“Macbeth”
“Macbeth”, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. We know it is a tragedy as the hero dies, and in this case it is Macbeth. Macbeth is influenced to kill Duncan by the witches and even his own wife Lady Macbeth.
In the Elizabethan times most women were said to be witches. A suspected witch would be pricked with a special needle to see if she was immune from pain. The marks in insensitive places were the spots where the witch’s demons sucked blood. It was also said to believe that water would not swallow evil and so witchcraft could be decided by trail of water, if the body would float in water, they were hung, but if they sunk then they ran the risk of drowning.
Analysing both versions the witches in Macbeth on the Estate are firstly signified by black smoke appearing through a shot of the modern estate. The witches are seen in the form of three children, as there are no witches in present society. The estate is in a run down isolated area at midday and the isolation is portrayed by this part of the fragile society is marginalized as no one reflects about it. The echoing and whispering around the estate as well as the windy atmosphere signifying the witches are near by emphasize the isolation. Macbeth enters through a tiny passageway and goes to where the witches are. This portrays the room to be cut off from the estate and withholds unknown mysteries in another world. The witches appear as two boys and a girl. The younger boy is apparently fat whereas the older boy seems to be rather intelligent for his age, and the girl with glasses. The boy being fat and the girl wearing glasses connects with the Polanki’s version as they might be shown as another form of being disabled as well. All three children are wearing modern clothing and by the portrayal of their appearance we can refer to them being marginalised by the way they look and are as they differ from typical children. Children are known to be innocent however here appearance verses reality subverts that stereotypically view on children. Around the faint light room there are various objects of which witches are believed to owe. The candles are shown as a supernatural effect as well as giving out the faint light in the room to give of an eerie atmosphere. The dolls around can be represented as voodoo dolls and the mask that is hung up is portrayed to be a chilling deception. The witches are shown to be looking into the future by the representation of a mirrors likewise they are materialised to be intellectual by a book of spells set beside them. When Lady Macbeth is seen in the baby’s room, she is shown playing with her child’s toy, which is connected with the witches with the voodoo dolls, as the voodoo dolls are also represented with death. Lady Macbeth’s dress and hair in is connection with the black smoke shown at the estate, as this portrays a mysterious, unseen immortal.
