Compare the Ways Three Different Directors Stage the Scenes – Macbeth Act one, scene one. Macbeth Act one, scene three.

As they are returning from battle, Macbeth and Banquo meet three witches who predict that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and later King of Scotland. They also predict that Banquo will be the father of kings. Soon, Macbeth is made Thane of Cawdor. Tempted by the prophecies and his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan of Scotland when he visits his castle. Duncan's sons Malcolm and Donalbain run away and Macbeth is crowned King. Macbeth has Banquo killed, but doesn't manage to kill his son, Fleance. Macbeth goes to see the witches again and is told to beware of Macduff, that he is safe until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane and that he can not be harmed by anyone born of women. Macbeth gets people to kill Macduff, but they only kill Macduff's wife and children. While this is happening, Lady Macbeth goes insane and dies. Malcolm returns from England and leads an army camouflaged with leaves from Birnam Wood to attack Macbeth's castle, Dunsinane. Because Macduff was born by caesarean, he is able to kill Macbeth. Malcolm is crowned king. We watched three film versions of Macbeth directed by three different people - Jeremy Freeston (1996), Roman Polanski (1971) and a BBC version (1998). In the Freeston version, which is set in the sixteenth century, Macbeth is portrayed in a traditional manner. He is unkempt having just returned from battle. Before he meets the

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Director’s Notes For Act Three, Scene Four Of Macbeth

Director's Notes For Act Three, Scene Four Of Macbeth By Owain Bristow, 10E3 The play 'Macbeth' is about murder, betrayal, the supernatural and the psychological and real struggle between good and evil elements. Macbeth has murdered King Duncan and gained the crown for himself, but he is still fearful of enemies and trusts no one. In the preceding scene he has just had Banquo murdered because of his suspicions and he still has lingering guilt for murdering the King. This scene, scene four, act three, is important because it exposes Macbeth's weaknesses and also shows that he can experience the human qualities of fear, and remorse more so than before in the play. The events of the scene cause Macbeth to realise that this is only the beginning, there is no going back and that he must face the consequences of his actions. In the scene a banquet is being held, hosted by Macbeth, who informed by a murderer at the beginning of Banquo's murder and Fleance's escape. A ghost then appears, Banquo's ghost, which can only be seen by Macbeth. This causes him to act oddly, which makes his guests feel uncomfortable and angers his wife. In the end the feast is ended, the guests leave and Macbeth informs his wife of his fears and suspicions. The main characters involved in this scene are Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and to a lesser extent Ross, Lennox and the first Murderer, with the other

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Discuss what is interesting and significant about Act Three Scene Four of Macbeth in the careers and relationship of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Discuss what is interesting and significant about Act Three Scene Four of Macbeth in the careers and relationship of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. One of the most significant scenes of the play Macbeth is act three scene four, at which point we see the first public event where Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are seen as King and Queen amongst Lords, the most vitally important of their subjects that they need to impress. This scene is a major turning point in the play because it shows an important point in the Macbeths' careers as well as in their relationship. When Macbeth starts to see the ghost of Banquo, this shows Macbeth's guilt and the belief of the supernatural in that period. This and the appearance of the murderer are the two interruptions in the scene that spoil the banquet. These interruptions and Macbeth's strange behaviour and speech of seeing Banquo make the Lords slightly suspicious and force Lady Macbeth to cover up for him. The end of the scene is the pivotal moment in the play in which we witness a reversal in their relationship. In this scene Macbeth, the new King, hosts a banquet to show his eminence. At the beginning of the scene Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are in state as King and Queen and appear equal in their relationship. They have succeeded in their joint career and they feel that their throne is secure. At the beginning of Macbeth's path of ambition

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Compare and Contrast the Three Video Versions of Macbeth, Act 1 Scene 7

