RIANNA SEELIG
Staff Writer
Out of all the famous writers we learn about in school, Shakespeare is probably the most well-known. It seems as though everyone has read one of his plays or a handful of his sonnets, and it is rare to find a high school classroom that has not tackled the content.
Almost as popular as Shakespeare’s plays themselves are adaptations of his work. His plays have been made into films, specials, have been the subject of countless documentaries and novels, and continue to be explored in pop culture today.
There seem to be a handful of plays that outshine the rest. Big names like “Romeo and Juliet,” “Hamlet,” “Titus Andronicus” and, of course, “Macbeth.”
“Macbeth” is a tragedy written by Shakespeare that was first performed in 1611. The play is set in Scotland and focuses on the negative repercussions, both physical and mental, of seeking absolute political power solely for one’s own benefit.
The play had been adapted before, but the most contemporary adaptation is the new film directed by Justin Kurzel (“The Snowtown Murders”). The writing team includes Jacob Koskoff (“The Marc Pease Experience”), Michael Lesslie (“Assassin’s Creed”) and Todd Louiso (“Thank You for Smoking” and “Jerry Maguire”).
The play is set to be a drama/war thriller starring Michael Fassbender (“Inglourious Basterds”), Elizabeth Debicki (“The Great Gatsby”), Marion Cotillard (“The Dark Knight Rises”), Sean Harris (“Prometheus”), David Thewlis (“Harry Potter”) and many others.
The Telegraph recently released an article on the film adaptation with the headline, “Fassbender Was Born For This.” The article goes on to praise both the outstanding cast and acting.
IMDb describes the premise of the film as follows: “Macbeth, a Thane of Scotland, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.”
In the literary world, there’s some debate over Shakespeare. Everyone seems to have conflicting views over what plays are best, what adaptations are best, or if one should even attempt to make adaptations out of such classic work.
Dr. Iclal Vanwesenbeeck of the English Department will be teaching the Early Shakespeare author course next semester. She is an avid reader of Shakespeare and is familiar with both the text and the history of the text.
“I have to admit I am always intrigued by how they appropriate and adapt Shakespeare’s plays, but I am also a bit disillusioned and skeptical about how Shakespeare gets represented on the screen,” she said via email.
She continued by saying she finds it “more gratifying to watch productions which coincide with war, oppression or manage to bring a cinematographic quality that enhances our understanding of the play.”
Dr. Ted Steinberg, now retired, was one of the go-to instructors of Shakespeare in the Fredonia English Department. He vacillated between teaching the Early and Late Shakespeare courses.
Via email, Steinberg expressed his preference for live theatre. He stated, “Shakespeare wrote his plays to be acted.” However, he believes that “Shakespeare on film is perfectly acceptable, provided it’s done well.”
Regardless of one’s preferred medium, the film is undeniably receiving outstanding reviews. Though it has yet to be released, pre-screening has been occurring for the past month or so. The film currently has a 7.5/10 on IMDb and an 87 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film will be released on Dec.4, and is awaiting an official MPAA rating.