Macbeth Through the Centuries A brief illustrated history of important historical facts and notable productions and films regarding the Shakespeare play

Laura Yanet QUEST Senior Project April 2016

Table of Contents 11th Century - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 o Mac Bethad mac Findláich

16th Century - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 o Sources for Shakespeare’s Macbeth

17th Century - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3-4 18th Century - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 19th Century - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6-7 o Astor Place Riots – 6

20th Century - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8-11 o o o o

Silent Films – 8 Orson Welles – 9 1950s – 10 1970s – 11

21st Century - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12-13 Bibliography - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14 Note: Obviously not all of the productions & films of Macbeth are mentioned

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Mac Bethad mac Findláich

11 Century

Born: 1005 Died: August 15, 1057

Macbeth was the grandson of King Malcolm II of Scotland on his mother’s side. At 15 years old, his father was murdered by his cousins. In 1032, Macbeth married Grouch, a widow, and

Duncan

adopted her son Lulach. Macbeth killed his cousin, King Duncan MacCrinan, in battle, in 1040, becoming king of Scotland at 35 years old. He ruled peacefully, encouraging the spread of Christianity, helping the orphans, and protecting women under the law. In 1050, he and his wife famously traveled

Macbeth

to Rome for a papal jubilee. In 1054, earl Siward, with Duncan’s son, Malcolm MacDuncan, started an invasion on Scotland. Macbeth was killed in battle in 1057. His stepson ruled for 7 months until being killed by Malcolm’s agents. Malcolm became king on April 25, 1058. Abbey's Royal Cemetery at Iona, Inner Hebrides. Resting place of Duncan and Macbeth 1

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16 Century Sources for Shakespeare’s Macbeth

Raphael Holinshed, Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, 1577.

(left) Reginald Scot, The Discoverie of Witchcraft, 1584. (right) King James I, Daemonologie, 1597.

Influenced Shakespeare’s portrayal of the witches as wild, dancing, and telling riddles.

Shakespeare used this as his primary source in writing The Tragedy of Macbeth. Along with the story of Macbeth, Shakespeare drew inspiration from another king mentioned in the Chronicles who was killed eighty years before Macbeth, King Duffe. King Duffe was murdered in his bed by Donwald who was prompted by his wife to do so.

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17 Century o The Tragedy of Macbeth was written in 1606 o First performed April 20, 1611 o First published in 1623 King James I (1566-1625) was Shakespeare’s patron. Originally the king of Scotland, he became the king of Britain after Queen Elizabeth’s death in 1603. At the time it was believed that King James was a descendant of Banquo.

Richard Burbage (15681619) was the first actor to play Macbeth. He was also the first to play Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Richard III.

The play was first published in the First Folio in 1623. Macbeth is the shortest of Shakespeare’s tragedy plays.

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17 Century continued

This was the only way The Tragedy of Macbeth was performed until 1744.

Thomas Betterton (1635-1710) and his wife Mary Saunderson (1637-1712) were the first performers to play the Macbeths in Davenant’s Macbeth.

Sir William Davenant (1606-1668) adapted Macbeth in 1664, making it more theatrical with new songs and wild dances. He expanded the roles of Macduff and his wife to make their relationship starkly contrast the Macbeth’s relationship.

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18 Century In 1744, David Garrick rewrote Macbeth to closer resemble the original Shakespeare version. He cut out the extra scenes Davenant wrote about the Macduffs, he cut out the Porter scene from the original play, and he added a speech right before Macbeth dies in which Macbeth admits his guilt. Frequent stage partners David Garrick (1717-1779) and Hannah Pritchard (17111768) played the Macbeths in 1744.

Siblings John Philip Kemble (1757-1823) and Sarah Siddons (1755-1831) played the Macbeths in 1785. Their version was back to the way of the First Folio.

Sarah Siddons became legendary in the role of Lady Macbeth and she played the role continuously for the rest of her life. Her performance affected the audience so much that faints were often reported at her sleepwalking scene.

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19 Century Astor Place Riot 1849

William Charles Macready (1793-1873) played Macbeth constantly for 30 years, from 1820 until his retirement. His production included extravagant royal processions.

Macready and Forrest had competing productions of Macbeth at the same time in New York City. The productions brought tensions of British vs American beliefs and rich vs poor. The riot took place on May 10, 1849 leaving over 20 people dead and over 100 injured.

Edwin Forrest (1806-1872) was one of the first famous American Shakespearean actors. He played Macbeth with a ferocious intensity.

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19 Century continued

Spouses Charles Keen (18111868) and Ellen Keen (1805-1840) played the Macbeths in 1858 in historically accurate costumes.

