Adapting Shakespeare’s Macbeth Tributes, parodies and treatment of the curse of the Scottish Play in modern adaptations of Macbeth. PDF

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Adapting Shakespeare’s Macbeth
Tributes, parodies and treatment of the curse of the Scottish Play in modern adaptations of Macbeth....

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Adapting Shakespeare’s Macbeth Tributes, parodies and treatment of the curse of the Scottish Play in modern adaptations of Macbeth. The cases of Blackadder and Inside Number 9

According to Marjorie Garber (2008) ‘Shakespeare makes modern culture and modern culture makes Shakespeare’. Indeed, Shakespeare’s works have become so entrenched in pop culture that many of his characters and plots have become cultural archetypes and are instantly recognized by modern viewers when they appear. This is for instance the case with Macbeth, Shakespeare’s most frequently adapted play after Hamlet. This ongoing popularity has led the story to be known by a large number of people all over the world, as the play is regularly staged in theatre and has been adapted on screen over a hundred times. In the end, since Macbeth has become so well-known creators do not only readapt and reinterpret the story anymore: they can quote it or even parody it, entirely transforming the way Shakespearian work is apprehended in modern culture. In order to study this we will see how the theme of the Scottish curse is used both as an homage to and of parody of Shakespeare’s work in two British TV-series: Blackadder and Inside No 9. In order to conduct our case study, we first have to define what the Scottish curse is. According to Laura Schumm (2014) the curse states that saying the word ‘Macbeth’ inside a theatre is strictly taboo, unless the actors are in the midst of a rehearsal or a play (otherwise, bad luck or even disaster would be brought upon the theatre). To avoid the curse actors decided to use euphemisms to refer to the play like ‘The Scottish Play’ (since Macbeth took place in Scotland). This superstition started at the beginning of the 17th century, as the actor playing Lady Macbeth died suddenly and Shakespeare himself was forced to replace him. Many more incidents also happened during representations of Macbeth, which contributed to create the curse. For instance, in another 17th-century production, held in Amsterdam, the actor playing King Duncan was killed in front of a live audience when a real dagger was used instead of stage prop. Another famous incident is the 1849 New York’s Astor Place Opera House’s riot, as a rivalry between fans of the actors William Charles Macready and Edwin Forrest turned violent, leaving 22 dead. The origins of the course are still debated, as some state that Shakespeare used real incantations when writing the witches’ spells, while other say that, since Macbeth have been played so many times, accidents will necessarily happen. In any case, if one happen to say the cursed word inside a theatre there are cleansing ritual that can be executed, like spinning around three times, hopping on one leg while reciting a line from Hamlet or leaving the theatre, spiting over one’s left shoulder, and waiting to be invited back in.

Part 1: Blackadder and the Scottish Curse (Ida) Just as the play it has derived from, the Scottish Curse has become very well-known by modern viewers, as we will see with the British sitcom Blackadder. The show was composed of four different series but all episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as the anti-hero Edmund Blackadder, and Tony Robinson as his sidekick. Each series was set in a different historical period of British history, beginning in 1485 and ending in 1917. The episode we will study is called ‘Sense and Senility’ and comes from the third season, Blackadder the Third. It is set in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a period known as the Regency. In the episode, Edmund Blackadder Esquire is the butler to the Prince Regent, the Prince of Wales, who wants to learn how to deliver a speech. In order to do so he sends his butler to hire actors to help him. This situation is then used by the show to parody Elizabethan theatre and the Scottish Curse which, as we will see, shows how well Shakespeare’s work has been integrated in our modern popcultural environment. What we can first notice about the episode is that the theme of meta-fiction is very present. Indeed, ‘Sense and Senility’ is not about remaking the story of Macbeth but about the world of theatre in general: we thus have a piece of fiction reflecting on another piece of fiction. Even if Shakespeare’s most known works used to be tragedies a comedic tone is used here in order to offer a parodic view of his work, thus creating a sense of distanciation with the original material and story. This can be seen with the use of several typical comedic devices like pre-recorded laughs, purposely unrealistic and cheap props (like the fake bomb used when someone tries to kill the king at the theatre) or exaggeration (as can be seen with the close ups on the actors’ faces at key comedic moments for instance). In the end all these elements are used to create a light and comedic setting which is used to desacralize Shakespearian theatre. Besides being staged in a parodic setting, the original material is also stripped from its entire narrative consistence. Indeed, in the introduction, one of the character summarizes the content of theatrical works with the expression ‘all that sex and violence’: this reminds us that Shakespeare was not only considered as high culture but also had to appeal to lower classes, hence the frequent use of ‘sex and violence’ in his stories. The adaptation here is thus no longer about the content of Shakespearian work, but about how that content is apprehended, as we are reminded of the constant tension between high cultural value and entertaining purposes present in pieces like Macbeth. This tension is also reinforced by the genre of the show itself: indeed, even if Blackadder is about English royalty it has purely comedic

