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Roman Polanski Film Analysis

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Roman Polanski 's 1971 film version is memorable for its explicit violence. Polanski makes a number of interesting stylistic choices to emphasize the themes of ambition, guilt, and the corruption associated to power. From his innovative position, the most intriguing choice was the decision to cast Francesca Annis as Lady Macbeth. Traditionally, Lady Macbeth is an older figure in the story, and her power over Macbeth is that of a strong-willed wife. But, by casting a 26-year old physically attractive woman, Polanski is able to pervade Lady Macbeth and her machinations with an additional layer of seductiveness. This can be critical, because while the initial inspiration for Macbeth’s power-grab is certainly given by the witches, it is Lady Macbeth who insists her husband, for example as they talk about Duncan in Act 1 Scene 7 she says: “We fail? But screw your courage to the …show more content…

The original sleepwalking scene opens with a meeting between the doctor and the gentlewoman who indicates that Lady Macbeth has been walking in her sleep. Carrying a candlestick, Lady Macbeth enters sleepwalking. In Polanski 's scene, Lady Macbeth is in her bedroom, sitting at her desk. It is the doctor and the gentlewoman that come to her. Lady Macbeth is also supposed to leave the scene, but in this case, the other characters gently help her into her bed. In this adaptation the surroundings are more relevant than Francesca Annis ' performance. Her somnambulism is explicit as in the first few seconds of the scene, the doctor waves his hand in front of her eyes that do not blink. Her candlestick isn 't the only light that illuminates the room. In the background there is a fireplace that helps to enlighten her surroundings but can also be a metaphor for where Lady Macbeth 's mind is. “Hell is murky”, that quote reveals she is in hell, and the fire represents the wickedness and the darkness of the place she currently

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304 Words | 2 Pages

The movie by Roman Polanski doesn’t follow completely the movie setting. For example the duel between Macbeth and Macduff had a humorous side. The acting of the Actors was not the best and it could have possibly been better. Shakespeare introduced Macbeth as a hero, but on the film the acting from the actor John Finch (Macbeth) did not reflect this trait on his character.

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675 Words | 3 Pages

The Tragedy of Macbeth is a well known story that revolves around the word “ambition” but this ambition isn’t always self driven by someone, but rather through the influence of someone else who maintains control of the situation. The story is about a man whose desire to be the king and have power leads to the murders of those who might stand in his way. Throughout the story we see many characters who play major parts in how one event follows another, and how some characters seem to completely have control of the events in the story. Although in Macbeth the Three Sisters and Macbeth exhibit some control over the events, Lady Macbeth has the most responsibility.

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873 Words | 4 Pages

Control is shown as an important factor in Lady Macbeth and Macbeth 's relationship. Although they view each other as equals,"my dearest partner of greatness," it 's Lady Macbeth who is established as the dominant partner in the dynamic, inverting typical 17th century gender and social roles. (Since husbands were supposed to rule their wives in the same way that kings ruled countries, Lady Macbeth 's plan is just another version of treason: taking power that doesn 't belong to you.) Upon reading the letter, she worries that Macbeth is too kind-natured to be able to take the crown and is determined to assist him through the,"valour of my tongue. "

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973 Words | 4 Pages

The change of Lady Macbeth is best seen in the way Ari Mattes’s review describes it stating , “About a third of the way through the film, she suddenly becomes a profoundly sympathetic character” (Mattes

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429 Words | 2 Pages

Many people believe it is the witches that drive the plot, however this is not true. The witches do play a part in driving the plot but MacBeth is the main character who carries out the actions. The witches gave MacBeth the ambition by saying "All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!" (I.iii.53). However it is ultimately MacBeth that decides to act on the ambition granted to him.

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483 Words | 2 Pages

Macbeth is very rational at the beginning of the novel and makes decisions that he know’s would help other people plus himself, later on after the murder of Duncan his rationality decreases, his mind goes crazy and he kills people for no reason, this illustrates his good morals and values being destroyed. Before the killing of Duncan, Macbeth is very reasonable, and notices the good from the bad, the smart from the dumb, so every little detail catches the eye of him. Therefore, when the three witches come over to him he is amazed at there beauty and willfulness, “speak if you can. What are you”(1.3.50)? The way the witches praise and talk to Macbeth makes him feel powerful and almost as their leader.

