Give detailed description of Polanskis treatment of Act One Scene One of Macbeth. State how effective you found this realisation.
Roman Polanskis version of Shakespeares Macbeth is very different in interpretation of Act I Scene I. He made many changes in opening scene. When comparing Roman Polanskis version of Macbeth with the original text written by William Shakespeare we can see that his work is in keeping with Shakespeare to a an extant however Polanski adds innovations to show of the more natural side of the witches which is more realistic to the modern audience. Although William Shakespeare wrote the play circa 1603 (for King James) the plays is set in the Dark Age Scotland. Polanski uses this and sets his film around this era unlike other directors who have set their films in Jacobean times when it was written, this makes Polanskis version more credible. The essential theme form Macbeth is tragedy.
The importance of witches is established in the opening scene. Even the first stage direction, thunder and lightening. Enter three witches is appropriate as many people around Shakespeares times blamed witches for the conjuring of storms, this is pathetic fallacy. However in the written play script this scene was set on a heath in a duel. In the DVD Polanski set this scene on the beach, with clear sky. It is ironic, because beaches are normally associated with happy memories and the place where you go to have a fun. The fact that this first scene being set on a desert beach have relevance to the plays character, because Macbeth like desert at the end of play was totally alone, without any friends. Roman Polanski added to the mystery, magic and suspense of written play by using e.g. strange noises, the way character act, body language and makes the audience questions about the mystery hand. We should also think about the way in which scene was shot. In long shot we can see at beginning all beach and also seagull in the sky which make crying and weeping noises. In close-up shot first is a stick until the witches stop talking. It make viewer felt involved, uneasy and quite frightened.
Polanski introduces us with a red, blood coloured scene. It is very effective scene and we can find there a double meaning. First meaning is this introduces represents blood, love, romance and happiness it could be related to the Macbeth and lady Macbeth love and marriage. Second meaning is death and evilness and it could be related to the deaths in the play which are: King Duncan, The Guards, Bankquo and Macdoffs family. It could be also related to the deaths of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth on the ending the play. Generally atmosphere in the opening scene is frightening, eerie, sinister ghostly, evil and scary. Complement of all atmospheres make the very effective sound that we can hear in the background which are bagpipes it suggest to us that the play is set in Scotland.
The first movement that viewer can see is stick, which look like long creepy, witches finger. Three witches carve a circle on the sand which represents satanic, ritual. Significant that something happened there before. Then we can see close-up on their hands. The hands of three witches represent stick, because they are long and crooked. After that we can see witches appearance. Two witches are very old , one of them is young, they are ugly. We can also suggest that hands are significant in the play. Macbeths hands it could represent Macbeth after kills King Duncan will all great Neptune ocean wash this blood clear from hand. However Lady Macbeths hands are very significant with her character. In that she was constantly obsessed with washing off blood from them.
When witches kneel in triangle shape. Roman Polanski was trying to create forth with audience, leaving the space and trying to involve viewer. When they kneeling they audience asking are they looking for something or are they want to put there something. At this point we can feel very involved. After this action the witches placed three objects in the dug at hole. A noose first of all, then forearm and the last was dagger. The noose associated with deaths, this could me related to execution of the Thane of Cawdor at the beginning of the play. The forearm could be associated with dagger or with loosing lin the war, could be the killing of King Duncan. The hole is then covered with sand it have effect of hiding the objects. The sand adds mystery and suspend. We can see that one of the witches do not speak at all. Another witch uppers to be blind. The final witch may be deaf, as she appeared to be lip reading. It is significant of hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil. After chant the three witches split three times in a shape of triangle. The number three is a superstitions number and significant. The witches plan to meet again when shawl we three meet again. The audience at this point in the play might think about questions like how did the know Macbeth, why they want to meet him?. When the witches wonder off the youngest witch put her arm around the oldest witch and they went away. The other witch went away by her own. We can also see their shadow in the sand. It confirm to us that they humans and this is innovation added by Roman Polanski to show us more natural side of witches. At the end of this scene the audience are given time to think. It is very effective because audience start to think and reflect about this scene.
Pola?ski has been successful to a large extent in injecting a fresh approach to this Shakespearian play. His unusual tactics and methods have been very affective. I can see by his interpretation of act 1 scene1 that Pola?ski knows how to grab his audience's attention, retain it and create knife-edge suspence. I think highly of, and marvel at Pola?ski's techniques, he has used great detail to make his audience feel a vital part or even a role player in this act. Pola?ski has creditably and successfully, using cinematography, brought Shakespeare's Macbeth to life and has made it more appealing to me and a twenty first century audience.
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