Roman Polanski's Interpretation of the Witches in Macbeth

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Roman Polanski's Interpretation of the Witches in Macbeth

When comparing Roman Polanski's version of Macbeth with the original

text written by William Shakespeare we can see that his work is in

keeping with Shakespeare's to a an extent however Polanski adds

innovations to show of the more natural side of the witches which is

more realistic to the modern audience. Although William Shakespeare

wrote the play circa 1603 (for king James) the play is set in the Dark

Age Scotland. Polanski uses this and sets his film around this era

unlike other directors who have set their films in Jacobean times when

it was written, this makes Polanski's version more credible. The

essential theme for Macbeth is tragedy.

The importance of the witches is established in the opening scene.

Even the first stage direction, ' Thunder and lightning. Enter three

WITCHES' is appropriate as many people around Shakespeare's time

blamed witches for the conjuring of storms, this is pathetic fallacy.

Although in the text there is no stage directions suggesting where act

1 scene 1 should take place, Polanski has decided to innovate with

this.

Polanski sets Act 1 scene 1 on a deserted beach, with eerie sounds. In

Polanski's version the lines are in different order from the play. The

witches of the film cast a spell using vile ingredients like a severed

arm etc. By placing this scene on the beach shows the depth Polanski

went into the historical content, as many battles in the Dark ages

would have been fought on the beaches, as this is where armies would

enter Scotland. The scene begins as the sunsets quite beautiful but as

the witches enter the scene the atmosph...

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witches planted the ideas he had his head set on fulfilling the

prophecies.

The witches are perhaps evil women who flirt with idea of someone's

downfall. Macbeth's ambitions proceeded to be willing to take

everything the witches said to be true, but he took the prophecies at

face value. Notice they do not ask for anything in return so they may

just be plotting for his flaws to weaken him and lead to his demise.

Polanski's description of the witches differs from the Jacobean time

beliefs, he suggest that they are able to change Macbeths personality

and that it is him who changes the occurrence of the play.

Polanski's film ends in a note of irony. We see Donaldbain ridding

across the heath and goes near to where we know Macbeth first met the

witches, this suggest it may become a cycle and is to continue.

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