Patrick Stewart- Key Performance Choices
This version of Act 3 Scene 4 including Patrick Stewart is a much more modernised version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. We know this as the scene starts off straight after a war with guns. The setting is also not set in the era of Shakespeare. With regards to the setting, it is quite basic and I think this adds to the abstract nature of the piece. If it focused on realism and naturalism, then a detailed setting would make it look realistic however it focused massively on the supernatural element of the play allowing the setting to be barer.
The semiotics of the scene starts off in an empty room with a table and a large poster which makes it more striking to the eye. It is a basically a propaganda poster and resembles almost a Stalin poster. It represents tyranny and for me I more sinister side of Macbeth that I haven’t explored too much. When the scene looks at the guests, they all look very frightened of Macbeth, not daring to do any action that he might disapprove of. One example of this is when one of the guests, starts drinking a little earlier than everyone else, Macbeth mocks him. We see Macbeth as a dictator and what is even more striking is that Lady Macbeth is frightened of him as well. It becomes ironic when Macbeth says ‘Be large in mirth’ because everyone is instead frightened of this one man. Even the murderer, is scared when he talks to Macbeth. If a murderer is afraid of Macbeth, then who is! Due to everyone’s fright of Macbeth, he can say everything out loud in public and no-one would dare be suspicious or even look up from eating.
