Comparing Orson Welles 'Macbeth'

Macbeth, a world-renowned play by the great William Shakespeare, has been retold and recreated many times ever since 1606, when the play was first written. There have been many adaptations to the play outside of the stage, including films. Films of Macbeth have been produced by popular directors such as Roman Polanski and Orson Welles. Many of these film directors take the tragic story and mold it into a similar interpretation with different adaptations. For example, PBS produced a Macbeth film that revolved around the Soviet Union. The play by Shakespeare and the film directed by Orson Welles (1948) have many similarities, but Welles finds differing points of interest in some of the scenes in the play. Welles’ utilizes elements from Shakespeare’s

However, in Act IV, Scene I, Welles portrays this scene in a far different way. Lines from the play that are emphasized by Welles include Macbeth requesting the witches to appear and the warnings given by the witches. In the beginning of Welles’ scene, Macbeth is sweaty and transfixed at the table at which he has just seen Banquo’s ghost. He speaks to Lady Macbeth and once she exits, Macbeth seems to be very rattled. He sits with wide, crazed eyes as ominous music begins to play in the background. The scene surrounding Macbeth fades to black, as Macbeth says, “More shall they speak.” He stands up from the table and the scene quickly transitions from Macbeth at the table to Macbeth on top of a mountain. This seems to represent Macbeth’s encounter with the witches as more of a dream or vision within his own mind, rather than an actual interaction. As Macbeth stands out on the mountain top starting his speech (which begins, “I conjure you, by that which you profess…”), fleeting visions of dead trees appear along with the sounds of lightning and thunder. His clothes blow violently in the wind, and his voice becomes louder and more demanding as he continues to