Shakespeare - Macbeth - performance analysis

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Performance analysis

There are many different ways to interpret and perform Shakespeare’s plays. Watch the videos and decide how you would perform these three scenes from Macbeth.

Scenes to explore

Macbeth is a play full of violence, magic and illusion. In Shakespeare’s day, the stage would have been bare, the props few, and the lighting would depend upon the weather. Theatres were open air and the plays were held in daylight.

Nowadays, Shakespeare’s plays are interpreted in many different ways on stage and screen. Directors and their production teams make choices on how they want to stage the play and how the characters will deliver their lines. The decisions they make can often change how the audience think and feel about the play and the characters in it.

Let’s look at three scenes and explore the possibilities for an exciting and unforgettable performance of Macbeth.

  • Act 2 Scene 1 – Staging the dagger scene
  • Act 3 Scene 4 – Rehearsing the ghost of Banquo
  • Act 1 Scene 3 – Casting the Witches
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Act 2 Scene 1 – Staging the dagger scene

How do you stage the scene with the famous dagger that magically appears in front of Macbeth in Act 2 Scene 1? Do you dangle a dagger from the beams? Do you count on the audience believing in a dagger that only Macbeth can see? There are many possibilities for a director to consider.

This video shows a group of stage designers pitching ideas on how to stage this scene. As you watch, consider the following:

  • how much the staging idea would cost
  • how long it would take to set up during a live production
  • how the audience would react
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Act 3 Scene 4 – Rehearsing the ghost of Banquo

In Act 3 Scene 4, Macbeth is certain that the ghost of Banquo comes to the feast and sits in his place but it’s a tricky scene to perform. Should Banquo appear at the table as a ghost, or should you just use clever lighting and sound effects and let the audience imagine he’s there?

This video shows a group of actors rehearsing the scene and the director is trying out different ways to perform it. As you watch, consider the following:

  • how Macbeth would react to what he sees
  • how the other guests at the banquet would react to Macbeth’s behaviour
  • how you’d ensure a theatre audience would understand what was going on
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Act 1 Scene 3 – Casting the Witches

When you read Act 1 Scene 3, how do you imagine the Witches? Would they be dressed in dark clothing and pointy hats or, if you were putting on a performance of the play, would you go for a more modern twist on the traditional witch?

This video shows a group of actors auditioning to play the part of the Witches. As you watch, consider the following:

  • how Macbeth would react to these witches
  • what music or sound effects you would use to accompany the witches on stage
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