This blog is written as part of an academic task assigned by our respected Head of the Department of English, Prof. & Dr. Dilip Barad Sir. As part of our syllabus, we were shown the 2013 production of Macbeth performed at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London. This performance was an important experience in understanding how Shakespeare’s plays are meant not just to be read but also to be seen and heard. Before the screening, our professor give us worksheet to understand it better and also instructed us to read specific scenes from the text to help us follow the performance more deeply. After watching, we were asked to write reflections on several important questions about the play, characters, symbols, and our personal responses. Click here to view the worksheet given by our professor.
In this blog, I try to express my thoughts and also included some quotes from the original play.
How Faithful Is the Globe Theatre’s Macbeth to the Original Text?
The Globe Theatre’s production of Macbeth is highly faithful to the original play written by William Shakespeare. The actors used the original Early Modern English, the stage design was simple, and the acting was full of physical and emotional energy. The performance was done in the style of traditional Elizabethan theatre without artificial lights or modern technology.
One of the strongest things about this performance is that it did not try to modernize the story. Instead, it respected the original setting and language. The audience could see the actors clearly and hear every line with emotional expression. It made the old words feel alive.
For example, the famous line spoken by the witches in the very beginning
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1.1.)was delivered in such a strange and echoing tone that it immediately created a sense of mystery and evil.
How has watching the play influenced your perception of the characters, situations, or themes?
Before watching the play I'm not able to understand full plot and many things were not fully clear. After watching the performance, I understood the inner emotions of the characters much better. In the book, we can read what Macbeth says, but on stage, we can see his body movements, expressions, tone of voice, and nervous actions all of which gave me a deeper understanding.
One example is the scene where Macbeth imagines the dagger before killing King Duncan. On stage, when Macbeth says:
“Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand?” (2.1.33–34),
the actor reached into the air slowly, as if trying to grab something invisible. His eyes were full of fear. This made me realize that Macbeth is not just evil, he is also deeply scared and confused.
Lady Macbeth also surprised me. In the early scenes, she appears strong and cold-hearted. She says:
“Look like the innocent flower,
But be the serpent under’t” (1.5.64–65).
But in the sleepwalking scene, she looked broken and weak. Watching her rub her hands again and again while saying:
“Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” (5.1.30),
was painful to watch. I could feel her guilt.
Did you experience aesthetic delight while watching the play? When and why?
Even though Macbeth is a dark and violent play, I found some parts of it aesthetically beautiful. The beauty came not from happiness but from how well the play was written and performed.
One such moment was the soliloquy in Act 5, where Macbeth says:
“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day” (5.5.19–20).
The actor said these lines very slowly, looking tired and empty. There was no background music, only his voice and silence. I felt a strange sense of beauty and sadness in that moment. It made me think about how meaningless life becomes when we lose everything.
Did you experience catharsis while or after watching the play? When and why?
I experienced catharsis most strongly at the end of the play. After Macbeth is killed and Malcolm becomes king, I felt a sense of emotional release. Throughout the play, I was filled with tension will Macbeth get caught? Will Lady Macbeth go mad?
But in the final scene, when Macbeth says:
“I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked” (5.3.33),
and dies like a warrior, I felt pity for him. He had everything but lost it all because of his ambition. His fall gave me a feeling of sadness and relief at the same time.
How did the screening of the play enhance your understanding of the play compared to reading the text
Reading the play gave me knowledge, but watching the performance gave me emotion and clarity. Some scenes, like the banquet scene where Banquo’s ghost appears, were hard to imagine while reading. But on stage, it became clear. Macbeth’s fear, the reaction of the guests, and Lady Macbeth’s attempt to calm him made everything easy to follow.
When Lady Macbeth says:
“You have displaced the mirth, broke the good meeting” (3.4.107),
her anger and panic were clearly shown through her voice and face. This helped me understand her role as someone trying to control the situation while her husband was losing his mind.
Is there a particular scene or moment in the play that will stay with you?
The sleepwalking scene in Act 5 will always stay with me. Lady Macbeth is seen walking with a candle in her hand. She speaks in a broken voice and rubs her hands again and again.
“Here’s the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand” (5.1.43–44).
This line made me realize how guilt can destroy a person silently. It was painful and powerful at the same time.
If you were the director, what changes would you consider making in a screening of play performance adaptation of Macbeth?
