{"content":{"sharePage":{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"36560996","dateCreated":"1301079079","smartDate":"Mar 25, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"danielx_184","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/danielx_184","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/36560996"},"dateDigested":1531973839,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Macbeth","description":"While all five of the film representations of Macbeth depict the scene of the witches some do much more successfully than others. Orson Welles\u2019 adaptation is probably the one that depicts the play the best. It shows all of the most important traits of the scene clearly. It is evident that the situation taking place is of obscure nature and there is several situations that reflect this. For example the foggy weather and the cliff in which the witches are gathered clearly set in evidence the nature of the witches\u2019 doings. Contrary we see that Polanski\u2019s adaptation is more bizarre in terms of scenery. It is set on a typical English Beach with some foul weather but no rain, no fog, no evidence that something strange is going on. The audibility also makes of Welles\u2019 adaptation superior. The fact that you are able to distinguish what the witches are telling each other and how they are making the potion that leads to the prophecy of their meeting with Macbeth. Unlike this Nicole Williamson\u2019s version is very difficult to understand what the witches are saying. This audio problem poses a challenge on the piece as a whole for this is one of the key scenes in the play; it\u2019s what sets the play in motion. This makes of this scene the most illuminating and complete because it is the one that abides more to the play, in a much more comprehensive manner. Yet it is neither the most stimulating. That category definitely goes to Goold\u2019s adaptation. While historically inaccurate and no direct evidence that the ladies are actually witches this scene offers suspense. The lights going down progressively and the beat of the heart monitor\u2019s reading decreasing both build up on the dramatic feeling; something that neither of the previous representations offers due to their attempt to maintain historical coherence. This innovation has another plus to it. It makes it much mora attractive. If Macbeth was to be redone maintaining the customs of the time it have less success than the adapted modern version. In terms of originality the one with the Playmobil. However this production is hard to understand. It offers no historical background, the voices are not clear, and neither is the setting. It takes place on the woods but there is nothing that might suggest any kind of negative or dark connotation to the prediction of the ladies. In terms of understanding, and proper screen adaption of the play definetly Orson\u2019s version is superior. In terms of modernism, appeal, and enjoyment Goold\u2019s version deserves the mention.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"36558170","dateCreated":"1301076789","smartDate":"Mar 25, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"MaFe1595","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/MaFe1595","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/36558170"},"dateDigested":1531973840,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Macbeth","description":"Macbeth has been the inspiration of many films throughout the years. The filmed staged version of Macbeth, by Nicol Williamson is a great performance, as well as the PBS version. On several occasions, Shakespeare mentions the theme of weather. In Macbeth, weather acts as a foreshadow. The witches at the beginning enter in thunder. The first line is, \u201cWhen shall we three meet again, in thunder, lightning or in rain.\u201d They will meet Macbeth and give him the prophecy, in bad weather that foreshadows something negative is going to happen later on. In Nicol Williamson\u2019s version, the weather is emphasized. The witches enter in a storm. In the PBS, the witches are nurses in a hallway, at the hospital. The weather is not emphasized and it\u2019s a bit out of place. The theme of weather is not focused at all, just mentioned in the first line of the dialogue, but it is out of place because on stage there is no weather factor. At the same time, the staged version follows the play very closely. The PBS version is more edgy. The nurses add suspense and make it scary and more interesting than the staged version. The lighting also adds suspense in the PBS version. The lights go off and the witches disappear. The witches pull out the heart in the PBS version. This is a foreshadow to the killing of Duncan, and the rest of the homicides to happen in the play. The staged version is more brief than the PBS version. The scene of the witches is important, but it is not emphasized. In the PBS version, the witch scene gives us an insight that the film will be dark. Death is also very important. They are at the hospital, and the man that they were supposed to try to save, dies. He is covered in blood, and finally they pull out his heart. During the play, King Duncan is murdered, the guards, Macduff\u2019s wife and son. There are different conspiracies and plots for power. The man dyeing in the hospital represents death. But in the staged version, there isn\u2019t much about death, just prophecies, but you get the feeling that something bad is going to happen by the mood that the stage and the sounds send across. The PBS version has more suspense. It is scarier and the effects are more advanced. It also gives the theme of death and it is dark and scary. The staged version is simpler, but it still sends the message across. The environment, the thunder, the way the witches talk, all give the message that something bad is going to happen. The rock they\u2019re on and the way they look makes them look like witches. In the PBS version, the witches look like creepy nurses, but you can tell they\u2019re witches by the way they pull the guy\u2019s heart out and they disappear.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"36660694","body":"Thanks MaFe,
