Macbeth

Introduction
An immediate contrast between Shakespeare’s original version of the opening scene of Macbeth and Polanski’s film adaptation is the difference of the times in which each of the versions was produced. Shakespeare wrote and staged his production for a 17th Century audience whereas Polanski produced his film for a more sophisticated audience in which he had to translate the scenes using a variety of techniques, and this proved a huge advantage. Polanski was able to explore a character in a way in which it was impossible to do on stage. Film is obviously more advanced than techniques in Shakespeare’s time, and then again a modern day audience would find it harder to relate to as this scene we do not believe in the influence of witchcraft so strongly any more. A 17th Century audience would have a far better grip and understanding of the play as its themes were relevant to the topical issues of the day. This is why modern day directors must create new ideas to portray Shak...