Compare and Contrast the Two Video Versions of the opening scenes of “Macbeth” with the beginning of the actual Text.

In the Freeston Version, once Macdonwald is killed my Macbeth, we see the three witches dancing across a damp deserted beach; they stop beside some sort of wooden object which they use as a seat. This is when we see the witches talking about when they will meet again. In the Polanski Version and the Original Text, this conversation between the witches takes place before the battle. But Freeston has put it in after the battle. I can't think of any reason for this to be done. It may have been put like this to give extra effect of evilness, as it shows the witches being happy that the battle was won by Macbeth, almost as if they are pleased for him, but if they were pleased for him, they wouldn't have tried to corrupt his life and turn him into a blood thirsty warrior.

The Freeston Version also skips out the bit of the play when King Duncan is seen talking to a Wounded Captain of the Battle. This is shown in the Polanski Version, in this version we only see the aftermath of the battle, starting with this battle. But this seen is completely skipped out by Freeston. I can't think of a reason why this is. This is the same scene at which King Duncan announces the death of the Thane of Cawdor, and also announces Macbeth to be the new Thane. We have not studied any further than the meeting with the witches in the Freeston version, so I am not sure on how Freeston shows how Macbeth was told the news of him being the new Thane of Cawdor.

After that scene, the book tells of the witches discussing their treatment of the sea Captain. But this is not mentioned in either of the films. The conversation may have been left out as it may have seemed irrelevant to both directors. Once this discussion is over, according to the original text, Macbeth and Banquo come along and so the first meeting between the witches and Macbeth takes place. This is shown in both films, mainly because it is one of the most important scenes in the play, the first meeting with the witches. This scene is where Macbeth receives his first predictions. These predictions tell Macbeth of how is to become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland. At this time, Macbeth does not take these predictions seriously. As is to be expected as they seemed very far fetched.

In the Polanski version, the witches walk away from Macbeth, and go through some sort of door to an underground room. Macbeth cannot follow them as they closed the door on him and he could not continue. In the Freeston versions the witches just disappear in front of Macbeth and Banquo, this is what is said to happen in the original text. But Polanski may not have had the technology to be able to perform this on screen.

The setting of the start of the Polanski version is dull and miserable in a very remote and deserted area, the original text tells that there is thunder and lightning when the witches are talking as thunder and lightning give a hint of evilness. Both directors may have felt that it would be safer if they were left out because in some films, when thunder and lightning takes place, for the purpose of adding evilness, it is hard to hear what the characters are saying. The witches do not talk that loud when there is silence, so it is highly likely that the viewer would not have been able to hear the witches talk if thunder and lightning was included.

The settings of each scene in the film versions and what is stated in the original text, all differ from each other. For example, we see the first difference in settings and backgrounds when we first see the witches. The Polanski shows dull weather and a bit of a mist, but in the Freeston version, we see a bit of sunshine in the background and there is no rain or mist, the weather seems warm.

We see differences in background and settings quite often between the original text and the two film versions.

These differences include the one mentioned above, and also the difference in settings in the scene in which Macbeth and Banquo first meet the witches. In the Polanski Version, it is very rainy and there is quite a lot of mist and a fast wind. But the Freeston version shows quite the opposite. It shows the weather to be nice and calm with no disturbance of wind or rain etc. This also shows that the two directors had two different interpretations of when Macbeth said:

"So Foul and Fair a day I have not seen"

Polanski believed that Macbeth meant that the day was fair because they won the battle against the rebels, and that it was a foul day because there was such bad weather. Freeston believed that Macbeth meant the opposite, e.g. that the day was fair because of the weather, and that it was foul because of the battle. This leads us to believe that Freeston believed that Macbeth did not enjoy battles, but he knew that he was forced to fight in them. Polanski must have believed that Macbeth was already a blood thirsty warrior before the witches interfered in his life. So again, we see the differences in the interpretations of the words spoken by the characters from the original text and the movements of the characters etc.

I think that the appearance of Macbeth in the Freeston version is more accurate as I believed that it showed what Macbeth was likely to look like, considering the time period that the play is set in. I also believe that the witches in the Freeston version are a lot better as they go against the stereotypical look of the witches, which is the look that Polanski chose for the witches in his version. The younger witch in the Freeston version looks very modern as she is wearing make up but always looks as if she is in a sort of trance as her eyes do not move in most scenes, when she talks.