The exploits of Macbeth in battle are vividly described. We learn of Macbeth's 'valiant,' 'brave,' and 'noble' virtues, his exploits on the battlefield, and of the admiration of his king before he steps foot onto the stage. This is a technique that Shakespeare often employs. Macbeth is introduced to us before he ever appears on stage. I propose that we look at many non-linguistic issues of film to help illuminate the subtleties in the language of Shakespeare. However, Shakespeare is capable of writing far more nuanced characters than that. We have in Macbeth what appears to be the ultimate man, one who knows exactly what he wants, a man of action. The subject matter of the play is known to involve murder and violence, and at first glance, not much more than a man whose ambition got the better of him. Macbeth is an appealing play for both male and female twelfth grade high school students. How do the costumes add to or conflict with our understanding of the characters? Does the casting seem appropriate? For instance, is a particular Lady Macbeth too old, too young, too sexy, or too ugly to have caused the reactions in Macbeth that we see? Why was a particular location chosen? Was the director looking for authenticity, trying to convey a message, or did he simply run out of money? What changes in mood occur when lighting or the background music are added? Many such questions and more may be posed when considering a scene of Macbeth on film, or of any adaptation of literature to film. The intention of this curriculum unit is to examine many of these cinematic alterations and interpretations and to use them to enrich the classroom discussion of Macbeth. The artistry of cinema and the difficult task of taking a stage play and reinterpreting it for a different medium offer students and teachers a plethora of interesting, and sometimes controversial choices to examine. When we switch from a play to a film, the director is king, and we now have possibly quite a different experience. The actors get to say their lines without fear of winding up on the cutting floor. On stage, the audience gets to look where it wants. But performance on film was not Shakespeare's medium. Therefore, it is a happy occurrence that instructors may now use video recordings, audio recordings, and DVDs to bring the performance element into the classroom.

Plays are meant to be performed and not merely read, as is usually the case in the high school classroom. It is therefore a natural choice for high school students. William Shakespeare's Macbeth is both the author's shortest and bloodiest play. Macbeth and Issues of Gender by Deborah Samuel Overview

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