Has anyone seen this yet?
In it there is a sequence where, as far as I could make out, Malcolm walks in on MacBeth and the freshly murdered Duncan, whereupon MacBeth kind of says "******* off, before I kill you as well!" - a scene my Dad assures me is not in the original play. Have I misinterpreted that? What was actually going on there?
Thanks
The nearest corresponding scene is the last battle in the play, when Dunsinane has been taken and Macbeth is cornered and fighting to the death. Macduff finds him (Macbeth had already killed Macduff's wife and children):
MACDUFF
Turn, hell-hound, turn!
MACBETH
Of all men else I have avoided thee:
But get thee back; my soul is too much charged
With blood of thine already.
Basically Macbeth feels remorse for having wiped out Macduff's family and wants to spare him but Macduff is not interested in discussing terms. They fight and Macduff kills Macbeth.
In the scene where Macbeth kills the king there are no witnesses.
Isn't it key to the plot that there are no witnesses? This enables Macbeth to frame a couple of minions and get away with it.
The exchange Justin gives gives us the famous phrase "Lay on Macduff" often misquoted as "Lead on Macduff".
We do not actually see Duncan's murder (Act II Scene 1) in the play. Macbeth comes onstage as Lady Macbeth finishes remarking that "Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done't" and states, brandishing the bloody daggers: "I have done the deed." They then discuss various noises and Lady Macbeth takes the daggers to place them in the hands of the drunken grooms.
Then comes the porter's speech, beloved of commentators, Macduff and Lennox enter, Macbeth enters, Macduff leaves to wake the king, Macbeth and Lennox discuss the weather and Macduff returns with the bad news. Macbeth and Lennox go to see for themselves, Banquo turns up and hears the news, Macbeth and Lennox re-enter, shocked, Macbeth having slaughtered the 'guilty' grooms, and at this point Malcolm and Donalbain (Duncan's sons) turn up and hear the news.
At this juncture, Lady Macbeth faints, attracting the attention of all present except the two princes, who have a quick chat and reckon they are next on the menu, so they resolve to leave and leave fast. Macbeth later uses this swift and voluntary departure to cast suspicion on them (see Act IV scene VI).
Quote from: Patrick Waterson on Oct 07, 2015, 11:44 AM
We do not actually see Duncan's murder (Act II Scene 1) in the play.
scene VI).
We do in the film, and it is one of the more effective scenes in a rather unsatisfactory offering IMO.
Anyway, in the film, as I say, there does appear to be an incident such as I describe in my OP. However, it was dimly lit, in 16th Century language and an attempt to translate a play into a film (plus I was very tired) so I could well have got it wrong.