Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth
Throne of Blood
Education resource
This education resource is designed to work in
conjunction with the accompanying PowerPoint,
available to download from www.filmclub.org/resources
Criterion © (1957) All rights reserved.
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Teachers’ notes
Throne of Blood
Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
Criterion © (1957) All rights reserved
1957 | Japan | 110 mins | Cert: PG
Curriculum focus
These activities are designed for English, drama and related subjects at ages 11-18. They are particularly suitable for
supporting the study of Macbeth in English at KS3, GCSE and Third and Fourth level. For GCSE English literature, there
are direct links to Assessment Objectives AO1, AO2 and AO4. Teachers of the play at A-level, National 5 and Higher, and
those approaching Japanese cinema in film studies courses or moving image arts will also find this resource useful.
What’s this film about?
Shakespeare’s drama of murderous ambition, Macbeth, is adapted by master director Akira Kurosawa, who relocates
the action to feudal Japan. Toshiro Mifune gives a commanding performance as the Samurai urged to slaughter
his way to the throne by his ruthless wife, discovering that such ambition comes at a high price. Reinforcing
the universality of the play’s themes, the setting enhances the story, offering a comprehensive reimagining of
Shakespeare’s text. In Japanese, subtitles in English.
Introduction
This resource helps students explore character, meaning and interpretation through clips from Throne of Blood and
two short extracts from a recording of the 2013 Trafalgar Studios production of Macbeth, courtesy of the National Video
Archive of Performance (NVAP) at the V&A Museum.
Before starting these activities, we recommend that students have a solid understanding of the basic plot, themes
and characters of Macbeth. By using these materials, you will develop and extend students’ understanding of the
play through close analysis, creative writing and filmmaking activities. Activities are also designed to deepen students’
understanding of the different ways a text can be interpreted which, in turn, challenges them to develop higher order
thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation and creation.
This resource focuses on the analysis of characters and key themes of Macbeth, with clips exploring the adaptation of
the following areas of the text:
• The witches and the setting (linked to Act 1 Scene 1 and Act 3 Scene 3)
• Macbeth’s (Washizu’s) and Lady Macbeth’s (Asaji’s) murderous ambition (linked to Act 1 Scene 7 and Act 2 Scene 2)
• Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s (Washizu and Asaji’s) loss of control (linked to Act 3 Scene 4 and Act 5 Scene 1)
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Teachers’ notes
Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
About Reel to Real
This unique teaching resource is part of the Reel to Real programme, a partnership between Into Film and the V&A
Museum’s Learning Department. Reel to Real harnesses the immersive, visual nature of film, as well as the wealth of the
V&A Museum’s world-renowned collections of art, design and performance, to give students new and exciting insights
into key English curriculum texts at ages 11-18.
How to use this resource
These flexible materials can be used in their entirety or in part, and can be adapted to suit your students’ needs. The
resource comprises activity outlines with supporting worksheets for students and is designed to be used in conjunction
with the accompanying PowerPoint presentation, downloadable at www.filmclub.org/resources.
The film-focused activities here are supported by embedded clips in the PowerPoint resource. You will find a copy
of the full film on DVD helpful for your teaching, and timecodes are referenced in this resource to help you find key
moments. You will also need an internet connection and IWB or similar. We recommend viewing the feature film in full
once you’ve completed the activities in this resource.
Students will need copies of the play and printed copies of the worksheets (note that the Focus on… mise-en-scène
cards are designed to be cut up into individual cards). For advice on filmmaking and on film language, see this helpful
guide (in particular pages 8-11, which you may want to share with your students): bit.ly/SecondaryFilmmaking. Links to
other websites are included in this resource where they are educationally relevant; we recommend you check content
on these links before sharing with students, as we are not responsible for the content and it may change, move or
become unavailable without our knowledge.
Accessing film
You can order Throne of Blood for free through your Into Film Club account. You could also use other Macbeth film
adaptations to enrich your students’ understanding of the text, for example Shakespeare: The Animated Tales (PG),
Roman Polanski’s 1971 adaptation (15) or Orson Welles’ 1948 adaptation (PG), available to order for free from the
catalogue for Into Film members.
