Weekly Notes for Macbeth and As You Like It

Week 1-3

The first week was just being introduced to the pieces were are doing. I am doing Macbeth, Act 5 Scene 1. This week, I have been doing research and reading the script. I also went on Spark notes to find a English version of the scene that I am doing. I also did character research on the Scots Doctor and his characteristics.

In rehearsals this week, I have been trying to give my lines different dynamics while portraying anger in a natural way. But it’s a lot better than my first attempt at having a go.

Because I am meant to be angry in the scene, I spoke on one level all the way through and there was no difference in my emotions and it just sounded mono tone. 

In this week, staging was thought about but our main focus for now is working on our characters.

One person I think have a similar character is me and Sean. It is not as similar as I might be considering it to be, but we are both angry at points in our scenes.  His energy at this point compared to mine is massive. I think I should be a little bit on his level. But I think the difference is that he is aggressive with his actions and me, with my voice. I have authority in my voice and my status and he has it with his actions.


Week 3-4

This week was the presentation of our pieces sharing our research done in week 1-3. This was in depth research from the history of the play to the social context.

Week 3-4

In week 3-4, we are trying to get our piece together. When I enter as the Duke to banish Esther’s character, the girls need to work on their mood change. It needs to be more distinctive. The girls should be more excited and happy and my character should destroy that completely and that is something that is weak in our performance. Also, they need to they need to match my energy in order to get my energy full out. If not, it is like scoring in an empty goal. I need to work on how to portray my anger in different ways to show a contrasting feel to the scene. Also to stress more words while saying my lines especially when its in a big bunch.  

Also in this week, Michael Parr and Mat came in our lesson to do a workshop developing our pieces in the best way possible. Matt is a director by profession and he directed our Shakespeare pieces giving me a better understanding of what the text conveys.

 Michael Parr

Michael Parr is an actor who has known about what his future is going to be even at an early age. According to Michael, He has no GCSEs because he went straight into acting. He loves Film and TV and has acted in Casualty, Hollyoaks, and is now currently filming with Emerdale. He has a good acting experience and helped us a lot with our pieces.

Week 7
This week was actually getting on my nerves because our scene for Macbeth did not get watched by Alex. But then on Wednesday, finally, Alex asked to see our scene. Even though our scene was already at a good standard and the lines were off book, I still wanted Alex to watch our scene to see if opinion would be the same as Yusuf. He had a lot of different feedback points from Alex and we as a group both points to make our scene even better. By the end of the week, Yusuf said he no problem with the scene and the only thing we should do is work on being consistent till the night of the performance.

In Brendan and Mauricia scene, Mauricia said that Brendan had difficult with his character and we allowed him to watch the Macbeth scene I am in to see how it can help him in any way.

Peer Feedback

Feedback I received from peers for As You Like It is that I should be more authoritative with my voice, I should be still, and think of myself as a king. These feedback as helped me a lot as I found out it was much easier when I am still. I have also been told to use my diaphragm when I am shouting in the scene which is 80% of my lines.

As You Like It

As You Like It was believed to be written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in First Folio, 1623.




The Summary of As You Like It
 As You Like It is one of the great comedy plays by William Shakespeare. Rosalind, is one of the most inspiring characters in the play and has more lines than any other females characters. She is the daughter of a banished Duke, Duke Senior. She falls in love with Orlando, the disinherited son of one of the duke's friend. When Rosalind is banished from the court by her uncle, Duke Frederick, She dressed herself as boy and called herself Ganymede. She traveled with her cousin Celia and the jester Touchstone to the forest of Arden, where her father and her friends live in exile. Themes about life and love, including aging, the natural world and death are included in the play. By the end of the play, Rosalind marries Orlando. He and Rosalind, Oliver and Celia, Sylvius and Phoebe, and Touchstone and Audrey are all married. Oliver becomes a gentler and kinder man so the Duke changes his ways and turns to religion and so that the Rosalind's father can rule again.

 Historical Context of As You Like It

Reference: Royal Shakespeare Company
Theatre in 1599.

The fact that As You Like It, along with three other plays of the period, The Merry Wives Of Windsor, Much  Ado About Nothing, and Twelfth Night, all have female leading parts of a similar and challenging type suggests that Shakespeare had in mind a particularly talented boy actor to play them.

