Analysing Macbeth’s death

I believe trevor nunn’s version of Macbeth presents the witches to be most powerful in the part of the scene where the withces out do the praying people with their cultish talking, screaming and moaning.

Polanksi’s Version is also powerful in some ways, some of these include the way he made the witches put an arm, and a dagger in a hole and then tipped blood all over it, gave the impression that they may be pysichally powerful, but not as much metally, or magically, being witches.

I thought Geoffery Wrights version was sort of powerful, mainly from the use of pyhsical power, when the 3 witches (or girls as presented) deface the graveyard and taunt the dj in the disco hall place.

Overall I think Trevor Nunn’s Version Is Most Powerful

I think Trevor Nunn’s version of Macbeth presents the witches to be most powerful mainly through the part of the scene when they out do the praying with their evil, sort of cultish chanting, talking, moaning and screaming.

Polanksi’s version of macbeth proved second most powerful to me, mostly when the three witches dug the hole on the beach, put in an arm, a dagger, and some other things, then covered it back up and poured blood over it. this is more mental strength to me than any other.

Wrights version didnt seem very strong to me and it really only suggested that the three girls were pshycially powerful, it showed this when the three defaced the graveyard, then left, then later, seduced the DJ in the disco place.

ai

I thought macbeths death in polanksis was the best. mainly because of the beheading, but also the fact that macbeth thought he had beaten him when he took the other guys sword. The other guy then came back witha log and smacked him around a bit, then finally stabbed him with his sword ( which he picked up) and then beheaded him.

The other portrayals of Macbeths death were also good. Wrights was probably second best, because it was very differnt to the other ones. Wrights version i did not like very much, as it was difficult to understand.

Overall Polanksi’s was the best.

NUNN’S MACBETH DEATH
IT APPEARS THAT MACBETH IS A VILLAIN IN NUNN’S VERSION OF MACBETH. THE MUSIC IS CHURCH BELLS AND AN ORGAN. THESE GIVE THE EFFECT OF SOUNDING LIKE A FUNERAL HOWEVER, THESE SOUNDS OCCUR BEFORE HIS DEATH. INITIALLY, MACBETH REFUSES TO FIGHT MACDUFF WHEN HE HEARS THAT MACDUFF “WAS NOT BORN OF WOMAN”. HE SAYS “I’LL NOT FIGHT WITH THEE”. THIS DECISION DOES NOT CHANGE UNTIL MACDUFF CALLS HIM A COWARD AND MACBETH’S PRIDE SURFACES. MACBETH APPEARS TO BE CRAZY WHEN HE REALISES THAT HIS TIME HAS COME TO AN END AND DOES NOT FIGHT GALLANTLY.
WE DO NOT SEE MACBETH KILLED – IT IS UNWORTHY TO BE SEEN. MACDUFF SAYS TO THE OTHERS, AFTER HE HAS KILLED MACBETH, THAT “THE TIME IS FREE”. THIS INDICATES THAT THEY WERE PREVIOUSLY RULED BY A VILLAIN WHO ENTRAPPED HIS COUNTRY WITH HIS OWN AMBITION.
THE SCENE IS FILMED LIKE A STAGE PRODUCTION. IT IS IN BLACK AND WHITE WITH VERY FEW LIGHTS. THESE LIGHTS CAST ENORMOUS SHADOWS OVER THE FACES OF THE ACTORS AND CREATE SUSPICION AND SUSPENSE. THE COSTUMES ARE PREDOMINATELY BLACK WITH VERY FEW SHADES OF GREY.
THE BLOODY SWORD, USED TO KILL MACBETH, IS HELD NEXT TO THE CROWN AT THE END OF THE SCENE TO SHOW THAT NOW THAT THIS BLOOD HAS BEEN SPILT, THE CROWN IS NOW FREE AND NOT GOVERNED BY A VILLAIN.

POLANSKI’S MACBETH DEATH
IT APPEARS THAT MACBETH IS A HERO IN POLANSKI’S MACBETH. HE DECENDS THE STAIRS TOWARDS MACDUFF AND IN DOING SO IS LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD. THE FIGHTING IS VERY INNOCENT AND CHILD LIKE, THEREFORE LEADING THE VIEWER AWAY FROM THINKING OF MACBETH AS A VILLAIN.
THE CAMERA STAYS PREDOMINANTLY IN ONE SPOT THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE SCENE. IT PANS ACROSS THE SCENE IN A CIRCLE, LEADING THE VIEWER TO FEEL TRAPPED IN AN ENDLESS CIRCLE THAT IS INESCAPABLE. MACBETH’S LINES ARE SPOKEN WITH PRIDE, EVEN AFTER HE REALISES THAT MACDUFF CAN KILL HIM.
WHEN HE UNDERSTANDS THAT HE WILL BE KILLED, HE IS SCARED BUT STILL DETERMINED TO FIGHT GALLANTLY UNTIL THE END. HE WILL NOT BOW DOWN AND BE RULED BY ANOTHER. HIS CROWN IS KNOCKED OFF DURING THE FIGHTING BUT HE PICKS IT UP AGAIN, GIVING THE IDEA THAT HE WILL STILL HAVE HIS POWER UNTIL HIS DEATH AND WILL NOT SACRIFICE IT UNTIL FORCED TO DO SO. THIS IS ALSO SEEN WHEN HE CLIMBS UP THE STAIRS BEFORE HE DIES.
MACBETH IS SURROUNDED BY HIS ENEMIES WHEN HE DIES AND IS ONLY KILLED WHEN HE FALLS BACKWARD ONTO MACDUFF’S SWORD. THIS GIVES THE AUDIENCE THE IDEA OF A HERO, FIGHTING AT ALL COSTS. THE CROWN STAYS ON MACBETH’S HEAD, EVEN WHEN HE IS DECAPITATED AND HE DOES NOT FALL DOWN THE STAIRS (FROM POWER) UNTIL HE HAS BEEN KILLED.
THERE IS VERY LITTLE MUSIC IN THIS SCENE AND IT IS A LOT MORE COLOURFUL THAN THE OTHER VERSIONS. THESE COLOURS ARE HOWEVER VERY DULL.
MACBETH APPEARS AS A HERO IN THIS VERSION OF MACBETH.

WRIGHT’S MACBETH DEATH
MACBETH APPEARS TO BE A VILLAIN IN THIS VERSION OF MACBETH. THE SCENE TAKES PLACE IN A DUNGEON WITH LOTS OF SHADOWS CAST OVER THE CHARACTER’S FACES. RED LASERS ARE USED ON THE GUNS, THEREFORE GIVING THE IMPRESSION OF THEM SEARCHING FOR BLOOD. THE CHARACTERS ARE DRESSED IN LEATHER THEREFORE CREATING THE IMAGE OF GANGSTERS. THE MUSIC AT THE END OF THE SCENE IS VERY EERIE, GIVING THE IMPRESSION THAT THE END IS NEAR. THERE IS NO MUSIC THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE SCENE EXCEPT WHEN HE IS KILLED. THE MUSIC AT THIS TIME IS EXTREMELY DISCHORDED AND DIFFICULT TO LISTEN TO. THE GUNSHOTS ARE ALSO VERY LOUD AND REBOUND AROUND THE ROOM.
MACBETH DOESN’T FIGHT A CLEAN BATTLE. HE KILLS PEOPLE IN THE SCENE AND ATTEMPTS TO KILL MACDUFF WITH A BROKEN BOTTLE WHILE PINNING HIM TO THE GROUND. IT IS ALSO PREDOMINANTLY A FIST FIGHT AND IS NOT FOUGHT WITH HONOUR.
ALSO, MACBETH DOES NOT TRULY REALISE THE LOSS OF HIS WIFE UNTIL HE HIMSELF IS ON HIS DEATH BED. HE IS ALSO PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR A YOUNG BOY KILLING A WOMAN.
MACBETH IS SPAT ON AFTER HIS DEATH. THIS SHOWS HOW THE OTHER CHARACTERS SEE HIM, AS A VILLIAN AND HAPPY ABOUT HIS DEATH.
MACBETH DOES NOT FIGHT LIKE A HERO IN THIS BATTLE AND THIS LEADS THE AUDIENCE TO SEE HIM AS A VILLAIN/TERRORIST.

Macbeths Death Polanski
The opening shot is a Low Angle shat and looks up the “stairs of power” to see Macbeth as king. This shot represents the fact that the ends justify the means, because he is now the most powerful man in Scotland and through this shot we see the great respect that is shown to him. This shot also shows Macbeth walking slowly and gracefully down the stairs. From this we see a brave and heroic quality from Macbeth, because he wants to even out the playing field before this massive battle, we now are forced to ask ourselves why he did not just throw daggers at Macduff from his comfortable position of power and wealth.
Polanski shows Macbeth as having the opportunity to kill Macduff very early on in the sequence however he passes this by and lets Macduff fight for his life. The fact that Macduff later in the scene stabs Macbeth in the back shows to the audience the contrast between these characters. Macduff also cuts off the head of Macbeth as he tries to climb back up the stairs to the power he once had. Macbeth states “…I will try the last…” this means he will keep fighting until his eventual death. This shows huge strength of character and bravery.
Macduff pushes the crown off Macbeths head in an almost cliché part of the scene. This symbolises the end of Macbeths short term of power over Scotland and helps the audience to look to the future and see a new leader of the broken country. Macbeth however refuses to give up and forcefully plops crown back on his head as to show the battle is far from over. The way in which Polanski shows the two noblemen wrestling on the ground like children shows to us the passion in which they are fighting and they are both evidently wearing their hearts on their sleeves. Polanski shows the characters using very minimalistic props and weapons and for most of the fight Macbeth doesn’t even use his sword which again shows to us his heroic value.
No music is played until the very end of the scene which shows the natural feeling of the scene. When the music does play it helps to highlight the “stabbing in the back” which has occurred. It does this through the use of disharmonic sounding cords.
Polanski has shown Macbeth as a true fighting hero in this scene and through the use of the techniques discussed it is obvious to me which end of the spectrum Macbeth falls under and that is a true hero.