Joining Into Film and starting a film club will give you and your school access to thousands of fantastic films to watch,
as well as opportunities for members to develop skills in reporting, programming and reviewing. Clubs are also offered
support in filmmaking, putting youth voice at the very heart of the scheme. Through participating in a film club, children
and young people can engage directly with members of the film industry, discover career opportunities and learn how
to pursue them.
Not yet Into Film? Joining Into Film is easy and free – go to the website to find out more and to register:
www.intofilm.org/schools-film-clubs or email support@intofilm.org.
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Activity outlines
Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
Introductory activities
Summary: These activities invite students to explore different
interpretations of Macbeth through a variety of engaging,
higher order thinking tasks that focus on context and character.
Learning outcomes
• Students gain an awareness of historical, cultural and geographical contexts and their impact on
narratives, characters and language, before applying this understanding in creating their own
transposed version of Macbeth.
• Students devise success criteria to help them use evaluative skills in constructive and objective ways.
• Students develop visual and language deconstruction skills that enable them to construct their own
interpretations of characters, contexts and settings.
Locating the action
1. This resource explores two very different interpretations of Macbeth: one is a film adaptation from Japan, produced
in 1957; the other is a stage production performed in London in 2013.
• What do students think about the film title Throne of Blood? In what ways does it link to Macbeth? The main
character in the film is called Washizu. Ask students if they think it makes a difference that this film does not have
the same name as the main character, as the play does.
• Throne of Blood is loosely set in a period of Japanese history in which Samurai warriors supported and defended
their noble masters, but could also climb quickly through the social ranks. What links can students they see
between this period and the themes of Macbeth?
• In contrast, the 2013 stage production has a very different setting: ‘in a future Scotland wracked by environmental
disaster and tribal conflict. This is a strange, savage, post-apocalyptic world’ (Macbeth – review © Guardian News
& Media Ltd). Ask students to make predictions about the differences they might expect to see between these two
versions of the play. They could think about costumes and setting, sound and action in their answers.
• Students’ ideas and predictions can be shared and discussed as a class, recorded and then revisited later on, after
viewing extracts from the film.
2. Divide students into mixed-ability pairs and challenge them to create a new concept for a film adaptation of the
play. Their adaptation can be set in a time and place of their choice (past, present or future) but it must clearly link to
central narratives, themes and characters in the play. They will return to these groups at key points throughout this
resource, so consider team dynamics carefully in deciding on pairings.
• Give students time to create a mind map of their ideas and then provide them with the Film pitch worksheet on
page 13 to record their final idea.
• Before asking students to pitch their ideas, display the question ‘What ingredients make for a good film adaptation
of Macbeth?’ and ask students to use the think, pair and share approach to explore the question. Collate their
responses to create a set of agreed success criteria which should be shared on the board.
• Now ask students to pitch their film adaptation ideas. As they do so, their peers should assess them using the
success criteria they have just agreed (these criteria can also be a useful way to help students objectively and
constructively review and evaluate Throne of Blood).
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Activity outlines
Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
Setting the scene
1. Play the opening of the film on slide 2 of the accompanying Throne of Blood presentation (timecode 00:02:12 to
00:03:16), then:
• Ask students to note down adjectives and adverbs that describe what they are seeing. Ask them to choose one or
two of these and write them in large letters on sheets of paper. Arrange these in the room to create a class word
bank, highlighting interesting words and phrases that would impress an examiner.
• Using this clip, and the shared word bank, students produce a piece of extended descriptive writing that uses
language to ‘zoom in’ on what they have seen in the clip, focusing on the five senses. More able students could
incorporate language devices such as pathetic fallacy and personification. Students read these aloud, or swap and
peer assess using a relevant mark scheme.
2. Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet starts with a prologue that gives an overview of the plot. Although Macbeth
doesn’t have a prologue, the director of Throne of Blood chose to start his film with something similar: the lyrics
of the song at the opening could be interpreted as a form of prologue, introducing key themes and preparing the
audience for what they will see in the film.
• Display the lyrics from this song on slide 3 of the accompanying Throne of Blood presentation.
• As a class, analyse and annotate the language to investigate how far these lyrics reflect the plot and themes of Macbeth.
• How similar or different is this from the language used in the opening of the play?
