduction to Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s relationship, without ever once showing Lady Macbeth’s entire face.
    While Lady Macbeth reads Macbeth’s words on becoming the King of Cawdor, her expression is hidden and her eyes are never show, just as she hides behind the murder of King Duncan, acting as the secret perpetrator and initiator while Macbeth performs the tangible act. Polanski’s technique builds a dimension of suspense and enigma to Lady Macbeth and foreshadows the depth of her dark character. Although she is portrayed with beautiful features, the way in which her face is masked by shadows throughout the soliloquy proves that Lady Macbeth will always have secrets to hide, as she very well does.

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  16. With only Lady Macbeth’s words to go by, the actress who plays her in the Folger production of Macbeth has many challenging tasks. She must not only determine the tone of her character, but also the actions and expressions of the character. The Lady Macbeth of the Folger interpretation takes a very interesting and thought provoking stance on Lady Macbeth. Her actions are a contradiction to her words.

    Judging by her words alone, Lady Macbeth appears to see weakness in femininity. It is very apparent that she is after power, but sees her sex as an impediment to the violence and cruelty needed to attain that power. She says, “unsex me here" (1.5.46), "Come to my woman’s breasts, / And take my milk for gall” (1.5.55-56) and considers her husband “too full o’ the milk of human kindness” (1.5.17). However, in the Folger production, Lady Macbeth uses her sex to further manipulate Macbeth. Like Sarah said, the Macbeths are extremely aggressive in kissing each other. But it is always Lady Macbeth instigating it. As she is convincing him that he must kill Duncan, she is distractingly and aggressively kissing him.

    Throughout the whole scene Macbeth seemed to be overwhelmed with both her aggressive behavior and her aggressive opinions. For someone who cries to be “unsexed,” she is very good at manipulating Macbeth using her sexuality. This interpretation of Lady Macbeth aligns with the idea that Lady Macbeth is only out to manipulate Macbeth and reminds the audience to listen warily to the things Lady Macbeth says. Macbeth might be the actor, but Lady Macbeth has a talent of her own. 


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  17. Lady Macbeth is a siren. She uses her beauty and body to sway Macbeth into doing what she wants to do.
    In Roman Polanski's version, Lady Macbeth is in all white and is very pretty. Her appearance is ironic in that it suggests that she is an innocent person. When she is convincing Macbeth to go through with the murder, she stands very close to him, creating sexual tension. She makes full eye contact with him, as if she is reminding him of how pretty she is. When he hesitates, she starts crying, making him feel bad and pulling him back into the scheme with guilt. She manipulates him with her beauty to get her way.
    In the Folger production of the movie, Lady Macbeth is wearing pink and is, not unlike the Polanski version, very beautiful. She uses her body to convince Macbeth to murder Duncan. She wraps herself around him whenever she can and doesn't keep her hands off him. She does this to, literally and figuratively, keep a hold on him. When he commits to the murder, she immediately starts kissing and hugging him; she is rewarding him with her body.
    In both versions of the movie, Lady Macbeth uses her appearance to her advantage. She convinces Macbeth to murder Duncan by manipulate with her beauty and body.

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  18. These two version of Shakespeare are interesting to me, mostly because each have two very different portrayals of Lady Macbeth. These depictions of Macbeth’s wife are a look at the director’s opinion on women.
    Roman Polanski’s version used a woman that was very pretty and fragile. She was much shorter and smaller than Macbeth. When she was questioning Macbeth on why he was no longer going to go through with killing Duncan, she started to cry. She influenced Macbeth emotionally and delicately. Polanski used this to assert his opinion on a woman’s influence over a man: women have an emotional influence over men, and men are vulnerable into that delicate emotion.
    In Folger Production of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is about the size of Macbeth and has a very physical relationship with him. She also is a very loud woman, screaming her lines with a very stern look on her face. The Folger Theater is portrays a sexual and physical influence that women have on men.

