Shakespeare documentary

      On the first classes we had with Shenagh, our new cover tutor, she gave us sources of videos we needed  to watch in order to learn important things about  the context the play was written in. As all of the other people, we knew things about Shakespeare and its plays, but we needed a lot more information as actors that are getting prepared to bring  characters to life.
      
      So, the first video we had to watch was about the major change Shakespeare has been for the humanity and his power to analyse and understand the complexity of life on a very deep level. This aspect can be seen in all his play, as he is offering perspectives of the both sides  of the story and his personal opinion is almost non-existent. He is portraying people as they are without judging them and the emotions and behaviour of the characters are shown in such a manner that any person can understand relate to them.
      The historical context he lived in has made him compete with the most entertaining thing for people at that time, which were public executions; with that being said, he had to come up with something more interesting and more controversial than violence.
      The stories Shakespeare created are using the time and places he lived in  or was aware of, but they are universal, not anchored to that time, as they can describe or be adapted to contemporary situations people are dealing with. I believe a reason for this is the fact that the writer has focused his attention on the emotions, feeling and thoughts people deal with and these three things will never change. Even though the language has evolved  since 1600's, most of actors are using Shakespeare's  language as it is, but some are adapting it to these times. However, since the playwright created one quarter of the English language, there is no way he could be forgotten or underappreciated.
      These things that I learnt from this documentary made me have a better vision and understanding over Shakespeare's ideas, as he wasn't just telling stories from that time , he was trying to improve and change the society's way of reporting to life, connecting people to the spiritual part of life and the deep part of thinking. Therefore, I think my approach should be based on the activity of mind, analysing Malcolm's reasons of acting and reacting the way he does,  and his feelings. The important thing is not the actual action, but the reason behind  it, the complexity of life and human-beings.


      The second video, which was about the pentameter Shakespeare  usually used on his writing, has helped me to se that he is not as complicated as it seems. There is a reason for everything when it comes to Shakespeare and the reason why he uses iambic pentameter is thought to be because it stands at the origins of English language; the way it is spoken is based on this pentameter. Another reasons for which he could've used this rhythm is because it makes it easier for actors to memorize their lines and easier for the audience to understand. However, there might be another reason why Shakespeare chose the iambic pentameter; when a person is encountered  in a situation that makes their heart racing, the way their heart will beat is on the iambic rhythm. That would highlight the close relationship between language and emotion Shakespeare liked to have in his art.

      The third thing we had to do was to watch different versions of ''Macbeth'', so we could open our imagination and choose  what kind of setting we'd want for our play.
      After watching the three different versions of beginnings for the play Shenagh showed to us on Youtube, I've watched a 2018 movie at home.  This version was a dark one, its place was kind of abstract, because it seemed like everyone was living in rooms in the same castle, rooms that represented their own world; they kept on entering a  character's space as if entering through a room's wall. Also, this version kept the time, costumes and behaviour of the original period. The image and sound effects contributed a lot I would say to the mysterious atmosphere, creating a world where it seemed like hope and good were long gone. I really liked this one, because, in my opinion, it managed to reflect the aspect the play is focused on: the dark complex emotions that every character has to deal with, especially Macbeth and lady Macbeth.
      The other version of Macbeth I've watched was on Digital Theatre; the approach was like the other one I've seen, but they didn't have the abstract part. The place was real and  classic (e.g. a creepy forest, an amazing castle) but the atmosphere was full of darkness and unknown.
       Our group has decided to keep ''Macbeth'' in the original time period, but being less formal. We kept the mystery,  but we're focused on the conflicts and the  evolution  of the characters. We changed the way we dress, being easier to bring the story closer to the audience if we wear modern clothes, like smart suits.