3. Challenge students to write and record a prologue for their own film adaptation of Macbeth, planned in Activity 1
(Locating the action), using language appropriate to their chosen setting. You could limit these to five lines. This
could form the basis of a short filmed piece or a photo story, using the Key shots worksheet on page 14, with
students exploring the music or images that might accompany this prologue in their film version. Alternatively, these
prologues could be performed to the class or used as part of a speaking and listening assessment.
Extension: If you have access to other film versions of the play, play the opening two minutes to show contrasts
between the adaptations. Use the following prompts to guide students’ analyses:
• How do different directors create atmosphere though images and sounds?
• How do the different settings reflect themes from the play?
• Is there any symbolism that could act as a ‘visual prologue’ to the film, introducing central themes and characters?
Constructing character: costume and status
1. Divide students into small groups for a timed carousel activity:
• Give each group a printed image of slides 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying Throne of Blood presentation. These
images are of objects in the V&A Museum’s collection of Japanese art and design.
• During the timed carousel activity, students annotate their image with adjectives, nouns and adverbs that describe
the type of characters that might wear these costumes. Use the following prompts (in the slide notes) to help
focus their thinking.
• Who might wear these?
• What aspects of character can be associated with these costumes, armour or weapons?
• What advantages and difficulties would this kind of armour or costume offer?
• When students have annotated all the images, they focus on one image and find quotations from the play text to
support their annotated ideas.
• Once they have provided quotations from the text they should use different colour pens to draw out key themes
and narrative moments of the play that have emerged as a result of the activity.
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Activity outlines
Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
2. Print slides 5 and 6 of the accompanying Throne of Blood presentation which show the image of a suit of armour
and a silk kimono. Pin these up at either side of the room and ask the questions below. Students answer by standing
next to the relevant image, at which point you can question individual students about their responses:
• If these were used as costumes in a play or film, which character do you think would have more power?
• Which would have more status in society?
• Which would an audience find more frightening and why?
3. In Act 1 Scene 5, Lady Macbeth tells her husband: ‘look like the innocent flower/But be the serpent under’t’.
Challenge students to relate this quotation to the costumes on the wall and their understanding of the play text. Can
they connect all three to make a prediction about the film?
4. Show students slide 7 of the Throne of Blood presentation. Reveal to students that these are similar to the costumes
worn by the lead characters Washizu (Macbeth) and Asaji (Lady Macbeth) in the film Throne of Blood. Does this link
to any of their early predictions about the film? Pose the questions from number 2 above again to see if any students
have changed their minds about the division of power and status in this couple.
Extension: Ask students to return to their pairings from Activity 1 (Locating the action). Challenge them to design the
costumes that their Macbeth and Lady Macbeth characters might wear in their film adaptation. They should consider
their chosen context (time and place) in all decision making.
Once they have designed the outfits, they should produce an individual piece of extended writing using descriptive
language to introduce their key characters, as if writing a short story or a novel. They should describe their appearance,
characteristics and motivations in as much detail as possible. More able students could incorporate dialogue to their
piece and think of language devices to portray the relationship dynamic between their two central characters.
A soldier of fortune? (Act 1 Scene 2)
1. Closely analyse the way language is used to introduce Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 2, specifically in the Sergeant’s
description of Macbeth’s deeds in battle (from ‘Doubtful it stood…’ to ‘upon our battlements’). Why do students think
these moments are told to the audience rather than shown? What is the dramatic impact of this? In what ways might
a film interpretation deal with this differently?
2. Students imagine that these lines are delivered as a voiceover in their own film adaptation. What action and pictures
might we see to accompany the voiceover?
• Tell them that their challenge is to imagine a version that would be rated ‘12’ or ‘12A’, according to the British
Board of Film Classification (BBFC) Classification Guidelines for 12/12A on their website: www.bbfc.co.uk/whatclassification/12a-and-12 - the points about ‘tone’ and ‘violence’ on this web page will be useful here.
• They will need to think of creative ways to suggest the action without showing too much and should aim to use
three different shot types using the Camera shots guide on page 15 to help them. A greater range of shot types
can be found in this helpful guide (in particular pages 8-11, which you may want to share with your students):
bit.ly/SecondaryFilmmaking.
• Students annotate this section of the text with ‘director’s notes’ on camerawork, action, sound and music, and
notes for the actor reading the lines (thinking about tone, volume and pace).
