Can One of the dilemmas facing a modern day director in the presentation of the witches is making them seem menacing to a modern day audience. In Shakespeare's Macbeth.
Can One of the dilemmas facing a modern day director in the presentation of the witches is making them seem menacing to a modern day audience. In Shakespeare's day witches were feared as they were believed to wield tremendous power and thus the stereotypical image of a witch would be enough to invoke genuine respect and fear in the audience. However, current audiences find the stereotypical image of witches more amusing than fearful therefore directors have incorporated different personalities to make sure the witches induce fear in the modern day audience. In the 1998 Channel 4 films version of Macbeth the witches are dressed in colourful mismatching garb this suggests that the witches would not have bought the clothes and that they are in fact someone else's that they have scavenged or stolen. This version is intended for a younger audience therefore their costume makes the witches seem more realistic because a modern day street hawker would evoke similar emotions (those of alarm and respect) in younger audiences to those evoked by stereotypical witches in Shakespeare's era. The age of the witches also differs when compared to the Animated Tales and Japanese version. The witches are more middle aged and much younger then the ones in the Animated Tales and Akiro Kurasawa versions. This is effective in giving making them seem more dangerous to modern day audiences as they
Describe in detail how I would if I had the chance direct Act2, scene 1, Macbeth - I will include lighting, camera angles and props.
In this essay I will describe in detail how I would if I had the chance direct Act2, scene 1. I will include lighting, camera angles and props. Act 2, scene 1 in Macbeth is probably one of the best scenes in the play, as it has pretty much everything in it that you would want in a tense situation such as this. Macbeth is about to commit the worst crime thinkable and nobody except for his wife has any idea. This is great on the part of Macbeth and he does very well to hide this from the rest of his supposed friends. The scene shows Macbeth cracking up under the pressure of the task at hand and I think this is great and I would definitely have Macbeth act the same way, as we all know he has mixed feelings about the crime. We know that Macbeth has been pressured a lot by his wife to go through with it as he had said he wants to back out. For me to direct this scene in the correct manner, then there would have to be a lot of repetition, emphasis on important words aswell as having many different camera angles. These three and other extras such as language will combine to put feeling and pain into you by sending it through Macbeth. You would hopefully feel in touch with his character more than ever. These advantages were not available for Shakespeare and there for it should be better watching it through the cameras and seeing the emotion close up. For the language used by
How are the scenes throughout Macbeth portrayed?
How are the scenes throughout Macbeth portrayed? The scene begins at dawn with a blood red sky creeping over a desolate beach, creating a strange eerie atmosphere. The red sky, traditionally symbolic of danger, stands as a warning of evil to come, as in the saying 'Red sky at night shepherds delight red sky in the morning shepherds warning.' The whole image is quite unnerving. A gnarled stick then emerges on the screen, it appears unnatural and disjointed having no apparent owner. The distorted form is reminiscent of a witches finger. Much of the scene is carried out in absolute silence, creating an atmospheric tension broken only by the cry of a seagull, reminiscent of the cry of a human child, a disturbing sound. Nearing the end of the scene music begins to evolve, it follows a disjointed atonal rhythm, denoting the presence of evil. The speech of the witches is in riddle form, they chant and at times speak in union asking rhetorical questions. Polanski has the last line and most dramatic line of the scene played first, 'fair is foul and foul is fair hover through the fog and misty air.' The latter line is particularly significant the witches on leaving appearing to float away, leaving no footprints in the ground, before being totally enclosed in the mist. It is asthough they are the bearers of the chaos the first line alludes to. The descending mist makes all that
Direct a production of Shakespeare's play "Macbeth" focusing in on act 1 scene 1.
