Macbeth

Hello everyone!

Last night, we saw Macbeth at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. I was quite looking forward to it because Macbeth is one of my favorite plays. However, this particular version of the production was quite interesting, and not in a good way. The first thing I noticed, was that the play began with the written version of Act I, Scene II where the audience finds out that the Thane of Cawdor was a traitor. Instead of the traditional opening scene with the Three Weird Sisters, they opted for that twist. Once the Weird Sisters appeared, we realized that the witches had been traded for children. I was quite disappointed to see that because, I think that removing the weird sisters, also removes the supernatural aspect. The play then becomes more of a psychological battle for Macbeth than a prophecy that will determine his actions. Additionally, the actor that the director chose for Macbeth, came off as a very weak character. It was difficult to believe that he had been a strong and devoted warrior, and as such, it was difficult to recognize the transformation from man to tyrant. Macbeth's friend Banquo, however, comes off as a very strong character that haunts Macbeth throughout the entire play.

The director was obviously attempting to create a very sinister atmosphere. The decision to murder MacDuff's children on stage was a particularly interesting decision. The murderers even took it a step further by killing two of the children and their mother, and escorting the young girl off stage. To our group, this suggested that the young girl must have been raped before being killed, which, is nowhere to be found in written version of the play. The feeling of doom for Macbeth and his characters heightened as the play went on. After each character was killed, the Porter (who also combined to play Satan as well) would open a door at the back of the stage for the character to walk through. This suggested that the doorway was some type of doorway to hell or damnation. Certainly, it led nowhere good. The play ended with Macbeth going through that door as a symbol that his tyranny had ended. Overall, I think the play was taken a bit too far and missed certain lines such as the all-time famous "Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble". The switch of the Weird Sisters for children was ultimately what disappointed me the most. However, Macbeth is not an easy show to direct or act, so that factor should be accounted for. Nonetheless, it was a nice evening with the group.

This morning, we spoke with the actor who plays the doctor in Macbeth. He examines Lady Macbeth when she develops sleep walking. He essentially confirmed our ideas on the sinister nature of the play and didn't really give us anything we hadn't already figured out but it was quite nice to speak with him. We have class in about an hour on The Merchant of Venice, which we see tonight at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Looking forward to it!!!

AL