Extension: Ask each student to write these ideas into an extended piece, using ‘writing to explain’ techniques to detail
their ideas and their intended effect on a 12A audience. They could swap this with another pair and peer-assess their
chosen shots and rationale according to how well they have used film language, how well they have adhered to BBFC
Classification Guidelines and how well they have used language to explain.
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Activity outlines
Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
Clip-focused activities
Summary: Through guided analysis of written and film language,
students experience the play in different contexts before creating
their own film interpretation to consolidate their understanding of
character development and key themes.
Learning outcomes:
• Students deconstruct character portrayals and chart character development across a range of adaptations in order
to construct their own interpretations of key characters and moments from the text.
• Students understand what mise-en-scène is, and how it is used on stage and in film to create meaning for
audiences, before applying this understanding to the creation of their own film adaptations.
• Students analyse the language used in two Macbeth character soliloquies so they can apply the language features
to their own version, relevant to their own time and place contexts.
‘Fair is foul and foul is fair’ (Act 1 Scenes 1 and 3)
1. Read Act 1 Scene 1 together as a class. Discuss how the witches’ first appearance sets the tone for the rest of the
play. What do we learn from the witches about the play’s narrative, setting and characters? Encourage students to
visualise what they might look like and either sketch or use descriptive words to paint a picture of their appearance,
using quotations to guide them.
2. Show students the clip ‘The witch’s prophecy’ on slide 8 of the accompanying Throne of Blood presentation (timecode
00:15:00 to 00:18:02) where Washizu and Miki meet the witch as they make their way back to Cobweb Castle.
• Analyse the clip closely using the Focus on… mise-en-scène cards on pages 16 and 17. Allocate a card to each
student or pair and then feedback, as a class, on how each of these elements was used to create atmosphere.
• Remind students that this scene is loosely based on Act 1 Scene 3 of the play text. Challenge students to identify
similarities and differences in the ways language and visual symbolism is used to create atmosphere.
3. Now show students the clip ‘The witches appear’ from the 2013 stage production of Macbeth on slide 9 of the
accompanying Throne of Blood presentation (timecode 00:05:23 – 00:05:40). What clues about the setting of this
adaptation do they get just from the way the witches are represented?
• After viewing, ask students to identify key differences in the ways each adaptation presents the witches.
• Do students think the number of witches is important? If there were more, or fewer, what difference would it
make? Is the number three important? In what other contexts is the number three important?
Extension: Give students time in their pairs to consider how they will represent the witches in their film version,
planned in Activity 1 (Locating the action). How will their chosen time and place setting inform their choices about
costume, make-up, dialogue, performance and casting? Students sketch their witch, or witches. Annotate with
quotations from the text.
‘When you durst do it, then you were a man’ (Act 1 Scene 7)
1. Put students in mixed ability pairings, with students they have not yet worked with. Using the character ‘gingerbread’
technique, ask them to collate everything they know about Macbeth and Lady Macbeth from the play text. They should:
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Activity outlines
Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
• draw an outline of each character
• fill the space inside each ‘gingerbread’ outline with words and phrases that reflect the character’s internal
motivation and characteristics
• fill the space around the outside of each gingerbread with words and phrases that reflect the external forces that
act on that character
• fill the space between the characters with words and phrases that sum up the relationship between Macbeth and
Lady Macbeth.
Encourage students to find relevant quotations from the play to back up their responses.
Come together as a class to compare ideas and textual evidence. You could create human-sized gingerbreads to
collect ideas and quotations for each character. These could be displayed on the wall as a revision tool and added to
as you study the play.
2. Show students the BFI film stills of Asaji and Washizu on slide 10 of the Throne of Blood presentation. In pairs they
must analyse how the director has represented the relationship between these two characters. Prompt students to
find visual clues that suggest the power dynamics in this relationship. They should annotate their ideas around the
edge of the images, making comments about body language, costume, facial expressions and physical proximity.
3. Give each student a different Focus on… mise-en-scène card and play the clips ‘Asaji convinces Washizu’ and
‘Asaji gives Washizu the spear’ on slides 11 and 12 of the accompanying Throne of Blood presentation (timecodes
00:37:37 – 00:40:10 and 00:42:15 – 00:43:49). Students make notes on their area and feed back ideas as a class.