Reference: http://www.likesbooks.com/france1.html

The Renaissance Humanistic movement, spilling in from Europe, had ushered in a new era of interest in learning and the classics; and in the past half century, English writers and poets had, for the first time, begun to try to create literature in their native tongue that could stand up to the greatest works written in Latin, French, or Italian.
In 1599,  William Shakespeare, Thirty five years old at the time, was enjoying his prosperity has one of the most successful people working in the London theatre.
His acting company, called The Lord Chamberlain's Men, had great favor with the Queen, and that very year the troupe was in the process of building its own theatre on the south shore of London's Thames River; the theatre would be called the Globe.

As You Like It was written in 1599, just after Much Ado About Nothing, Henry V and Julius Caesar and just before Hamlet in 1600.

As You Like It contains good and bad rulers - Duke Frederick and Oliver are tyrannous siblings, who take the rights of their nobler kin, Duke Senior and Orlando - but their wickedness comes straight out of fairy tales, and, the nature of their badness left unexplored, it is easy to create a happy ending by simply letting them reform. Shakespeare seems to be more interested in developing characters like Rosalind, Orlando, Touchstone and Jacques, through whom he can explore questions of identity, signs and symbols, self-knowledge and love.

Social Factors

Celia disguises her nobility to become a poor woman Aliena in the forest. She does this in order to protect herself, presumably from those who would try and steal from her. This gives her a freedom she has never enjoyed. Oliver falls for her dressed as Aliena and we know as a result, that his motives are honourable – he is not after her money. This is important in that previously, Oliver’s motives have been questionable.

Celia disguises her nobility when she travels to the forest by transforming to a poor woman and calls herself Aliena. This is is done to protect herself from thieves. this gives her a freedom she always wanted and finally got. The fact that she got banished makes her then feel both sad for leaving, but happy for freedom. Oliver is a good man that tries to find love and not riches. This is proven because of the fact that he fell in love with the Celia when she is dressed as Aliena. This is important because his motives were questionable before.

In the play, cravings for high status and social climb is very great. However, their methods to social climb are not always honest. Touchstone and Audrey on the other hand are referred to as honest people because they are unable to social climb.
Also it seems that whoever got their high status taken away are seen to be quite happy with the fact that the can live in peace without any bother. 

 It seems that Shakespeare was suggesting while writing the play, that because you are considered as high class, it is necessarily shown in your nature or to get higher in a social rank, you need to lie and deceive and so people at the top are the worst kind of people.

However, when Duke Senior is restored to his place of honour at the end of the play, readers are meant to believe that the  court will be a much better place because he witnessed how it was to be in poverty. He is compared to Robin Hood and is considered to be 'of the people.'

Themes

The main theme is the idea that love is a disease that brings suffering to the lover. As You Like It characters express the sufferings caused by their love, but they are all unconvincing and ridiculous.

Reference: http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/asyoulikeit/themes.html

In the play characters lament the suffering caused by their love, but these laments are ridiculous and unconvincing. In the play Orlando's sentiments to Rosalind are found to be so ridiculous. He says in the script that he should "live and die Rosalind's slave". Even the untutored shepherd takes it up on himself to be the tutored lover when he asked Phoebe to notice "the wounds visible/That love's keen arrow make". But his request for attention from Phoebe implies that the love that's enslaved can loosen the chains of love and that every wound made romantically can be healed, otherwise his request for attention would be pointless. 
Generally, As You Like It breaks with the courtly love by tradition by showing love as a force of hapiness and fulfilment and ridicules those who revel in their own suffering.

Macbeth- Character Analysis

I am playing the Scots Doctor. He is the castle's personal doctor especially for Macbeth and his wife.
In this scene, my character was called by the Gentlewoman to figure the problem Lady Macbeth has been dealing with in terms of her sleepwalking and talking in her sleep.

My character feels worried about her because this is the first case of sleepwalking that has ever been reported to him from the castle. He is also concerned about how Lady Macbeth will come out of this activity proven by this line, and quote "More needs she the Divine than the physician" and also and I quote "This disease is beyond my practice". But also feels confused when he heard the things she has been doing. The first line meant that she do not need a doctor's assistance, she needs God to help her and the second line means that he is not qualified to deal with this kind of issue. His objective in the scene is to try and figure out the problem Lady Macbeth is having.

My character in this scene is talking about Lady Macbeth. He is inquiring from the Gentlewoman more information about what she has said and things she has done in his absence.

