Introduction
The play Macbeth was originally written by Williams Shakespeare. The play has scenes of prophesy, revenge, manipulation and is argued to be Shakespeare’s bloodiest and most gruesome play. (McDougal, 267) However, of Shakespeare’s large collection of literary works, Macbeth is the most reinvented and adapted. It has been rewritten by many authors and even adapted into a film by different filmmakers.
This essay will focus on analyzing the adaptation of the play Macbeth by two different film directors namely; Roman Polanski and Billy Morrissette. Polanski’s adaptation of the original version of Macbeth will be compared with Morrissette’s Scotland PA, the modernized version of Macbeth. Differences and similarities between both films will be highlighted.
Similarities
The most striking similarity between both films is the source. Both films are adapted from Williams Shakespeare’s original Macbeth. Furthermore, the names of all the characters in both films are the same except for a little twist in the spelling of names like Mcbeth and Mcduff. However, the pronunciation of the names remains the same in both films. (McDougal, 269)
Another similarity is prophesied success in both films. In both films, the lead characters Macbeth and Macbeth were respectively told prophecies about future success. These prophecies fuelled the desire for success and power which is closely supported by manipulative and powerful female characters. In both films, the lead characters begin to desire power and success when told prophecies about what the future will look like. (McDougal, 268) These desires for power are mere wishes to the lead characters until they confide in their wives respectively. The female characters respectively begin to manipulate their husbands in both films. Both films have the character of three witches who tell prophecies.
Differences
In Roman Polanski’s version of Macbeth, the desire to ascend the throne leads to murder, betrayal, and deceit while in Morrissette’s Scotland PA, the fast-food world is the center of attraction. Another significant difference between both films is the verbal twist. While Polanski maintains the original Shakespearean language of “theseth” and “thoseth”, Billy Morrissette’s modernized version Scotland PA adapted a more modernized language. (McDougal, 270)
Roman Polanski’s version of the play Macbeth depicts the doggedness of the original Macbeth by Williams Shakespeare. This makes Polanski’s film a bloody and tragedic film with endless scenes of bloodshed. But Billy Morrissette’s Scotland PA is the opposite of Polanski’s film. Scotland PA is a modernized comedy of the Macbeth play and the director showcases his good sense of humor.
Lastly, the brutal massacre of Mcduff’s family in the original version of Macbeth is twisted in Scotland PA. Instead of ending the hilarious comedy Scotland PA in a tragedic manner, Morrissette decides to twist his film a little from the original Macbeth. (McDougal, 271)
Conclusion
The play Macbeth despite being tragedic and bloody is arguably Williams Shakespeare’s most reinvented and adapted work. Perhaps the most significant thing about Macbeth is the methods used by different writers and film directors respectively to portray the play (McDougal, 272). Film directors, Billy Morrissette and Roman Polanski deserve a big applause for their hard work towards delivering wonderful and standard films respectively. Morrissette’s twist to the play towards a comic angle is a welcomed development especially to the fact that he was a new director at the time of the film’s production. (McDougal, 272)