Macbeth

MacBeth versions comparison essay

There are many differences between interpretations of William Sh
akespeare's MacBeth. This essay wall contrast Shakespeare's original version and a movie version by
Roman Polanski produced in 1970. Three major differences will be discussed.
One difference between
Shakespeare's and Polanski's version is the absence of the scene in England in Polanski's version.
In the Original MacBeth, MacDuff goes to England to convince Malcolm to return and fight MacBeth.
The scene of the longest of the play; it is very drawn out and lengthy. Polanski simply eliminates
this scene and shows Malcolm back in Scotland. The reason I feel that Polanski did this is that the
scene detracts from the continuity and action of the play. The play is equally effective without t
he scene, and more streamlined.
Another difference between the original and Polanski's version is th
e scene where MacBeth kills the king, Duncan. In the original, Shakespeare was not allowed to show
the death of a divine right ruler, so he showed MacBeth coming out of the king's bedchamber after he
had committed the murder. For Polanski's version, however, he had no such limitation, and could sh
ow anything that he chose, so he showed the actual murder of Duncan, where Duncan wakes up, and MacB
eth cuts his throat after stabbing him. The reason that Polanski inserted this scene was to show ho
w cold-blooded MacBeth was, and that he would do anything to achieve his goal of becoming king.
A th
ird difference is the use of the letter that MacBeth writes to his wife describing how he has become
Thane of Cawdor and the witches' three predictions. In the original, the letter was read by Lady M
acBeth, and then not mentioned again. In Polanski's version, Lady MacBeth takes out the letter afte
r everything with her and her husband's plan has gone wrong, reads it, and then kills herself. The
reason that Polanski did this is that the letter is a useful device to cause... [continues]

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