Compare And Contrast Macbeth Act 5 Scene 1

Barrett Bernard

Sasha Fernquist

English 12

28 February 2023

In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare there are many impactful scenes. Act Five, Scene One of Macbeth is one of the most pivotal scenes in the play, where Lady Macbeth's guilt and insanity manifest into a haunting sleepwalking sequence. This scene serves as a culmination of the play's central themes of guilt, ambition, and . Over the years, several filmmakers have adapted this scene in their film adaptations of Macbeth, including Rupert Goold’s adaptation in 2010 and Joel Coen’s in 2021. While both of the directors capture the scene's haunting atmosphere and Lady Macbeth's unraveling psyche, their adaptations differ in terms of characterization and tone. This essay is going

To begin, there is a rhythmic thudding that starts as drops of water but becomes almost overpowering. This thudding overlaps with the gentlewoman explaining Lady Macbeth’s condition to the doctor, creating an ominous feel. This thudding continues as the camera pans over to a dimly lit hallway which becomes lit as a light gets closer and a long foreboding shadow is cast in the stairwell. Enter Lady Macbeth with long blond hair and a flowing white robe, she walks quietly past the Doctor and Gentlewoman to the courtyard where there is a tree with a small water basin around it. As the camera gets a close up of Lady Macbeth we can tell she is unwell, her eyes are sunken and have deep bags and her hair appears to be tangled. A dew drop from the tree falls onto Lady Macbeth’s hands, representing for the audience the drop of blood , Lady Macbeth disdainfully glares at the drop before wiping it away yet claims it’s still there. This shows clearly for the first time in this scene that Lady Macbeth is hallucinating. Part way through her hallucinations Mcdormand starts wailing like a banshee this paired with her empty eyes and tangled hair characterize Lady

He also uses the tone of the play to show his intent. One example of this is when Lady Macbeth says, “There’s knocking at the / gate. Come, come, come, come. Give me your / hand. What’s done cannot be undone. To bed, to / bed, to bed.” (V.i.69-72). This line gives the feeling of running away, that the reader should hide because of their sins. That is exactly how Lady Macbeth feels guilty, and shows the central theme of guilt that Shakespear is trying to display. In Goold’s version, Fleetwood’s inflection shows how panicky, and scared Lady Macbeth is, scared of herself and what she’s done. Fleetwood stumbles around the scene before clutching the sink tightly, she is sobbing whilst declaring her lines with plenty of pause. At the end of the scene she shuffles into the elevator, says her “to bed, to bed” line and then slams the elevator gate shut, shortly after however she is tightly gripping the elevator grate and sobbing as the elevator ascends. This delivery clearly shows the panicky, regretful tones Goold was trying to express and clearly resembles Shakespeare’s original intent. In Coen’s version, McDormand’s inflection is much more contemptful and more upset that she is bothered by her guilt, but not entirely guilty about what she’s down. When McDormand plunges her hands into the basin to wipe away the blood it is done with contempt and the actions are in a “why do I have to do this”