In my assignment I am going to direct a production of Shakespeare's play "Macbeth" focusing in on act 1 scene 1 and comparing and contrasting two very different versions of the play "Macbeth". I am going to be looking at The BBC Shakespeare that is the "medieval and bleak" production and The Middle English Programme, which is the "modern, rural and abandoned" production. Two different people have directed both of these versions and they have both approached it in a way that I least expected them to, after reading the original script of the play "Macbeth" My task is to compare these two versions and to direct act 1 scene 1 in a way that I feel will enthral and excite my audience. Act 1 scene 1 being the opening scene of the play "Macbeth," needs to have a powerful and explosive opening, this will keep the audience curious and questioning what will happen next. The scene features 3 repulsive and gruesome witches who speak about a man named Macbeth. Macbeth is a Scottish play that is set in the 11th century in the late Victorian times in the era of Elizabethan times. The play itself is bloodthirsty and extraordinary yet it's a play that features great tragedy and greed. The play opens with three unsightly witches preparing to meet with Macbeth. Macbeth was a Scottish Lord, or Thane, who had recently defeated the Norwegian's army in battle. King Duncan was delighted with
Analyse each Directors choice of setting for the three films (all versions of Macbeth) - Explain what you think the director is trying to achieve in each case and how effective you believe him to have been - Refer to the idea you think the director has ab
Analyse each Directors choice of setting for the three films. Explain what you think the director is trying to achieve in each case and how effective you believe him to have been. Refer to the idea you think the director has about the play. In this essay I will analyse the opening scenes of three versions of Macbeth. The three versions are directed by Orson Welles, Michael Bogdanov and Trevor Nunn. Each expert in their directorial field. The directors brought their own interpretations of Shakespeare's Macbeth. The main feature of Orson Well's interpretaion was the use of black and white film. A feature of Michael Bogdanov's version was the modern set. He chose to bring the story into the twentieth century and chose a set which reflected this. Trevor Nunn's interpretation although on film was actually like a theatre production. In the following paragraphs I intend to show how the directors use of Lighting, set, costume, camera shots, pace, mood and script for the opening scenes will set the tone of the play. The Michael Bogdanov setting has to be the strangest of the lot instead of a dark and misty day, which we expect it, opens with a bright hazy day this confuses us because we expect the opening to be much more moody and dramatic to reflect the evil in the play. There is a panning shot of a junkyard then we zoom down into it where the opening scenes are set. By
Show how two different directors present the opening/witches scenes.
Macbeth William Shakespeare Show how two different directors present the opening/witches scenes. We watched two different versions of Macbeth. One was the BBC Shakespeare and the other one was a production called Middle English! While both productions told the story of the original play by William Shakespeare they were different in a number of ways. The BBC Shakespeare presents a traditional version of Macbeth. The director starts with a long shot of a bleak, empty landscape. As the camera zooms in it starts to focus on a granite platform with three objects lying on top. The rock-like platform is bathed in swirling mists and there is a greyish lighting used with occasional flashes of light to represent lighting. There are also loud percussion noises to represent thunder. This is because in Shakespeare's play the opening scene has stage directions for a storm and the first lines spoken by the witches also support this idea "When shall we three meet again in thunder, lighting, or in rain. As the camera goes in for a close up the mysterious shapes begin to move. Along with their slow movements they start to unfold and to rise and the music increases in volume and pitch as if reflecting the movement of the shapes. It soon becomes clear that these bundles of rags are in fact women. They are the weird sisters or witches in the play and they are shown in this version as old and
Macbeth - Act five scene, 8
Macbeth Literature assignment. For my literature assignment I have chosen act five scene, 8. I have chosen this scene because it is the final result of the play. From what the witches said in the first act 'fair is foul and, foul is fair'. By Macduff winning his fight against Macbeth puts the play back on track. I have also chosen this scene because this is where Macbeth, the main character gets killed and loses the throne to Macduff. My scene is going to be staged in a boxing ring. The fight in scene 8 between Macbeth and Macduff will be based on Rahman and Lewis, which will be later this year. Earlier this year Rahman and Lewis had already fought. The titles changed as Rahman won by a lucky left hook. The boxing match will be this year so the language that the actors speak will be modern. The boxing match would go on until Macduff wins by knock out. About five rounds. At the beginning of the scene, you will think that Macbeth is winning but then it starts to change as Macduff retaliates, and knocks Macbeth out and becomes king. This is refereeing to the Lewis and Rahman fight as Lewis will win and becomes the king of the world. William Shakespeare wrote this play for King James of Scotland. So I'm writing my play for Don King because he is intressted in boxing and knows a lot about boxing so he would find it amusing, rather than doing the play for someone who does not
