He is also a caring man this is demonstrated after the bleeding captain finishes tells him about the battle:
“Go get him surgeons.”
The king doesn’t have to have anything to do with this but he takes action.
In 1971Roman Polanski directed a cinema version of the Shakespeare play Macbeth. This film introduced a whole new generation to William Shakespeare, Listed below are differences between this form of media and what was traditionally seen as the home of Shakespeare, the stage. The differences being a less sophisticated audience, in terms of knowledge Shakespeare’s plays. Ability to film on location, this has the advantage of looking great it if done correctly but if it is done badly it looks cheap and tacky. The amount of actors in the movie industry out weights that of the stage productions, so a range of talent to choose from is greater.
Roman Polanski not only takes advantage of all of the above but he makes the characters his as he sees them. An example of the is King Duncan, Polanski chooses a man of about 45 years of age, he does this because he doesn't to see older less active man, he wants to show a king of action, this is shown in the movie, when we see the king on horseback riding across the battlefield, this happens at the expense of the text at the start of act 1 scene 2 where it says the location:
“King Duncan’s camp near Forres”
It says camp not battleground, the king would never go into battle himself this was his right as a king. Another thing Polanski does is to show the king wearing a poncho with his family coat of arms embroiled on it, below this Duncan is clad to battle armour, this gives us a false impression of bravery, and he also rides with his crown on his head this is to gain yet more attention, almost rubbing his advantage over the lesser men.
The opening with scene with Duncan has him riding over a sand dune, but before we even see this we people play the trumpet, you have to important to have your own fanfare and guard, as they ride on to beach the camera keeps up with them and we see the sky the is heavily over cast, maybe a sign of things to come. Polanski has also seen fit to shorten the parts to the play, the effect of this is to keep things flowing fast and to hold the audiences attention. When Duncan starts talking to the injured captain, it seem very informal, they’re all it horse and none of them show respect to king by bowing or other courtships. The king then travels to see Cawdor, who is pined down, by seeing this man Duncan is lower himself because it almost like he is getting his hands dirty as appose to just giving orders, then he takes out his board sword and lowers it to Cawdor’s neck where in skilfully removes a medallion and for the briefest of moments we think he going to kill him.
In the Trevor Nunn version of Macbeth, this is a stage production by the Royal Shakespeare Company. There are more limitations placed on the director because it is a stage production all the action takes place in the same place, this also forces the audience to use there imaginations, more that a film. Props can be used but there are limitations to how much you can do.
The opening sequence we see a circle of light, a metaphor for everlasting life, everything is in complete darkness except the for this circle, the forces of evil and the force of good are both represented and both will play roles in the play. The actors come on stage from the darkness and one stands the king, he is wearing a white one piece sheet, the white is in contrast with the darkness and could be a metaphor for peace and purity. The camera then pans around each actor in turn, each is wearing black and looks to be about middle age, then it passes Duncan who has a full beard and looks quite like a Santa Claus figure Santa is known for his kindness and good judgement this also true for Duncan. After the witches’ predicts, we see how frail he is when to friendly face comes to his aid helping him to his feet, his maybe a sign that the end is coming.
In summary the both versions of Macbeth enlightening, it was useful to get some else’s perspective on Macbeth. But there can be not denying Duncan greatness when an enemy say this:
“Besides, This Duncan hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been so cleat in his great office”
Macbeth says this about Duncan, with enemies like this who need friends. I think Trevor Nunn version represented Duncan better because Nunn used simple but very powerful metaphors.
