“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
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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
“I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o'erlaps itself and falls on th’ other-” (Shakespeare 321). Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth portrays many characters with high aspirations that not only shape the plot and action of the story, but also the themes. Additionally, the intentions of the characters and the intensity of their pursuit varies as the action of the play progresses. Throughout The Tragedy of Macbeth, main characters exemplify the positive and negative influence of ambitions through their thoughts, traits, actions, and motivations.
Personal power has the capability to be essential to greatness, and is also able to destroy a person nature. In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, ambition takes a toll on destruction of power that goes unchecked. It is mostly displayed in the one of the main characters, Macbeth. Macbeth is a prime example throughout this play of the horrible effects that ambition can have on someone who lacks a strong character. However, some people feel that Macbeth is an evil person, but he is badly qualified for the consequences of time mentally. Throughout this play ambition is displayed as a dangerous quality and triggers a series of deaths.
Ambition is often the driving force in one’s life. It can have an extremely dominant impact on not only yourself, but also many people in your surroundings. You have the ability to control if the outcomes either have a lasting negative or positive effect. When a goal requires determination and hard work to complete, personal morals often take a back seat to the aspiration of accomplishing the goal. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, it is clear that like many other great leaders, Macbeth exemplifies the necessary leadership virtue of ambition. Macbeth’s ambition does not just drive him to do great things. It in fact controls him. The playwright explores the idea of how an individual’s ambition can cause them to deceive others, make irrational
Through the manipulation of gazes, viewers of Rupert Goold’s film are able to experience the thoughts and consciousness of Macbeth. As what critic Ben Brantley describes as “raw susceptibility,” Lady Macbeth foreshadows danger through Macbeth’s poses.
Lady Macbeth had a very powerful hold over Macbeth. Just by questioning his valor she could shift Macbeth’s whole thought process and second-guessing of the murder of Duncan (Booth, 24), and he allows it because he cannot bear to disappoint her. His love for her and need for her approval is what ultimately leads him to commit each and every one of his crimes. She is the center of his world and if she does not see a problem in the murders than why should he. This is naïve ignorance caused by a blindness that is induced by love, and that is both heart breaking and tragic.
In Macbeth, Shakespeare sets the themes of seduction, ambition, and deception amid a correlating backdrop, whether you are giving chase on a battlefield, standing in foul weather, or seeing apparitions of bloody daggers we sense danger from the opening act. The play commences with ominous
In Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, destruction is wrought when ambition goes rampant by moral constraints. “Macbeth” amplifies the fight amidst good vs evil, analyzing the psychological effects of King Duncan's murder. This tragedy concerned the plunge of a great man (King) from his position of nobility to humility on behalf of his ambitious pride. This pride causes the downfall of Macbeth that triggers a series of deaths down the line. Ambition is the driving force of the play.
Prior to deciding whether or not conflict is central to the dramatic development of MACBETH, one must consider all the dramatic factors that contribute to the Shakespearean play. The gradual decline of the protagonist , the role portrayed by characters and the order in which the events occur, greatly influence the direction in which the development of the play takes place. After reading the text MACBETH, by Shakespeare and viewing the film version, directed by Roman Polanski, it is logical to see that ambition and the deceptive appearances of what really is, is central to the dramatic development of
Lady Macbeth is a complex and intriguing character in Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth. She is a difficult character to embody as her personality seems split between two sides, one that is pure evil, sly and conniving in contrast to her softer, vulnerable, weak and feminine side. In the play we see her in these two main ways. The reader may feel a certain animosity towards Lady Macbeth throughout the first few acts as her personality appears more and more distasteful, in spite of this towards the end she has a serious breakdown over the guilt that torments her, even in her sleep, regarding her hand in Duncan’s untimely death.
In the case of Macbeth, William Shakespeare presents how his blind ambition gets the worst of him, and eventually results to his failure and death. Throughout the novel, it is shown how Macbeth has three major qualities that drove his blind ambition, which all led to consequences whether it be the loss of friends and family, or the loss of his own moral standards. In attempt to achieve all that is possible, Macbeth tragically lost all he had. Shakespeare effectively portrays the negatives of blind ambition, and how it may lead to one’s downfall. Blind ambition is a consuming quality that can drastically affect one’s life, but it is upon the person to either control it and use ambition for good, or to take advantage of the desire and use it towards one’s own selfish
In the film Macbeth, Kate Fleetwood (actress for Lady Macbeth) reinforces the verbal rhetoric by using visual rhetoric such as altering her tone of voice while using facial expressions to seem desperate. Lady Macbeth exhibits strong rhetoric appeals because she knows the way around Macbeth’s head. For example, after the dinner party for Duncan’s arrival, Macbeth decides to not murder the king, but Lady Macbeth replied to him by saying, “That made you break this enterprise to me?-When you durst do it, then you were a man;-And to be more than what you were, you would- be so much more the man” (I. vii. 55-58).
Ambition and its impact on self and others greatly differ from one individual to another. In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is a character that is negatively influenced and controlled by his desire of becoming King of Scotland. His greed to achieve utmost power and authority upon the citizens of Scotland motivates him into killing Duncan. As Macbeth’s character starts to develop, he is seen as someone whose ambition corrupts his thinking and forces him to lose his sense of morality. After achieving his goal of becoming King, Macbeth’s ambition forces him to turn selfish and start to care less for his nation and more towards protecting his throne. When one allows their ambition to take control over them, it results in their
In the play, “Macbeth”, by William Shakespeare and the film, A Simple Plan, directed by Sam Raimi, both prominent female roles display similar situations and attributes, Sarah from A Simple Plan and Lady Macbeth from “Macbeth” are supposed to demonstrate a comparable person. In “Macbeth”, Lady Macbeth is very persuasive by convincing her husband to kill King Duncan so they could gain control of Scotland. The first two prophecies Macbeth receives from three supernatural beings turn out to be true, the third and final prophecy is that Macbeth will become king, once Lady Macbeth hears of this she stopped at nothing to have him follow through with this revelation. One way Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to kill the king is by challenging his man hood and saying, “When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man.
Many Shakespearian dramas, like Macbeth, are inspired by the ancient Greek notion of tragedy and the fall of man; much of which is powered by one’s lust for greater gains. Correspondingly, the play reveals how ambition creates the capability of deteriorating a man’s morality and world. This is presented through the titular character and his “dearest partner of greatness” (P. 23) and the consequences of their actions.
Lady Macbeth at this point has a stronger inner conviction and uses very powerful antilife phrases in an effort to persuade the evil spirits to make Macbeth kill Duncan.