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  19. The Weird Sisters in Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, are given very little stage direction and description, causing directors to use their professional opinions to decide what actions and costumes would be most characteristic of the Witches. The opening scene begins with the instructions: "Thunder and lightning. Enter the three Witches" (1.1.7). Polanski envisioned this scene to be an ghostly beach, mostly quiet, with a dreary storm in the background. The Witches creep slowly and quietly across stage while eerie music plays in the background. Folger's interpretation of the scene uses bolder images and sounds to personify the Weird Sisters. Instead of creeping across the stage, the Witches leap, run, and violently thrash their arms around. Loud drums replace the eerie music and flashing lights simulate lightning for the storm. Both Polanski and Folger play off the idea that the Witches cause violence. Polanski does so by using props such as the severed hand and blood. Folger adds an entire new image to the first scene by adding two men that viciously duel while the Weird Sisters circle them. Both interpretations use the ideas that there is a storm, the sisters cause violence, and they are not of the earth, but Polanski creates a powerful scene by disturbing the audience whereas Folger creates a powerful scene by intimidating the audience.

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  20. The women that played Lady Macbeth in both productions were very similar, in attitude and in looks. The women were portrayed as powerful and seductive, successfully trapping their men in with pure cunning. Both use similar tactics to end up with the same results-asserting their control over Macbeth. When the woman in the Folger play first saw Macbeth, she ran to him and passionately kissed him, suggesting that she did indeed love him, at the same time establishing him as her possession. The woman in the Polanski production had a similar reaction, by running to him and portraying her fake innocence by letting him swing her into his arms. The actresses used this sexual outlook to manipulate Macbeth. He was easily overtaken when it came to Lady Macbeth kissing and touching him. It was interesting for the productions to play up the sexuality between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, because when reading the actual play, it is more of a partner-relationship than a romantic relationship. In doing this, it made all the pressure of the killing of Duncan Lady Macbeth's doing, because it made Macbeth seem weak compared to her. The women were also similar in looks. Slim, blonde, and tall, they were the picturesque of a beautiful woman. This only added to their power over Macbeth. By making them seem without faults, it suggested that they could win over Macbeth because of their appearance.

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  21. It is intresting to see the different interpretations of Macbeth. In Act I scene 2, we are able to have a glimpse of Macbeth's character. According to the sergent, Macbeth is brave and doesn't think twice about killing a traitor. Also, Duncan refers to Macbeth as “valiant cousin, worthy gentlemen”. As I read this scene, everything seemed serious. The royal family is just outside the battle grounds, meeting a bleeding sergent who is discussing the slaughtering of a traitor. However, Folger theater production of Macbeth put a different spin on this scene.

    In the Folger theater production of Macbeth, they altered this scene. It is normal to shorten lines and change the wording, however, Folger added a whole new character in this scene. The new addition was a young man who was aiding the bleeding sergent. When I first noticed this character, I didn't think to much of it. Then the character started adding humor to the play. He would make jokes and gestures, causing a comic relief. For instance, when the sergent said “till he unseam'd him from the nave to chaps”, the young man preceded to make a gesture of cutting himself open. This gesture had a good reaction with the audience. And this was one of the many comical reliefs.

    I believe Folger should not have added this man in the play. It made people forget the main point of this scene. This scene was designed to show a glimpse of Macbeth and emphasize some dramatic irony. Macbeth killed someone for being a traitor when actually he is going to become the biggest traitor. The comical relief was not needed and it just caused a distraction from the main focus.

    Tiana

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  22. In the Folger Production of Macbeth, the use of the mirror as a prop is used to illustrate the duplicity of Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s characters. The mirror is present since the beginning of the scene in which Lady Macbeth is reading the letter from Macbeth. After Lady Macbeth reads the letter, she begins to call the evil spirits to give her the strength to persuade Macbeth into killing Duncan. As Lady Macbeth calls the evil spirits she wanders towards the mirror and stops to stare at herself. Again, the mirror is at the center of the scene in which Macbeth is left alone as he stares into his own eyes and realizes that killing Duncan is morally wrong and may not be worth it.