When I am moving onstage, I am upright, but I do not come across as too elegant. I move my hands around quite often when explaining a point. I am very light on my feet as I have a higher status than any other doctor in the country.  I have a an average level of status, in which case, I move around with more certainty and purpose than I would normally. Universal Themes are themes which can affect anyone, anything and at anytime. Here are some examples of Universal Themes.
Love
Hate
Life
Death
Pride
Good
Evil

There are a few Universal Themes included in my play. In my play there are; Death, Hate, Pride, Jealousy, Envy, Evil and Death.

In those times, a doctor would normally be dressed like the man in the above picture. Doctors in that era were mostly middle or lower class people. That's the reason for their poor dress sense.

In the scene, my character has a pad and a pen to take notes. If I was a doctor in Shakespeare time, I would be using a pen like this to take notes. This pen is used by dipping the tip in ink and write on the scrolls. This is done every time ink is needed.

In Shakespeare time, books were not present. As a result notes would be written on scrolls and placed in a safe place where it can easily be found. This is what I would be writing on if I was a doctor in that era.

As You Like It character Analysis

In this scene, I am playing Duke Fredrick, the father of Celia. He banishes his older brother and takes over his dukedom. He has a cruel nature and a volatile temper which his displayed when he banishes his niece without reason. He is a very evil man. His ways are portrayed when he steals his older brother's throne and banishes him, and banishes his niece later on. however, he did not act as harshly as Antonio from The Tempest who did the same thing as Duke Fredrick, but putting them on a boat with no food. At least he and his niece was banished to the forest where they can survive their environment. 
(However, he did not act as harshly as Antonio in The Tempest who usurped his brother by banishing him and his daughter and putting them on a boat with no food. At least he and his niece was banished to the forest with the possibility of surviving his environment.) later on, He changed his ways when he met a religious man on the way to look for them. He dis banishes them and returns the throne.  

CLOTHES MY CHARACTER WOULD WEAR   

Ruffs                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

HATS

3 modernised Versions of Shakespeare Plays

There is a modernised version of Macbeth which was set in Australia. It was directed by Geoffrey Wright. It was filmed in Melbourne and Victoria and was released on the September 21, 2006.

Geoffrey Wright and Victoria Hill wrote the script uses a modern day Melbourne Gangster setting but largely maintain the language of the original play.

SYNOPSIS

Reference: The synopsis was taken from this site, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbeth_(2006_film)

This version of Macbeth takes place in the Melbourne underworld. Macbeth played by is a loyal underboss to his crime boss Duncan, is told by teenage witches that he will one day gain great power. Driven by their prophecy, his wife plans to kill Duncan and take the leadership of the gang for herself and her husband. Macbeth's obsessive love for her leads him to agree to her plan, but he finds that maintaining his power will require a lot more from him than he first thought.
The film opens in a cemetery where the Weird Sisters, three school girl witches, are seen destroying headstones and statues, while close by Lady Macbeth cries beside a headstone which says "beloved son". Macbeth stands by. It is here that the three witches make their plan to meet with Macbeth later, and leave the cemetery, smiling at Macbeth from afar.

Macbeth leads Duncan's gang, in his absence, to do a drug deal with Macdonwald and his men. In a gunfight between the gangs, all members of Macdonwald's gang are killed. While chasing two gunmen, Banquo and Macbeth are led to the Cawdor Club. They seize the club. The current owner of the club is tied up and later killed.
Duncan officially hands the club over to Macbeth, and Macbeth and Banquo celebrate by drinking the club's alcohol and taking some pills found on a table. During this drug trip Macbeth meets the three witches, who prophesy that he will soon be in Duncan's position with total control over the gang. He tells his wife this, though she doubts he has it in him to take over Duncan's position. Later when she learns that Duncan will be dining and staying at their house, she plots with her husband to kill him, passing the rank of gang leader to Macbeth.

Lady Macbeth drugs Duncan's bodyguards, and while they sleep Macbeth takes their knives and kills Duncan, framing the guards. Macduff comes to Inverness and finds Duncan murdered in his bed. Before the bodyguards can profess their innocence Macbeth shoots them. Malcolm, Duncan's son, immediately suspects Macbeth as having something to do with his father's death and flees.
After Macbeth is hailed as the new leader by most of Duncan's gang Macbeth sends two murderers to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance. The murderers kill Banquo, but Fleance escapes. Macbeth holds a celebratory dinner, and after learning that Banquo has been killed, sees a vision of Banquo's ghost at the dining table. Macbeth is becoming more shaken by his desire for power. Lennox, Ross and others now suspect Macbeth of killing Duncan and Banquo.

