History Theatre / Macbeth

** The 2010 production starring PatrickStewart takes a page from the IndianaJones book in Macbeth's fight with Young Seward:

* BondOneLiner: "Thou wast born of woman"

* DeceasedFallGuyGambit: Macbeth pins the murder on a pair of guards, then kills them

* ArbitrarySkepticism: Witches can predict the future and cast spells, dead men can come back as ghosts, apparitions can rise from cauldrons....but trees can't move. That would be silly.

* AmbitionIsEvil - At least if you have to murder your king for it. What's especially sad is that Macbeth had already gained enormous prestige and rewards for his heroism in putting down the rebellion and invasion from Norway, and the high esteem he was held in by Duncan would have given him tremendous influence even if the king had stayed alive and passed the throne on to Malcolm. \\
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At that period in Scottish history the kingship was more adoptive than hereditary (indeed, Duncan was the first ever king to succeed his own father) and Macbeth, as a successful general and a lord in his own right, had every reason to suppose that he might be tapped as next in line to the throne. (This is the back-story to the part about "if chance will have me king, then chance may crown me" and the reason he is so shocked when Duncan names his son Malcolm as Prince of Cumberland, i.e. heir to the throne.) In real life, Macbeth drew his support from the more conservative element in the Scots ruling class, who were horrified at the thought that supreme power might become a monopoly of one family. In that sense, he might be seen as the DarkerAndEdgier version of Brutus in Shakespeare's ''Julius Caesar.''

* ExecutiveMeddling: About a hundred years after Shakespeare died, an English theatre impresario (probably ColleyCibber) added an extra "witches" scene to Act III which was later assumed to have been part of the original play. (After the witches' "double, double, toil and trouble" speech, Hecate and three ''other'' witches show up randomly, sing a song called "Black Spirits", and vanish. [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment This is never mentioned again.]] Most versions of the play produced before about 1970 include this scene; most since leave it out.

* SanitySlippage: An archetypal example, as gnawing guilt drives the Macbeths crazier and crazier as the story progresses.
** Lady Macbeth also suffers this, as she starts to have visual and aural hallucinations and eventually kills herself.

* RomanPolanski's 1971 film version, memorable for its explicit violence (allegedly influenced by [[CreatorBreakdown the murder of Polanski's wife and unborn child by the Manson Family]]) and for Lady Macbeth's nude sleepwalking scene.
** Also notable for being produced by Playboy Productions, as part of a short-lived attempt to create a mainstream film arm.

* AmbitionIsEvil - At least if you have to murder your king for it. What's especially sad is that Macbeth had already gained enormous prestige and rewards for his heroism in putting down the rebellion and invasion from Norway, and the high esteem he was held in by Duncan would have given him tremendous influence even if the king had stayed alive and passed the throne on to Malcolm.
** At that period in Scottish history the kingship was more adoptive than hereditary (indeed, Duncan was the first ever king to succeed his own father) and Macbeth, as a successful general and a lord in his own right, had every reason to suppose that he might be tapped as next in line to the throne. (This is the back-story to the part about "if chance will have me king, then chance may crown me" and the reason he is so shocked when Duncan names his son Malcolm as Prince of Cumberland, i.e. heir to the throne.) In real life, Macbeth drew his support from the more conservative element in the Scots ruling class, who were horrified at the thought that supreme power might become a monopoly of one family. In that sense, he might be seen as the DarkerAndEdgier version of Brutus in Shakespeare's ''Julius Caesar.''

* ArtisticLicenseGeography: '''Averted''', though not obviously so. A witch says she'll keep a woman's ship-captain husband from making port in Aleppo, because she wouldn't share her chestnuts. Aleppo is some distance from the sea, but is near the Euphrates River, which empties into the Mediterranean Sea.
** Shakespeare would have had easy access to the account of one Ralph Fitch, who in 1583 set sail on the Tyger bound for Tripoli and Aleppo in Syria. Aleppo's seaport in the late 1500s was located on the nearby Euphrates River, which empties into the Mediterranean Sea. This allows access to Aleppo by ship, a seven day journey according to Mr. Fitch. Mr. Fitch arrived back in London in 1591, with plenty of time to write [[http://www.archive.org/stream/ralphfitchenglan00rylerich/ralphfitchenglan00rylerich_djvu.txt his description]] before Shakespeare read it.

