William Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’ is definitely a memorable play that has enduring ideas for the audience - even for a modern day 20th century audience. The play, written in the 16th century is an explanation upon the nature of appearance vs reality, guilt and conscience and loyalty. In both the play and Polanski’s film version of ‘Macbeth’ the audience are led to question the values of our own modern lives that are portrayed by such powerful figures as Lady Macbeth who manipulates her husband for her own prestige and quest for power. Clever use of both film and language techniques convey the ideas of appearance vs reality, guilt and conscience and loyalty.
One of the main points that Shakespeare is making in this film is Appearance vs Reality. Our first impression of Macbeth is a strong and brave leader, named ‘Noble Macbeth’ by his majesty King Duncan. Through the influence of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth is forced to go through a series of misdeeds to accomplish his wants of glory. In Act 1 Scene 5 Lady Macbeth advises her husband to ‘look like the innocent flower. But be the serpent under it’ to not let others know about the evil that is in their hearts. This quote has the technique which is a dramatic monologue and a metaphor. The audience learns that appearance can be or not be deceiving but the reality is always hidden and this can be linked back to the memorable text about Macbeth.
One of the main points that Shakespeare has made in the play is Guilt and Conscience. Guilt is felt by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth of what they have done except, Macbeths soliloquises throughout the film while at the start of the film, Lady Macbeth is linked to masculinity and a person with no fear but till the end, her conscience puts her into madness from all the bloodshed that Macbeth has committed that she begins to sleepwalk and try to wash off imaginary blood stains from her clothes. One of Macbeth’s soliloquies in Act 3 Scene 1 is ‘To be thus is nothing. But to be safely thus’, this soliloquy means that Macbeth is not happy with what he has done (the murder of King Duncan) and the contrast with Lady Macbeth in Act 5 Scene 1 using the quotes ‘Yet here’s a spot’ inferring to the imaginary blood stains on her hands and clothes. From this quote and theme, we learn that sooner or later our conscience becomes aware of the crimes committed and turns out to be our guilt that deprives us from repeating those faults; this can be linked back to the memorable text about Macbeth
Lastly, Shakespeare has made another main point which is Loyalty that is justified to be enduring. Despite the three witches prophecy of being the father of kings, Banquo’s loyalty is still stronger than his ambition of becoming king himself and does nothing to act upon this like Macbeth did. He is still loyal to King Duncan and his friend Macbeth. A quote depicting this great loyalty in Act 3 Scene 1 is ‘yet it was said that it should not stand in thy posterity, but that myself should be the root and father of many kings… Why, by the verities on thee made good, may these not be oracles as well, and set me up in hope’. The technique used in this quote is a soliloquy. The audience learns that we shouldn’t infer with predicaments about the future that might or might not be our wanting ambitions or else tragic can occur. The audience can link back to the memorable text of Macbeth about the theme of loyalty.
Throughout the play, there are many techniques and enduring ideas such as soliloquies, metaphors, loyalty, appearance and reality, contrast and guilt which make the play notable to have many useful links for the modern 20th century audiences
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