    The mirror is a symbol for the audience to see when the characters are being true to themselves. The mirror forces oneself to look at the kind of person standing right in front of her and accept the truth. Lady Macbeth realizes what she must do in order to get her husband on the throne and she comes to terms with her duty. She looks at herself in the mirror and makes the decision that Duncan must die; her mind never falters from that thought again. Macbeth looks in the mirror after plotting to kill Duncan, and he realizes that he shouldn’t complete the task. Unfortunately, Lady Macbeth quickly seduces Macbeth and makes him turn away from the mirror. She quickly turns him around and makes him face her. He is shielded from his own thoughts and feelings because he can’t see himself clearly. Macbeth never faces his reflection again, but instead faces Lady Macbeth; Lady Macbeth has become Macbeth’s reflection.

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  23. A stage is nothing without lighting and sets. In both versions of Macbeth, the lighting of the sets, even if it is just a stage or many different rooms, creates and instills the emotion that is felt by the character. During Macbeth's aside after the announcement of the Prince of Cumberland, both productions use changes of light to depict the change in emotion. In act 1, scene 4, Macbeth discovers that he now must not only kill off Duncan, but also his son, Malcolm. In the Folger production, a stage might be lacking in space for different settings, but is extremely useful for dramatically changing the lighting of the stage. This is put to great use during the scene. Macbeth is literally pushed into the light as he speaks in front Duncan about his plans to do away with him and his son. This light represents the Macbeth's realization of evil that must be with him as he fights for his fate as King. But in the Polanski version, there is more than just a stage, allowing Macbeth to travel into different rooms. His reaction to the news of the Prince does not happen in the same room as the announcement, but as he is quickly walks through a back hall in the dark. His speech comes out as a harsh whisper more than a strong speech. This portrayal of the scene gives a sinister look at Macbeth as he sees what is needed of him to be King. Each scene has the same words and was written with the same intentions, but preformed and staged in two different styles. Their staging bring two different strong emotions to the performance that enhances Shakespeare's written words.

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  24. The two versions of Macbeth used natural and staged lighting to their advantage in several ways, such as emotion and character development.

    In the play, the lights were a mellow yellow while Macbeth was giving his first soliloquy, showing a stark contrast between when he questions himself and when Lady Macbeth gives her orders. In Lady Macbeth's speech, the lighting is harsh and focused on her. Even when Duncan appears in the room above her, the brightest lights are trained only on her and Macbeth, showing their focus on the prize. The lights on Macbeth, however, are always also trained on the ground around him, showing a light in the darkness and not just an empty darkness in him, like the single beams focused on Lady Macbeth show.


    In the movie, when Macbeth is considering killing Duncan, the lights are far and few between, revealing the darkness in his heart and mind. Before this moment, he had been happy with the news that he would become king and the lighting was bright and cheerful, but quickly changes to darkness with his mood. The lighting in Lady Macbeth's scene was a bit more difficult to notice, but the light was bright and clear when she read the letter and was giving her soliloquy; however, when Duncan was riding up to the castle, the sky quickly became dark and cloudy, in response to Lady Macbeth's request for darkness.

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  25. The hand is a symbol of power. In each of the productions of Macbeth, the Weird sisters appear at the beginning of the play holding stereotypical witch items such as a noose, sticks, long fingernails, and in this case, both appear with a severed arm.
    In the Roman Polanski production of Macbeth, the witches perform a chanting ritual with the severed arm, They buried it with a dagger in the hand, facing where the body should have been. Then they added dirt and other items before finishing. When they finished, they discussed "When shall [they] three meet again" (1.1.1). They discuss that the next time will be to "Meet with Macbeth" (1.1.8). A burial represents death because when there is a death the body is typically buried in a ceremony to signify the end of the person's life. In this case, the hand, or power, is being buried. The hand that the Weird sisters symbolizes the power of Macbeth.
    Before burying the knife, the dagger is placed inside the hand. This dagger represents the violent opportunity that would be given to Macbeth soon after. By burying the hand that held that violent symbol, showed that the dagger in the hand would become the reason for Macbeth's downfall and loss of power that would come.
    When Macbeth is presented with the opportunity to use a dagger to kill King Duncan, he takes it. With his hand, he uses the dagger to kill the king, and naturally gets blood on his hands. "What hands are here! Ha they pluck out mine eyes. Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red"(2.2.77-81). The blood caused by the dagger has forever stained his hand, and has forever changed his power. This will lead to the downfall of Macbeth, and all his power, as the burial of the hand portrays.

