William Shakespeare was a really great play writer of his time, if not the best. Even till this day, he is considered one of the greatest of all time. This assumption can be proven to be true because of the many adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays throughout the years. When it comes to art in any form, especially if it’s really good, imitations are bound to exist. Not only do we see this with plays, but also we see this with movies, music, and even a style of painting. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Adaptations are not just simply copying an idea but taking the idea and making it their own through variations and revisions. In some cases, adaptations can be better than the original. The idea is taken and modified by adding some things that the original artist might have missed. More or less, Akira Kurosawa, a famous Japanese author, took adaptations from Shakespeare into his own works. One adaptation in particular is one of his films, Throne of Blood, which is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
Throne of Blood included a lot of elements of Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, however it was not just a simple adaptation of the play. It was full of symbolic representations, which was perfected with the usage of Noh elements used in Shakespeare. “Noh shows up everywhere in Throne of Blood, making the project a real fusion of cinema and theater and showing just how cinematic theater can be in the hands of a great filmmaker . . . Throne of Blood is a kind of mirror universe in the period of turmoil, treachery, and succession battles that Shakespeare wrote about in Macbeth” (#3). They both had very similar structures in terms of major plots. Although they were similar, one of the key differences between Shakespeare’s Macbeth and K...
... middle of paper ...
...ight after the witch prophesized. Lady Macbeth and Asaji have both manipulated their husbands and led them astray due to their ambition and goals for higher power. Lady Macbeth used strong words to motivate Macbeth’s desire for power. However, Asaji said very little and used simply her facial expression to imply her thoughts, which made her husband very vulnerable. Even though Lady Macbeth led her husband to commit the evil deeds, she did show regret afterward. On the other hand, Asaji realized her bad deeds but she did not see her mistakes, turning insane. The foe in Macbeth was Macduff because he murdered his whole family. In Throne of Blood, Kurosawa left the foe anonymous. He focused on the inner struggle of the man. The morals of Washizu turned into his greatest enemy after he committed himself to murdering. He was in turmoil and his mind was crumbling apart.
The twenty-first century judicial system goes back in time to solve murders in the past. Many high school students before they proceed to college will read the play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare, this play like many have very relatable universal themes such as greed, relationships, and good versus evil. If the play Macbeth was applied in today’s judicial system for killing Duncan the prosecutor would have to look at all the angels of the crime right down to the motivates and the purpose of what drove him to commit the murder.
The works of William Shakespeare have been one of the diligent hotspots for adaptation and appropriation. We see dramatic adaptation of Shakespearean playtexts began as early as Restoration period. Different fields like poetry, novels, advertisements, and movies have connected themselves with Shakespeare as well. The adaptation of Shakespeare makes him fit for new social settings and distinctive political philosophies.
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the theme of free will vs. fate is an essential argument and one that plays a huge part in the character of Macbeth. There are three areas that are focused on when seeing if Macbeth was in control of what he did or if fate controlled what happened. The first area talks about Macbeth’s behavioral patterns. The article relating to this topic reveals certain patterns in Macbeth’s behavior which include a structural pattern and a relational pattern. Macbeth’s structural is that he committed murder at three important parts of his life. There is no reason to think that fate controlled the structure of his murders. Also, the relational pattern reveals that he killed ones close to him, which also is a way to show that free will influenced it. The next area is that the fact that Macbeth was influenced by others and not fate. Lady Macbeth is probably the person who has the most influence on him, and also his mortal thoughts. Lastly, the final area that is focused on in this argument is that Macbeth dreads the idea that he has to commit murder. In the beginning, Macbeth fears murder so much that he leaves it to chance, which shows that he is exercising his free will. The argument talks about fate and says that he can’t control what happens. This argument is mostly summed up by saying the witches controlled him and that his death showed us that.
Prior to deciding whether or not conflict is central to the dramatic development of MACBETH, one must consider all the dramatic factors that contribute to the Shakespearean play. The gradual decline of the protagonist , the role portrayed by characters and the order in which the events occur, greatly influence the direction in which the development of the play takes place. After reading the text MACBETH, by Shakespeare and viewing the film version, directed by Roman Polanski, it is logical to see that ambition and the deceptive appearances of what really is, is central to the dramatic development of MACBETH.