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\nWebster","dateCreated":"1301326272","smartDate":"Mar 28, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"36554834","dateCreated":"1301074065","smartDate":"Mar 25, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"tammy_sev","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/tammy_sev","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1285868666\/tammy_sev-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/36554834"},"dateDigested":1531973840,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Macbeth 1st act","description":"
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\nAfter watching the first video, \u201cOrson Welles - Macbeth intro\u201d and the second video, \u201cMacbeth (Polanski 1971) - Witches Opening\u201d we could see a lot of differences between the two. The videos are reenacting the first scene of Macbeth, the one when the witches foreshadow giving Macbeth the prophecy. The main difference between the two is clearly, that one looks more sinister than the other, but there are qualities of the video that make it this way. The first video starts with a devilish song that makes you scared when the scene hasn\u2019t started. The second panorama, or scene, at the other hand starts with a beautiful landscape at sunset, with calm music that can barely be heard. The first scene keeps you active, startled from the first 20 seconds, while the second one makes you perceive that what follows is not threatening in any way. But the music and the setting is not their only difference. The witches themselves are entirely different, and the way we perceive them too. In the first scene we never see the witches faces, we hear their freaky voices and see their creepy shadows but we never see them completely. Their voices make our hearts raise and just by hearing their tone of voice we know that whatever is happening can\u2019t be good. The music at the background adds to this suspense, so does their boiling pot and the white fog around them. In the second video as soon as the witches start talking we can see them directly. This decreases the suspense, since there is nothing to hide, nothing left for the imagination. Their voices are calmed and steady, their clothing and the background behind them adds to the mood of this scene. Even the film itself, the way you see it differs. The first video is in black and white, which is obvious, but it tells us that things are set, there is either light or darkness there\u2019s no other choice. While in the second you have various choices, different colors some of them even joyful.
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\nWhile reading \u201cMacbeth\u201d for the first time it was far different than what I imagined. Not only was the writing very difficult to understand, but also there was a certain darkness in it. In my head it was shadowy and suspenseful and there was no light in all the darkness, no hope for something better. Watching the two first videos I did find many differences between the two but the one that attracted my attention of the two, was the first. The first one is sinister, wicked, spiteful everything I imagined and more. It\u2019s far more thrilling than the second, and for the way I imagined Macbeth it is better. The second one gives hope; the colors, the music, the landscape, it all tells us in a way that even though Macbeth is a tragedy there is a sense of goodness in it. When the first one tells us that everything is lost, the play is wicked, and tragic, and nothing can change that.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"36556886","body":"Thanks Tamara,
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\nWebster","dateCreated":"1301075671","smartDate":"Mar 25, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"36536260","dateCreated":"1301061159","smartDate":"Mar 25, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"caro3arias","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/caro3arias","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/36536260"},"dateDigested":1531973840,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"blank","description":"Compare and contrast Macbeth clips
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\nThe appearances of the witches vary in these scenes. In some, like the Orson Welles clip and the Macbeth 2010 clip, the witches look identical. In some, like the Lego version and the Polanski version, the witches do not look a like at all. But one thing is constant in almost all the clips: the witches are very creepy.
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\nThe voices of the witches also contrast. In the Orson Welles clip, the witches have a mix of hissing and un-human sounding voices. In the Polanski clip, the witches sound very normal and human, age crinkling the voice of the oldest witch. In the Macbeth 2010 clip, the voices are all in the same tone, aggressive, and echoing in the empty hallways. The Lego witches have nasally, high-pitched voices that aren\u2019t very scary, just silly sounding. The Nicol Williamson version has witches with hushed voices. One thing is the same in all the clips: in some parts the words are drawn out and other words are spoken quickly, as if to spit them out as soon as possible.
