Macbeth critique

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorHigh School, 12th grade February 2008

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Macbeth Critique The Polanski version of Shakespeare's Macbeth was done in a style that represented the historical, social, and Shakespearean method well. The play and the movie are graphic because that was the Middle Ages. Shakespeare lived in the feudal system. Many of the acts that happened within the play could have been placed in this Dark Age setting easily. For our period, these things would be thought of as graphic.

First, we find that this play is very graphic in it's portrayal. Things such as the nudity and violence are shocking to modern American society while at that time they were almost common place. The nudity of the witches is realistic from that time to now as it includes the ceremonies of modern witchcraft. Witches do their ceremonies in the nude because of their religion, nudity being the most natural state of humanity and their religion being that of worshipping the earth.

The violence, on the other hand, was very graphic. The obvious rape shown in the destruction of Macduff's house was more than necessary to show what was happening in the play. Even the culminating scene of Macbeth' s death was very violent, however, it would be quite historically accurate.

The next point is that of the setting. It is seen in the setting that this is a dark movie. The sets are dark and brooding to show the feeling that a tragedy such as Macbeth should exude. The background setting, meaning the castles and sets, were done to the period very well. They showed of the medieval feudal society method of doing things. The kings and serfs and acting was good in that respect.

The last point to be brought up is the acting over all. The acting did its job in getting the theme and...