Macbeths Death Nunn
Nunn’s use of dark colours shows a dark and almost villainous setting. The background colours are so black that the audience has no idea where this hugely important death is set. Not to mention the dark colours of the costumes which show an evil and dark society that has completely broken down due to the greed and ambition of Macbeth. Nunn has tried to highlight the confidence of Macbeth which was obviously misplaced and shows Macbeth to be a fool and a greedy one at that.
Nunn’s use of the childlike leather doll highlights Macbeth’s mental state. The fact that, at one point through frustration Macbeth tries to stab the doll in the face shows his destructive personality. Nunn’s use of other props such as swords makes this scene an extremely traditional version of the play. Although the use of armour is prominent the armour in this scene is a lot more modern than that of the Polanski version and therefore allows the characters to move more freely and to fight in a more professional manner.
The Music in this scene is very interesting as it is extremely religious like and consists of mainly the use of organs, this makes this scene seem like justice is being done in killing this evil Villain. Macduff’s costume also is in keeping with the religious theme, because his elevated colour almost makes him look like a priest. Priests are seen in today’s society as people willing to do the right thing and this use of costume makes us believe that killing Macbeth must be the right choice and the choice of god.
At one point in the scene Macbeth actually refuses to fight and Nunn highlights this and shows Macbeth as a coward. Macbeth is very confident at the beginning however when he knows he is going to die he becomes afraid to fight. This is a contrast to the Polanski version when Macbeth fights with his heart on his sleeve.
This version also focuses on Macbeth’s mental state, personality and ambition and less on the death and violence, as the actual fight scene is very short in comparison to that of Polanski and Wright.
Oliver Penn

Macbeth’s Death Polanski
The opening shot is a Low Angle shat and looks up the “stairs of power” to see Macbeth as king. This shot represents the fact that the ends justify the means, because he is now the most powerful man in Scotland and through this shot we see the great respect that is shown to him. This shot also shows Macbeth walking slowly and gracefully down the stairs. From this we see a brave and heroic quality from Macbeth, because he wants to even out the playing field before this massive battle, we now are forced to ask ourselves why he did not just throw daggers at Macduff from his comfortable position of power and wealth.
Polanski shows Macbeth as having the opportunity to kill Macduff very early on in the sequence however he passes this by and lets Macduff fight for his life. The fact that Macduff later in the scene stabs Macbeth in the back shows to the audience the contrast between these characters. Macduff also cuts off the head of Macbeth as he tries to climb back up the stairs to the power he once had. Macbeth states “…I will try the last…” this means he will keep fighting until his eventual death. This shows huge strength of character and bravery.
Macduff pushes the crown off Macbeths head in an almost cliché part of the scene. This symbolises the end of Macbeth’s short term of power over Scotland and helps the audience to look to the future and see a new leader of the broken country. Macbeth however refuses to give up and forcefully plops crown back on his head as to show the battle is far from over. The way in which Polanski shows the two noblemen wrestling on the ground like children shows to us the passion in which they are fighting and they are both evidently wearing their hearts on their sleeves. Polanski shows the characters using very minimalistic props and weapons and for most of the fight Macbeth doesn’t even use his sword which again shows to us his heroic value.
No music is played until the very end of the scene which shows the natural feeling of the scene. When the music does play it helps to highlight the “stabbing in the back” which has occurred. It does this through the use of disharmonic sounding cords.
Polanski has shown Macbeth as a true fighting hero in this scene and through the use of the techniques discussed it is obvious to me which end of the spectrum Macbeth falls under and that is a true hero.
Oliver Penn

Trevor Nunn- Macbeths Death
This scene is set on a black stage (closed space) with very little props (throne, swords, dolls, and crown). Because the stage is black the only things you can see is the people and the props which makes the scene very unrealistic. Sometimes the characters look almost directly at the camera which to me is sort of off-putting. The mood that they created was ruined by looking at the camera. The music and sound effects of the scene are of a soft organ (loud organ when Macbeth and Macduff are fighting), footsteps (this is mainly because of the stage) and clinking swords when they are fighting. All the characters in the scene wear dark clothing (Macbeth and Macduff wear some armour) and their bodies are covered up so the only skin you see is the skin on their faces and one hand covered in blood. The language is spoken calmly (I was wondering if they would shout, their echo’s might be heard because they are on a stage). In this scene there are quite a few close up shots. Macbeth uses the line “Why should I play the Roman fool”, and Macduff says “Untimely ripped”, which is used in all of the movies.

Roman Polanski- Macbeths Death
In the beginning of this scene there is a shot looking down on Macduff and a shot looking up on Macbeth to represent that he is powerful. Then Macbeth walks down the stairs to make himself equal to Macduff. The fighting between Macbeth and Macduff looks really childlike, because of the armour they are wearing which makes it very awkward to walk in, and also because it looks like a fight scene in a playground at a school, with lots of people surrounding them. The music and sound effects are clinking of swords and weird, piercing music when Macbeth gets stabbed and when Macbeth finds out the Macduff was born by caesarean. There are also flashbacks of blood and hands which represents the caesarean. When the surrounding people offer Macbeth swords and sticks he refuses them to convey the he is brave, not a coward, and that he wants to fight Macduff without any aid. The surrounding people are wearing robes and Macbeth and Macduff are wearing full armour, hence the awkwardness of their fighting. Knowing circumstances is important (Macduff being born by caesarean) because it means that Macbeth knows he is going to die anyway and he would rather die trying than die giving up. “I will not yield to kiss the ground before young Malcom’s feet”. The language and the way it is spoken are quite angry. This whole scene takes place in a court with lots of stone, horses and people. It is light, most likely taking place in the day. When Macbeth gets beheaded he is still wearing his crown and he climbed to the top of the stairs.

Geoffrey Wright- Macbeths Death
This scene takes place in a dim cellar and in Lady Macbeth’s room. Occasionally there are crimson red objects which represent blood, danger and fear e.g. lamp in Lady Macbeth’s room. In this movie Macbeth and the other characters aren’t very likeable and you don’t warm to them like other Macbeth movies. The costumes are dark clothing, trench coats and black leather jackets. All of the characters have dark hair which represents their evil, dark characters. Instead of using swords they use guns and lasers because it is a modern version of Macbeth. Even though the movie is modernised, the language is Shakespearean, although the way it is spoken is hurried and quite frustrated. The fighting is very violent and realistic. The angles of the camera during the fighting are fantastic, highlighting their panicked faces with close-up shots and high and low shots to empasise who’s in power. The music and sound effects in this scene is gun shots, violin and when Macbeth finds out that Macduff was born by caesarean, sharp sounds, a woman singing and the tree witches whispering. Macbeth dies in bed next to the dead Lady Macbeth which shows that maybe they were actually in love, not just accomplices in crime.

I think that Geoffrey Wright’s version of Macbeth is portrayed as the most terrorist Macbeth out of all three films. The word terrorist is a pretty modern word and we tend to associate it with modern things such as Wright’s version of Macbeth. This is why I believe that he is a terrorist more than a hero, and also because his character is much darker. I think that Polanski’s version of Macbeth is the least terrorist out of all three films because he conveys a brave, noble character in him that I associate with a hero. Although he is very much a terrorist, just not as much as the other two films. Nunn’s version of Macbeth fits in the middle. By watching Macbeth’s death scene of this movie I couldn’t work out his character so much.

Macbeth’s death Wright
Wright was obviously trying to show a modern interpretation of Macbeth. The biggest modernisation of the play comes in the form of guns. The sheer noise of different types of hand guns and machine guns as Macbeth sprints into the dark wine cellar was enormous. Also the red sights given off by the guns give a reference to the blood and pain that is about to come to this ambitious villain.
I mentioned the setting, it could be seen as slightly cliché .Setting a villainous character in a dark, scary basement full of wine barrels. The use of this badly light battle ground helps us to get excited by this crazy killing machine. This production has huge contrasts to both Nunn and Polanski not only because of the modern aspects but also because of the fact that it focuses on the violence rather than the mental battle for the crown between Macbeth and Macduff.
Macbeth uses hand to hand combat for part of the battle against Macduff . To do this they must both throw away their weapons as they are just slowing them down. This is a very important part of the scene because it shows the huge amount of hatred that the characters have for each other. Macbeth actually strangles Macduff and this helps us to see the kind of coward and terrorist character this is.
The massive sound of guns is used instead of music for most of the scene. However at the end Wright has obviously got some inspiration from Polanski. When Macbeth is stabbed some music is played which is out of tune and shows the enormity of the event. Both Macbeth and Macduff are both wearing black costumes which show the darkness of the society at this point however Macbeth dies in a white room and this helps the audience to see the bright future that is now in sight for Scotland.
Macbeth is shown as a true terrorist in this scene and through the use of Wrights modernisation of the scene it helps us to compare Macbeth to the modern terrorist that today’s society is faced with.
Oliver Penn

Macbeth’s Death Nunn
Macbeth is clearly shown as a terrorist in this piece.

Trevor Nunn- the stage is dark as always and gives an ominous feel about the scene. Macbeth and Macduff are in dark costumes. Macbeth is seen talking to himself and holds his own sword to himself. This gives the impression that he is going mad. Macbeth holds onto the dead child (or charm) talking to it.
When Macbeth and Macduff have been fighting and Macduff is thrown to the ground, Macbeth holds onto his ‘charm’ and tells Macduff that he cannot be harmed by a man naturally born. Macduff’s response that he isn’t naturally born shocks Macbeth deeply and he destroys the ‘charm’.
Macbeth considers giving in, but the prospect of bowing to Malcolm drives him to keep fighting. We do not see how Macbeth dies. All that we see is Macduff entering the stage with two bloodied daggers and looking a little sick.
This scene makes me see Macbeth as a terrorist more than a hero. He is seen to be going crazy, he ruins his charm and we don’t see his death, as if he isn’t deserving.

Polanski Version: This all-round was made to look very awkward, and to portray the awkwardness of being in metal armour. The camera angle at the beginning of the scene is a low angle shot, looking up at Macbeth, making Macbeth seem very powerful. Also aiding this idea was the fact that Macbeth was first placed on the top of two flights of stairs. In order to fight Macduff, he decends to stand on even ground with Macduff, suggesting that we see him as more of a hero than a villain to begin with. As the scene progresses, and Macbeth is told that Macduff was born by caeserean section, a close-up shot allows us to see his understanding, and his acceptance that he is going to die. Throughout the scene, Macbeth is wearing his crown, but towards the end, Macduff knocks it off his head. Macbeth responds to this by grabbing the crown from the ground, holding it closely to his chest as if he is a child holding his beloved toy, stumbling over to sit upon the stair, and placing it on his head. This seems like he wishes to die with the crown on his head, even though his ambition to become king was his downfall to begin with. Through the whole scene, the fighting and choreography is deliberately made to resemble two commoners fighting. They do not just fight with swords, but also with their bare hands. They push and shove each other, throwing punches and tackling one another. This helps to portray the desperation of Macbeth, even though he knows he is going to die. The way Macbeth dies seems very dishonorable; he is stabbed in the back. This makes us think of him more as a tragic hero. He then crawls up to the top of the stairs, using the last ounce of strength he has to reach the top, so metaphorically, he can die where he wished to be, up high, as king. Macduff follows him up the stairs, and as Macbeth reaches the top, Macduff decapitates him, leaving a trail of blood, spilling down the side of the flight of stairs. Macbeth’s head rolls, and the crown is still upon his head. Macbeth ends up about halfway between being a tragic hero, and a villain.