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\nAll the clips use light to set the scene. In the hospital, the fluorescent light matches the witches\u2019 abrasive personalities. As the turn as the lights turn off, the suspense is increased, until the witches are standing in the dark. The Orson Welles scene is very dark, making it creepy to watch. The gradual lighting in the Polanski scene gives the impression that the witches have travelled a long way to get together, and gives an air of importance to their task. The shadows the Lego people give off make the plastic, superficial scene a tiny bit of sinister air. In the Nicol Williamson scene, the sky is dark and lightning comes and goes to set an eerie atmosphere.
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\nThe clip that captures Macbeth\u2019s disturbing and black tone is the Orson Welles clip. The stark black silhouettes against the stormy sky, the mutilated voices and the textures of the potion in the cauldron all add to the wicked atmosphere. I especially enjoyed how the camera was focused on the mixture the whole time and the viewer had to recreate the witches\u2019 faces with their imagination, based on their voice. The suspense builds when the witches plunge their hands in the disgusting brew and pull out the deformed lump. I was very interested in what it was going to be as they pulled clumps off and when it turned out to be a person, I got goose bumps.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"36556798","body":"Good Carolina,
\n
\nThanks,
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\nWebster","dateCreated":"1301075590","smartDate":"Mar 25, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"36523830","dateCreated":"1301030413","smartDate":"Mar 24, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"ad.ri","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/ad.ri","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1283992059\/ad.ri-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/36523830"},"dateDigested":1531973840,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Macbeth","description":"Shakespeare\u00b4s Macbeth has been recorded various times, each director demonstrating their take on the play. The first scene is undoubtedly an ominous, foreboding scene, setting the mood and dominant idea for the rest of the play. The five different takes on the play differ largely from each other in the techniques each director employs to imitate the world in their heads. All the videos held the same mood, some more violent than others and some hidden in other elements, yet they all depicted a grim, ill-omened tale. The first video used music and other symbolism to represent the words that weren\u2019t actually spoken. The bitter, wailing notes of the music add to the tension of the play, while mists and fogs swirled in the air, hiding the witches\u00b4 faces. The close-up on the concoctions they\u00b4re making, steam rising from it, only shows gnarled hands with withered nails; while we hear the piercing voices speak the familiar words. Nothing in that scene stands out clear and bright; everything blurs behind the thick hazes. The third video completely turns upside-down. The location is now of a hospital, instead of the hazy rock in the first video. The white clean nurse uniforms enlighten the witches\u00b4 stern faces. Their cold, violent way of killing the man leaves a different feeling lingering, not so gloomy and more terrifying. Mystery and curiosity remain no longer giving way to the feeling of horror and reluctance to watch. The fourth video seems like a joke, not really taking the scene seriously. The bright colors of the figures cancel any menace, necessary in the play of Macbeth. The whooshing sounds of wind seem just as fake as the figures we see. When the monster crawls up the vase, laughter rings in my ears, as well as when they fly away awkwardly.
\n The first video definitely portrays the right feeling the best out of these videos. None of the other videos have music, which helps a whole lot to create the portentous mood of the scene. Another element that benefits, though the director probably didn\u2019t plan it on purpose, is the black and white coloring of the video. Though black and white would contrast highly the video doesn\u2019t have and sharp blacks or piercing whites, only soft gray hues blending with each other. Though the other videos include the lines \u201cFair is foul and foul is fair\u201d this video doesn\u2019t contain those words, at least not spoken aloud. The fuzziness and ambiguity of the images on screen are good enough to replace the line. As I follow the twirling traces of the smog, I can\u00b4t help but think this is what Macbeth\u00b4s head is full of, when he doesn\u2019t know whether the prophecy was good or ill.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"36556660","body":"Thanks Adrianna,
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\nWebster","dateCreated":"1301075482","smartDate":"Mar 25, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"36516104","dateCreated":"1301018775","smartDate":"Mar 24, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"paulasev_th","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/paulasev_th","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1265121950\/paulasev_th-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/36516104"},"dateDigested":1531973840,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Interpretations","description":"\u201cWhen shall we three meet again?\u201d claims the first witch as a lightning illuminates the scene. This is the opening scene of Macbeth, one of Shakespeare\u2019s most famous plays. As in any other scene in the world of theatre, many aspects modify and enhance the dominant impression given to the spectator. The interpretations of this excerpt of the play have several similarities in the performance, but at the same time approach different themes, or impressions, of the event.