If I had to direct this play, I would keep most things the same. But maybe I would add soft background music in some emotional scenes to help the modern audience connect more. I might also use symbolic lighting like red lights during murder scenes to show the blood theme. However, I would not change the script, costumes, or stage style because this original version was very effective.
Symbolism of the scenes involving the witches in relation to Macbeth’s ambitious actions and the plot of the play.
The witches are not just characters—they are symbols of temptation, fate, and chaos. In Act I, they say:
“When the battle’s lost and won” (1.1.4),
which shows that the world of Macbeth is full of confusion and contradiction.
In Act IV, the witches show Macbeth three apparitions. These visions make him feel safe, but they are actually misleading. For example, the second apparition says:
“None of woman born shall harm Macbeth” (4.1.80–81).
This gives Macbeth false confidence. In the end, Macduff kills him because he was “from his mother’s womb untimely ripped” (5.8.15–16). This shows how the witches manipulate truth to trap Macbeth.
1. Describe the symbolic significance of the opening scenes in Act I & IV involving the three witches in the play "Macbeth."
In Macbeth, the witches in Act I and Act IV symbolize evil, fate, and deception.
Act I, Scene 1: The witches say, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair,” showing the theme of appearance vs. reality. They set a dark, mysterious tone and tempt Macbeth by planting the idea of kingship.
Act IV, Scene 1: The witches use strange ingredients in a magic potion, symbolizing dark forces and unnatural events. Their misleading prophecies give Macbeth false confidence, leading him to his downfall.
In Macbeth, the witches in Act I and Act IV symbolize evil, fate, and deception.
Act I, Scene 1: The witches say, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair,” showing the theme of appearance vs. reality. They set a dark, mysterious tone and tempt Macbeth by planting the idea of kingship.
2. How does Macbeth's ambition lead to his moral deterioration throughout the play? Provide examples from the play to support your answer.
Macbeth starts as a loyal warrior. The captain says:
“For brave Macbeth well he deserves that name” (1.2.16).
But after hearing the witches’ prophecy, his ambition grows. Lady Macbeth encourages him, and he kills Duncan. After that, he cannot stop. He says:
“I am in bloodStepp’d in so far that, should I wade no more,Returning were as tedious as go o’er” (3.4.135–137).
He knows he is doing wrong, but he feels trapped. His ambition destroys his peace, his friendship, his wife, and finally his own life.
3. In what ways does the motif of ‘blood’ serve as a symbol in "Macbeth"? Explain its significance in relation to guilt and violence.
Blood is the most powerful symbol in Macbeth. It appears around 40 times in the text. It shows both guilt and violence.
After killing Duncan, Macbeth says:
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?” (2.2.60).
This means he feels guilty and knows his hands are stained forever. Later, Lady Macbeth also suffers from the same guilt. She says:
“Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” (5.1.30),
and imagines blood that is not even there. The blood becomes a symbol of their sin and mental torture.
4. Discuss the impact of the supernatural elements, such as the witches and prophecies, on the plot and characters of "Macbeth."
The supernatural elements in Macbeth the witches, the visions, the ghost make the play more dramatic and psychological. They represent inner fears and hidden desires.
The ghost of Banquo, the floating dagger, and the three weird sisters are all signs that Macbeth is being pulled by forces beyond his control. But it also shows that these things only work because he already has ambition inside him.
As Lady Macbeth says:
“Thou wouldst be great;Art not without ambition, but withoutThe illness should attend it” (1.5.16–18).
This means that ambition was already in him. The supernatural only pushed him further.
5. Compare and contrast the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. How do their personalities and motivations contribute to the unfolding of the tragedy?
In the beginning, Lady Macbeth is the stronger one. She tells Macbeth:
“When you durst do it, then you were a man” (1.7.49),
and questions his bravery. But as the play goes on, she breaks down. Macbeth becomes more cold and violent.
Macbeth says:
“I have almost forgot the taste of fears” (5.5.9),
which shows how numb he has become. Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, becomes soft and full of regret. Their reverse transformation is at the heart of this tragedy.
Conclusion
Watching the Globe Theatre’s Macbeth (2013) helped me understand the emotions, symbolism, and drama of the play better than reading alone. It showed me how powerful Shakespeare’s writing is when performed. I thank our department and Dr. Dilip Barad Sir for organizing this activity. It was not only educational but also deeply moving. As a student of literature, this experience has stayed with me, and I believe it will help me in all my future studies of drama and poetry.
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