Macbeth finds the three witches in his house that evening and, after drinking a foul potion and engaging in an orgiastic sexual encounter with them, asks the witches of his future. He is told to fear Macduff, but no man "of woman born shall kill you". Later it is revealed that Macduff is not a natural birth, but a caesarean section, which is not "of woman born". He is also shown a vision of Fleance being hailed as gang leader. These prophecies enrage Macbeth, as does the witches' quick disappearance, and he has the murderers go to Macduff's home and brutally kill Lady Macduff and her son.
Seeing this on the television, Lennox and Ross go to tell Macduff who has gone to his uncle Siward. Malcolm convinces him that Macbeth has gone much too far in his quest for power and must be stripped of his leader status.

Meanwhile, Lady Macbeth has become more insane, to the point where she re-imagines the evening of Duncan's killing and continuously tries to wash off his blood from her hands. A doctor sedates her, and Macbeth appears fairly indifferent to her instability. He prepares for the impending attack from Macduff, Lennox and Ross. Lady Macbeth commits suicide in a bath tub by slashing her wrists, enraging Macbeth. The two murderers, realising the unlikeliness of surviving the attack, swiftly flee Dunsinane leaving Macbeth with only Seyton, his main bodyguard, and two others. The murderers run into Macduff and his associates at the edge of Burnham Wood and are shot. Fleance looks on.
Malcolm leads his men to Dunsinane where they ambush the house and a large gunfight ensues between them and Macbeth and his guards. Macbeth is chased to the cellar where he faces off with Macduff and is stabbed in the stomach. He stumbles upstairs to his bedroom, where the body of Lady Macbeth lies, and dies at her side. As Macduff leads Fleance, now the inherited gang leader, from the house Macbeth's famous "tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" speech is heard.

  How It Was Modernised

In this version of Macbeth, It is modernised in a rider gang story. It kept the original text and refers to the gangland wars in Australia.
  It was modernised by changing some of the characters into modern day characters. Also some aspects of the play in the classical versions have changed. This version mainly goes to young adults because generally, young adults are always been less interested in Shakespeare, but are always interested in action films which involves shootings, gangs, etc. As a result, Geoffrey Wright thought if he can keep the themes and the script but change the settings, then it would appeal to young adults.

These are other ways it was modernised to make it look modern day:

•  King means gang leader
• "Riding" means riding a dirt bike, not a horse.
• Dunsinane is not castle but the name of Macbeth's house and property.
• The Weird Sisters are young girls, not bearded hags.
• Birnam Wood goes to Dunsinane by way of a log truck marked "Birnam Timber".
• Lady Macbeth's grief and the guilt of the death of Macduff's son, the death of her only  son, cocaine addiction and the fact that they killed King Duncan. Spiritualism is not as big an influence as in the play.
• The dagger Macbeth sees is not a hallucination, but a picture he sees on the wall which is the image of a dagger, created by sword grass.
• Donalbain was taken from the story which means that Duncan has only one son.
• The images created by the witches were replaced with tattoos on the witches' skin.

In the modernised version, spiritualism was taken out because in this present day, it is not used in the context of Shakespeare as much as before. The social influence that the play has is that of peer pressure. I think that the fact of the three weird sisters giving him the prophesy of him being king sort of pressures him to do anything to get to that high status.

Because Macbeth was set in the Elizabethan era, the costume and set is very different from present day. In those days when Macbeth was played, there was not a certainty that it would be staged in one placed. Because of the open nature of the stage , scenery was minimal or doesn't exist which means there was nothing to stop the action being inside a building one moment and outside the next.
Props that were needed in the text would have been sourced but actors often have more than one characters and may also have selected additional minute props to portray the personality of a specific character they play. In those days, young Elizabethan actors used white paint on their faces. A lot of these young actors caught unpleasant facial skin diseases and even death from lead poisoning because these white paint were lead based and highly dangerous.
Macbeth Investigating costume and design in the original performance conditions
compared with the live production directed by Daniel Evans Set and use of stage  properties (props) Lighting Sound Makeup Costume Because of the open nature of the stage, scenery was minimal or non-existent; there was nothing to stop the action being inside a building one moment and outside the next. Props that are required in the text would have been sourced but players often multi-roled and may have also selected additional small props to signify the personality of a specific character. The white make-up used by young male Elizabethan actors was lead based and highly poisonous. The young boy actors were therefore very unhealthy, had unpleasant facial skin diseases and a high proportion actually died of lead poisoning.