** DownerEnding[=/=]GainaxEnding: The 1971 adaptation adds a silent epilogue (sometimes tacked onto the play) in which [[spoiler:Donalbain goes to the witches' hut, presumably to do exactly what Macbeth did.]] It is [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel deeply unsettling]].
*** The Australian version has Fleance, who Banquo tried to keep out of the gang warfare, sneaking into the attack on Macbeth's home, even killing a maid in a StartOfDarkness.

* CombatPragmatist: The 2010 production starring PatrickStewart takes a page from the IndianaJones book in Macbeth's fight with Young Seward:

** Especially funny in the 2010 version, when it's Picard getting that promotion...

** Alternately, the Third Murderer is frequently played by an extant actor, often Macbeth himself, to add layers of conspiracy theories.
** Alternately alternately, the mysterious third was an extra hire or a servant of Macbeth's, charged with being a ''spy'' on the first two. The idea adds more depth to the idea that Macbeth is pretty paranoid at this point.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: Shakespeare changed lots of historical details in order to please the newly crowned King James, who believed himself to be a descendant of Banquo, a friend of and probable co-conspirator with Macbeth that Macbeth eventually killed. [[HistoricalVillainUpgrade The character of Macbeth himself was also changed dramatically]].
** In reality, Donnchad (Duncan) failed badly at invading part of England, and so decided to pillage Mac Bethad's (Macbeth's) territory. Mac Bethad defeated him in battle, Donnchad dying, and Mac Bethad became King. He proceeded to rule for the best part of two decades and evidently felt pretty secure in his position, since it's documented that he took several months off to go to Rome and get personally blessed by the pope. The time frame of Shakespeare's play isn't entirely clear, but seems to be quite a bit shorter than the seventeen years of Mac Bethad's historical reign.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: So Donalbain just stayed in Ireland, then?

** Wasn't Fleance supposed to become king after Macbeth according to the prophecy?
*** It never said Banquo's ''immediate'' heir would be king. Fleance's descendents get to be king, not him.
*** Historically, King James's ancestors were the [[TheGoodChancellor Stewards]] of Scotland for centuries before ascending to the kingship. (Hence their family name "Stuart" and hence, possibly, the inspiration for the [[TheLordOfTheRings Ruling Stewards of Gondor.]]
* WrittenByTheWinners: Or written to appeal to a descendant of the winners, to be more precise; Banquo was an ancestor of King James, and portraying him in a historically accurate way might have upset King James....
** Many now in fact don't think there ever even was a Banquo (or a Fleance.)

The play takes place in the Scottish Highlands. Fresh from putting down a rebellion against King Duncan, Lord Macbeth meets three witches who relate a series of prophecies, one of them being that he will rule Scotland. When one of the other seemingly unlikely predictions comes true, his scheming and heartless wife convinces him to murder Duncan. Both are driven mad with guilt; while Lady Macbeth copes by sleepwalking and then [[DrivenToSuicide killing herself]], Macbeth himself copes by extending his power, especially after the witches predict that "NoManOfWomanBorn" shall slay him. After being visited by the ghost of one of his victims, Macbeth is overthrown and killed by [[spoiler:Macduff, who was "from his mother's womb untimely ripped" - in other words, delivered via crude caesarean section from his mother's dead or dying body]].

* A 2006 Australian film starring Sam Worthington, with a SettingUpdate to the [[{{Underbelly}} Melbourne ganglands]].

* A character in ''{{Gargoyles}}'', who surprises the audience by being based more on the historical Macbeth than the better-known Shakespeare version. WordOfGod mentions that he was amused by the play, and suggests that he and Shakespeare may have been drinking buddies (though Shakespeare wouldn't have known his friend was the ''actual'' Macbeth).

''Macbeth'' is a 1606 play written by WilliamShakespeare. It was written at the express request of King James I/VI of England and Scotland, who asked Shakespeare to present a new play to honor his visitor, the King of Denmark.

* ItGetsEasier: Macbeth feels a lot more guilty about murdering Duncan than about any of his later crimes.