purposes and takes the form a sitcom (a genre seen as low entertainment). By using references to Shakespeare the show thus tries to gain credibility by using the aura of prestige attached to his work, but also shows that this same work has been integrated in a more modern setting (through the use of humor and distanciation). But the play does not only mock the content of Shakespeare plays, it also reminds us (in an exaggerated way) that Elizabethan audiences were not quiet, unlike modern ones. This can be seen with the King’s characters, which is presented as a buffoon who believes everything he sees on stage (as he orders to his guard to arrest a murderer during a representation for instance). This joke can be seen as a reference to the fact that an Elizabethan public would often respond to actors, move around during representations and sometimes even fight (Thomas, 2009). Modern audiences are thus conscious of this fact (which allows the joke to work). In the end we can see that the whole culture around Shakespeare have been integrated into pop cultural productions, as also shown with references to the Scottish Curse. Indeed, the Scottish Curse is directly mentioned in the show and even used as a running joke. Since the actors introduced to the King are very superstitious Edmund purposely pronounces the word ‘Macbeth’ (instead of using ‘the Scottish play’) in front of them, which makes them scream in fear and accomplish an overly complicated ritual (which parodies actual cleansing rituals through the use of exaggeration). Moreover close ups on Edmund’s face when he says ‘Macbeth’ adds an ironic dramatic effect to the word, which is enhanced by the fact the joke is repeated several times throughout the episode. The humor is thus created through repetition and exaggeration: while the actors remain very calm and well-mannered as they are introduced, the word ‘Macbeth’ provokes strong reactions of fear (like jumping, screaming and immediately doing the cleansing ritual) which are staged in a parodic, instead of a dramatic, way. In the end the curse is no longer seen as a threat but becomes a source of humor as the show affectionately mocks the superstition around Shakespeare’s play. In the end Blackadder shows us how Shakespeare’s work has been integrated in modern pop culture and transformed through the use of comedic devices. Indeed, Macbeth is no longer treated as a tragic story but is staged in a meta-fictional humoristic setting, as shown by the parodic references to the Scottish Curse. The work is not adapted here but quoted, as the spectator has to know the play and the culture around it to understand the humor. Referencing thus becomes a homage and a way to transform a well-known work by integrating it into our

modern pop-cultural background. The same technique can also be used in more serious settings, as we will now see with the case of Inside n°9.