 

2.

 My second modernised Shakespeare play is Romeo and Juliet. This was modernised and produced in 2006. It was directed by Baz Luhrmann and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in the leading roles. It updated to the hip modern suburb of Verona still keeping the original text.

In this version, the Montagues and Capulets are changed to warring business empire and swords are replaced by guns (with brand names such as "Dagger" and "Sword"). .)

My second modernised Shakespeare play is Romeo and Juliet with Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Plot
Reference: Plot is taken from this site; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_%2B_Juliet

In the fictional modern-day location "Verona Beach", the Capulets and the Montagues are arch-rivals.  he animosity of the older generation — Fulgencio and Gloria Capulet and Ted and Caroline Montague — is felt by their younger relatives. A gunfight between the Montague boys led by Benvolio, Romeo's cousin, and the Capulet boys led by Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, creates chaos in the city. The Chief of Police, Captain Prince, reprimands the families, warning them that if such behavior continues, their lives "shall pay the forfeit of the peace".
Benvolio meets with Romeo on a beach. Whilst playing a game of pool they learn of a party being held by the Capulets that evening which they decide to gate-crash (Romeo agreeing to come after discovering that his 'crush' Rosaline is attending).
The Montague boys meet their friend, Mercutio, who has tickets to the Capulet party. Romeo takes the Ecstasy pill Mercutio gave him and they proceed to the Capulet mansion. The effects of the drug and the party overwhelm Romeo, who goes to the rest-room. While admiring an aquarium, he and Juliet see each other. Tybalt spots Romeo and vows to kill him for invading his family's home, but Fulgencio stops him.
Romeo and Juliet sneak into an elevator and kiss. The nurse spots them when the doors open and drags Juliet away, while revealing to her that Romeo is a Montague. At the same time, Romeo realizes that Juliet is a Capulet. Mercutio takes Romeo from the party, but he sneaks back to the mansion, hiding under Juliet’s balcony. Juliet emerges into the yard and proclaims her love for him before Romeo sneaks up behind her. Juliet is horrified that he has risked death, but Romeo tells her he does not care whether he is caught. Knowing her nurse is looking for her, Juliet tells him that, if he sends word by the following day, they will be betrothed. Romeo visits Father Lawrence, telling him he wants to marry Juliet. He agrees to marry the pair in hopes that their marriage will help ease the tensions between the families. Romeo passes the word on to Juliet’s nurse and the lovers are married.
Tybalt encounters Mercutio just as Romeo arrives. Romeo attempts to make peace, but Tybalt assaults him. Mercutio intervenes and batters Tybalt, and is about to finish him off by hitting him with a log when Romeo stops him. Tybalt slashes Mercutio with a shard of glass. Mercutio, in denial, laughs it off as a mere "scratch", but soon realizes that the cut is deeper than he thought. Angered over his pending death, Mercutio curses the warring houses. He storms off in anger only to die in Romeo's arms a few moments later. Angry that Mercutio, neither a Capulet nor Montague, has been murdered, Romeo chases after a fleeing Tybalt and guns him down.
Captain Prince banishes Romeo from the city. Romeo, hiding with Father Lawrence, claims he would rather die than be banished. Father Lawrence, in turn, sternly lectures Romeo about the fact that the end result of his actions could have been his death as opposed to banishment. Father Lawrence treats Romeo's injuries and says that, after some time passes, he will help Romeo and Juliet return to the city and reconcile with their family and friends. The nurse tells Romeo that Juliet is waiting for him. At the Capulet mansion, Juliet prays, horrified by what has happened. When Romeo climbs over her balcony, she kisses him and they consummate their marriage. Fulgencio decides Juliet will marry Paris, the Governor's son.
The next morning, Romeo narrowly escapes as Juliet's mother tells her that the family has promised she will marry Paris. She refuses to marry, so her father threatens to throw her out. Her mother and nurse insist it would be in her best interest to marry Paris. Juliet sees Father Lawrence, imploring him to help her and threatening to commit suicide. The priest proposes she fake death and be put in the Capulet vault to awaken 24 hours later. Romeo will be told of the plot, sneak into the vault, and once reunited the two can travel to Mantua. He gives her the potion which mimics death. After saying goodnight to her mother, Juliet drinks the potion. She is found in the morning, declared dead, and placed in the vault. Balthasar, one of Romeo's men, learns that Juliet is dead and tells Romeo, who is not home when the messenger arrives to tell him of the plan.
Romeo returns to Verona, where he buys poison. Father Lawrence learns that Romeo has no idea Juliet is alive. Romeo enters the church where Juliet lies. She awakens as Romeo takes the poison. The two thus see each other before he dies. Juliet picks up Romeo's gun and shoots herself in the head, dying instantly. The two lovers are discovered in each other's arms. Prince condemns both families, whose feuding led to such tragedy, and coroners are shown removing the two bodies.