* ''ThroneOfBlood'', AkiraKurosawa's take on the story, set in feudal Japan.

* ''From a Jack to a King''- BobCarlton musical, with a lot of Sixties songs.

* ''ThroneOfBlood'', AkiraKurosawa's take on the story, in feudal Japan.

* A 2006 Australian film starring SamWorthington, with a SettingUpdate to the [[{{Underbelly}} Melbourne ganglands]].

The play takes place in the Scottish Highlands. Fresh from putting down a rebellion against King Duncan, Lord Macbeth meets three witches who relate a series of prophecies, one of them being that he will rule Scotland. When one of the other seemingly unlikely predictions comes true, his scheming and heartless wife convinces him to murder Duncan. Both are driven mad with guilt; while Lady Macbeth copes by sleepwalking and then [[DrivenToSuicide killing herself]], King Macbeth copes by extending his power, especially after the witches predict that "NoManOfWomanBorn" shall slay him. After being visited by the ghost of one of his victims, Macbeth is overthrown and killed by [[spoiler:Macduff, who was "from his mother's womb untimely ripped" - in other words, delivered via crude caesarean section from his mother's dead or dying body]].

The play takes place in the Scottish Highlands. Fresh from putting down a rebellion against King Duncan, Macbeth meets three witches who relate a series of prophecies, one of them being that he will rule Scotland. When one of the other seemingly unlikely predictions comes true, his scheming and heartless wife convinces him to murder the King. Both are driven mad with guilt; while Lady Macbeth copes by [[DrivenToSuicide killing herself]], Lord Macbeth copes by extending his power, especially after the witches predict that "NoManOfWomanBorn" shall slay him. After being visited by the ghost of one of his victims, Macbeth is overthrown and killed by [[spoiler:Macduff, who was "from his mother's womb untimely ripped" - in other words, delivered via crude Caesarean section from his mother's dead or dying body]].

''Macbeth'' is a 1606 play written by WilliamShakespeare. It was written at the express request of James I/VI of England and Scotland, who asked Shakespeare to present a new play to honor his visitor, the King of Denmark.

[[caption-width-right:350:''If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me.'']]

* ArtisticLicenseGeography: ** '''Averted''', though not obviously so. A witch says she'll keep a woman's ship-captain husband from making port in Aleppo, because she wouldn't share her chestnuts. Aleppo is some distance from the sea, but is near the Euphrates River, which empties into the Mediterranean Sea.

The play takes place in the Scottish Highlands. Fresh from putting down a rebellion against King Duncan, Macbeth meets three witches who relate a series of prophecies, one of them being that he will rule Scotland. When one of the other seemingly unlikely predictions comes true, his scheming and heartless wife convinces him to murder the King. Both are driven mad with guilt; while Lady Macbeth copes by [[DrivenToSuicide killing herself]], Lord Macbeth copes by extending his power, especially after the witches predict that "NoManOfWomanBorn" shall slay him. After being visited by the ghost of one of his victims, Macbeth is overthrown and killed by [[spoiler:Macduff, who was "from his mother's womb untimely ripped" - in other words, delivered via Caesarean section from his mother's dead or dying body]].

** The 1990s adaptation ''Macbeth On The Estate'' turns ''[=MacDuff=]'' into this. He goads [=MacBeth=] into charging him, then pulls out a gun. Justified given the setting. A gun would be hard to obtain, but when taking revenge for your murdered family...

* HeWillNotCrySoICryForHim: Malcolm attempts this to Siward. Siward stops him.

* CombatPragmatist: The 2010 production starring PatrickStewart takes a page from the IndianaJones book in Macbeth's fight with Young Siward:
-->''Young Siward'': With my blade, I'll prove the lie thou speakest!
-->''Macbeth'': *pulls out a pistol and shoots him dead*
** The 1990s adaptation Macbeth On The Estate turns ''[=MacDuff=]'' into this. He goads [=MacBeth=] into charging him, then pulls out a gun. Justified given the setting. A gun would be hard to obtain, but when taking revenge for your murdered family...

* BeardofEvil: In Roman Polanski's film, MacBeth starts as a baby-faced young Thane, and as his murderous intentions grow, so does his beard.