Trevor Nunn Version: This version allows us to focus more on the people, and their interactions because it has a blank, stage setting. There is very little colour in this version, its is mostly black and white. The fact that you do not acctually see Macduff kill Macbeth, but only see Macduff with the bloody daggers, makes us see Macbeth as more of a tragic hero than a villain. But the way that Macbeth reacts to the news that Macduff was born by caesarean section, is one of shock, but you also see more regret, and cowardace; Macbeth wants to back out of the fight because he knows he is going to die, which makes us see him as a villain, because cowardice is not generally a heroic quality. The lighting is very important in this scene, the main stage lights occasionally flashing from very bright, on all parts of the actors, to quite dark, and half of Macbeth’s face is cast into shadows. This makes him seem sinister and deceptive. The item he is carrying seems like a teddy bear, and he is almost like a child, with a sort of twisted innocence, like innocence gone bad. This is shattered when he stabs it in the eye with his sword when he realises he is doomed. This also pushes us to the villain end of the spektrum. The music, a haunting organ gives the scene a sinister, evil vibe, which also makes us uneasy, and creates tension. All in all this version of Macbeth’s death makes us see Macbeth as more of a villian than a tragic hero.

Geoffrey Wright Version: This version is set in a small, confined cellar. This lends to the idea that Macbeth is feeling increasingly trapped, that everything is closing in on him as the play progresses. The props in this scene are specifically modernised, they use guns instead of swords, but Macbeth is still killed by Macduff’s knife, which reverts back a little, to the original play. This makes us see Macduff as the hero; he didn’t just shoot Macbeth, he killed him in close combat. The lighting features diagonal rays of sunlight, and then a small hanging lamp, which does little to sufficiently light a dark, musty cellar, but casts shadows on Macbeth’s face as he hides from gunfire. The general way Macbeth fights with Macduff is very dirty and rough. He attempts to strangle Macduff, before knocking him to the ground and further injuring him, by repetitively punching him in the face to the point that Macduff’s nose is bleeding profusely. Macbeth even begins to spit as he is talking, and the only thing that stops him from killing Macduff is a blow to the face. Macduff then picks up his knife and, as he reveals that he was born by caesarean section, he stabs Macbeth in the side. This gives us only a moment to see Macbeth realising his mistake, and that he had been tricked by the witches, andit doesnt give us much time to feel sorry for Macbeth, we only see him as arrogant and overconfident, and this was his downfall. As a variation on the original play, Macbeth then stumbles upstairs and discovers Lady Macbeth on her bed, dead; she had killed herself. He kisses her lips once, and accepts his fate, lying beside Lady Macbeth and dying. This shows that she was all he really had left, and she too was taken from him. We only feel slight pity for Macbeth because in the rest of the scene, we are positioned to see him as a villain.

Geoffrey Wright- The scene is held in Macbeth’s castle in the basement. The room is full of wine racks and other objects and gives the feeling of being confined and trapped. It is dark and the characters are using pistols and machine guns. The characters are wearing leather jackets and boots and other dark clothing.
The music is dark and full of suspense and the machine gun fire makes everything full of confusion and desperation.
Macbeth and Macduff’s fight is messy, they have a fist-fight while continuously trying to get hold of knives and bottles and other weapons. They exchange words and Macbeth has the advantage until he revels that he cannot be harmed by a man born naturally, Macduff gets out of Macbeth’s reach, grabs a knife and replies that he was a man from his mother’s womb untimely ripped. He then stabs Macbeth as the shock registers.
Macbeth staggers away and up to his bedroom where the body of Lady Macbeth is. He kisses her on the lips and dies on the bed next to her. Young Siward then spits on Macbeth, a deep sign of disgust and hate.
Macbeth is seen as both a hero and terrorist to me. I get the impression of him being a terrorist because the fight is down in a cellar, away from the open in an enclosed space. The fight is messy and he fights desperately and unfairly. At the end Siward spits on Macbeth and starts to laugh. This shows the immense hate toward Macbeth and the joy of Scotland being free again.
I think of Macbeth as a hero because after he has been mortally wounded he is not bitter or angry, instead he goes upstairs to his dead wife and kisses her on the lips as a gesture for forgiveness and this also shows that despite his affair with the witches that he did love his wife.

Polanski- The scene is shot outside, in a courtyard of Macbeth’s castle. It is light and sunny and there are no signs of clouds or thunder. Both Macbeth and Macduff have heavy armour on.
Macbeth starts off at the top of a set of stairs looking down at Macduff. They start to fight and Macbeth manages to get Macduff at a sword point. He says he has spilt to much of Macduff’s blood already and moves away. He then announces to the crowd of men watching that he cannot be harmed by a man naturally born. Macduff gets up and yells across the courtyard that he is a man from his mother’s womb untimely ripped.
Macbeth is shocked and a faded scene of a new born baby is shown over Macbeth. Discordant music is played and Macbeth breaks out in a sweat.
Macbeth says he will fight no more and Macduff then says that he can put his sword down and live as a servant. Macbeth makes the decision to keep fighting.
Many of the men in the courtyard offer Macduff weapons but Macduff ignores them.
Macbeth and Macduff fight again with Macduff knocking off Macbeth’s crown. After a long struggle Macbeth manages to pick upp his crown and they keep fighting. Eventually Macbeth loses his balance falling backwards and Macduff stabs him in the back.
Macbeth crawls back up the staircase and Macduff beheads him. The head still has the crown on it.
Macbeth is shown as a hero in this scene. He shows mercy to Macduff and keeps fighting out of honour. When he is stabbed in the back it is because of a moment of unbalance and he still finds the strength to return to his ‘rightful place’ at the top of the staircase.

Roman Polanski’s Macbeth:
Macbeth comes down from his balcony to face Macduff, which shows us that, rather than being a coward and ordering guards to kill him, he bravely faces him, which makes him seem like a hero. However, we know he is only doing this because the witches told him that he could not be killed by “any man born of woman”. Throughout the film we see Macbeth as essentially a good person who genuinely regrets what he has done (killing Duncan, etc) so coming into the scene where he is killed, we are positioned to be ‘going for him’ in a way because we know his inner person better than we know Macduff. The reason that he is fighting Macduff, simply to remain king, makes Macbeth seem selfish and over-ambitious. Despite the fact that he has put everything into getting to where he is, the audience, knowing what he has done, are positioned to think that it is justice for Macbeth to be killed.We know of the influence that Lady Macbeth has had on Macbeth’s actions, so we believe that Macbeth is somewhat a victim of Lady Macbeth’s desire of power. However, by the time his death comes, which is after that of Lady Macbeth, he is on his own. This gives the audience a mixed message of both that he is put into the mess he is in because of Lady Macbeth’s ambition (he is a hero), and also that he is on his own and every decision he makes is his own (he is a villain). When Macbeth becomes aware that Macduff is not ‘born of woman’, the arrogance leaves his expression and he knows that his position as king is in jeopardy. Although he knows he is in trouble, he states that he will “try the last” and fights Macduff bravely. This use of heroic words places Macbeth on the heroic side of the spectrumThe battle between Macbeth and Macduff is held in the courtyard of Dunsinane castle during a sunny day, which is ironic to the dark goings-on inside Dunsinane. The space where they fight is quite closed in and the walls are high. The height of the walls, combined with the crowd of people gathered around, give Macbeth no escape. The gathering of the people make it seem like a schoolyard fight in which Macbeth has to fight regardless of whether he wants to or not. It is revealed early on in the scene that he does not in fact wish to fight Macduff; “my soul is too much charged with blood of thine already”.The most important aspect of the costumes in this scene is Macbeth’s crown. It is knocked off his head by Macduff early in the fight, but Macbeth manages to pick it up and put it back on his head, which shows that Macbeth is still desperate to be king. When Macduff removes Macbeth’s head, the crown is on it. This shows us that Macbeth’s time as king is over. On Macduff’s shield is 3 stars and a heart, which are all blue. Macbeth, on the other hand does not have a shield, he just has shiny silver armour and his crown. The key actions in this scene are the removal and return of the crown to Macbeth’s head (Macbeth is sitting when he puts it back on), Macbeth’s descent into the courtyard, which makes him seem like a hero, Macbeth’s decision not to kill Macduff when he has him at his mercy (also making Macbeth seem like a hero), Macduff stabbing Macbeth from behind (cowardice from Macduff), and the removal of Macbeth’s head (undignified death). The music is predominantly played by organs, which begin at the start of the scene, are absent for most of the scene, and return when Macbeth is stabbed. The props, mainly the swords, armour, and crown, are realistic and play key parts in the scene. The armour makes the men look uncoordinated and the fight almost comical.

Geoffrey Wright’s Macbeth:
From previous scenes, we see Macbeth as a rather pretentious man with a small amount of regard for his wife and friends. All he seems to care about is becoming the crime boss. This gives us an already solid opinion of him coming into the scene in which he is killed, and makes the audience see him as a villain, rather than a tragic hero.Throughout the film, Macbeth’s desire to become the crime boss is clear. This makes him appear narrow minded and reckless in his actions taking him there. Lady Macbeth has a huge influence on Macbeth’s decisions, sometimes being the sole reason for his actions. She tells Macbeth that he does not have it in him to kill Duncan, which leads him to do so. However, Macbeth is not bothered when she is sedated by the doctor, and instead of grieving when she kills herself, he becomes angry. Macbeth laughs when he kills men in his cellar and speaks happily, eg “thou was born of woman! Haha!” He continues to be confident until he is informed that Macduff was “from his mother’s womb untimely ripped”. The fight is fought in Macbeth’s house and moves to his cellar. The scene is very dark as it is on a foggy night, apparently very late. The darkness is the same inside Macbeth’s house, and the small amount of light is largely provided by the gunfire and laser sights on Macduff’s gun. The part of the battle in the house is mostly fought in small spaces such as hallways, and then the fight moves to an even smaller space, the cellar, which indicates that there is no escape for Macbeth.The camera angles are mostly from behind Macduff to put the audience ‘on his side’. Almost every shot is very close to either a person’s face or hands. Macbeth kills one of Macduff’s men by sneaking up on him and stabbing him. This makes Macbeth seem like a villain because of the cowardly way he murders people. Later on, when he has almost killed Macduff, he hears of Macduff’s caesarean-section, he is killed instantly, bringing an end to his reign as crime boss. Macbeth and Macduff, although they hate eachother, are very close when they fight. This is also true throughout the film whenever Macbeth stabs his victims, he gets very close to them. The music in this scene is very tense and exciting. When Macbeth dies, however, it is disharmonic when Macbeth is stabbed by Macduff. The fact that the music is not sad or quiet when Macbeth dies positions the audience to look back at Macbeth as a terrorist. Throughout the scene, Macbeth and Macduff try to kill eachother with guns, but they end up having to get close to eachother in order to inflict any real damage.