Compare and Contrast the Three Video Versions of Macbeth, Act 1 Scene 7 The first video version that I am observing, out of the three versions, is a production starring John Gordon Sinclair as Macbeth and Louise Lombard as Lady Macbeth. This video appears to be modern for the time in which the story is set. The second video production I am looking at is a production by the BBC. It was created to celebrate the anniversary of William Shakespeare. It stars Nicol Williamson as Macbeth and Jane Lapotaire as Lady Macbeth. The purpose of the video was purely to create a video version of the whole of Shakespeare's play. The third video production I would be looking at has John Finch acting as Macbeth and Francessca Annis playing the part of Lady Macbeth. This production was directed by a man named Palinski and its purpose to create a motion picture of the play "Macbeth". This was created to enhance the experience of Shakespeare's play, thus, some new scenes and new stage direction have been added. Before Act 1 Scene 7, Macbeth is told by three witches that he will, firstly become Thane of Cawdor and then the King. He has become the Thane of Cawdor so now has his eyes on the Throne and he discovers that there is only one possible way he could become King. He must kill the king. However, as we discover in scene 7 he is having doubts that he will carry out the deed. At one point he

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Three Witches Macbeth

Macbeth Mohammed Omar Macbeth is a witchcraft play written by Shakespeare, composed in late 1606 or early 1607. Shakespeare's Scottish tragedy is about Macbeth's bloody rise to power, including the murder of the King Duncan. In Shakespeare's period, many people were scared; they believed that their lives were affected by fate. They also thought that the world was full of abnoramal creatures, such as witches, ghosts, and many other such weird creatures. King Duncan strongly believed in witchcraft and had gone through many plots to remove him from his Throne. The king liked the idea of the play and so it was set up in Scotland. Macbeth was a loyal, honest, noble warrior to King Ducan before the he had meet the witch's, who told him that he would be Thane (Lord) of Cawdor and later the King. Driven by faithfulness to the Scotich King Duncan, his own greedy ambition leads to him killing King Duncan to guarantee his own destiny. The play appealed to the audience in the 17th century as they believed in the divine right of the king and in the evil stereotype of witches. The Witches played an important role in the play because their prophecies in Act I, Scene 3 and Act IV, Scene 1 supplied Macbeth with motivation for his actions. They never lied to him but they only told him a part of the truth. Macbeth has comprehended there comments the wrong way, and did actions which were

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Macbeth Act III.

Rob Smith 4/8/03 English 4* Glossary Macbeth Act III . Personification: A figure of speech in which inanimate objects or abstractions are endowed with human qualities or are represented as possessing human form 2. Example: What man dare, I dare. Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear." - Macbeth, Act III, Scene Four, Line 100) 3. Function: The comparison between a Russian Bear and Macbeth himself represents boldness. After having he audacity to question Macbeth's existence as a man, Lady Macbeth and her husband have a lengthy quarrelsome encounter. She reminds him that his visions, such as the air-born dagger, have been his wild imagination and she attempts to convince him that this is similar. . Alliteration: The repetition at close intervals on the initial consonant sound of accented syllables of important words 2. Example: "Shall raise such artificial sprites as by the strength of their illusion shall draw him on to his confusion he shall spurn ..." (Hecate, Act III, Scene 5, Line 30) 3. Function: The S alliteration emphasizes fear to Macbeth. In continuing verse, Hecate instructs the witches to meet her tomorrow morning at the pit of Acheron; also known as the gates of hell where Macbeth will join them to learn his future. She instructs them to bring their cauldrons and be ready to conjure up their magic spells. Hecate suggests that Macbeth will continue

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Macbeth And Lady Macbeth In Act 1

5th October 2001 Macbeth And Lady Macbeth In Act 1 In the first act of Macbeth, we learn many different things about both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. These include how they appear to other characters on stage, and also how they are with each other and when they are by themselves. Their true feelings are also revealed in their speech, but are hidden. It shows how they feel about other characters, each other, and the happenings of the act. We learn in different ways, by their hidden messages, by their soliloquies, by their asides, and also by what other characters sat about them at different times to different people. Within the first two scenes of the play, we don't see either Macbeth or Lady Macbeth. The audience don't actually meet Lady Macbeth until Act1 Scene five in which she receives Macbeth's letter. Before we meet either of the two main characters, we hear about them in one main way. Many of the other characters that know them tell as about them in conversion to other actors, which means we begin to make an image of them before we actually see them ourselves. These reports tell us about the "innocent flower" outlook of the characters, and us hearing of them via reports initially has great advantages. For Macbeth, it makes him seem mysterious and as we hear of his fight against MacDonwald in scene two, we can envision him as having a heroic status like the great

