The opening scene of any play is perhaps the most crucial. The purpose of the first scene is to engage the audience’s attention and interest- it must intrigue the audience. The first scene should ask questions but not answer them, thus arousing suspense to make the audience want to see the rest of the play.
The opening scene of "Macbeth" indeed fills all of the criteria for a good opening scene. The opening scene is very short but very powerful. The play starts where a meeting of three witches is just about to end. To the contempory audience this would have been a dramatic start to the play, as many people at that time believed in witches and would have been scared of them. The witches immediately make the audience think of evil. Also the fact that these creatures are meeting in thunder and lighting adds to the impression of evil and horror. These dramatic sound effects of thunder helps to set the eerie and supernatural atmosphere and grasp the audience’s attention.
The first words spoken by the witches are “When shall we three meet again, in thunder, lightning or in rain?”. This immediately informs the audience that the witches will appear again in the play and makes the audience wonder why? It also suggests that more evil is to come. The reply to the first question is “When the hurly-burly’s done, when the battle’s lost and won” This suggests to the audience that there is a battle ongoing somewhere; again this arouses curiosity and suspicion about how the witches know this. The next line proves that the witches can predict the future as the third witch says “That will be ere the set of sun” The witches continue to say that they will meet upon the heath, this also would create fear and uncertainty among the Jacobean audience as a heath was not a nice, enjoyable place. One of the witches then says “There to meet with Macbeth” This is the first mention of Macbeth; the audience knows that he is an important character in the play as his name is the title. Shakespeare was very clever in not introducing Macbeth in the first scene, Shakespeare only mentions him, and this will arouse suspicion over why the witches want to meet with Macbeth.
I will now compare two productions of "Macbeth”, one by Roman Polanksi and the other by Trevor Nun.
Roman Polanksi’s version of "Macbeth" is a film with special effects. It begins with an amazing sunrise that is bright red; this perhaps could suggest death or blood being spilled. The bright red sky turns into an overpowering cold blue colour. This may suggest hostility or a cold death. The first scene is set on a lonesome beach, again with cold blue colours to give a feeling of loneliness. A single seagull flies in the sky, thus again making the beach appear barren and deserted. The camera zooms in on the ground and the first thing we see is the end of a stick, as the camera zooms out we see the stick is long, twisted and being held by a blind witch, who draws a circle in the sand with it. The other two witches then begin digging in an animal like fashion with their hands. Once the hole is dug, they take several items out of their bag. They place an oily hangman’s noose in the hole, a severed arm and hand; they then place a dagger in the hand. There is harsh background music playing while this takes place, which is effective in creating mystery and fear. Once the items are in the hole they are buried. Blood is poured on top of the hole, this may be the blood of a baboon as later in the play they use baboon’s blood to seal a charm. This also may be what they are doing now. They then chant the last two lines of Scene One first. The witches’ appearances do not appear supernatural; in fact they look like common peasants dressed in ragged clothes and carrying sacks in a wheelbarrow. They appear to be desperate women who turned to magic. One of the witches is blind, one is normal and the young witch is only an apprentice who can only mouth the charms. When one of the witches says “there to meet with Macbeth” the other two witches show approval. When the witches have finished their meeting and depart, the youngest witch leads the cart and the blind witch holds on to it. The other witch departs in a different direction; again this backs up the theory that these woman are beggars.
Trevor Nunn’s is a film adaptation of a stage production. The fact that his production is on stage limits his creativity somewhat but he still manages to put on an excellent show.
It begins with a long shot of a circular stage. The characters move in from the side, creating long shadows across the stage, and take a half step to their right; they then sit down on their crates. The camera zooms in on each character for a close up. There is church music playing but then the music turns sour and distorted, perhaps to suggest evil. The play then begins.
The play starts by a witch played by Marie Keanne helping the youngest to the centre of the stage. The youngest appears to have a limp. They kneel down in the centre of the stage and are joined by a third witch played by Judith Harte. They then place two twigs on the floor. During this time, Macduff helps a frail and weak Duncan to his feet. He kneels down on the stage and begins to pray. The witches begin a series of moaning cries, the sounds rising until a loud rumble of thunder is heard. This may suggest that the witches control the elements and have created the thunder. At this stage it appears that the youngest witch is in a trance, she is drooling from her mouth and staring straight ahead, This witch is the only one who can foresee the future, the others ask her “there to meet with?”. To this she answers after a short pause to create suspense, "Macbeth" .This is news to Harte, but news that she approves of, smiling and nodding her head. Duncan prays throughout the whole of the first scene, while in contrast the witches chant. Duncan is dressed in pure white, representing kind and goodness. The witches are dressed in black, suggesting evil. This is to demonstrate the constant conflict between good and evil. The witches finish their part and leave the stage, Duncan is still on stage saying the “agnes dei” and also “mea culpa”. This means “my sins” it is almost as if Duncan is being shown as a Christ like figure, asking for forgiveness for not his own sins but those of his subjects. The fact that Duncan’s prayer lasted longer than the witches chants may suggest that, in the end, good will defeat evil.
I think that the production by the RSC is the most effective in portraying the story of Macbeth. Nunn makes effective use of the stage and the appearance of the characters is highly intriguing. Nunn does not stray as far from the text as Polankski does and I feel this gives a more authentic atmosphere. He has also effectively put across the theme of good verses evil.