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\n A theme of the play that most of these interpretations want to emphasize is the ambiguity between right and wrong, and that things may not be what they seem. Almost in every video, the witches end the scene with the famous phrase \u201cfair is foul, and foul is fair,\u201d and raise their voices so that it is pronounced clearly and dramatically. In the production by Orson Welles, the faces of the witches are never shown, which can add to the mystery and confusion. Polanski enhances this ambiguity by having less dialogue, and changing the cauldron for sand, so that it is less obvious for those who watch the play to conclude if they are witches or not. The whispers of the witches in the stage-version are in charge of this mystery. Another similar aspect all of them share is the importance the witches give to the name of Macbeth. The third witch always makes a pause before whispering, \u201cwith Macbeth,\u201d as a warning to the spectator that that name will be crucial for the plot.
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\n Even though many themes are kept in these expositions, many aspects of setting and characters change, changing as well the dominant impression. Orson Welles decided that he was not going to be satisfied unless he left the audience completely breathless. He introduces the play as a dark, terrifying story. First, the music is harsh, loud, piercing, leaving anyone with goose bumps even before any witches appear. Weather plays a key role in the mood, since the clouds create mystery, and the thunder causes the spectator to jump out of their seat. The witches then appear, but we can only see their shadows, almost feel their filthy hands, and hear their shrieking voices, pronouncing a spell. These characteristics of the introduction of the witches help to increase the sense of fear and tension in the spectator. Orson Welles effectively achieves the motive of terror and wickedness. Polanski, on the other hand, was a bit more discrete. There is barely any music, and the notes are quiet, timid, as if waking up from a long, tranquil dream. The awakening theme is also in the setting, with the dim light of dawn, and the emptiness of the place. Even though the witches have the typical crooked nose, rugged clothes, and hump in their backs, they are not surrounding a cauldron, making a potion. The lack of this stereotype drives the audience to think about the play in a different way, and having less dialogue also gives way to the analytical part of our minds. Williamson\u2019s stage performance is in the middle of these two, having both the lightning and tension of the first one, and the quietness of mystery of Polanski\u2019s.
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\n As any other play, Macbeth will be interpreted and leave different impressions in every one of us, even though many themes will stay the same. These similar, but different approaches prove this.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"36556418","body":"Great Paula,
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\nWebster","dateCreated":"1301075305","smartDate":"Mar 25, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"36464566","dateCreated":"1300979009","smartDate":"Mar 24, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"Ingrid89","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Ingrid89","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1228179242\/Ingrid89-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/36464566"},"dateDigested":1531973841,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Nicol","description":"All these videos depict the three main witches in different surroundings and under different circumstances. Some of the themes that are repeated are uncertainness, as well as silence and darkness. Others though, have joyful speeches, as well as joyful sceneries. In some of the videos, the weather of the scenery seems to vary: some in light, others in storm, creating hence a different perspective, view, and importance of what is going on. In the 2010 version of the scene, those witches seem completely out of their right mind. They appear to be possessed, and try to enhance the name \u2018Macbeth\u2019 in the script. When they speak together, the frightfulness of the act defuses a little, as there is a sense of awkwardness, as I perceive it. The witches, as well, in this peculiar video, although they act as if they were crazy, they don\u2019t appear as if they were supernatural. They appear as normal humans, confusing the fact of the \u2018difference\u2019 the witches have form the \u2018humans beings\u2019 themselves. Appearing as witches and acting a \u2018witchlike\u2019 action like stirring a cauldron or pulling a heart out of the body. In the book, there is no actual referring to the three women being witches and no representation of their actions. There are only voices and speeches that seem out of this world, yet no real reference of the witches. The last video, being only three women in a suspicious surrounding represents more the sense of the book, being mysterious and explaining an unnatural presence, yet not giving up that much as to the personalities of the witches and what they are proposed to do.