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Macbeth Act One

Discuss Shakespeare's dramatic technique in Act one scenes 1 to 7. The chief character of the play is Macbeth. He is first of all Thane of Glamis and then inherits the title thane of Cawdor from an executed traitor. Instigated by a prophecy from the Witches that he will become king, and urged on by his wife, he murders King Duncan, and has himself proclaimed king. To secure his position, he is driven to commit further criminal acts, and plunges his country into civil war. After he is killed in battle by Macduff he is described as a 'dead butcher'. The first scene is set on the 'moor' that is bleak and desolate. This scene is one of desolation and devastation. The desolate countryside metaphorically separates the humans from the Witches who are used to open the play to introduce the idea of fate and destiny. From the stage directions, the 'battlefield' creates a scene of death, carnage and destruction in line 4, 'when the battle's lost and won' and line 12 and 13, 'fair is foul and foul is fair' a paradox is offered. How can fair be foul? How a battle be lost and won? The Witches' chant in rhyming couplets and their speech is deliberately equivocal to create confusion in the mortals, as it is open t interpretation. He rhyming couplets give the effect of an incantation, while the thunder and lightning echo the noise of the battle. Similarly strange is thepaaradox that closes

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Lady Macbeth, the three witches and Macbeth

GSCE coursework assignment - Macbeth The play was set in 1040 in Scotland; it deals with the issues in his life that is still relevant today in order to fulfil his emission. Macbeth starts out as a national hero and co leader of the Scottish army, he quickly gains popularity. Until one day he receives a prophecy, which turns him on an evil rampage. Where he sets off in a killing spree to try and become king. However he has doubts and maybe even some regrets about his choices. It seems to mess with hiss head for example after he killed Duncan he keeps seeing what he thinks is his ghost, is he sane? Other characters include Lady Macbeth, the three witches, Banquo, Duncan, Malcolm and Mac duff. In total there are 32 characters. Lady Macbeth is a very strong minded character. She can be very ruthless at times; she is very supportive of her husband but can also push him into things. She has a strong influence on him when committing several murders. She knows what needs to be done to get the job done. This would be very different from the typical Shakespearian woman who would have been very quiet and little power over their husbands her opening soliloquy introduces her as a very strong character that will stand up and fight for what she believes in. if it had not been for lady Macbeth the murder of Duncan may not have went ahead as it was mainly her who put him up to it. She also

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Comparing Lady Macbeth in Act 1 & Act 5

Comparing Lady Macbeth in Act 1 & Act 5 The Task: Discuss Shakespeare's presentation of Lady Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 5 and Act 5 Scene 1 of 'Macbeth.' Account for the changes and differences you notice and suggest how a contemporary as well as a modern audience might respond to these scenes. Shakespeare's shortest and bloodiest tragedy, Macbeth tells the story of a brave Scottish general (Macbeth) who receives a prophecy from a trio of sinister witches that one day he will become king of Scotland. Consumed with ambitious thoughts and urged to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and seizes the throne for himself. He begins his reign wracked with guilt and fear and soon becomes a dictatorial ruler, as he is forced to commit more and more murders to protect him from hate and suspicion. The bloodbath swiftly propels Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to arrogance, madness, and death. Macbeth's wife is a deeply ambitious woman who desires for power and position. Early in the play she seems to be the stronger and more ruthless of the two, as she urges her husband to kill Duncan and seize the crown. After the bloodshed begins, however, Lady Macbeth falls victim to guilt and madness to an even greater degree than her husband. Her conscience affects her to such an extent that she eventually commits suicide. Interestingly, she and Macbeth are presented as being deeply in love, and

  • Word count: 2046
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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