Directing Macbeth act 4 scene 1

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Macbeth act 4 scene 1

The scene I have chosen to direct is Act Four Scene One. I have selected this scene because I feel it has significance to the rest of the play. The events leading up to this are; Macbeth kills king Duncan of Scotland, Macbeth hires three murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance, Fleance gets away and Macbeth is haunted by Banquo's ghost at a banquet. Three witches meet on a desolate heath and predict that Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor and then king, much to Macbeth's amazement these predictions come true. (Thane of Cawdor in Act One Scene Three) "Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?" This makes one assume that the witches can predict the future.

William Shakespeare wrote the play in 1601 when England and Scotland were under ruler ship of king James I of England and VI of Scotland. James I was very interested in witches and witchcraft, during his reign many women were wrongfully burnt at the stake and hung because they were believed to be witches. The people of this time were very superstitious and believed in witchcraft so the effect this play had on the audience would have been more powerful then when it was written, as opposed to now when the belief in witchcraft just isn't as strong. So therefore the effect would not be the same on a modern day audience.

The witches do not play a main character role in Macbeth (they don't appear on stage much) but when they do appear the have dramatic effects on the other characters and the audience e.g. they don't develop as characters but they are the key to the development of the plot (lady Macbeth has trouble sleeping) "Sleep shall neither night nor day." The first witch says this in Act One Scene Three. Also they play a large part in Macbeth's decline. They can be seen as responsible for this because their predictions come true "All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter," and they show him the apparitions. The witches represent evil in the play, particularly to the 17th century audience.
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In the 1600's very little scenery and props were used in Shakespeare's plays so the audience had to rely on Shakespeare's language in order to understand events of the play. Performances were given in daylight so the audience relied entirely on the language of the play to create atmosphere. Thunder. Enter the three witches. Stage directions were often used.

For my production the stage will be bare like the original productions in Shakespeare's time. I would set it up like this because without elaborate backdrops the audience can pay more attention to the actors and Shakespeare's ...

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