The characterisation of Lady Macbeth Essay Example for Free

The characterisation of Lady Macbeth Essay Compare and contrast the way in which the characterisation of Lady Macbeth and the setting and atmosphere are developed in three productions of act 1 scene 5 Macbeth was performed for James I in August 1606 at Hampton court. He was asked to be King of England by Queen Elizabeth I when she was dying, because she didnt have any children to become her successor and he was the closest heir. James VI of Scotland became James I of England in 1603 after Queen Elizabeths death. Shakespeare based the story Macbeth on a book called, The History of Scotland written by Raphael Holinshed. In this true story Banquo helped Macbeth kill Duncan but because James was a descendant of Banquo, Shakespeare thought it would be indiscreet to suggest that one of Jamess ancestors had committed regicide. Duncans son Malcolm killed Macbeth in real life where as Macduff killed him in the play. The witches were added more into the play because James wrote a book about witches. The Elizabethans were also very interested in witchcraft and the supernatural. Macbeth is a story about regicide. In Shakespeares time the people thought that regicide was the greatest crime anyone could commit. They thought that God appointed kings to rule over the kingdom and any attack towards them meant that they were attacking God. In Macbeths letter he tells Lady Macbeth everything they do not have any secrets from each other. In the play Lady Macbeth thinks that Macbeth is too kind to murder Duncan and become king rather than waiting until he dies normally. Yet I fear thy nature; it is too full o the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way. She is thinking that she has to control Macbeth to murder Duncan. Hie thee hither, that I may pour my spirits in thine ear. She wants to drive away all the things that would stop him being king. And chastise with the valour of my tongue all that impedes thee from the golden round. She wants to take away all her feminine values and replace them with pure evil to become a sexless, pitiless fiend so she can be able to commit such a great crime. Unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty. She makes him ignore the fear of no afterlife in order to become king. As soon as she hears that Duncan is coming, she talks about killing him. O never shall sun that morrow see! she is telling him to hide the fact that they are going to kill Duncan from him but still be thinking it. Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent undert. She is trying to control Macbeth to kill Duncan just after she has heard that he is coming. And you shall put this nights great business into my dispatch. In the Royal Shakespeare Production Lady Macbeth is powerful, she can control what Macbeth does, she manipulates him with sexual persuasion to do what she wants him to do. She turns away from him and makes him move to her, this shows that she has power over Macbeth and can manipulate his actions. She is wearing a black flowing robe that covers up her shape and a black hat that covers up her hair. She is not very feminine, this portrays her as evil and capable of killing Duncan to become queen. When she is thinking about killing Duncan, she shows intense concentration. They embrace each other when Macbeth comes in; this shows that theyve got a very close relationship. In the BBC Production Lady Macbeth has not got much power over Macbeth. She runs up to him when he enters and he turns away from her when shes talking. She is wearing a long beige dress with a rope belt and has long hair, she is more feminine than the Lady Macbeth in the Royal Shakespeare Production because her clothes show more of the shape of her body. She does not seem as evil, but when she changes her voice she transforms the way she portrays the character. She moves around when shes thinking of how to kill Duncan and doesnt concentrate that much. She does stop and look through a window theres a long dramatical pause while she is thinking. this adds to the effect and shows that she is thinking about something important like murdering Duncan. She uses sexual movements and gestures in the unsex me scene; I dont think this is how Shakespeare intended this scene to come across. In the film by Polanski, Lady Macbeth is stroking some dogs when she is reading the letter from Macbeth, this shows her as sensitive and loving and not a devious, evil woman which I think is what Shakespeare wanted her to come across as. When shes talking about what Macbeth could become, she does not seem very exited. The unsex me scene is moved to when shes standing outside on her own, she is portrayed as evil when she changes her voice. When Macbeth comes in she runs up to him, he picks her up and carries her up the stairs, this portrays her as weak and childlike. She has little power over Macbeth, she has a little sexual persuasion but she doesnt seem to be able to manipulate him very much. When she says that they will kill Duncan, O never shall sun that morrow see. She comes across as playful and childish. She does not seem to be able to commit regicide, and too innocent to be filled with direst cruelty I think that the Royal Shakespeare production was the closest to the representation that Shakespeare portrayed in this play. The clothes she wore showed what Lady Macbeth was like. The actress played Lady Macbeth well because she showed that she is evil and manipulative using her movements and voice, she has power over Macbeth and influences what he does. In the BBC production she has not got as much power over Macbeth as in the Royal Shakespeare Production. She does not show that she is evil until she changes her voice. Her clothes show that she is more feminine and less capable of committing regicide. She uses sexual persuasion more than mental persuasion, this shows that she is not as calculating. In the Polanski film she is childlike and does not seem to be able to kill someone or even think about killing someone. She is very feminine because she is wearing a light blue dress, which shows the shape of her body. In my opinion Polanski got the character of Lady Macbeth completely w rong.