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Introduction

How would you, as a director, guide an actress in her portrayal of Lady Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 5? How would you then change our perception in Act 5 Scene 1? Who is Lady Macbeth? During the play her character status and role is completely reversed, from being an evil and power thirsty witch like character, to an insane and conscience character. Lady Macbeth intrigues us because her character is somewhat how women can act in today's society but in Elizabethan times this would be a completely new view on how woman could behave. This is why I'm going to be looking over her character in full detail and as a director choose how I would like to convey Lady Macbeth to a 20th century audience. The first time we lay eyes on Lady Macbeth she is reading the letter Macbeth had sent to her. This scene is made just to show what Lady Macbeth's reaction is, and what kind of person she is when alone, the first impression of her. The letter is used as a draught device to do this. While reading the letter I want her to start to smile and grin more as she reads on with each line getting happier. Especially at the "Hail, king that shalt be". To stage this scene I would place it in a red room where she would be sitting down on a stool in an upright manner. I do this because in her speech we find her agreeing with the witches, "shalt be What thou art promis'd", this is showing that without a doubt she believes the witches. ...read more.

Middle

But she would still have emotion showing that she is still human. After this soliloquy I want fog to immerse her to represent the evil that is folding around her and I want the lights to go out. When the lights come back on I want her to be in perfect condition, like it had never had happened. This is when Macbeth will enter. In this first section of the play there are certain words I need the actress to put extra emphasis on. We know that Lady Macbeth is controlling, evil, power-hungry, and a temptress. This is why during this scene I want her to say "Thus thou must do, if thou have it" hissing the words, and grinning slightly to herself. This represents how she is plotting her evil ways to kill Duncan. Also when she says "bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower But be the serpent under 't" I want her to have one hand on Macbeth's face tracing over it and another hand around his waist, very close into him. I want her to make serpent loud and very clear for it is very important. Elizabethans are very religious as noted before, but the serpent is a representation of the serpent in Adam and Eve. Where it deceives Eve and makes her eat the apple. Elizabethans would be fearful of snakes and they would have dark and evil aspects associated with this animal. Which is why their must be great emphasis on it. I do this to emphasize her control over Macbeth, by touching him and to show him how to manipulate his face, but also how she uses her sexuality to make him do so. ...read more.

Conclusion

Oh! Oh!", which related to what Macbeth had said before "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incardine, Making the green one red." I perceive this as a very sad scene. The Doctor's last words in the scene make us pity Lady Macbeth. Elizabethans would have seen Lady Macbeth almost as a devil, today even we would have seen Lady Macbeth particularly evil, but in this scene this perception of her transforms into pity and sorrow for her. We see her being tortured by her wrong doing. The Doctor says "Still keep eyes upon her", he talking about God to take care of her and to forgive her of her wrong doing and make her soul at peace. The Doctor knows what she has done, for Lady Macbeth in her dream state is spilling the murder. Even with this he asks for God to look down upon her and protect her from herself. These lines he speaks would have to be much emphasized with a lot of sadness in his tone of voice. Perhaps after his lines Lady Macbeth could drop to her knees and start frantically rubbing her hands with desperation to further make the audience have a touch of heart for Lady Macbeth. All though I think today's audience might only slightly pity Lady Macbeth, while in Elizabethan's times not at all. Elizabethan's would be glad that Lady Macbeth is in pain and is suffering from her wrong doing, and they would of thought that if you do evil, God will punish you. ?? ?? ?? ?? Lady Macbeth Essay, English Marilyn Rae Myers 10P ...read more.

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