Macbeth by william shakespear

Macbeth by William Shakespeare Year 10 GCSE English Coursework: Media Compare the two films of Macbeth. How do they differ and in what ways are they similar? Which film do you prefer and why? William Shakespeare wrote Macbeth the play. Many directors in their own style have interpreted this play. I will be comparing two films played by different directors. Different directors make the two films. The two films are based on the same story but the differences occur in the way each director has interpreted the text. The traditional style of Macbeth was done by Roman Polanski and the modern version was done by Penny Woolcock. The traditional version was made in 1979 and the modern BBC vision was made in 1997. The traditional version was made in Scotland and the modern version was set in Ladywood in Birmingham. The actors used in the traditional version were pretty famous and known but in the modern version ordinary people who have little knowledge of acting play the characters.

Macbeth Consulting the Vision of the Armed Head. B...

English: Poster of Thos. W. Keene in William Shake...

[Edinburgh from the castle, Scotland] (LOC)

The traditional version was made for a worldwide audience and to be put on cinema. The modern version was made for the BBC to be put directly on TV for England.

Both films tell a story of Macbeth. Three witches prophecy that he will be King and this leads him to kill Duncan the King of Scotland. He becomes more and more involved in murder and terrible deeds. He arranges for his friend Banquo to be murdered because he is afraid that Banquo's after sons will become Kings. Macbeth goes back to the witches who tell him that "no man of woman born will harm him"and until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane (his castle) he will not be harmed. Macbeth gets so obsessed with this prophecy that he has Macduff's wife...