\n Although each of these representations depict characters \u2018out of this world\u2019, the last film, filmed by Nicol Williamson is the one that resembles that of the book the best. The scene in the book is very simple. It has just the voices without any given description or hint of the scenery. The mysteriousness and the actual sense that these three witches are somewhat humans, yet not normal, is best represented in this last video. The lonesomeness of the witches, the desertedness of the scenery, and the tone of voice in which they all speak resembles more the idea I thought the scene revolved. There is a sense of spookiness, as the witches don\u2019t seem that clear for the viewers, due to the angle as well as the fog and lighting. Their scene appears to be as if the witches were coming to life together, as if their corpses were just left alone, and once every long time they would get \u2018re-spirited\u2019. This scene, being in a storm, unlike the others that are just either in darkness or in light, creates more a connection to the book. The dialog speaks about Macbeth and the witches reuniting in thunder, lightning, or rain. Having the three women appear in storm made a larger connection to the book, as they should only get together in these three weathers.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"36475928","body":"Ingrid...
\n
\n1) is 'uncertainess' a word?
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\nThanks,
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\nWebster","dateCreated":"1300986076","smartDate":"Mar 24, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"36491486","body":"uncertainty ;)!!! sorry","dateCreated":"1300997261","smartDate":"Mar 24, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"Ingrid89","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Ingrid89","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1228179242\/Ingrid89-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"36556264","body":"No worries,
\n
\nThanks,
\n
\nWebster","dateCreated":"1301075182","smartDate":"Mar 25, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"36445984","dateCreated":"1300951052","smartDate":"Mar 24, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"maaayyyaaa","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/maaayyyaaa","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1222817730\/maaayyyaaa-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/36445984"},"dateDigested":1531973841,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Toil and Trouble ","description":"Thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches.
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\nFrom its very first stage direction, Macbeth takes on a sinister air. Three witches are gathering in thunder and lightning. They converse in rhyme (in thunder and lightning) and plan to rendezvous again (in thunder and lightning).
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\nAll five video clips encompass this ominous atmosphere. Each, however, does so in a different way. The first clip opens with soft, bell-like music and several seconds of rolling fog. The fog fades and three silhouettes appear. Rather than begin the film with direct lines from the text, Welles chose to start with the witches\u2019 chant from Act IV. Nail-on-blackboard sounds and close-ups of boiling tarlike goop make my stomach churn. This clip embraces the chanting-and-cauldron clich\u00e9, albeit quite successfully.
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\nNext, the stop motion animation also embraces the clich\u00e9. Both these clips depict witches gathered around a smoking brew. Like the first, the witches mold a figurine out of clay, presumably Macbeth. Unlike the first, these witches are plastic Legos. It becomes a parody. It is simple. It is playful. It was made in the spirit of stop motion animation, not in an attempt to accurately portray Macbeth as a theatrical drama.
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\nLastly, Polanski\u2019s version opens with a red tinted beach scene reminiscent of dawn. The sky changes to blue; it is a new day. An ominous quiet hangs about the air. Only the seagulls\u2019 screeches can be heard. Unlike the first two sets of witches, these witches seem weary, drained, and resigned to their fate. They shuffle into the scene and dutifully bury the arm and the dagger. They chant their chant, spit their spit, as if they\u2019ve done this a thousand times before. Two of the three fit the stereotypical picture of a witch: wrinkly skin, crooked nose, rags and stick. The third, however, is young and blond, though she seems the leader of the three. She is the first to appear on screen; the one who speaks the least; the one to embrace and shield the older witch; the one to lead the trio away into the distance. Only in Polanski\u2019s clip are these witches portrayed as humans rather than evil ghouls.
