How alike is the movie Macbeth (1997) to the actual play Macbeth by William Shakespeare?

You're right. I was getting ready to tell you to read the play because it's easy - but they told me that geometry and algebra were easy when I was at school - I never understood a word!

Have you tried Sparknotes? That's a sort of translation which help you with all the difficult words and expressions.

Any of the movies of Macbeth will give you an idea of what it's al about - going to see a live performance would be better, if you can find one.

This is a brief summary of what happens, if this helps at all. It's a brilliant play, though. My favourite! My daughter is a professional actor and she's about to audition for the role of Lady Macbeth in a big stage production - my fingers are crossed!

Here goes -

Macbeth was a Thane (Lord) of Glamis in Scotland. He and his best friend Banquo met three witches who told him he (Macbeth) would one day be the king. He didn't believe them, but the witches also told him he would become the Thane of Cawdor, which did unexpectedly happen.

Macbeth began to believe them and told his wife what they'd said. She was really ambitious to be queen and persuaded him to kill King Duncan while he was staying overnight at Macbeth's castle. After they'd stabbed him to death they put the blame on the King's guards.

The King had two sons, Malcolm and Donalbain who fled after they heard of their father's murder, in case they got blamed or Macbeth decided to kill them too.

Once Macbeth became King he thought he had no more problems but Banquo had heard the witches' prophesies and suspected that he had killed Duncan, so Macbeth hired three murders to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. They killed Banquo, but Fleance got away.

After Macbeth heard they were dead, Banquo's ghost appeared at a dinner party, which really freaked him out. He became quite paranoid and went back to the witches to see what he had to fear.

The witches showed him three apparitions. The first one said to look out for the Thane of Fife, which was Macduff. The second one said that none born of woman would kill him. The third one said that he would never be beaten until Birnam Wood (a forest) comes to your castle. Macbeth thought that this meant that he was invulnerable and unbeatable.

Just to be safe, Macbeth tried to find ways to get Macduff to come back so he could kill him, so he had Macduff's family murdered. Once Macduff heard of this, he wanted to kill Macbeth (understandably) so he joined forces with Malcolm, who was in England and they raised an army. When the army got near to Macbeth's castle they cut branches off trees from Birnam forest and use it as camouflage. Seeing what looked like the trees moving, (the first prediction) Macbeth got really worried and his army started deserting. Then Lady Macbeth died - it looked like suicide, as she'd gone completely mad with the guilt of what they'd done.

Once Macduff got inside the castle and found Macbeth they fought and Macbeth said that Macduff couldn't defeat him because it had been foretold that none born of a woman could harm him. But Macduff told him that he was delivered by caesarian section, so was not 'born' at all, technically.

Macbeth knew he was doomed, but fought back anyway.

He was killed by Macduff and Malcolm became king.

Hope that helps!

xx

Macbeth Movie 1997

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How alike is the movie Macbeth (1997) to the actual play Macbeth by William Shakespeare?

I have to read it for school, but the sad fact is that I just can't follow it in text. I don't know who the people are and can't follow the story line. Please don't mock me, it's just not my strong point. You all had/have weaknesses in school, too, and you know it. I just need...