Composed by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is a mental and shocking story of visually impaired aspiration and dangerous, all-expending power. This is a play brimming with detestable goals and horrifying killings. Fabulously coordinated by Dan Hodge and enlivened by the Ghost accounts of Edgar Allen Po, this creation, with its intriguing aesthetic decisions, made it special from numerous others I have seen. In this play, Macbeth’s desire and confidence in his creative mind led to his destruction more than the witches and extraordinary powers so frequently accused in other productions. First of all, it is important to stress the setting, which is, by all accounts, a small dark spot that transforms into an obscure territory encompassed by galleries with perspectives on wooden steps.
What is more, the lighting was dim yellow and red all through the exhibition, which passed on an energizing air. Among the most important characters is the infamous Macbeth performed by Jared Reed. There was a calmness about him that aggravated his insidious activities: how he portrayed them (Bradley, 2020). His plunge into craziness was regularly calm and more mental than apparently physical. His significant other, Lady Macbeth, was depicted by Jennifer Summerfield, who carried an invigorating gentility and humor to the job, particularly in her relationship with Macbeth (Cassidy, 2020). Plainly, she was the fancy woman of the house and was frequently dependable on the home and workers as well as on her significant other. Her impact on him was obvious from their first scene together.
All things considered, the couple was too acceptable to even think about looking at. To my mind, the powerless point was the outfits, which did not pass on the atmosphere of the sixteenth century yet were like the ones of the twentieth century. Be that as it may, the characters fit into them properly, yet I would change the men’s attire. It is likewise critical to take note that all the parts were very extensive, and the watcher could hear different English pronunciations, which was fine. I cannot name a solitary detail that stands apart from the entire play, yet it appeared to be weird that lone eleven entertainers were engaged with the exhibition when there were at first around thirty of them. The general mood of the play is quite somber and dark due to its tragic storyline.
The second play or the adapted story of Romeo and Juliet is West Side Story, a musical which was filmed in 1961 by Robert Wise and Jeremy Robbins. The film received much praise and became the top adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (Foulkes, 2016). The story is set in New York of the 1950s in the Upper West Side neighborhood. The two rival street gangs of different ethnicities, the Jets and the Sharks, are continually fighting over the territory. The Riff, a white male, leads the Jets, and the Latino Bernando heads the Sharks.
Their hatred raises to where neither can coincide with any comprehension. Be that as it may, when Riff’s closest companion (and ex-member of the clan) Tony and Bernardo’s more youthful sister Maria meet at a party, nobody can successfully stop their adoration. Maria and Tony begin dating sneakily, intending to elope. At that point, the Sharks and the Jets plan to thunder under the interstate; whoever wins will oversee the roads. Maria sends Tony to stop him, trusting this can prevent the viciousness. Everything turns out badly, and before the star-crossed lovers recognize what occurred, a misfortune plays out that does not stop until the climactic and tragic finale. Therefore, the plot, characters, and themes vividly coincide with the original Romeo and Juliet, while the language is significantly different due to the century they live in.
However, there are some apparent differences in the storylines. Primarily, in Romeo and Juliet, Romeo drinks poison but remains alive, and Juliet, thinking Romeo is dead, cuts herself to death. After she dies, Romeo also takes his life and neither of them survives. West Side Story suggests that Tony dies after having been shot for killing Bernando by Shark’s new leader Chino while Maria stays alive (Davine, 2016). Moreover, both plays are set in different countries (Italy and the United States). West Side Story, in contrast to Romeo and Juliet, was about forbidden love between two individuals related with packs of two distinctive racial foundations, just as various societies, nationalities, and times. Thus, it can be stated that the original story’s plot is translated well in its adaptation despite some discrepancies.
Shakespeare’s plays are adapted so well due to the themes they present. Most of the issues depicted in his works are relevant in modern societies; therefore, many authors and directors use the same storyline to change the settings somewhat. Such topics as love, rivalry, envy, power, and the relationship between families and lovers have always been acute. Despite the oldness of Shakespeare’s texts, the plays resonate with people’s feelings and thoughts. Thus, there are more than 500 adaptations that are based on his poetic masterpieces.
References
Bradley, K. (2020). Play review: Macbeth. Cahiers Élisabéthains, 101(1), 113-115.
Cassidy, K. (2020). Macbeth — by William Shakespeare — full play, professional production, four cameras [Video]. YouTube.
Davine, L. (2016). “Could we not dye it red at least?”: Color and race in West Side Story. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 44(3), 139-149.
Foulkes, J. (2016). A place for us: “West Side Story” and New York. The University of Chicago Press.