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\nEach clip, when regarded individually apart from the text, has its accomplishments and failures. Welle\u2019s is your typical witch scene\u2014complete with boiling potion and ubiquitous fog. It succeeds in fulfilling its role as such. But it is too conventional to be of much interest. On the contrary, Polanski\u2019s version evokes wonder, suspense, and mystery\u2014Why a beach? Who are these witches? Why the noose, the arm, the dagger? Their somber, slightly melancholy air is puzzling. The clip is full of subtle hints of beauty, from the long sunrise at the beginning to the fading of the witches in the end, when the only sounds heard are the squeaking cart and the seagulls. However, when comparing these scenes to Shakespeare\u2019s text, things change. I believe Welle\u2019s version manages to capture part of the overall witch-mood. It succeeds in depicting the first scene of Act IV in which the witches chant and brew their potion. It also succeeds in encompassing the fair-and-foul ambiguity by means of the fog and the gray colors. But Welle\u2019s clip, along with Polanski\u2019s clip, fails to capture the playfulness of the witches. The witches are not as somber as these two clips paint them to be. They collect thumbs. They have pet cats and toads. For fun, they steal chestnuts and make sailors miserable. Like rebellious children, they act behind Hecate\u2019s back and dabble with Macbeth\u2019s affairs. In this respect, the stop motion animation best captures the playful nature of the witches.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"36475540","body":"Greatly appreciate the contrariness of your approach, Maya..You have neatly detailed your assessment.
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\nThanks,
\n
\nWebster","dateCreated":"1300985745","smartDate":"Mar 24, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"36444454","dateCreated":"1300945263","smartDate":"Mar 23, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"julibarca10","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/julibarca10","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1269448814\/julibarca10-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/36444454"},"dateDigested":1531973841,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Macbeth videos ","description":"\u201cFair is foul and foul is fair.\u201d That is the main theme of Macbeth; things aren\u2019t what they seem to be. Where one saw good, you will now find evil. In all movies there is mist and thunder, a cauldron and witches dressed in rags, talking in the now characterized witch tone. The settings are dark, and ambiguous they don\u2019t reveal much of where the witches could be, there is thunder or explosions that add to the suspense and nervousness in the air. What all the examples fail to expose is the fair is foul theme. In Polanski\u2019s movie the witches are horrible creatures that speak as if they were about to die, it is clear that they are foul there are no aces under the sleeve, no need for us to do any interpretation, the witches are what they are. The same for Welle\u2019s movie the darkness and few shots of the witches let us know that there isn\u2019t anything good going on. It actually tries to promote a sense of mystique and magic kind of feeling, with the cauldron and thunder and all the wind and mist going on. In the play there is a feeling almost of like if it were the first days of the earth, everything so desolate, and just a stone with the three witches and the storm going on, the sensation is of almost a different world. The only exception could be the PBS movie since it plays with the fair is foul theme. A nurse, who usually represents the salvation of the ill, almost a virgin like figure, always dressed in white and impeccably clean, are not who they are supposed to be this time. The white of the apron that usually represents purity is stained, with blood; it shows that there is something impure about these nurses. Finally when they are talking about their true plans the lights shut down leaving them in total darkness. It is here when they take out the man\u2019s heart and reveal their true identity. When they speak their tone is also monotonous, the pronunciation is very clear and precise, yet the tone given sounds like a robot, or a possessed person. Out of all the examples the one from PBS is probably the on to go with. It gives that dark, chills, mood that Shakespeare wanted from the witches. It is also the only one to play with the fair is foul theme. It leaves us with uncertainty because we don\u2019t know what is going on or how do the witches relate to this Macbeth, it all happens very fast and unexpectedly, the motions are very harsh, which indicates that there is nothing subtle going on around the nurses. The only thing that fails to convey the Shakespearian spirit is the language used. The witches use the same English as Shakespeare when Shakespeare was all about using the same English that was current to the time. If a current English would have been used the movie would definitely stick better to Shakespeare\u2019s ideas.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"36475130","body":"I'm not sure if I agree (or quite understand) the argument that you posit in the final two sentences of this response.
\n
\nCould you please spend a little time developing and addressing this...
\n
\nOne thing I can ask right now is how can you claim to know what Shakespeare was "all about"?