How it Was Modernised

Romeo + Juilet's set was changed to a Los Angeles-like city. The rich families in the film travel around in sport cars and not horses. In the classical version, weapons that are used are daggers and swords. In the modernised film, this is changed to guns, but are branded as "sword" and "dagger" which is what they are called in the script. The Prince of Verona that was in the original script is changed to a police captain and goes around in his own helicopter and sharpshooters.
Another one of my favourite aspects is the outfits they wear. In the film, I like the fact that Juliet dresses as an angel and Romeo dresses as a knight and they meet each other by a fish tank. There is also a big difference between the age difference between the classical version and the film. The age difference is much less than the classical version because of the modern setting, but all the major scenes have novel approaches such as the LSD type drug having a slang term called Queen Mab and the balcony being over a swimming pool.
In the classic version, aggression is a main theme. In the modernised version, It gets the aggression of the text though the use of pathetic fallacy, especially with the death of Mercutio.

Also, some of the names were also changed. Lord and Lady Montague and Lord and Lady Capulet were given first names (as opposed to the Shakespeare original where their first names are never mentioned), Friar Lawrence became Father Lawrence, and Prince Escalus was renamed Captain Prince. There was also no Friar John, who was in the original play. Also, some characters were switched from one family to the other. In the original, Gregory and Sampson are Capulet, but in the film, they are Montagues. (Abra and Petruchio, conversely, are shifted from the Montague to the Capulet family.




3. My third modernised Shakespeare play is As You Like It (2006 film). This was directed by Kenneth Branagh. It stars Bryce Dallas Howard as Rosalind, David Oleyowo as Orlando De Boys, Romola Garai as Celia, Adrian Lester as Olivier de Boys, Alfred Molina as Touchstone, Kevin Kline as Jacques, Janet Mcteer as Audrey and Brian Blessed as Duke Fredrick and his brother Duke Senior.   

The play's setting is relocated from medieval France to a European colony in late 19th century Japan after the Meiji Restoration. It was shot at Shepperton Film Studios and on location at the never-before-filmed gardens of Wakehurst Place. The film is a production of The Shakespeare Film Company, financed by HBO Films. It is Kenneth Branagh's first Shakespearean film shot in a Super 35 format.

How it was Modernised?

Branagh imagined the events of the play taking place in Japan during the late nineteenth century, when a lot of British traders made their homes in Japan, and thats why the lead roles are played by English Actors. Duke Senior court is seen as British outpost whose ruler loves the Japanese culture. Even though most of the English characters wear European costumes, Duke senior and his brother both wear Japanese outfits.  The British ladies covered their faces with fans and wear their hairstyles in reminiscent of traditional Japanese hairstyles. When the banished characters travel to the Forest of Arden, its inhabitants are played by a mixture of Japanese and Western actors (Phoebe and William are Japanese, Silvius is played as a Westerner who wears Japanese style clothes, and Corin and Audrey are Westerners). The de Boys brothers Orlando and Oliver are played by Black British actors.

Although the film was not actually made there, Branagh re-imagined the events as taking place in Japan during the late nineteenth century, when many English traders made their homes there – hence the presence of many British actors in lead roles. Duke Senior's court is imagined as a British outpost whose ruler admires Japanese culture; although most of the inhabitants wear European clothes, Duke Senior and his brother both wear Japanese clothes. The British ladies of the outpost modestly use fans to cover their faces and wear their hair in styles reminiscent of traditional Japanese hairstyles. Some critics praised the setting, others found it unnecessary and irrelevant, since the majority of the characters are not Japanese. 

