Other representations Three Witches

1 other representations

1.1 in art
1.2 in music
1.3 in film

other representations
in art

drawings contained in holinshed s chronicles, 1 of sources shakespeare used when creating characters, portray them members of upper class. wearing elaborate dresses , hairstyles , appear noblewomen macbeth , banquo approach. shakespeare seems have diverted quite bit image, making witches (as banquo says) withered, , wild in attire, / not th inhabitants o th earth. . . each @ once choppy fingers laying / upon skinny lips. should women, / , yet beards forbid me interpret / so.

the 3 witches of macbeth have inspired several painters on years have sought capture supernatural darkness surrounding macbeth s encounters them. example, eighteenth century, belief in witches had waned in united kingdom. such things thought simple stories of foreigners, farmers, , superstitious catholics. art depicting supernatural subjects popular. john runciman, 1 of first artists use shakespearean characters in work, created ink-on-paper drawing entitled 3 witches in 1767–68. in it, 3 ancient figures shown in close consultation, heads , bodies unshown. runciman s brother created drawing of witches called witches show macbeth apparitions painted circa 1771–1772, portraying macbeth s reaction power of witches conjured vision. both brothers work influenced many later artists removing characters familiar theatrical setting , placing them in world of story.

henry fuseli s 1783 painting



1791 parody of fuseli s work james gillray

henry fuseli later create 1 of more famous portrayals of 3 witches in 1783, entitled weird sisters or 3 witches. in it, witches lined , dramatically pointing @ @ once, faces in profile. painting parodied james gillray in 1791 in weird sisters; ministers of darkness; minions of moon. 3 figures lined faces in profile in way similar fuseli s painting. however, 3 figures recognisable lord dundas (the home secretary @ time), william pitt (prime minister), , lord thurlow (lord chancellor). 3 of them facing moon, contains profiled faces of george iii , queen charlotte. drawing intended highlight insanity of king george , unusual alliance of 3 politicians.

fuseli created 2 other works depicting 3 witches dublin art gallery in 1794. first, entitled macbeth, banquo , 3 witches frustration him. earlier paintings of shakespearean scenes had been done on horizontal canvases, giving viewer picture of scene similar have been seen on stage. woodmason requested vertical paintings, shrinking space fuseli had work with. in particular painting uses lightning , other dramatic effects separated macbeth , banquo witches more , communicate how unnatural meeting is. macbeth , banquo both visibly terrified, while witches confidently perched atop mound. silhouettes of victorious army of macbeth can seen celebrating in background, lack of space necessitates removal of barren, open landscape seen in fuseli s earlier paintings boydell shakespeare gallery of same scene.

macbeth , armed head fuseli

fuseli s other macbeth woodmason painting macbeth , armed head depicts later scene in macbeth shown macduff , warned wary of him. fuseli evidently intended 2 paintings juxtaposed. said, when macbeth meets witches on heath, terrible, because did not expect supernatural visitation; when goes cave ascertain fate, no longer subject of terror. fuseli chose make macduff near-likeness of macbeth himself, , considered painting 1 of poetic in sense, asking, greater object of terror if, night on going home, find sitting @ own table . . . not make powerful impression on mind?

in music

at least fifteen operas have been based on macbeth, 1 regularly performed today. macbeth, composed giuseppe verdi libretto francesco maria piave , premièred in florence in 1847. in opera, 3 witches became chorus of @ least eighteen singers, divided 3 groups. each group enters separately @ start of opera scene macbeth , banquo; after men s departure, have chorus of triumph not derive shakespeare. reappear in act 3, when conjure 3 apparitions , procession of kings. when verdi revised opera performance in paris in 1865, added ballet (rarely performed nowadays) scene. in it, hecate, non-dancing character, mimes instructions witches before final dance , macbeth s arrival.

in film

the 3 witches in orson welles controversial 1948 film adaptation

orson welles created film version of play in 1948, called Übermensch macbeth, altered witches roles having them create voodoo doll of macbeth in first scene. critics take sign control actions throughout film. voices heard, faces never seen, , carry forked staves dark parallels celtic cross. welles voiceover in prologue calls them agents of chaos, priests of hell , magic . @ end of film, when work macbeth finished, cut off head of voodoo doll.

throne of blood, japanese version filmed in 1958 akira kurosawa, replaces 3 witches forest spirit, old hag sits @ spinning wheel, symbolically entrapping macbeth s equivalent, washizu, in web of own ambition. lives outside castle of spider s web , reference macbeth s entanglement in trap. behind hut, washizu finds piles of rotting bones. hag, spinning wheel, , piles of bones direct references noh play adachigahara (also called kurozuka), 1 of many artistic elements kurosawa borrowed noh theatre film.

roman polanski s 1971 film version of macbeth contained many parallels personal life in graphic , violent depictions. wife sharon tate had been murdered 2 years earlier charles manson , 3 women. many critics saw clear parallel macbeth s murders @ urging of 3 witches within film.

scotland, pa, 2001 parody film directed billy morrissette, sets play in restaurant in 1970s pennyslvania. witches replaced 3 hippies give joe mcbeth drug-induced suggestions , prophecies throughout film using magic 8-ball. after mcbeth has killed boss, norm duncan, 1 of them suggests, ve got it! mac should kill mcduff s entire family! hippie sarcastically responds, oh, ll work! maybe thousand years ago. can t go around killing everybody.

vishal bhardwaj s 2004 film maqbool takes place in setting of warring gangs in bombay underworld. 3 witches replaced 2 corrupt policemen, don t pronounce prophecies actively shape events balance forces .

geoffrey wright s 2006 macbeth takes place in midst of modern australian gang , drug culture. 3 witches replaced 3 teenage goth schoolgirls knocking down headstones in graveyard in opening scene. whisper prophecies in macbeth s ear dance in deserted nightclub.

justin kurzel s hyperrealist 2015 macbeth portrays witches poor women dabbling in witchcraft living off countryside of scotland children. while appear amidst battles , make strangely accurate prophecies, not manifest supernatural otherwise.