Trevor Nunn’s Macbeth:
From almost the very beginning of the film, we can see that Macbeth has a deep love for his wife, Lady Macbeth, and would do anything for her. This is proved through various actions throughout the film, namely killing and dying. As with many other versions of Macbeth, the audience see the play from the point of view of Macbeth, including his thoughts. In this version, asides and soliloquies provide an insight into Macbeth’s mind and show us that he is sorry and ashamed for what he has done, but still has an arrogant manner even when he knows that his time as king is over. At the beginning of the film, he is a passionate, ambitious man and nothing more, and we have some respect for him, but as the film progresses, his actions, combined with his manner, give the audience the impression that he is a villain who does not deserve to be king. We know that Macbeth’s actions are almost entirely due to his desire to be king of Scotland, but film techniques (eg music, camera angles, etc) make it seem as if Lady Macbeth is the real one who wants to rule and Macbeth is just a puppet in her quest for power. This makes Macbeth seem to be a victim, but the fact that his love for his wife is so deep that he would kill make him seem like a terrorist. Although Macbeth seems to be enjoying fighting Macduff, his words are spoken quietly and lamentably, especially after he is told of Macduff’s caesarean section. The scene, like the whole film, is in an open space, however it seems to be small because of lighting. The lighting is like a spotlight shining on a small space, making the fight between Macbeth and Macduff appear to be in an enclosed space. Neither Macbeth nor Macduff wear a helmet with their armour. Macbeth’s armour is gold, but is also scratched, which is symbolic of the tainted reign that Macbeth has had. Macduff wears a more modern tunic, which is grey and very clean and neat. Macbeth and Macduff spend most of the scene quite far apart, even when they are fighting they seem to be standing back and sticking the swords out at eachother, which indicates that they do not want to be fighting eachother. The swords of the two men are the only sound effects used, which forces the audience to focus on the clinking and banging of their swords and shields. There is only a small amount of music used, if any, and it is only very quiet. This makes the scene seem somewhat surreal and as if time has stopped.

Comparing Macbeths
POLANSKI
• perspective
The scene begins with the camera accompanying Macduff as he confronts Macbeth, although when Macduff is knocked down the first time it follows Macbeth’s movements.
• Knowing background circumstances
Being a very “traditional” version it is likely that the play follows the written text very closely. In the written text it easy easiest to perceive Macbeth as a villain in this scene, and the audience can assume that the film will likewhys emphasize the evil aspect to Macbeth.
• Personality
Macbeth is presented as cocky and arrogant, and as a tyrant. His entry is by descending stairs in a regal, powerful stride and the ordinary soldiers all cower from him as he passes. While that could be out of respect it is more likely to be out of total fear, which makes Macbeth a villain. Contrary the soldiers offering Macduff there weapons demonstrates respect and loyalty which sets him as a hero.
• Motives
Macbeth is fighting for power and ultimately the throne, as shown when he moves to pick up his knocked of crown. In the second half of his fight he is fighting for his life as well, rather then to demonstrate his ability and emphasize his control. After Macduff’s revelation of not being born from a woman Macbeth genuinely fears for his life and puts total importance in killing Macduff. This selfishness and attachment to power sets Macbeth as a villain.
• How others influence the character?
All characters in this scene are hostile to Macbeth which goes towards his own detachment from his once friends and his arrogant, threatening presentation. He does show mercy to Macduff, possibly due to their earlier friendship, but Macduff’s statement terrifies Macbeth into desperate aggression.
• Settings
This scene is set in an open exterior part within Macbeth’s castle. The area is enclosed by high stone walls and is well illuminated by sunlight. There are few dominant shadows cast. This way the action is enclosed without being claustrophobic and not obscured by dark. While this is Macbeth’s domain the events are surrounded by enemy soldiers and the characters that have turned against him, which gives Macbeth an outnumbered, heroic-last-stance presentation.
• Costumes
The costumes are likely historically based, helping to create a real, era-accurate atmosphere, including simple tunics, heraldry and clunky armour. Macbeth and Macduff’s’ armour does not have any of the romantic grace or movement that other films may use. Instead they are cumbersome and clunky, realistically so. Macbeths armour is simple silver while Macduff wears some coloured fabric showing heraldry.
• Actions – The most definitive actions in this version are the fight, Macbeth sparing Macduff, and his decapitation. His mercy has Macbeth made out as a hero, although arrogant in his victory and the power that gave him.
• Music and sound effects – harmony/disharmony,
The scene is mostly silent, except for the haunting whispers/voices heard when Macduff reveals he was not “born of woman” and a dischordant sound when Macbeth dies. The ambient sounds are reduced to the clashing of weapons and armour. This places more tension n the fight, although does not tell us if Macbeth is a hero.

Overall Macbeth comes across as a sinister, powerful tyrant who is confident in his own ability and future. He treats the other characters with disdain and pity (his mercy on Macduff almost seems like mockery), and puts absolute faith into the witches prophecies. It seems tragic in this version that Macbeth had the chance to slay Macduff, but passed on, only to a moment later realise that it was Macduff who was destined to kill him (a twist not present in the other films). Despite this the film is weighted towards a more villainous reading, with more evil then good leading Macbeth.

Nunn

• Knowing background circumstances
Again this is a very traditional performance (and essentially a theatre performance with cameras amongst the actors) so it is likely that Macbeths perceived villainous nature will be again portrayed dominantly.
• Personality
Macbeth is shown as unstable and tragic. His talk of suicide is emphasized by him placing his own sword at his throat, and his clenching and stabbing of the object in his hand (a doll?) all seem to show him being pushed past what he can cope with, and his subsequent breakdown. This makes Macbeth more tragic, rather then strong and tyrannical.
• Motives
Here Macbeth is acting in defence against Macduff’s attack, who he did not want to fight. Macduff is motivated by revenge, which lends him a noble quality (he comes of as the more sinister, powerful individual. He never shows fear or remorse, just controlled hatred).
• How others influence the character
Macduff controls the events of this scene and drives the fighting which Macbeth wants to avoid. Macbeth is influenced with fear at Macduff’s fury and his revelation that he is a caesarean child.
• Settings
The setting is a non-descript black area without floor or roof. The only details visible are the characters. Distance is emphasized through smoke that obscures characters that are further away from the camera.
• Costumes
Macbeth and Macduff both wear black clothes with small layers of leather and armour over the chests and arms. The clothes do not restrict the actor’s movements. As they both wear very similar costumes neither is prevented as more heroic or villainous, but instead both share a sinister, sleek look. The main differences are Macbeth’s prevalence in metal armour and Macduff showing a strip of white around his collar. This white may be a single representation of good verse evil, with Macduff as the hero (and thus Macbeth as the villain).
Macbeth is presented as far more untidy and his face is covered in sweat, showing his desperation and his instability (a theme in this clip), while Macduff is clean and neat; perfectly in control.
• Music and sound effects
The only sounds are odd fragments of organs that simply add to the dark and climactic mood. These sounds generally occur with an important line or action.

Nunn’s Macbeth is stuttering, emotional and verging into crazy. His demonstrating of suicide and theatrical talking into the camera is unsettling, showing him as unstable and certainly villainous. He seems to led by guilt in his refusal to fight Macduff, and fear for his life. While Polanski’s Macbeth is tyrannical and powerful, Nunn’s is a Macbeth who has been pushed over the edge by consequence of his actions.

Wright

• Knowing background circumstances
As a modern take on Macbeth it is suggested that events and themes in this film may be altered to give different ideas to those traditionally accepted. When placing the Macbeth story in a completely different environment the director has the chance to greatly change important factors to suite his or her needs and likings. It is therefore possible that any expected take on Macbeth as a hero or a villain may be altered.
• Personality
Wright’s Macbeth is cool and calm with his fighting and attitude in battle, although crude in his desperation to defeat his opponents. Being alone against a much larger group of men gives him a heroic, fight to the death aspect. His bravery and refusal to give in are both aspects of a hero.
• Motives
Here Macbeth is fighting for his own life. Although in the other films the battle is climactic here it has a particular sense of just being another part of the overall series of events. It is almost unexpected that Macbeth would lose.
• Structure
The camera work here is noticeably shaky and disorientating. This adds to the pace of the events and shows them as a flurry of quick actions from several different points of view (Macbeth, Macduff and Macduff’s companions) simultaneously. When the final scenes of Macbeth are compared to an action film, this is what they may be referring to.
• Settings
The battle is taking place in Macbeth’s wine cellar. It shows this is his last stand, and he is trapped (the only entrance being the stairs Macduff and his men took). The cellar is gloomy without obscuring the details, and cluttered, giving much cover for the gunfight. The time is unknown.
• Costumes
All of the men are wearing plain black leather jackets, reminding the audience that they are all gang members, and that no single one can be a true hero. It casts all men as villains.
• Music and sound effects
The dominant sounds are the gunshots, which when present dominate any other sounds. The music is very prevalent when Macbeth is stabbed, rising in a climactic tuneless crescendo, demonstrating the end of the film and death of a character. This music inspires horror into the audience, and emphasizes the tragedy of Macbeths death, casting him as a hero.

Wright’s film, more then the others has a dominating dark atmosphere, supported by the presence of criminals fighting to kill each other, immediately casting Macbeth as the villain. However him fighting alone against odds, and his cool, likable attitude (stating “he was born of a woman” lightly while knocking down one opponent) present him as heroic, more so then the Polanski Macbeth who arrogantly strides through the enemy army, or the Nunn Macbeth who is shown as unstable and fearful of death.

Overall we have 3 different takes on Macbeth’s death, who can be summed up as Polanski’s tyrannical, powerful and arrogant king, which greatly emphasizes the importance of the crown, Nunn’s crazy, unstable Macbeth who is losing his mind because of what he has done and his fear of what the witches prophesize, and Wright’s almost heroic, noble fighter who is cool and natural in fighting of a team of armed killers, only to be unexpectedly stabbed by his nemesis. All three share the certainty of Macbeth’s death at Macduff’s hands, yet differ wildly in their atmospheres and methods of telling the story. In the end though, Macbeth is a villain each time, even if his death is tragic and moving.

Macbeths death, Wright:
In Geoffrey Wright’s adaption of Macbeth Macbeth comes across as a Villain. This is shown through a variety of techniques. The lighting is dark and ominous and this creates a feeling of intense danger. The silence at the start of the scene also adds to this feeling. From the silence come bursts of machine guns and a red moving laser coupled with the cameras jerky movements comes the feeling of panic and urgency. We then see Macbeth crouched behind some crates in shadow hiding from Mcduff and all his men, He is crouching and only has one small gun to defend himself we have a close up of his panicked eyes and this portrays him as vulnerable. Macbeth makes a decision though and throws himself into the fighting. The fighting is violent and a tad clumsy. This can show the desperation in both Mcduff and Macbeth to try and kill the other. They are dirty, wet and bloody. This all shows that the scene is dark and that there is no mercy on both parts. They were once good friends and now they have forgotten all that and are completely set on killing each other.

In Geoffrey Wright’s adaption of Macbeth we don’t have any time to see how Macbeth reacts to the news of Mcduff being born by caesarean as Mcduff stabs him just after he tells Macbeth. We see no regret or hear any dialogue from Macbeth after he finds out so he just dies as we had previously seen him, angry, desperate and evil.

