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Bogdanov And Goold Analysis

Decent Essays

“Thou wouldst be great, art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it.” (Shakespeare 23) In their adaptations of William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, directors Michael Bogdanov and Rupert Goold depict the possible detrimental effects of ambition and the subsequent guilt that follows once the task is carried out.
Both Bogdanov and Goold have projected their films into a time period well beyond Shakespeare’s age of the late 1600’s. The 1998 film appears to be set in a post-apocalyptic environment reminiscent of the 90’s, while the 2010 film takes place during World War II.
The two films portray Lady Macbeth as the deuteragonist and antagonist who assists Macbeth in his brutal quest to become king. As Lady Macbeth persuades …show more content…

In Bogdanov’s interpretation, the actress’ firmness in the dialogue between her and Macbeth emphasizes her goal of persuasion. As sufficient as this portrayal represents Lady Macbeth’s drive to get her husband to a higher rank--especially in her dramatic facial expressions--Greta Scacchi portrays more concern for Macbeth rather than pure hostility. This personally lessens the impact of her speech, as it does not fully embody the potential evils of ambition. On the other hand, in Rupert Goold’s film, Kate Fleetwood’s angry and harsh delivery elevates to a taunting level. Despite the quick change in emotion from angry to melancholy near the end of her speech, Fleetwood’s sharp tone and raised voice contribute to the compelling utterance of her dialogue with Macbeth. When Macbeth inquires what the consequences of their possible failure may entail in Bogdanov’s version, Scacchi acts surprised and incredulous that Macbeth would ever consider the possibility of failure. As opposed to Scacchi, Kate Fleetwood acts much more outraged at what she considers to be Macbeth’s cowardice, completely and quickly dismissing the mere prospect of unsuccessfully carrying out the plan by snapping at Macbeth, “But screw your courage to the sticking-place, and we’ll not fail” (28). Goold possibly wants to convey the worst parts of Lady Macbeth’s ambition right away, whereas Bogdanov wishes to build up …show more content…

The pivotal factor that indicates the strong impact a film has on a viewer stems from the extent of which an individual feels a connection towards a character. The Lady Macbeth of Goold’s interpretation undergoes a large yet gradual transition from highly motivated to highly depressed. In contrast, viewers of Bogdanov’s film observe that Lady Macbeth experiences her development quite rapidly. Ultimately, I feel more pity for Goold’s version of Lady Macbeth. If she had not ended her life, perhaps she would no longer be ashamed to “wear a heart so white”(35) after realizing how negatively her actions affect not only her, but Macbeth himself. Goold’s film acts as “the very painting” (52) of one’s emotional evolution, one that serves as a picturesque illustration to admire again and

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