Comparing Lady Macbeth And The Polanski Version

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Lady Macbeth
Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth is open up to many interpretations, and this clear when watching the Polanski and PBS version of the play. In the movies the Lady Macbeth's might aswell be two completely different characters. Although the Lady Macbeth in the Polanski version was more historically accurate, due to the fact that the movie was set in medieval times. The lady macbeth in the world war two PBS version really encapsulated her true personality and was a much better fit in the story. In the Polanski version the first scene we see Lady Macbeth is when she is reading the letter. And in that scene she is petting dogs and chatting with her handmaidens and seems to be acting very sweetly. The actress is young and looks weak, not in
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You would never expect that kind of person to be talking about such a dark cruel subject as murder or betrayal. She even begins to cry when Macbeth confronts her about the assassination. As a way to persuade him. I suppose some people would consider this a strong point for her considering that it would truly make her the snake beneath the flower. But over all I just think this makes her character seem contradictory and creates a weak and unconvincing portrayal. In the PBS special Lady Macbeth lives in a time of war, and unlike her counterpart she shows it. The Lady Macbeth in the PBS version comes across much more gruff and grizzled. In her voice over in the letter reading scene she clearly sounds evil, you can hear the cunningness in her voice. As if she is already planning to take over. She automatically comes across as a more ruthless character. She dresses fancy and comes across more manipulative than innocent. And later in the seduction scene her way of convincing Macbeth seems more realistic to her character. In shakespeare's play it always came across to me that Lady Macbeth was an ironclad woman. That she was pure will and raw desire, and in the PBS version she is seems to be a much stronger the her