At the end of the scene after Macbeth has died in bed with his wife. Malcolm spits on them and smiles. There is no regret in him. This portrays Macbeth as a Villain who needed to be killed.

Macbeths death, Nunn:
Trevor Nunn creates tension with the tolling of a bell and dramatic orchestral music also by having one moving light float around the face of the men. The camera angle and back drop also add to this feeling of tension the cameras are angled up and the back drop is just black creating the tension that makes this scene intense. Trevor Nunn’s adaption of Macbeth is a bit harder to place on the Villain/tragic hero scale for a few different reasons. One of these reasons is that Macbeth comes across as a little bit mad and so we come to the conclusion that he doesn’t really have any control over his actions. But we also know how and why he got to this stage so we know he has brought it on himself. Another reason is that Macbeth is scornful. He is also scared though, he covers up his fear with scorn so again we get mixed messages about how he is feeling and whether or not he is a tragic hero or a villain. If he really is scornful then he would be a villain but if he is just trying to keep hold of his pride a little longer then this pushes him towards the tragic hero end of the spectrum. Another reason is that once he is dead Mcduff and Malcolm and everyone else are regretful. They have just killed their friend and Kinsman and are sad and hurt by this. This shows Macbeth as a tragic hero as Malcolm and his men still manage to feel sorry for Macbeth even though he has killed their friends and family. They still believe that he had no control over what went wrong. This again pushes him towards the tragic hero end. But again the scorn comes in. Is the scorn real towards the end once he has found out there is no hope of him living? I believe that perhaps it is. In desperation he truly does become a scornful, evil murderer. You could go around in circles for ever. But I don’t want to so I’m just going to let it hang in the middle of the spectrum.

Macbeths death, Polanski:
I think that polanski’s adaption of Macbeths death pushes Macbeth towards the tragic hero end of the spectrum. At the start of the scene it shows Macbeth descending the stairs to be on and equal level with Mcduff both physically and emotionally. It shows them both as equal individuals, both as clumsy and uncoordinated as the other. Again this can be seen as desperation from them. Mcduff is desperate to kill Macbeth so as to save Scotland and Macbeth is desperate to stay alive and on top. The camera also shows them as being equal by staying at eye level and not favouring one over the other, there are no jerky movements of the camera as there were in Wrights version and this give the scene a totally different feel. It is not intense and dark like wrights adaption. I feel as if this scene is more about Mcduff and Macbeth and how they feel about each other and the good of Scotland instead of just a personal battle as it is in wright’s adaption. The fight is not as personal as there is no close up shots of their faces. Another reason that I feel he is at the tragic hero end is that he is desperate to die on top and as king. At one stage in the fight Mcduff knocks Macbeths crown off his head which is sort of like a small moral victory for him at the time. Macbeth scrambled over to the crown and put it back on his head. At this point he looks weary and it is obvious he has only done this to boost his self confidence and morale. He is clinging onto something he once knew that he wanted. When Macbeth is finally defeated he is stabbed from behind as he stumbles backwards. We feel sorry for Macbeth as after everything he has been through and how far he came he is defeated by just one small stumble backwards. This and the fact that he scrambles up the flight of stairs to die as king and above Mcduff also helps us feel as if Macbeth is a tragic hero.

Hiya!

I made a website for this! I Don’t want to be chained down to some blog!

Here you go!

ANALYSING MACBETH’S DEATH:

NUNN

The main focus of Nunn’s take on Macbeth’s death appears to be that Macbeth has been destined to die long before this scene occurs. Nunn does not shock the viewer with an action packed, unexpected murder scene, rather he explores Macbeth’s approach to his inevitable downfall and shapes the audience’s view of Macbeth by contrasting his actions and motives with those of Macduff.

The sequence includes many close-ups and midshots of both Macbeth and Macduff. These shots allow the audience to clearly understand the feelings of both characters. Macbeth is captured solo at the beginning of the scene and appears to be weak and mentally unstable. He speaks of his power to not be killed by one who is “born of woman” (5, 7, 3) but seems rather bemused by the idea rather than confident and “cocky” as he appears in the Polanski and Wright versions of the film. As the scene unfolds and Macbeth learns of Macduff’s true birth, he becomes worked-up, shaky and struggles to convince himself to fight. This provides great contrast to the way the character of Macduff is portrayed. Throughout the entire sequence Macduff remains steady, regal and calm; his attitude never wavers. As the scene progresses, high and low angle shots are introduced to show whether Macbeth or Macduff holds the position of power. Macduff’s control over the situation is captured by low angle close-ups of his calm face followed by changes to his line of sight which capture Macbeth’s shocked form from a high angle.

The motives behind Macbeth’s and Macduff’s actions in this film play a large role in how the audience views the characters. Macbeth struggles with his emotions constantly throughout the changing events of this scene. He starts off overwhelmed with the idea of having power over death, becomes shocked, troubled and desperate at the revelation that “Macduff was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped” (5, 8, 15-16), and finally finds the confidence to fight his hardest until the end. He wants to die with the dignity of being king. Macduff is motivated to fight by the fact that he has nothing left to lose. He wants to avenge his family and will not rest until Macbeth is dead. He is aware of Macbeth’s pride and ambition and uses this to challenge him to a fight to the death. It is known by both characters that this is a fight Macduff is destined to win.

At certain points in this scene it is made clear that Macbeth is essentially a good person who has lost his way and been weakened by his evil ambition for ultimate power. Macbeth’s noble side is displayed when he does not wish to fight Macduff and have any more of his family’s blood on his hands. Also, after Macbeth realises his wrong doings and fate, he seems to part with his deadly desire for power and rushes almost eagerly to his death at the hands of Macduff.

The use of language in Nunn’s Macbeth helps the audience to gain the director’s perspective of Macbeth’s own understanding of his death. Macbeth’s tone of voice is weak and questioning throughout the majority of this scene, he seems resigned to his fate even before learning that Macduff has the power to kill him. His voice strengthens when the decision is made to fight to the death; Macbeth has prepared himself to die and is willing to meet his fate. Along with this, many of the lines Nunn has included from the original play are linked by the idea that Macbeth has been made a fool by believing that he cannot be killed. This idea is also emphasised by the use of props, which are kept to a minimum. The exchange of Macbeth’s crown and sword after his death is representational of the fact that his unfair reign has truly ended. The hand-over symbolises that Macbeth has been made a fool by Macduff’s birth and, because of his ambition for power, sealed his own fate of playing the “Roman fool” (5, 8, 10) and falling on his own sword; the sword of the king.

The highly theatrical setting of Nunn’s Macbeth highlights the idea that Macbeth is being consumed by darkness. The empty stage with nothing but blackness surrounding the characters not only reminds the audience that Shakespeare intended Macbeth as a play, but also that letting evil take over has been Macbeth’s ultimate downfall. As well as this, the encroaching darkness creates a confined space, ensuring that Macbeth must meet his fate. He has no possible escape.

The structure, costumes and music of this scene also contribute to the audience’s overall judgement. As a whole, this scene is very drawn out compared to the Polanski and Wright versions. Nunn clearly wants the audience to understand what Macbeth is feeling before he enters the fight. Macbeth’s actual death occurs very quickly, with the small amount of action shown conveying that Macbeth and Macduff are evenly matched in skill. After Macbeth proclaims that this is a fight to the death, no more of the battle is shown. The eclectic costuming conveys the idea that the morals brought into question in Macbeth are timeless. The thin layer of armour worn by Macbeth and Macduff offers no real protection and the fact that Macbeth does not carry a shield highlights the fact that he knows there is no hope of surviving. Along with this, the fact that Macduff wears the attire of a business man under his armour signifies that he sees killing Macbeth as a job that must be done.

The church-like elements of the music including an organ and bells conveys the theme of a higher power having ultimate control over Macbeth’s fate. The disharmony of the music not only makes it hard to listen to, but represents that Macbeth’s rule has altered the natural order of the nation. There is utter silence as Macduff reveals his Caesarean birth then the harsh music returns as the two men fight. The music resolves at Macbeth’s death, signifying that the nation can now heal.

Nunn’s film makes Macbeth appear to be a noble yet power hungry man who has let his evil desires consume him. Macbeth is not conveyed as a true villain as once he is able to comprehend the evil of what he has done he tries to regain his dignity by boldly resigning himself to his fate.

POLANSKI

The main idea conveyed through Polanski’s version of Macbeth’s death is that Macbeth is a noble yet desperate man with nothing left to live for except his reign as king. Though many factors contribute to this focus, the use of setting, camera work, action and characterisation are the most prominent.

The scene is set in the mid-afternoon heat in the courtyard of Macbeth’s castle. The courtyard lies at the bottom of two large stone staircases which descend from the majestic castle wall and, as a reflection of the weather, is about to be the location of a heated battle. As with the Nunn and Wright versions of this scene, the setting leaves no room for escape. Unlike the other versions of this scene, Macbeth confidently makes his entrance at the top of the highest staircase. It is instantly conveyed that he holds the power over all the other characters in this scene, with his high position emphasised even further by the use of a low angle shot. As Macbeth makes his entrance he talks down to Macduff and, on his realisation that they must fight, displays his heroic characteristic of fairness by stepping down to meet him and “level the play”. The sense of equality created between Macbeth and Macduff through this action is maintained throughout the majority of the scene.

Once on level ground Macbeth, who believes himself to be virtually invincible at this point in time, overpowers Macduff yet does not go in for the kill as he does not see Macduff as a threat and does not want any more deaths of the Macduff family to his name. The camera, which is centrally located throughout the entirety of the scene, once again captures Macbeth from a low angle above Macduff. This positioning allows the audience to be involved in the whole sequence and the fact that the base of the camera never moves maintains the sense of equality between Macbeth and Macduff. As the scene unfolds and Macbeth learns the truth of Macduff’s ability to kill him, the shots change only slightly, sometimes capturing Macduff from a low angle but mainly showing the two on level ground. The sense of equality created by the setting and camera work reflects the similarities between Macbeth and Macduff. Throughout the film both suffer the loss of family and neither take the easy kill. Macbeth’s previous decision to let Macduff live is matched by Macduff’s decision to knock back spears and swords from his fellow soldiers which would have given him an easy advantage in the fight.

Throughout the battle, Macbeth’s desire to remain king until the very end is conveyed by his desire to clutch his crown and remain in power despite his utter exhaustion. He fights with every bit of strength he has left and, though he knows death is inevitable, remains on equal footing with Macduff until he is unfairly stabbed in the back. This injustice coincides with a crescendo of disharmonic music, which replaces the sounds of battle that have featured in the rest of the sequence. In order to die with dignity and in what he views to be his rightful position of power, Macbeth staggers back up to the top of the stairs, keeping the crown on his head even after his execution. Along with this, the amount of blood shed on the light coloured staircase as result of his beheading symbolises the significance of Macbeth’s downfall.