Part 2: Inside n°9 (Manon) The second adaptation of Macbeth we are going to analyze is the episode The Understudy from the British TV series Inside n°9. This series is produced and broadcasted on BBC. All the episodes star the same main actors, and the cast remains mostly unchanged from one episode to another except for a few punctual guest stars. Each episode is a unrelated to the others, and is in fact an adaptation of a well-known work or story with a plot twist, and reimagined as a thriller or horror story. The Understudy is a modern adaptation of the play: the setting, time, and professions of the characters are automatically changed. The plot and the names are kept in a more subtle way, thanks to the narrative structure of the story. Unlike many adaptations like Rupert Goold’s or Roman Polanski’s for example, this adaptation leaves out the themes of politics or religion, or even money, to truly focus on ambition and human horror. The episode is not visually violent, which leads to focus on the mind of the characters. While Lady Macbeth is usually considered to be the most depraved or even the villain (because she causes the ruin of her family), it is revealed at the very end of the episode that she actually was a tool in the hands of the true mastermind, the one who did everything to get what she wanted. In this episode, a group of actors are staging Macbeth in a British theater. But there are two layers in this adaptation: first the plot and the characters of Macbeth are used as a major part of the episode plot without them realizing it, but the characters are also aware of what Macbeth is and what it entails because they are playing it in the modern world. This means that this episode is both an actual adaptation of the play and a mise en abyme where the play happens within the play. The episode is structured in the same way as the play. It is divided in five acts, which correspond to the plot of Shakespeare’s play. We can easily see the correspondences between the episode characters, their functions and the main characters in Macbeth. XXX, the resident actor who first plays Macbeth, is Duncan. XXX, who plays the understudy to XXX represents Macbeth, who he will also literally embody on stage. XXX, his fiancée who is also an understudy, is Lady Macbeth. She sees to be the source of XXX’s thirst for ambition, and she

ends up being separated from him because he changes so much that he becomes even too ambitious for her. She ends up committing suicide, just like Lay Macbeth. Her character also contains characteristics of the Weird Sisters, as she recites the words to the witches’ charm in the first act of the play. The role of the witches can also be attributed to XXX, the costumier and actual villain of the episode. In the play, we cannot tell if they are really evil or supernatural, be here the choice was to make XXX an actual psycho/sociopath (???) who controlled everybody’s lives and fates in order to reach her goal. The choice here was to let the mystical and supernatural out and to focus on what some humans are actually capable of. We can still recognize in XXX’s characterization the attributes of the Weird Sisters, or more exactly the attributes of the Fates, who were in charge of ending the lives of the mortals in Greek mythology. However, in this 21 st century adaptation she becomes a modern villain, a criminal mastermind. This can show the influence of other popular fictional genres (the thriller, the horror movie) on a modern remodeling of a classical play like Macbeth. Because of this intricate construction of the plot, we can wonder how pop culture is important and adds to the full understanding of the episode. Contrary to most adaptations of Shakespeare’s play on screen or on stage, the characters of the episode obviously know of existence of the play. Since the episode is set in the 21 st century, and moreover in the theatrical world, the understudies should be aware of the curse of the Scottish Play and as a consequence use euphemisms instead of saying ‘Macbeth’ out loud. Supposing that the viewers of the episode also know of it because it is well-known even outside of the theatrical world, noticing since the beginning of the episode that the characters do pronounce the name ‘Macbeth’ off-stage is a hint to the tragic events that will start to happen to them. The characters who pronounce the name ‘Macbeth’ are the one to whom bad, or even horrible things happen. Unlike Blackadder, the use of the curse of the Scottish Play is implicit. By doing so, the tribute is turned into horror, as the viewer knows something terrible will happen not only because the plot is recognizable, but because the setting and the characters’ ignorance of the curse predicts a tragedy. This episode of Inside n°9 shows a radically different treatment of the curse of the Scottish Play and of the role of pop cultural knowledge in today’s adaptations of Macbeth.

Conclusion:

Macbeth (and culture around Shakespeare’s work) has become entirely integrated in modern pop culture (references have to be known by the viewer in the first place to be understood) Way to legitimize what was for a long time see as cheap entertainment (tv productions) by adding aura of high culture to it But since Shakespearian codes are so well known productions not only adapting them but transforming them: new cultural production emerging from interaction between original work and modern culture

Sources: Garber, M. (2008). Shakespeare and Modern Culture, by Marjorie Garber. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/11/books/chapters/chaptershakespeare.html [Accessed 27 April 2016]. Schumm, L. (2014). Why do actors avoid the word “Macbeth”? - Ask History. [online] HISTORY.com. Available at: http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/why-do-actorsavoid-the-word-macbeth [Accessed 27 Apr. 2016]. Thomas, M. (2016). Theatre Culture Of Early Modern England. [online] Www2.cedarcrest.edu. Available at: http://www2.cedarcrest.edu/academic/eng/lfletcher/henry4/papers/mthomas.htm [Accessed 17 Apr. 2016]....