The Sound and the Fury: Macbeth

So, I think everyone in the world can agree that The Scottish Play is top-shelf bard. To my understanding, it is the play against which all other tragedies and histories (you could make the argument that Macbeth is a history, don't fight me on this) are measured (except for Richard III, nothing beats Richard III). There are a lot of reasons why The Scottish Play is the classic that it is, a lot of reasons that scholars love to analyze it. But my favorite thing about Macbeth is that it's so, so, very weird (as in strange, not as in the Weird Sisters - hang on, we're getting there).

Seriously; it's bizarre! I know that in a world that contains alligator hot dogs, the vampire birth scene in Breaking Dawn, and the English system, everything else seems fairly normal, but, it you consider it, Macbeth is a really strange play. There are apparitions, witches, and ghosts; at various times in the play, horses eat each other and chimneys are blown down by the force of one man's death! I think sometimes people discount the weirdness because it's so easy to look over. Everyone skips right over the sleep walking and witches brew to the didactic morals and social commentary (which, believe it or not, is not as exciting as it sounds). But, I think the strangeness of the whole thing is what makes Macbeth such a fascinating play.

Which was why I was very excited that I got to see the National Theater live stream of the play from Manchester last night. I've never seen a preformed version of one of Shakespeare's plays before (unless you count the Leo DiCap version of Romeo and Juliet (quality) ), so I felt it was my constitutional duty as an English major to attend, and I'm very glad I did. It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. To begin with, the play was actually staged in a building that used to be a church, so the 'stage' actually extended throughout the entire center of the building, all the way down the aisle. So, it really gave the actors a lot of space. The special effects were also really cool. In the opening scene, they actually had it raining indoors, which was really cool. The Scottish Play really is "the sound and the fury"and the physical manifestation of the storm is a great way to express that. Also, I've been to Scotland and I can tell you for a fact that it rains a lot there, a lot (and this is coming from someone who lives in Pennsylvania).

Another directional choice I was very pleased with was the portrayal of the Weird Sisters. They were actually mildly terrifying. Not to point out the obvious, but the witches are absolutely vital to Macbeth. You could argue that they are the catalyst for all actions in Macbeth. Weird, of course, implies fate. No doubt, Shakespeare was thinking of the Three Fates of Greek mythology when he decided to include the weird sisters in the play. In Greek mythology, not even the gods can change fate, neither, apparently, can a king. The director often placed the witches on stage, looking on, even when they are not technically onstage. It's actually quite creepy. It reminded me of something on of my English professors said last semester: the witches are always there, in the back of every scene. This raises the idea of agency and free will in Macbeth. One could argue that Macbeth is not in control of his actions, the external factors, acting upon him are the cause of his down fall.

And that is the true tragedy of the play.

Just readin'