i was thinking of setting the play in winter because i feel that it will add to the plays doom. My idea of a setting is in a tall cold dark castle. This is what i imagine when reading the text but i do want alternative ideas aswell. What do you think of my idea and are there any other ideas that you would like to share with me. What do u think of it being set in winter and if it is what sort of clothing do you think they would wear?
nic | (203.14.169.147) | Monday, 24 June 2002 12:22:04 PM
great idea sam, i agree that the play seems to exude a wintery atmosphere. i think of visible breath, deranged faces (perhaps tinged with blue) and heavy bearskin coats (hiding much!). on my reading, macbeth starts out as a more or less honourable and noble character, but is later wracked by greed and ambition which is triggered (rather than put) in him by his wife. if that is your reading of it too then it might be a good idea to have the play going across seasons - say starting in mid-autum and progressing into bleak, cold, forlorn winter (much like macbeth's heart). i think that macbeth's soliloquy just after he hears about the death of his wife (act5 scene 5 - you know where he says '...and all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death...') could be puncutated by him looking out at an empty snow-scape devoid of life or joy. i also think of a windswept dark casle with sheer walls stretching upwards, with a very wide moat and perhaps a few half-decayed animals and peasants frozen in it face downwards! up to you though - just let your imagination run riot. good luck, nic.
ps sorry that it took me till now to respond but my server has been down for about a zillion hours!