How does the director appeal to the emotions of the viewers in the Sixth Sense
How does the director appeal to the emotions of the viewers in the Sixth Sense In the film the Sixth Sense a young boy named Cole has paranormal contact with the dead. He can see things that other people cannot, namely the ghosts of the dead walking around him. The scene which I have chosen to analyse to answer my title is the scene where he is at school and brings up facts about what used to go there like people being hanged and eventually he erupts at this former pupil now teacher who used to have the nickname Stuttering Stanley. Cole brings back this fact about him from the ghosts of the people he sees. The teacher had lost his stutter but Cole brings it back.coec ecr seececw orec eck inec foec ec. At the start of the scene the teacher is talking in a very confident voice, he is very assertive and calm. The camera angle also reflects this as it is set at the back of the class from the perspective of a pupil, it shows all the pupils looking at the teacher. This acts as a total contrast to what he used to be like when he had his stutter. This also makes the end of the scene seem more emotional as we see the teacher lose his temper by smashing down on the table and begin stuttering. Durkheim obfuscated 's realism . Throughout the scene a boy is writing lines on a blackboard. The image and sounds that this can create are put to good use to add to the meaning and to create
The presentation of the witches in the opening scenes is crucial to the atmosphere of Macbeth. Compare how act 1, scenes (1) and (3) are presented in two different versions of the play. Which do you feel makes the greater dramatic impact? Explain why.
The presentation of the witches in the opening scenes is crucial to the atmosphere of Macbeth. Compare how act 1, scenes (1) and (3) are presented in two different versions of the play. Which do you feel makes the greater dramatic impact? Explain why. Shakespeare is known all over the world for his advanced techniques in writing plays and the one I am studying is Macbeth. Macbeth was written for James the first, and was written because he was interested in witchcraft. In the 17th century witchcraft was frowned upon to say the least, and most people who practised witchcraft were burned at the stake. This was because society couldn't handle witchcraft; they were frightened of it. But nowadays people understand witchcraft and don't see it as a threat; they almost see it as thrilling and interesting. There have been many different interpretations and productions of the play and the two I have chosen are the BBCs version and a modern play by Anne Ross Muir. The BBC production was an old fashioned version and was set in medieval Scotland in the 11th century and followed a more traditional style. The version directed by Anne Ross Muir followed a modern route in trying to make the play more understandable. This was achieved by making the play have modern qualities, which people can relate to The BBCs was set in Scotland, at the time of war, when the monarchy was not a stable
Look closely at Act 1. Explore the effects of the supernatural and how the Elizabethan audience would respond to such evocations of witchcraft. - Macbeth
Look closely at Act 1. Explore the effects of the supernatural and how the Elizabethan audience would respond to such evocations of witchcraft. In the Elizabethan time period, religion played a huge part of societies everyday life, and witchcraft was a major part of the cultures belief, it was thought to be evil, and many people paid the price of death for others accusing them of being witches, so it was a delicate subject for the people of the time. 'Macbeth' focuses around this and uses the people's beliefs to good effect, knowing that they would be drawn to the play and would easily be able to relate back to it, which is what made the tale so popular to begin with. The opening scene sets up an early undercurrent to the whole play, and sets the scene, three witches, gathered around a cauldron, what could be more perfect to play on the minds of the people. The dark atmosphere, the mysteriousness is all around, an evil presence is all about, a spell is being cast on the soon to pass, unsuspecting Macbeth, the second witch begins to chant, 'when the battle has been won and lost' this evokes puzzlement and wonder amongst the audience, what does this mean, how is a battle to be won and lost, the audience is led to believe that this refers to a physical battle concerning Macbeth, but closer attention to detail would lead the audience into the mental battle that Macbeth must