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714 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout Shakespeare play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth was regarded as ruthless, cruel and manipulative, although it was suggested there was more to her character. Lady Macbeth is not as evil as she was portrayed to be. Lady Macbeth had a strong relationship with her husband, they trusted each other and were loyal to one another. Through her words and actions she showed humanity that others didn’t expect from her. A wicked person wouldn’t feel the slightest guilt for something wrong they have done, yet Lady Macbeth felt culpability that lead her to her downfall.

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1655 Words | 7 Pages

Manipulation is a recurring theme in Macbeth because whenever Macbeth shows signs of weakness, Lady Macbeth undermines his manhood. Lady Macbeth’s actions portray her as strong and evil rather than nurturing and good. Lady Macbeth’s character exemplifies the complete opposite of social expectations during the Elizabethan era. By being able to manipulate her husband, Lady Macbeth is also seen as being a stronger character than Macbeth. Conclusively, Lady Macbeth’s actions portray Shakespeare’s exploration of gender roles, and his evaluation of

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502 Words | 3 Pages

Lady Macbeth in the beginning of the play is manipulative, most of the times she manipulates her husband into doing either what she wants or what she thinks he should do. For example, when Macbeth does not want to kill Duncan anymore, Lady Macbeth convinces him by saying “from this time such I account thy love. Art thou afeared to be the same in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire? (I.vii line 38-41). Besides, the audience see Lady Macbeths is influencing her husband’s feelings by she is using her love as a weapon because she is saying do it

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509 Words | 3 Pages

Bloodthirsty ambition is presented throughout William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, beginning with Lady Macbeth's plotting of King Duncan's demise from the throne. Her motivation is fed through her need of constant success and her desire to strive for excellence. In the male-dominated society which she lives in, she realizes that in order to be influential and affluent, she must remove any qualities that are deemed feminine. Yet, as Lady Macbeth retracts her true nature, the unnatural change of her femininity to masculinity inevitably leads to her demise. This disruption of gender roles through Lady Macbeth, presented in Macbeth is demonstrated through her place as the dominant individual in her marriage; because on many occasions, she rules

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760 Words | 4 Pages

Power is always coveted in any society and the world of Shakespeare’s Macbeth is no different. In the play, Macbeth, a noble lord, shows his hunger for power with thoughts to remove an heir to the throne from power. Macbeth’s impatience to be king leads him to stain his honor by using murder. Macbeth travels further down the path of evil by arranging the assassination of a friend.

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851 Words | 4 Pages

The violence and harm she would do to her child causes alarm and adds to her villinous character. This is contrasted with Lady Macduff’s gentle and carring tone she has with her son in Act 4 Scene 2 when she calls him “monkey”. Pet names show closeness and affection which clearly would lack from Lady Macbeth and her child, as she would kill it if she promised to. Therefore, the women’s supernatural and distrubing characteristics are demonstrated through their ambiguity or desire to rid themselves of feminine

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583 Words | 3 Pages

Sleepwalking "Since his majesty went into the field, I have seen her rise from her bed, throw her nightgown upon her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it, write upon ’t, read it, afterwards seal it, and again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep" (5.1.3-7) Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking symbolizes the distress and psychological pain she is in. Since she demands Macbeth to kill innocent people, she becomes restless from guilt. According to Dream Dictionary, sleepwalkers are under a massive amount of stress and lack sleep. Lady Macbeth realizes she cannot escape the consequences of her actions, therefore she holds a lot of stress. Moreover, her eyes which remain open as she sleepwalks symbolize that she may never rest

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1878 Words | 8 Pages

Lady Macbeth easily convinces Macbeth to proceed and King Duncan is killed. While waiting for Macbeth to return from the king’s chamber, Lady Macbeth shows some of her own ambition, “That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold” (2.2.1). By successfully pressing drink upon the guards, Lady Macbeth is emboldened. Success turns many people overly ambitious, by seeing what the human race is capable of changes many people into power hungry ants. Lady Macbeth is one clear example of this fault.

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789 Words | 4 Pages

Power can not only bring ambitious people honors, but also make them lose everything. In the play, Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, it demonstrates that the immoral power influences the life of Macbeth dramatically. Macbeth’s abuse of power destroys his relationship with his cousin, friend, and wife, which shows that Macbeth’s wild ambition causes him to be isolated. Macbeth’s abuse of power destroys his relationship with his cousin, Duncan.

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