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  26. Adding on to what Sophie said, the way that Lady Macbeth acts in her first soliloquy and with the setting and lighting makes her seem evil and very dark and secretive in the Folger Production. When she first reads the letter, she gets very into it, getting excited about reading about Thane of Cawdor. This attitude and excited tone of voice makes the audience believe that she is truly excited for her husband and wants the best for him. While at the same time, the stage is very dark and she seems like she is going crazy, making the audience contradict their thinking and believe that she is evil and crazy. With only have of her face lit, you can only seem half of her emotions, making her seem very secretive and completely evil. When she stands in front of the mirror and asks to be cruel, the lighting all of a sudden goes almost completely dim, making the scene intense and dark and evil. Also with the mirror, the audience can see her back, but can also hear her, making it as though it seems that you can trust her because you can hear her, you can't see her face, and see her expressions to know whether or not she is telling the truth. The setting and the lighting in the Folger Production of Macbeth exemplifies the evil and dark character of Lady Macbeth.

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  27. The differences in how each production portrays King Duncun reflects back on what Macbeth hopes to attain in the end. In Polanski’s movie, the king is buried in large, ornate clothing. The viewer sees more of his large fur robe, the gold medallions on his bright red costume and, most importantly, his crown, which is larger than his head. He is more his riches than himself, who is a light, happy-go-lucky man with an easy temper and mild disposition even when getting caught in the rain. By making the focal point of the king’s presence his evidentially valuable wardrobe, Polanski is making Macbeth’s ultimate goal money, juxtapose to the power Folger’s Macbeth hopes to gain. Dressed in a simple purple which allows the main focus to be on his booming voice and serious face, Folger’s Duncan commands respect and is the portrayal of power. While money and power may seem to equate to the same thing, it’s an angel on a Macbeth. Material wealth is a petty sort of “advantage” that could be obtained in many ways. Power, which is usually equated with status, is a physiological advantage over the other party. What Macbeth strives to obtain is a reflection on the kind of man he is.

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  28. The main difference I spotted in the movie was that the director had Lady Macbeth thinking to herself while she was doing other things instead of stating her thoughts vocally as in the play. Since she was just thinking to herself, this doesn’t give her the opportunity to actually portray the emotion or actions as the Lady Macbeth did in the play. Even though it may not seem like the natural thing to do when directing this film, the director actually fulfilled the script in a very clever way. I even thought Lady Macbeth not speaking was odd. But by having Lady Macbeth prohibit her actions or emotions, she has to put on a sort of poker face. She's demonstrating the same deceiving behavior that she want Macbeth to portray. "Look like th' innocent flower, but be the serpent under 't" (1.6.76). I commend the director on this clever decision.

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  29. After watching the two versions of Macbeth, I was left with two extremely different perspectives of the character Lady Macbeth. It was very interesting how each director portrayed the female lead in a completely different light. Polanski used the character to show that Lady Macbeth had an emotional influence over her husband, and she uses her delicate personality to sway his opinions. In the movie, she was almost angelic, wearing a white dress. She was much shorter and slimmer than Macbeth. Her personality matched her delicate appearance. When Macbeth said he did not want to go through with the plan, she started to cry and spoke softly.

    The Folger Theater portrayed her in a completely different light. Lady Macbeth was seductive and had a sexual and physical influence on her husband Macbeth. She was his size and stature, and was in charge of their relationship. They had a very physical relationship, and used her body to make him to what she said, but she also pushed him around with her fists. She screamed her lines with a very stern voice.

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