You are here
Macbeth On Screen
- Date Issued:
- 2024
- Abstract/Description:
- It is the purpose of this thesis to analyze the fresh relevance of Shakespeare’s four-hundred-year-old tragedy Macbeth, as manifested in three contemporary films: Macbeth, directed by Rupert Goold, starring Patrick Stewart (2010); Macbeth, directed by Justin Kurzel, starring Michael Fassbender (2015); and The Tragedy of Macbeth, directed by Joel Coen, starring Denzel Washington (2021). The thesis examines the unique thematic ideas in each adaptation. The directors have distinct visions. Goold imagines Macbeth as a Stalinesque authoritarian. Kurzel’s Macbeth battles post-traumatic stress disorder. Coen’s older Macbeth is desperate to attain the status he is adamant he has earned, obsessed with the awareness that his time is limited to act. In these adaptations, underlying themes exploring the danger of the authoritarian personality, the heartbreaking futility of misplaced trust, the ravaging effects war may visit on the warrior’s psyche, and the dark places one may be led in the pursuit of ambition are presented to the audience for contemplation. The analysis draws from contemporary film criticism found in newspapers, magazines and scholarly journals. It is further supported by interviews with the directors and key actors, as well as autobiographical testimony. The elements used in the artistic craft of cinematography are explored. Recognizable references taken from earlier productions used by Joel Coen in his experimentation with Macbeth as a film noir are identified. Research which supports the relevance of the comparison of Macbeth to the historical Stalin is offered. Physicians’ clarification of the condition of PTSD enlightens the understanding of Kurzel’s interpretation.
Title: | Macbeth On Screen. |
![]() ![]() |
---|---|---|
Name(s): |
Oldfield, Pamela , author Stockard, Emily , Thesis advisor Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor Department of English Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters |
|
Type of Resource: | text | |
Genre: | Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation | |
Date Created: | 2024 | |
Date Issued: | 2024 | |
Publisher: | Florida Atlantic University | |
Place of Publication: | Boca Raton, Fla. | |
Physical Form: | application/pdf | |
Extent: | 70 p. | |
Language(s): | English | |
Abstract/Description: | It is the purpose of this thesis to analyze the fresh relevance of Shakespeare’s four-hundred-year-old tragedy Macbeth, as manifested in three contemporary films: Macbeth, directed by Rupert Goold, starring Patrick Stewart (2010); Macbeth, directed by Justin Kurzel, starring Michael Fassbender (2015); and The Tragedy of Macbeth, directed by Joel Coen, starring Denzel Washington (2021). The thesis examines the unique thematic ideas in each adaptation. The directors have distinct visions. Goold imagines Macbeth as a Stalinesque authoritarian. Kurzel’s Macbeth battles post-traumatic stress disorder. Coen’s older Macbeth is desperate to attain the status he is adamant he has earned, obsessed with the awareness that his time is limited to act. In these adaptations, underlying themes exploring the danger of the authoritarian personality, the heartbreaking futility of misplaced trust, the ravaging effects war may visit on the warrior’s psyche, and the dark places one may be led in the pursuit of ambition are presented to the audience for contemplation. The analysis draws from contemporary film criticism found in newspapers, magazines and scholarly journals. It is further supported by interviews with the directors and key actors, as well as autobiographical testimony. The elements used in the artistic craft of cinematography are explored. Recognizable references taken from earlier productions used by Joel Coen in his experimentation with Macbeth as a film noir are identified. Research which supports the relevance of the comparison of Macbeth to the historical Stalin is offered. Physicians’ clarification of the condition of PTSD enlightens the understanding of Kurzel’s interpretation. | |
Identifier: | FA00014481 (IID) | |
Degree granted: | Thesis (MA)--Florida Atlantic University, 2024. | |
Collection: | FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection | |
Note(s): | Includes bibliography. | |
Subject(s): |
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Macbeth Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Macbeth--Adaptations Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Macbeth--Criticism and interpretation |
|
Persistent Link to This Record: | http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014481 | |
Use and Reproduction: | Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder. | |
Use and Reproduction: | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ | |
Host Institution: | FAU |