Macbeth at Shakespeare's Globe (Cultural Proof #6)

"Attend a theatrical production and discover the meaning of the story being told and how it is being presented on stage."

Location: Shakespeare's Globe Theater in London

Time: 13th December 2018

Macbeth's banner at Shakespeare's Globe Theater ("Macbeth")

          When it comes to plays, what is more authentic than watching a Shakespeare original in the replication of his own Globe Theater? Located along the South Bank stretch of the Thames River, the third iteration of Shakespeare's Globe Theater sits among the high rises that are now starting to appear in the London skyline. True to the first version of the theater, the recent building was constructed exactly how the great playwright had written out; even the indoor portion of the Globe has no electricity and lit up only be candles! During my time in the UK, the theater company ran a series of four plays for their winter series based around the themes of death, grief, judgement, and all things macabre. The play I chose to see was Macbeth, one of the most poignant and gripping tragedies of the play world and also centered around the changing reign of the Scottish government. While watching the performance, I learned that Shakespeare wrote the play as a commentary to the then-King James I and learned that Shakespeare wrote the play to allow freedom of the players to interpret it how they wanted to perform it.
          To truly understand Macbeth, one of the bloodiest plays written, it's important to understand the context. The true meaning of Macbeth was to act as a warning to the monarchy as well as to please King James I. A the time of the production, James had just come into Kingship over the Scots and English and supported the idea of divine right, which defended the position of monarchical absolutism. Even before he rose to kingship, James was one of the playwrights most supportive patrons. To ensure the continued support of his ventures as well as to warn him of messing with the natural order of the monarchy, Shakespeare wrote Macbeth. Throughout the play, the titular character is seen as simply a lord that is below the reigning King Duncan. Macbeth and his companion and other lord Banquo is shown a prophecy by three wicked witches that predict Macbeth

Inside Shakespeare's indoor Globe Theater (My photo)

will ascend to be King of Scotland but Banquo will have eight sons and reign thereafter and produce greatness. The plot continues to follow Macbeth as he murders the king, attempts to satisfy his desire for power, and ultimately is defeated by the son of Banquo. The meaning of the story goes much beyond writing a great thriller for the current king. Shakespeare wrote about Banquo because King James I was from Banquo's bloodline, a detail that the playwright wrote in to emphasize how great a king James will be as well as how he will help the country to thrive. There was also a warning written into Macbeth. James considered himself an expert on witchcraft, even going so far as to publish a book called Demonology. By adding in the demonic elements (i.e. the three witches, hallucinations, and murder) to emphasize the unholiness and dire consequences of attempting to rise up in power instead of following the natural succession of leadership, Shakespeare provided a warning to James about the continued fight for power. While the rule of King James I has long since past, the modern telling of the story continues to portrayed the cultural context of the story and provides a glimpse into the past.
          What is interesting about how Macbeth was that Shakespeare wrote his plays with very broad stage directions. When I went and saw the play at the Globe, they decided to add pauses in Macbeth's monologues to emphasize the actions he committed, rather than focus on his mental stability or even his reactions to Lady Macbeth. In my junior year of high school, I read the play with all the stage directions the playwright had originally written in. What is interesting when comparing Shakespeare to other writers such as Samuel Beckett is that Shakespeare intentionally left the directions more vague. He would let the actors work out the scenes and act in the emotions they felt that the character might feel. Beckett, in comparison, wrote out every detail down to the way his characters crossed their ankles and how their boots were laid out. In the production that I saw, the actors drew attention to the psychological torture of Macbeth through the physical movements on stage rather than purely through facial expression. One way they did this was through leaving plenty of space around Macbeth, creating the illusion of abnormality compared to the rest of the characters. Having these characters originate from a country that had customs and social norms that were different than what I was used to was originally very difficult. However, stage directions such as those that the modern actors used and were able to take liberties helped me to pick up on the nuances of each character's arc. Through this presentation, the actors were able to portray the previous struggles of the Scottish King Macbeth as well as present it in a way that even those that didn't understand the history of the UK could understand.
          Overall, the presentation of the tragedy of Macbeth showed how Shakespeare's relationship to King James I affected his writing. He used his play as both a warning and a celebration of the king. Although it was written hundred of years ago, it still remains prevalent in this day and provides an example of how Scottish customs and social norms were perceived. 


Bibliography:
“Macbeth / Shakespeare's Globe.” Shakespeare's Globe, www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on-2018/macbeth.