Thomas W. Keene’s (1840-1898) Shakespeare Company travelled all over the United States doing productions. This poster is from 1884.

The most famous 19th century production was in 1888 from frequent stage partners Henry Irving (1838 -1905) and Ellen Terry (1847-1928). Ellen Terry’s feminine representation of Lady Macbeth proved successful and started a new way of portraying the character. 7

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20 Century Silent Films

J. Stuart Blackton (1875-1941) directed the first film version of Macbeth. The American silent film premiered April 19, 1908. No copy of the film now exists.

Other Silent Films of Macbeth  1909 French film  1909 Italian film  1911 British film  1913 German film  1915 French film

This 1916 American silent film, now considered to be lost, of Macbeth starred successful stage actors Herbert Beerbohm Tree (1852-1917) and Constance Collier (1878-1955). Directed by John Emerson with a crew that included famous or soon to be famous filmmakers:  Erich von Stroheim – assistant director  D. W. Griffith – producer  Victor Fleming – cinematographer

 1922 British film

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20 Century continued  O R S O N

W E

In 1936, Orson Welles adapted the play, changing the setting to a Caribbean island and changing mediaeval witchcraft to Haitian voodoo, expanding the role of Hecate and making it a male role. The play is nicknamed “Voodoo Macbeth.” It had an all African-American cast and premiered in Harlem on April 14, 1936 to great success. It starred Jack Carter (1902-1967) and Edna Thomas (1885-1974) as the Macbeths.

L L E S

 Orson Welles (1915-1985) made a movie of Macbeth in 1948. Jeannette Nolan (1911-1998) played Lady Macbeth. 9

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20 Century continued: 1950s Sir Laurence Olivier (1907-1989) is often considered the greatest Macbeth of the 20th century. He and his then wife Vivien Leigh (1913-1967) played the Macbeths in 1955. Their production focused on the marital relationship of the Macbeths. Because of the success of their production, they planned on making a movie. Olivier wrote the screenplay and was ready to direct, but was unable to get a producer. Both Sir Alexander Korda (1893-1956) and Mike Todd (1909-1958) agreed but died. The Oliviers divorced in 1961. In 2013 several versions of the script were discovered. The 1955 film Joe Macbeth tells the story of Chicago gangsters. It is the first film adaptation that puts the play in modern times as well as setting a trend of making the story about gangsters.

Director Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) placed Macbeth in feudal Japan, titling it Spider Web Castle. The movie came out in 1957. Its English title is Throne of Blood. 10

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20 Century continued: 1970s

His first film after the murder of his wife, Sharon Tate, and unborn child, Roman Polanski’s 1971 Macbeth emphasizes the blood and violence caused by the young Macbeths. Starring Jon Finch (1942-2012) and Francesca Annis (1945- ).

In 1976, Ian McKellen (1939- ) and Judi Dench (1934- ) played the Macbeths in the intimate theatre The Other Place. A TV movie based on their production was released in 1979.

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21 Century The 2003 Bollywood film Maqbool, adapted and directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, set the story in modernday India. The Lady Macbeth character is Duncan’s wife and Macbeth’s mistress.

Billy Morrissette’s 2001 film, Scotland, PA sets the story in a 1970s fast food restaurant.

Geoffrey Wright kept the Shakespearean language but made the characters modern-day Australian gangsters in his 2006 film.

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21 Century continued Patrick Stewart (1940- ) and Kate Fleetwood (1972- ) played the Macbeths starting in 2007 eventually going to West End and Broadway. They were both nominated for Tony awards. Setting the story in the Soviet Union, a TV movie based on their production was released in 2010.

Alan Cumming (1965- ) played every character in Macbeth as his Macbeth is in an insane asylum recounting the events in the play. Starting in 2012 and going to Broadway in 2013.

Justin Kurzel directed the 2015 film starring Michael Fassbender (1977- ) and Marion Cotillard (1975- ). 13

Bibliography Google. Google. Web. 1 Feb. 2016. . Google Images. Google. Web. 1 Feb. 2016. . IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc. Web. 1 Feb. 2016. . "Macbeth." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 1 Feb. 2016. . "Macbeth." Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Web. 1 Feb. 2016. . "Macbeth on Screen." Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Web. 1 Feb. 2016. . "Macbeth Performance History." King Lear.ORG. Web. 1 Feb. 2016. . Stewart-Zimmerman, Margaret. "Macbeth History." Rootsweb. Ancestry.com, 22 May 1998. Web. 1 Feb. 2016. .