Macbeth essay

The production of “Macbeth” on stage or screen can evoke significant problems because it is very important to convey internal sufferings of the main characters and their internal struggle. For instance, Macbeth is apparently not ready to murder the King, he undergoes certain internal struggle and it is only because of his wife he is persuaded to commit the evil act. Or else, it is possible to mention the remorse of Lady Macbeth and her sleepwalk. It is not enough to show her sleepwalking but it is important to uncover her internal world, her sufferings and remorse, while in the case of Macbeth it is even more difficult to do, especially on screen when dynamism of the film limits opportunities for a director to show emotions and internal sufferings of the main character. In this respect, it is important to emphasize that the play is full complexities and if a director decides to follow strictly the lead of Shakespeare, he will face a risk of making a film or performance a bit boring and stretched out. In fact, the mass audience may fail to understand such a performance or a film. In fact, the film or performance will be overwhelmed with complexities which slow down the dynamism of unfolding plot, which is important, especially for a film. On the other hand, cutting off all the complexities and riches of the play, “Macbeth” will become an almost trivial story of a regicide and the struggle for the power, while it will be difficult to show psychological effects of murders on people or convey such characteristics of characters as vanity, honesty, and others. In such a revealing of the internal world of the main characters will be the most serious challenge to a director.

Question 2

At first glance, “Macbeth” is quite a violent play, where murders are mainly directed for the one principal goal ”“ the throne, which the main characters crave for. However, it is important to distinguish honorable and dishonorable violence. To put it more precisely, Macbeth and his wife are apparently inclined to dishonorable violence. They are methodically exterminating all the obstacles on the way of Macbeth to the throne. They murder the king and other people who can be dangerous to Macbeth as a future king. In such a way, they violate all moral norms and act dishonorably. Their violent methods are immoral and their murders are motivated by the desire of taking the throne, i.e. by their vanity. In stark contrast, Macduff is motivated by a noble desire to revenge on the murderer of the king who usurped the throne. In such a context, his struggle against Macbeth which ends up with the execution of Macbeth is a kind of honorable violence because it looks like a punishment of a criminal by a noble man, devoted to his king and country. Therefore, his violent acts are manifestations of the honor and nobleness of Macduff.

In spite of numerous murders and bloodshed, “Macbeth” can be viewed as a plea for peace and human harmony because the author shows that practically all the murders were committed in vain. Macbeth was misled by witches and all his life turned out to be a failure, while the murders were absolutely senseless. In such a way, Shakespeare claims to reason and humanism of the audience.



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