Friday, March 8, 2013

Who is the intended audience for the movie versions of "Macbeth"?

Many would say that Shakespeare is for everyone, but this answer is a little general. There are some groups of people that would specifically benefit from a movie version of Macbeth. Before talking about those people, however, it may be helpful to note the three most recent major movie versions of Macbeth.


Macbeth (2015) - Featuring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard


Macbeth (2006) - Featuring Chloe Armstrong 


Macbeth (1997) - Featuring Jason Connery


These three versions ignore the many recorded stage versions, as well as the nearly countless filmed versions since the birth of film. Macbeth is a popular subject. So who (specifically) would benefit from these movies? 


I would suggest there are three groups that might benefit the most from film retellings of Macbeth:



  1. People unfamiliar with Shakespeare. Shakespeare can seem very intimidating to people. A movie is a great way for a person to better understand Shakespeare without being frightening of misunderstanding him or feeling dumb.


  2. Those looking to better understand Macbeth. Shakespeare can be downright confusing. A film version of Macbeth is a great way to really visualize a play that is causing a reader trouble.


  3. Shakespeare aficionados. Shakespeare aficionados love film versions because they offer storytelling techniques that are impossible in a theater. They allow the gore of Macbeth to really be told in a visual way that spans time and place differently from a stage. 

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