Despite the change of setting, the language remains that of Shakespeare's play, the names of the characters are the same, and the original plot is followed closely. Some critics praised the setting, others found it unnecessary and irrelevant, since the majority of the characters are not Japanese. Branagh included what Shakespeare omitted from the play. The event when Duke Frederick upsups his brother's kingdom. He included a new prologue, in which ninja warriors stage an attack on Duke Senior and his family as they watch a performance of Kabuki theatre.

Most critics think that it was pointless resetting the place to Japan when most of the characters were British. 

Macbeth

Macbeth

Macbeth is one of the darkest most powerful tragedies. It was set in Scotland and was believed to be written between 1603 and 1607.


PLOT

• Macbeth fought well in the war against the forces of Norway and the disloyal thane of Cawdor that King Duncan won.
• Macbeth and Banquo encounter witches where they were told that Macbeth will first become Thane of Cawdor and then King. They also say that Banquo's sons will be king. Macbeth gets excited and starts scheming.
• Duncan names his son Malcolm heir to the throne and announces he is visiting
  Macbeth’s castle.
• Lady Macbeth finds out that Macbeth heard about the prediction of him being King. He plans to murder the King while he is staying at their castle as a guest.  

Cultural Background of Macbeth

Cultural background

Alba – A Celtic Kingdom

 Scotland in Macbeth’s time comprised five different peoples distinguished by their culture and language. The Picts and the Britons were indigenous, to be joined over time by Vikings from the north and west, Angles from the south and Scots, a Celtic people, from Ireland.

By the beginning of the 11th century it was the Scots with their Gaelic culture and language who were in the ascendancy. Indeed some have described Macbeth as the last of the Celtic Kings. After his death and that of his stepson and successor Lulach, Alba - or Scotland as it was to become - the Celtic world was in retreat.

A Time of Heroes

The world of Macbeth was a profoundly Celtic one, a culture and society that united Ireland and Alba. This Gaelic culture celebrated its heroes - Kings were war leaders whose prestige depended on their prowess and success - while at the same time requiring its heroes to look after the interests of the extended families that made up the tribe.

Kingship was not hereditary. In the Gaelic culture of the time the royal succession alternated between collateral lines, a practice known as tanistry. The designated king-in-waiting was drawn from a pool of candidates, ensuring that only the most vigorous became King.

Historical Background of Macbeth

James I was king of England for three years when Shakespeare wrote this play in 1606. He had previously been James VI of Scotland. King James symbolised the togetherness of the England and Scottish crowns. A union which in Macbeth is referred to. It was well known that King James was fascinated in witchcraft, which Shakespeare introduces in the play with the three witches. Macbeth was first performed at Hampton Court Palace in front of James I and his guests in 1606. The storyline was not original, and was based on fact. The story was familiar to King James, because he inherited the throne of Scotland through his Ancestors, Banquo and Fleance. And also the story of King Duncan's death was also well known.  The real Macbeth was King in the period of  1040-1057.

He killed his predecessor Duncan I, and was in turn killed by Duncan’s, son Malcolm III. These events was not uncommon in Scotland in the eleventh century. Of the fourteen kings who reigned between 943 and 1097, ten were murdered.

In 1606, James I was King of England for three years when Macbeth was written. Before, he was James VI of Scotland. King James symbolised togetherness of the England and Scottish Kingdoms. King James had a fascinated in witchcraft, which was shown in the play with the three witches. The first performance of Macbeth was at Hampton Court Palace in front of James I and guests in 1606. The play was based on fact. When he watched the play, he knew the story because he gained inheritance of the throne of Scotland through Fleance and Banquo, his ancestors. He even knew about the story of King Duncan's death.
The real Macbeth was king of Scotland in the period of 1040-1057.
The real Macbeth killed Duncan I, his predecessor, and then was killed by Duncan's son, Malcom III. These things that happened were not common in the eleventh century Scotland. Of the fourteen kings that took the throne between 943 and 1097, ten of them were murdered.

When Macbeth was king, he ruled well for seventeen years. While he was king, the north and the south of Scotland were united for the first time. He lost the battle in Aberdeen by Macolm III which is Duncan's son. Malcolm invaded Scotland with help from Edward the Confessor, who was king of England. Malcolm slaughtered the whole of Macbeth's family so that his kingship can be stabilised. This resulted in the end of the purely Celtic, which led to the break down of the barriers put up between England and Scotland.
The original story has aspects which was changed to intensify the drama within the piece and ensure that it had political correctness in the play when i