\n
\nThanks,
\n
\nWebster","dateCreated":"1300985430","smartDate":"Mar 24, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"36518978","body":"When we studied Shakespeare, they told us Shakespeare wrote his plays for the people of the lower classes the simpler minded, he tried to bring a higher level of art to people who couldn't afford to understand the plays for the rich, so it would only make sense if what Shakespeare wrote was in a simple or easier to understand language. If this play was made in 2010 and it followed the objective of Shakespeare which was to appeal to a simpler crowd, the English used wouldn't of been the English of Shakespearean times but a more current version.","dateCreated":"1301021839","smartDate":"Mar 24, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"fabiborelly31","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/fabiborelly31","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1225493296\/fabiborelly31-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"36519072","body":"mr webster im sorry fabian had used my computer in the afternoon and he forgot to sign out and i didn't notice he was signed in","dateCreated":"1301021921","smartDate":"Mar 24, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"julibarca10","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/julibarca10","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1269448814\/julibarca10-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"36556546","body":"No worries, Julian,
\n
\nThanks for clearing that up,
\n
\nWebster","dateCreated":"1301075386","smartDate":"Mar 25, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"36442084","dateCreated":"1300938306","smartDate":"Mar 23, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"kelseygymnastics","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/kelseygymnastics","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1222807559\/kelseygymnastics-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/36442084"},"dateDigested":1531973843,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Macbeth videos","description":"The play \u2018Macbeth\u2019, by William Shakespeare, opens with a scene of three witches. They utter one of the most important lines in the play: \u201cFair is foul, and foul is fair.\u201d This quote represents the theme of ambiguity, confusion in Macbeth. This scene also sets the mood for the entire play. In all these three clips, there is a darkness, but other themes and motifs vary.
\n The first video, directed by Orson Welles, is centered on the theme of ambiguity and haze. Smoke from the brewing potion and the fog, caused by the weather, obscure much of the terrain around the scene. The characteristics of the witches are unclear, but look fairly typical: gnarled fingers, long robes, etc. The quote that most accurately depicts this scene is \u201cHover through fog and filthy air.\u201d The entire scene is filthy: the black, unseemly potion bubbles and hisses, gobs of clay stain the witches\u2019 hands and robes, and their hands themselves are unclean. There is a feeling of unearthliness: we never actually see the earth or other people, just the ground they are standing on. The theme of darkness is also emphasized: the clip is in black and white, but there is hardly a sliver of white.
\n On the other hand, the third video (by PBS), is highly atypical. Instead of introducing the play with fog, they choose to present everything as crystal clear. The nun\u2019s habits worn by the witches juxtapose with the present-day stereotype of a witch. The dingy, draping robes and hoarse and screeching voices in our mind contrast sharply with the clear and monotone voices, the white headpieces and aprons, etc. Everything in this scene is manmade, including the turning off of the lights. One can then insinuate that the darkness in the scene and the play that follows is because of humans. This scene also contains foreboding: because of the witches, someone is killed. In the play, Macbeth ultimately starts killing people to fulfill the witches\u2019 prophecy; he is tempted by the thought of becoming King.
\n The fifth video, by Nicol Williamson, is similar to the first; it is more customary. There is fog swirling about, and the witches are \u201ctypical.\u201d The motif of weather is emphasized in this scene: the first thing we see and hear is lightning and thunder. The clouds hang low and block out most of the light, creating a dark and smoggy environment. The witches in this scene are lethargic, quiet, until the line \u201cfair is foul, and foul is fair.\u201d While speaking this line, their somewhat hoarse voices rise in volume and intensity.
\n I believe that the best video of these is the first, directed by Orson Welles. There are the most sensory details: one can practically feel the wind and the chill, the heat of the cauldron. One could easily get lost in the scenery, in the beautiful effects. These go perfectly in tune with the speech, and albeit it is not the most realistic, it was definitely the most interesting.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"36474454","body":"Great Kelsey,
\n
\nYou did a good job matching the text with the visual components of the respective clips.
\n
\nThanks,
\n
\nWebster","dateCreated":"1300984981","smartDate":"Mar 24, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]}],"more":true},"comments":[]},"http":{"code":200,"status":"OK"},"redirectUrl":null,"javascript":null,"notices":{"warning":[],"error":[],"info":[],"success":[]}}