Imagery is the use of symbols to convey an idea or to create a specific atmosphere for the audience. Shakespeare uses imagery in Macbeth often, the most prevalent one, is blood. I believe he uses this as a way to convey guilt, murder, betrayal, treachery and evil, and to symbolize forewarning of events.
Vickers, Brian. Appropriating Shakespeare: Contemporary Critical Quarrels. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. 1993.
Vickers, Brian. 1993. Appropriating Shakespeare: Contemporary Critical Quarrels. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.
In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the protagonist, Macbeth, murders the king of Scotland and eventually murders several other people. In the end, Macbeth meets his tragic fate of being killed by the nobleman Macduff. Throughout the play, Macbeth makes decisions that affect his fate, but other characters manipulate his choices and his actions. Early in the play Macbeth, Macbeth has control over his actions, but due to the influence of other characters and his subsequent insanity, by the end of the play, Macbeth has no control over his fate.
Vickers, Brian. 1993. Appropriating Shakespeare: Contemporary Critical Quarrels. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.
Throughout the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the protagonist Macbeth undergoes an immense amount of change. In the beginning of the play Macbeth is a very loyal and respected scottish man on and off the battlefield. But as time progressed, with the help of his wife and the three weird sisters, Macbeth begins to develop a dangerous lust for power leaving many dead and the country of Scotland in shambles. In the end Macbeth's once loyal and honorable stature was destroyed by his false confidence of being an almighty ruler, and in actuality becoming a mad tyrant.
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth tells the story of a general who commits a regicide in order to become king. Early in the play, Macbeth is conflicted as to whether 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.
In the beginning of the play Macbeth and Macduff are very similar in many aspects including rank, leadership, belief, and loyalty. But as the play unfolds, Shakespeare reveals these two characters are as different as night from day. In this essay I will compare and contrast the characters of the murderous Macbeth, and the forthright Macduff. I will consider their status within the Scottish society and the depth of their intelligence. I will also evaluate their actions and their relationships with other characters, including their families and I will discuss their degrees of ambition.
In “Macbeth” written by William Shakespeare the main character Macbeth is a general in the Scottish army. After Macbeth and Banquo another general return from battle they encounter three witches the witches give Macbeth and Banquo three Prophesies. The witches prophesy that Macbeth will be made thane (a rank of Scottish nobility) of Cawdor and eventually King of Scotland. They also prophesy that Banquo will produce a line of Scottish kings although Banquo will never become king himself. King Duncan’s men come to thank the two generals for their victories in battle and to tell Macbeth that he has been named thane of Cawdor. The previous thane betrayed Scotland by fighting for the Norwegians and Duncan has condemned him to death. Macbeth’s wife Lady Macbeth hears about king Duncan coming to their castle and try’s to persuade Macbeth to murder king Duncan. He and Lady Macbeth plan to get Duncan’s two chamberlains drunk so they will black out; the next morning they will blame the murder on the chamberlains, who will be defenseless, as they will remember nothing. While Duncan is asleep, Macbeth stabs him, despite his doubts and a number of supernatural visions, including a vision of a bloody dagger. Macbeth now becomes king and Fearful of the witches’ prophecy that Banquo’s heirs will seize the throne, Macbeth hires a group of murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. They ambush Banquo on his way to a royal feast, but they fail to kill Fleance, who escapes but kills Banquo. Lady Macbeth later kills herself while sleepwalking and Macbeth becomes depressed. Later Macduff comes with his army and beheads Macbeth. And Malcolm becomes king.
Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth and Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood have many things in common and many differences. There are key plot points that are different and completely change the plot. The biggest and most obvious difference is the setting. The Tragedy of Macbeth takes place in medieval times in Scotland. Throne of Blood also takes place during medieval times but in Japan. The setting itself is different introducing different kinds of soldiers to their stories.
In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Macbeth is guilty of committing treason against his king and country. He is purely and deliberately driven by dark desire, ambition, and murderous thoughts. As the play continues, it gets easier and easier for Macbeth to commit his heinous crimes. He not only kills the king, but continues to kill various people in order to secure his wrongfully obtained position. Macbeth also has many interactions with witches, who at the time are the definition of evil. One could say that Macbeth and depravity are two sides of the same coin. Macbeth is far more evil than any other character in the play, including Lady Macbeth.