Although it is highly choreographed, the fight in Polanski’s version of Macbeth’s death scene is very clumsy, awkward and almost comic. This may have been done for a number of reasons. It may be a realistic representation of the difficulty of fighting in armour yet can also represent that Macbeth and Macduff have been weighed down by their decision to fight and that neither will be free until the battle is finished. Along with this, the clumsiness of the fight may be deliberately comic, showcasing that this fight is pointless and merely entertainment for the onlookers as Macbeth’s fate has been sealed long before he steps down to fight Macduff.

Unlike the Nunn and Wright versions of this scene, Polanski uses bright costumes to separate the onlookers into two distinct parties and to convey the excitement of the battle. Along with this, Macbeth’s armour is pure silver compared to Macduff’s which is covered in cloth. This represents Macbeth’s heroic characteristics by creating links to the idea that he is a “knight in shining armour”.

Polanski’s take on Macbeth’s death definitely conveys the idea that Macbeth is a tragic hero who becomes entangled in evil circumstances. Though Macbeth does commit villainous acts which are not excused by the director, his heroic characteristics are far more prominent.

WRIGHT

In Wright’s version of Macbeth, the death scene carries the purpose of resolving the troubles caused by Macbeth’s unrightful reign as king. Macbeth is depicted as a desperate, out-of-control villain who is about to meet his fate. This idea is mostly conveyed through the use of setting, action, language and camera work.

As in Polanski’s Macbeth, the sequence begins with Macbeth making his entrance down a flight of stairs, however, no idea of equality is conveyed. The scene is set in the middle of the night which combines with the use of utter silence to create the feeling that Macbeth is hunting Macduff who is already trapped in the dimly lit basement. This basement setting conveys many things on a number of levels. For one, the shelves and the shadows which they cast create a confined space as in the Nunn and Polanski versions of the film, signifying that Macbeth is unable to escape from his fate. As well as this, Wright uses this setting to bring Macbeth into the present day so that the audience can relate more easily to the themes of the traditional play. In today’s society, basements carry all sorts of negative connotations. They are almost always the setting of children’s horror stories and therefore evoke a sense of suspense that all audiences can relate to. Along with this, the basement doubles as a cellar, creating a link to the traditional setting of Macbeth’s castle in which a large stock of wine is needed for their frequent feasts. The use of barrels of red wine also adds a new dynamic to this fight sequence, as the spilt contents highlights the amount of blood that has been shed as a result of Macbeth’s desire to rule.

In order to set this scene in the present day, Wright has replaced the traditional weapons such as axes and swords with guns. This makes Macbeth appear much more villainous than in Nunn’s and Polanski’s versions, as the weapon is not seen as part of his armour for self defence, but rather as a tool intended for murder. Wright once again helps the audience relate to the scene by using fast paced action along with constant hiding and hunting in between the nooks and crannies of the basement to create the feel of a typical modern day action film. The use of red laser beams in the highly choreographed fight sequence creates the idea of a laser hunt, making Macbeth’s death appear to be almost part of a cruel game.

Macbeth’s arrogant tone of voice and constant yelling again contribute to his appearance as a villain. He does not appear to have control over his emotions as he tries to comprehend his belief that no man can kill him. Along with this, the lines Wright has chosen to use from the traditional play focus on the idea of Macbeth being trapped: “They have tied me to a stake; I cannot fly” (5, 7, 1). Macbeth is fuelled by his rage and ambition throughout this scene. This is conveyed through the fact that he is willing to strangle Macduff with his bare hands and also that when he learns of Macduff’s power to kill him he is far more willing to continue fighting than in the Nunn and Polanski versions. Macbeth’s portrayal as a villain is further emphasised by the fact that, unlike in the Nunn and Polanski films, he has no time to understand his wrong doing before being stabbed.

Wright allows the audience to relate to Macbeth’s shock at being stabbed through the use of unstable camera movement. As Macbeth’s strength wavers and he desperately scrambles to join his wife in death, the camera tilts between diagonal angles, signifying that this is truly the end of Macbeth’s reign and that he is prepared to give into the weakness. The fact that Macbeth dies on his bed next to Lady Macbeth’s corpse introduces the themes of Romeo and Juliet and the idea that both were destined to die and escape the evil created by their ambition is strongly conveyed. Along with this, Macbeth’s final kiss to his wife contradicts the previously conveyed idea that his relationship with her meant nothing – maybe Macbeth is not solely to blame.

The bedroom setting of Macbeth’s death links to the lexical chain of sleep which is highly prominent in the original play. Ever since he made the disastrous moral choice to kill Duncan, Macbeth has been robbed of sleep. Now that fate has taken its course, he can finally be at peace. Along with this, the painting on the bedroom wall looks very much like spattered blood conveying the idea that Macbeth’s blood had to be spilled before he ever found rest again. The minor key melody that begins after Macbeth’s death contrasts with the previous disharmonic screeching. This symbolises that in his death, Macbeth has left his villainous acts behind.

Macbeth’s death in Polanski’s version is very effective and influential in determining Macbeth as a Hero or Villain for the audience. As Macbeth descends from the stairs in his armour and gold crown, the low angle shot highlights Macbeth’s power and rule as King. His descent from the height of the stairs to the ground in which Macduff stands suggests that he has come from his power to Macduff’s level. This is seen as Macbeth creating an equal standing for them both to fight on with neither having an advantage over the other. Through this, Polanski presents Macbeth as more of a tragic hero then villain. The camera level also reinforces this when they begin to fight, always staying level. The complete silence besides the sharp clanging of their swords captures the audience’s attention making them on edge and creating a tense atmosphere.

The soldiers watching all wear similar costumes and blend in as one, whilst Macduff and Macbeth’s shining armour stands out against the crowd. Macbeth’s gold crown also becomes a focus because of its colour as it is a symbol of Kingship and the reason for their fighting. Macbeth fights to retain the crown whilst Macduff fights because of Macbeth’s usurpation.

Eventually when Macduff falls and lays vulnerable to Macbeth, Macbeth stands over him and is faced with the same decision he had when he killed Duncan. This time, Macbeth chooses not to kill Macduff, “My soul is too much charged with the blood of thine already.” Polanski’s choice to provide Macbeth with an opportunity to kill Macduff and then for him to refuse, once again presents Macbeth as a tragic hero as he learns from and attempts to redeem the murder of Duncan.

When Macduff reveals to Macbeth that he “was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped”, the camera focuses in on Macbeth’s face as he realises the truth in the Witches prophecy and his inevitable death by Macduff. The close-up on Macbeth’s face effectively shows his shock, defeat and then determination to go down fighting. As the fighting begins again, Macduff knocks off Macbeth’s crown. The fighting becomes more frantic and more like a struggle. Macbeth grabs for the crown showing his desperation as he claws to the only thing he has left. He sits on the stairs, which becomes almost thrown-like, as he places on his crown and tries to regain strength to go on. However, he gets up once again showing courage to never give up, despite knowing his death is inevitable. This also presents him as a tragic hero rather than villain.

Finally, when both men have fallen and struggle to get up, Macduff pierces Macbeth from behind through his chest. This unexpected strike to Macbeth form behind where he could not prepare or attempt to fight back makes Macduff appear underhanded and Macbeth appears helpless. The audience is made to feel more empathy for Macbeth than if he were killed whilst fighting and could attempt to protect himself. This once-again presents Macbeth as a tragic hero and now Macduff is seen as somewhat villainous. In Macbeth’s final attempt to retain some dignity, he drags himself up the stairs which once represented his power as King, with the crown still on his head and collapses at the top. Macduff follows and once at the top, callously beheads Macbeth. The audience is led to feel empathy towards Macbeth as they watch his struggle to the top of the stairs and see him as a tragic hero. They are then led to see Macduff as villainous as he beheads Macbeth who was helpless and already dying. The cruelty and horror of Macbeth’s beheading is added to by the rich red of his blood as it gushes out and Macbeth’s headless body falling down the stairs.

Overall, Polanski’s version of Macbeth’s death presents Macbeth as a tragic hero rather than a villain whose life was tragically cut short just as he began to realise the suffering he caused as King and attempt to redeem himself.

Nunn’s version of Macbeth’s death begins on a black stage, completely empty of props with only Macbeth and Macduff. This allows for a greater focus on them with nothing to distract the audience. The complete silence intensifies the tone in their voices and the sharp clang as the swords come into contact. When Macbeth strikes Macduff and he falls to his knee’s, Macbeth’s tone is filled with contempt as he sneers and tells Macduff of his ‘charmèd life which must not yield to one of woman born’. Macbeth’s tone towards Macduff presents him as more of a villain. His over-confidence and belief that he is invincible shows no change from the murderous tyrant he has developed into, unlike in Polanski’s version where Macbeth realises the depth of his actions and suffering it caused. He shows no heroic characteristics, only a continuation of his villainous actions.

Macduff then rises from his knees where he seemed weaker and vulnerable and reveals to Macbeth that he is “from his mother’s womb untimely ripped”. He stands, symbolic of his regain of power. The camera then goes to a close-up of Macbeth’s face, showing his shock and fear. All is silent for a moment as Macbeth realises his fate and his breathing increases and his voice trembles. The audience is shown Macbeth as vulnerable as he turns to face the camera and at this point, Macbeth is presented as more of a tragic hero rather than villain.

Macbeth then composes himself and as both men prepare to fight, a close-up of Macbeth’s face shows him sweating, highlighting his fear. However, Macbeth refuses to back down and organs begin to play and the fighting continues. This display of courage presents Macbeth as more of a tragic hero.

Finally, a struggle follows and Macbeth takes the dagger and a close-up on his face showing a slightly ‘evil’ smirk and walks into the darkness. This final display of Macbeth’s villainous characteristics presents Macbeth as more of a villain than tragic hero.

Overall, in Nunn’s version, Macbeth shows heroic qualities such as his courage and determination but he also shows villainous qualities and so Macbeth can not be decided as being just a villain or tragic hero, but as both.

Wright’s version of Macbeth’s death consists of a final shootout unlike Nunn and Polanski’s versions. The dark and ominous lighting of the cellar, where the shootout takes place, creates a tense atmosphere. This is added to with the short bursts of bright light and gunfire erupting through the silence. The quickly moving, red lasers and jolting movement of the camera create a sense of panic as Macbeth desperately hides from Macduff and his men. This all helps to make the scene fast paced and leaves audiences’ on edge.

Unlike in other versions were this scene occurs only between Macduff and Macbeth, Macduff has others who help him which creates a sense of Macbeth being hunted. The battle seems almost unfair with the uneven sides and the large guns Macduff and his men use in comparison to Macbeth’s small gun. Macbeth is forced to hide in the shadows and constant close-ups of his face and eyes reflect his panic and fear. However, Macbeth eventually manages to beat the odds and injure Macduff’s men so all that is left is Macduff. This triumph can be seen as heroic presenting Macbeth as a tragic hero.

