Their faces are all disfigured, weathered and unsmiling with old, grey skin and high, and weary voices.
In Roman Polanski’s version, the witches’ movements say a lot about what they are doing. They all moved hunched up, with quick, shifty movements, not wanting to be seen and showing they are up to no good. The witches didn’t interact very much, they didn’t talk unless necessary, went about there business and said a few words at the end, where there was a pause before the name Macbeth for dramatic effect.
In the production by The Royal Shakespeare Company, the witches started moaning, howling, and then screaming as the priest chanted, up until the thunder strikes when they become suddenly silent and then talk about Macbeth.
The ways in which the witches are presented makes you immediately know that they are doing something evil and they come across evil.
In Roman Polanski’s version, one of the old witches with the hood doesn’t look like a women, but then doesn’t look like a man, it’s like she is inhuman.
Also, in The Royal Shakespeare Company’s version, the witch who can see the future looks drugged, making her look weirder.
The props used in Roman Polanski’s production, the hand, dagger, blood, rope, twisted stick and herbs, all signify death and rituals. The stick is the first thing you see, it is ugly and twisted like the witches.
Whereas in The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production there are no props used apart from a circle of chairs, maybe this is because the props are not as important as what is being said.
The surroundings, sound and lighting, all enhance the wickedness of the witches in both productions; they all show that they are up to no good.
In Roman Polanski’s version, the beach is well-lit but there is a feeling of emptiness and darkness even though the sun has risen, kind of like nature is responding to their evilness. There is a big comparison of colours, as the witches are very dark compared to the background, also, at the end of the scene the witches disappear into the mist, giving you the feeling that they don’t exist.
The sound is very eerie, like what the witches were doing, with bells at the beginning followed by high pitched, weird music. The music gets louder when the witches come into the picture, the first sound heard from the witches is a cough, signifying disease and illness. There is a lot of silence as the witches do their work, building suspense.
In the Royal Shakespeare Company’s version, the lighting creates shadows over the witches, putting them in darkness, while the priest is well-lit creating a contrast between good and bad.
The sound is like funeral music with an organ, signifying death. There is a silence after the thunder, building suspense, then slow music in a minor key.
The camera angles also enhance both productions and make a big difference.
In Roman Polanski’s production, a long shot is used showing the beach and the emptiness of the place. There is a close-up on the hand and the stick giving them meaning, the hand symbolising death and the stick symbolising evil. There are mid-angle shots on the witches during the ritual and the scene finishes on a long shot showing the witches disappearing into the mist.
In The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production, the scene starts with a high angle shot. Then low-angle shots of the witches making them seem more powerful than us, as well as separate shots giving a feeling of isolation.
Both productions have quite an effect on the audience; this has been achieved by the directors in different ways. Roman Polanski uses a lot of signifiers to get the messages across, which include the scenery, props and sound, whereas The Royal Shakespeare Company’s version is set out more as a play, using no props or scenery, apart from a circle of chairs and a black background.