Macduff and Macbeth fight and the camera follows with low-angle shots of each as they gain advantage over each other. A hanging lamp overhead swings as it is knocked and illuminates their faces and highlights their facial expressions of desperation and determination. Macbeth reveals that he cannot be killed by anyone born of woman as he stands over Macduff in a position of power. As Macduff drags himself to a knife on the floor, he reveals his Caesarean birth and as Macbeth stops in shock, Macduff stabs him with the knife. The close-up on Macbeth’s face shows his pain and shock and the discordant music suggests his disorientation as he begins to realise and take in the situation. Almost trance-like, he walks to where Lady Macbeth lay on the bed, kisses her and falls next to her. Macbeth’s quick fall from the power he once held and confidence that he could not be killed to his defeat can be seen as somewhat tragic to audiences as he realises his fate and dies next to his wife. For this reason, and his other heroic qualities shown, Macbeth is seen as closer to a tragic hero than villain in Wright’s version of Macbeth’s death.

Analysis of Macbeth’s Death
Roman Polanski:
In Polanski’s version of Macbeth’s death, Macbeth starts of by being higher up than Macduff. He comes down to Macduff’s level and fights him there, this symbolizes a fair fight. It makes Macbeth look less like a villain. This version uses bright colours, this lightens the atmosphere a bit, it’s very hard to perceive any character as a villain. The camera stays on the same level for most of the scene which implies equality between Macbeth and Macduff. Macbeth has the chance to kill Macduff but he doesn’t, by this stage Macbeth is looking more like a hero. They fight a bit like it’s a fight in a play ground, nearly child like. Macbeth gets his crown knocked off but still doesn’t give up and puts it back on his head, this shows courage but also greediness. He starts looking more like a villain again. When Macduff finally kills Macbeth he does it from behind. Macbeth falls on the sword, this makes Macduff seem a bit like a villain. Killing Macbeth from behind is not a fair thing to do. As Macbeth climbs the stairs the responder starts to feel sorry for him. He is half dead and still all he wants to do is be king. Once on top of the stairs Macbeth collapses and Macduff cuts of his head. His head and body fall to the ground and Macduff is left on top. The scene ends the completely opposite way that it started. By the end you don’t perceive Macbeth as a villain, you see him as a tragic hero.

Trevor Nunn:
There is spooky sounding music playing in the background at the start of the scene and it is very dark and gloomy, this is traditionally somewhere a villain would be found. The camera stays on the same level throughout, showing equality between Macbeth and Macduff. When Macduff is first seen he looks almost villainous and sounds kind of evil. Macbeth seems a bit crazy and very paranoid. When Macbeth learns that Macduff was born of a caesarean section he understands that the witches have been lying to him and realizes what he has done. He seems genuinely sorry for what he has done. He tells Macduff that he won’t fight him. At this stage Macbeth starts looking like a tragic hero. Macduff then insults Macbeth’s and Macbeth, wanting to defend his honour, fights Macduff again. Macbeth’s actual death is not shown. At the end the responder feels sorry for Macbeth and views him as a tragic hero because in this version he seems to take full responsibility for what he has done and knows that he was wrong. When Macduff returns to Malcom he looks shocked and in disbelief. Everyone seems a bit sad that Macbeth is dead even though they have no reason to be. This makes Macbeth the tragic hero because although he has done all those horrible things, Malcom and Mucduff and the others must be sad because he started out a great man but had a fatal flaw and everything went down hill from there. The end shows a still of the crown and bloody daggers, this could be a symbol of Macbeths reign. Some men die as heroes, others live long enough to see themselves become villains.

Geoffrey Wright:
At the start it shows Macduff descending a stair case to get to Macbeth, which is very different to Polanski’s version where Macbeth is the one descending to Macduff’s level. From this point Mucduff seems to be the one in a place of power. Hiding in a cellar does not seem like a very heroic thing to be doing, Macbeth is already looking like a cowardly villain. It is very dark in the cellar; darkness is another cliché that is connected to villains. The fighting is a lot more violent in this version, neither Macbeth nor Macduff seem to be portrayed as good people, they both seem as bad as each other. Macduff is on the ground when he stabs Macbeth and Macbeth is standing up, symbolizing Macbeth has a long way to fall. Macbeth staggers up to where the dead Lady Macbeth is laying and kisses her before he dies, he never really gives up. This makes him seem more villainous. He does not accept what that he has done is wrong. Instead of showing Malcom and Mucduff a bit sad that Macbeth is dead, Wright has Malcom spit on Macbeth’s dead body and smirk to himself. This portrays Malcom as not worthy to take the throne. He was also there when Macbeth was killed which is not where Malcom is traditionally placed.

POLANSKI
Polanski’s betrayal of Macbeth’s murder is very different to that of both Wright and Nunn. The characters of Macbeth and Macduff fight for a long time one on one, which shows them both being equal. Even thou Macbeth starts from a higher platform above Macduff he does not fight him until they are at the same level. The fight sequence is very clumsy showing because of them in original clothing and armor. In one major part of the scene Macbeth loses his crown for a brief second but stops to sit and place it firmly back onto his head. This reminds me of a small child and their blanket, it being his source of warmth and therefore happiness. This made fell more pity for his character. Many sound effects with every thing being pushed over magnified. In this version he finds out that he will die from an early stage but fights for honor. Death comes from a stab to the back followed by him staggering up two flights of stairs then having his head brutally lobed off. His head and crown secured plummets this height to represent the fall of his reign as king of Scotland like many royalties have throughout history. I would say that because of the link to a child and being brave he would be a tragic hero not a terrorist in this scene.

NUNN
This version of Macbeths Murder is extremely black and yet not dull. Macbeth from the very start seems to be evil or insane as if being controlled. You do not see the death of Macbeth but it is suggested with Macduff coming back into vision with blood smeared on his hands. This setting is unique with it having no background or furniture to show where it is being performed, just black floors and walls. This gives a sense of malevolence with Macbeth. I would say that because of the theme of insanity and hunger for power with no remorse in this scene Macbeth is betrayed as a more of a terrorist then tragic hero.

WRIGHTS
In this modern interpretation of Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Geoffrey Wright shows Macbeth as a gangsta in Melbourne. The major scene of his assassination is placed in a small cellar in his basement in the night time. All 4 men are wearing black leather clothing and none are using protection but all have machine guns and are letting of round after round at Macbeth. Macbeth speaks with an eerie sense of calm until he first talks to Macduff then it changes to more of a shout. He thinks that he can not be killed because of the prophecy but he does not find out till just before his is stabbed that “Macduff was from his mothers whom untimely ripped”. The camera is never still or set on one person, it jumps from Macbeth’s perspective and back to ¾ shot. The first thing that Macbeth does after being stabbed by Macduff, is to try and die next to Lady Macbeth. This is because he just wants the thrill and the power at the start of the scene, which makes him closer to a terrorist because he his willing to kill anyone to get what he thinks he deserves. But at the end he comes back towards a tragic hero because of how his final actions demonstrate that he has done all this because of his love for lady Macbeth. So I would have to say he is in the middle of the spectrum of Tragic Hero to Terrorist.

Geoffrey Wright: Macbeth’s Death

Geoffrey Wright’s depiction of Macbeth’s death portrays Macbeth as villain or terrorist, not a hero. First of all Macbeth’s last stand is filmed in a dark, and dank storage place and this immediately positions the reponder to associate Macbeth with the stereotypical villain who prowls in dark places. Macbeth does not face his attackers head on but lurks in the darkness, picking off soldiers one-by-one which is in stark contrast to that of Polanski’s fight scene where Macbeth squares off with his enemy in fair terms. This is not a noble or heroic way fight, which differs to the way Polanski has depicted Macbeth’s last stand. Wright’s Macbeth is seen to lure his opponents into a dark place suited to those who use the darkness to their advantage. Another obvious technique used by Geoffrey Wright is the way MacDuff and his soldiers as seen as climbing down a set of stairs into the darkness, as though they are descending to Macbeth’s level which is one of evil and wickedness. Also just before they begin fighting, MacDuff switches on a light in the cellar as though lighting the darkness, which can be a metaphor for good illuminating evil.
Geoffrey Wrights version is also the only one in which Macbeth does not spare MacDuff at one point only to be killed by him soon after. In this version Macbeth fights desperately until the end trying feverisly to kill Macduff, and does not show any sign of fighting like a noble.
After he has been stabbed by MacDuff he ascends a set of stairs to die next to his wife in a well lit room. This hints that with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’ death, the darkness is lifted and light and goodness is restored.
This version also evokes a sense of inevitability of Macbeth’s down fall more so than the others. In the other clips the viewer is led to think that Macbeth still has a fighting chance, as he is only fighting MacDuff in an even battle. But in this version Macbeth is pitted against many foes, this can be interpreted as though he is evil and is not deserving of an even battle, more so that he should be exterminated.
For these reasons, this version of Macbeth clearly portrays Macbeth as a villain and terrorist rather a Hero, which In the words of the Oxford dictionary is noble, displays courage and is admired for this.

Hero to Villain Spectrum
Hero————————–|———–Villain
Macbeth

Trevor Nunn:

I found that Trevor Nunn’s depiction of Macbeth also portrays Macbeth as a villain or terrorist rather than a hero. A lot can be said about the good or evil state of Macbeth with comparison to the other characters present in the scene. In this version only Macduff is present and we can compare the two to show wether Macbeth is shown as a villain and terroist or a hero. At the beginning of this clip MacDuff is illuminated and filmed from below, making him seem more heroic or pure than Macbeth who is filmed from above with little light. Also Macbeth is depicted as almost mad, muttering to a doll he caries and often smiling even at a time of great danger. When he strikes MacDuff down by knocking away his shield he smiles broadly and laughs to himself. This also fits the stereotypical mould of a villain or terrorist who enjoys inflicting pain or killing. Macbeth slurs and stutters his lines almost as though he has become a madman, this is far different to Polanskis version in which he speaks confidently and honourably. True wickedness is plain across Macbeths face though out this scene and this illustrates him as villian. In comparison Macduff is calm and after slaying Macbeth is dumbstruck and in shock staring blankly as he pronounces Malcolm King. By depicting MacDuff and Macbeth this way Nunn has created a clear contrast between these characters, and has created a hero and a villain.
MacDuff’s costume contains another hint to the villainous state of Macbeth. He wears a white piece of clothing underneath his black costume which creates a white strip visible at his neck, similar to that of a priest’s collar. This may mean we associate MacDuff with purity and that of the opposite with Macbeth.
The setting as throughout Nunn’s version of Macbeth is simply and illuminated part of the stage and the floor is rarely shown so all the viewer can see is characters and darkness. This simple techniques sets the mood for every scene in this film and the film as a whole. This is one of evil, wickedness, treachery, and all the other bad things we associate with darkness. This reflects back on Macbeth who is clearly illustrated as a villain.

Hero to Villain Spectrum
Hero——————————-|——Villain
Macbeth

Roman Polanski:

This version of Macbeth’s death clearly portrays Macbeth as closer to a Hero than a Villain or Terrorist. In this version Macbeth descends a set of stairs at the beginning, by which to even the battle, and thus lose his advantage. This can be seen as noble and thus pushes Polanski’s Macbeth towards the Heroic side. Through out the scene Macbeth and Macduff fight evenly without interference from the crowd of soldiers around them and as equals. This helps to portray Macbeth as a Heroic character fighting for his life and crown in an even battle. It is set in a castle, yet it is in a bright courtyard, which is a massive contrast to that of the Nunn and Wright versions which are both in dark and gloomy places which evoke a feeling of intense enclosure. This has a greater effect on the characters portrayal than often is credited for, apart from the obvious stereotypes of villains who dwell in dark places. It also changes facial expressions and with additional lighting can change the whole demeanour or aura of a character completely. In this version, it makes Macbeth’s armour shine and his face and presence seem less menacing than that of the other two versions. This for obvious reasons portrays him as a hero not a villain.
In this version Macbeth also fights calmly and not like feverish and desperate Macbeth portrayed in the other versions. When he knocks Macduff to the ground and points the sword at his neck only to soon pull away, he says “my soul is too much charged with the blood of thine already” in a way as if he knows his actions were wrong and cannot bear to kill him after killing his wife and children. This illustrates him as a tragic hero who knows he was committed bad deeds and is still sane enough to feel bad for doing so. This is once again in stark comparison to The Nunn and Wright versions in which Macbeth is presented as mad without a care for the crimes he has committed.
Even when he has been stabbed he does not surrender or bow down but crawls up the stairs on which he came. This is a Heroic attribute, as he shows determination and unwillingness to surrender.
Throughout the scene Macbeth shows courage, and even when comes to realise Macduff is not of women born continues to fight with honor and zeal. He also is illustrated as a man who knows his fate, and has come to accept it, this is typical of a tragic hero.
For these reasons it is clear that Polanski has portrayed Macbeth as a hero in his last scene, not that of a villain. Although at times Macbeth seems to show signs of a villain they are quickly snuffed out by heroic actions or themes.

Hero to Villain Spectrum
Hero—|———————————-Villain
Macbeth

Trevor Nunn’s- Macbeth’s Death

Nunn’s portrayal of Macbeth highlights many unheroic qualities and turns us to interpret Macbeth as having a villainous downfall. The heart like pulsing light casts deceptive shadows upon the faces of Macbeth and Macduff. This shows flashes of their emotions but not enough to fully construe their train of thought. The small leather doll (reminiscent of a voodoo doll) that Macbeth clutches and whispers to, emphasises his progressive madness. Macbeth’s consideration of suicide is quickly changed to anger and Nunn replicates these feelings through Macbeth’s actions. Grasping the sword and placing it to his neck, Macbeth ponders what is to come. However his arrogance and ambition plays upon his conscience and he decides that ‘The gashes do better upon them’ (2-3, 5, 8).
Nunn’s exploration of Macbeth’s ambition and pride reflects onto how he directs. He directs making Macbeth stand with a high head and strong movements to show his ambitious self confidence. However as the fight progresses and as he loses hope to live his movements become uncoordinated and less pronounced. Even his facial expressions change from strong and slightly sadistic to more melancholic and weak.
The tolling of bells and echoing church organs create an atmosphere of death and the end. The clinking of swords and daggers are in resonance with the speech if Macbeth and Macduff. As Macbeth slowly realises his demise Macduff toys with his pride keeping him from yielding. Nunn does not show Macbeth’s death but focuses upon the freedom of the country after being trapped within a sinister and deceptive king. Upon Macbeth’s death we see the relief and surprise in Malcolm, Siward and Ross’ eyes. The play is then concluded with the major themes of the play, the Crown symbolic of power and hierarchy and the bloody daggers representing death and pain. Macbeth is portrayed as an ambitious and deceptive character leading us to see him in a more villainous light.

Roman Polanski :-
Macbeth begins the scene standing high above Macduff, expressing his power as he carries a crown he unjustifiably stole. Knowing his circumstances leads my immediate decision to that of a terrorist; he has been hungry for power, following a false lead to gain what he believes he is destined for. Along the way he has caused much destruction and pain to the world around him.
Polanski’s use of the stairs however began to place Macbeth closer to the other end of the spectrum. He walks down to the level of Macduff, prepared to fight on a level playing field.
The pair struggle as they fight, uncomfortable under the weight and awkwardness of the armor, and perhaps besieged by the situation they find themselves in.
Their feud resembles that of a childhood playground fight, pushing and shoving and clinging to all they have left. As Macbeth snatches up his fallen crown, he staggers and sits down, exhausted – just like his reign as king. He grips his crown and places it back on his head, struggles to fight and is defeated. This once again places Macbeth toward the heroic end of the spectrum; he fought to the end and despite his bad deeds, did not run and hide but faced them like a true hero should.

Geoffrey Wright :-
A dark and gloomy night welcomes the scene, an eerie feeling spreads itself and as each side arm themselves with weapons, thoughts of war, pain, destruction and terrorism fill your mind. Wright places Macbeth inside his house, madly shooting at whoever comes near. This places him as a terrorist, ridden by madness and undeterred by the pain he is causing those around him. The music and sound effects lengthen the battle whilst the camera unsteadily follows the victims of Macbeth’s fire.
As Macbeth continues to kill, the notion of a terrorist continues to unfold, his situation continues to worsen yet he will stop at nothing to defend himself and his crown. As he confronts Macduff, the fight is much more brutal than the Polanski version, contributing to the notion of Macbeth being a terrorist, as he continues to display his anger rather stubbornly instead of being understanding of his consequences.

Trevor Nunn :-
A dim shade of light passes across the gaunt face of Macbeth as he delivers his verdict of events. This pool of light plays across each characters face, hiding their features and then showing them again. As the stage around them is dark, our attention is therefore always set on their figure, whether it is a silhouette in the gloomy darkness or a pale faced figure for all to see. Nunns’ usage of the light and stage creates a much darker context than Polanski. Macbeth is shown as being much more insane, confounded by the bells ringing around him almost like those of a funeral – awaiting his death.
His mental instability continues to engulf him, clutching his leather doll like a lost child, sweating in fear and exhaustion and unwilling to die heroically and fairly. He fights with tired hands, defending a stolen crown and hanging on to his unrighteous reign of a country he has painfully destructed. The viewer does not see his death, as if the last moments of his life are not worth viewing and he does not deserve to be seen as a hero. Nunns clever use of the bloody swords at the end signifies the end of Macbeth’s reign, and as they are held next to the crown in a bright pool of light, the end of the horror and terror of Macbeth are now gone leaving the crown to be held in safe hands.

Polanski’s Macbeth:

In this version of Macbeth in the opening shot we are positioned by a point of view shot from Macbeth to look down on Macduff. This instantly shows us that Macduff is going to be the weaker and lower person in this fight with Macbeth we then see Macbeth through a point of view shot of Macbeth standing at the top of a flight of steps which is made to look almost like a podium for Macbeth showing his power and control at this point. Then as Macbeth begins to descend down the steps we see that while he has committed the crime of stabbing the king in his sleep, he is still has enough honour to even the playing field so that he and macduff are fighting on the same level.
Macbeth and Macduff then begin to fight one another and while they are fighting macduff hits Macbeths breast plate to no effect which shows Macbeth’s belief that he is invincible. Macbeth then cuts macduff’s cloth, family seal breast plate in the same way showing how Macbeth has destroyed his family. They fight in a very uncivilised and rough manner as though they are merely young children brawling over a petty dispute that, while slightly comical to the eye, shows a certain childlike innocence of the two men. It also shows that they fighting whole heartedly and not letting the honourable and civilised style of fighting get in the way of their reason for fighting one another. When Macduff is knocked down by Macbeth who then holds his sword to macduff’s neck and says “my soul is too much charged with the blood of thine already” shows that while he is about to loose everything he still has compassion enough to spare Macduff.
The is an overcast but natural light from the sky which leaves a depressing and gloomy feel to this scene indicative of the nature of the battle. This fight takes place in a courtyard with only a small amount of room whose space is limited even further by a large crowd of soldiers
In this scene the camera is placed mostly in the same spot but is spun around as the characters move giving a spiralling, circling feel as though everything is moving into the centre and one outcome like water spiralling down a drain. It has an encroaching feel as though the walls are closing in around Macbeth.
When Macbeth realises macduff was not of woman born we see a close up of his face and his expression showing his sudden awareness that he is not as invincible as he once believed. We then see, over Macbeth’s shoulders, the crowd of soldiers slowly push in towards Macbeth showing his inevitable death pushing closer towards him as his world slowly falls apart.
There is then more fighting between the two men and during the fight Macbeths stolen crown is knocked from his head and after more brawling Macbeth stumbles, picks up the crown, sits down and ‘plonks’ it on his head as a sign of his ambition as, although he knows he will be killed, he still has his everlasting desire to be the king.
Macbeth is later stabbed macduff from behind and as he is falling back which unquestioningly invokes as sense of sympathy for Macbeth and a sense of villainy for macduff and leaves us asking ourselves how even he could stab a man in the back from behind. Macbeth then climbs back up the steps again a sign of his ambition where he is followed by macduff who cuts his head off on the top of Macbeths ‘podium’ staining the wall of the steps red with Macbeths blood. His head falls down the side of the wall and rolls away across the ground with the crown still on showing that although Macbeth died, he died as a king.
I believe that this version makes Macbeth seem a hero no (freakin) questions asked

Wright: death of Macbeth

In this version we are immediately positioned behind macduff and his men showing us that Wright wants us to think of Macbeth as a villain fighting against macduff. They are coming down steps into a basement to show that Macbeth is a coward who is hiding underground like a terrorist. When they fire into the basement they shoot some wine cases which spill out on the floor showing that they are there to spill Macbeth’s blood. The characters are all wearing leather giving this scene a gangster, tough type of impression. Macbeth and Macduff brawl with no weapons showing the fight is unclean and dishonourable. the only music used is just when Macbeth is stabbed by macduff and features high register glissando with discordant tones on violin creating a piercing sound and making the responder uneasy. This is to show us how Macbeth would be feeling at this point and we see him come to the realisation that he is going to die. He then stumbles back up stairs to the bedroom to where is death wife is lying he half collapses onto the bed and leaning over her, kisses his wife this shows us that despite everything that has happened to and between them he still has some love for her. Macbeth then dies beside his wife and macduff and his men enter the room and one of then spits on Macbeth showing the absolute disrespect that they had for him. The scene ends with the man who has spat on Macbeth smirking to himself showing that he is glad Macbeth is dead.
Macbeth is clearly displayed as a villain/terrorist in this version.