Using their notes, ask students to comment on the ways in which the director portrays the relationship between
Asaji and Washizu, and creates dramatic impact in these clips. Do the moving image clips contradict the impressions
students had of the relationship suggested in the film stills?
4. Having analysed the scenes closely, students now create gingerbreads for Washizu and Asaji focusing on them as
portrayals of characters in a film adaptation of the play text. This time:
• On the inside of the gingerbreads, students should include words and phrases that reflect how the film presents
the character: the actor’s physical and vocal performance; costume and make-up; camera work (shot types);
lighting etc.
• Around the outside, students should include words and phrases which reflect the way the audience perceive the
character.
• In the space between the characters, students add in words and phrases that sum up the way the film represents
the relationship between Washizu and Asaji.
• Encourage students to use evidence from their mise-en-scène analysis of the film clip. For example, an analysis of
Asaji may include words such as ‘submissive body language’, ‘formal, feminine costume’, ‘manipulative dialogue’
on the inside and words such as ‘surprising’, ‘selfish’ or ‘malignant’ around the outside.
5. Now play students the clip ‘...wash this filthy witness from your hand’ from the 2013 Trafalgar Studios production,
provided by the V&A Museum’s NVAP, on slide 13 of the accompanying Throne of Blood presentation (timecode
00:42:34 – 00:43:28). Ask students to compare how this director, and these actors, portray the relationship between
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Which clip has more dramatic impact and why? Which performance and interpretation
do they feel is more powerful and why?
Extension: Give students time in their film adaptation pairs from Activity 1 (Locating the action) to prepare a short
role-play of this scene. Using Act 1 Scene 7 as a starting point, students annotate with notes on dialogue and
performance, keeping their own adaptation setting in mind at all times. These can be performed as a speaking and
listening assessment.
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Activity outlines
Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
Alternatively, you could ask students to prepare a hot-seating role-play. More confident students could volunteer to play
their favourite character (from Throne of Blood or the play text) and the rest of the class could prepare questions that
they would like to ask that character. This could be performed as a police interrogation scene or courtroom character
trial, and be filmed. Students watch it back to evaluate the quality of the questions, answers and performances against
evidence from the text.
Character and control (Act 3 Scene 4 and Act 5 Scene 1)
1. Show students the mid-shot of Asaji on slide 14 of the accompanying Throne of Blood presentation. As a class,
analyse her facial expression and body language for clues about narrative and character. Ask students to identify
which point in the play they think this shot is taken from, by finding a key quote from the play text.
Click on the slide for a transition revealing a wider shot of Asaji and Washizu. What further clues are we given here
about narrative and characters? Think about facial expression, body language, setting and props. What do students
think this action – washing the hands – means, practically and symbolically? Can they think of any examples to
support their ideas?
2. Show students the Character and control film still on slide 15 of the accompanying Throne of Blood presentation.
Click forward to reveal the second image and ask students to identify any similarities and differences they can see.
What do these two images suggest about the way both characters, and their relationship, develops throughout the
film?
3. Play the clips ‘Miki’s ghost’ and ‘Asaji sleepwalks’ on slides 16 and 17 of the accompanying Throne of Blood
presentation. This shows two contrasting moments:
• the feast scene (Act 3 Scene 4) which shows Asaji taking control when Washizu’s subconscious fears spill out
(timecode 01:07:40 to 01:09:10)
• the sleepwalking scene (Act 5 Scene 1) which shows Asaji losing control and revealing her subconscious fears
(timecode 01:35:02 to 01:36:43)
Challenge pupils to find corresponding moments in the play and extract key quotations for each character that
reflects their loss of control. Students should then write PEEE paragraphs (point, evidence, explanation, effect on
reader or audience) that analyse how Shakespeare uses language to show how each character deals with their guilt
and loses control.
Extension: Challenge students to write a short essay comparing how the Throne of Blood director, Kurosawa, and
Shakespeare developed the characters in these two scenes. Give them time to plan their essay, which could be
completed under exam conditions. Students should write at least one PEEE paragraph for each text, quoting textual
evidence from the play and mise-en-scène from the film. These can be peer-assessed to develop analytical and essaywriting skills.
Character masks
1. Inform students that, in Throne of Blood, many aspects of the make-up and performance, particularly in relation
to Asaji, are linked to an old traditional form of Japanese theatre called Noh Theatre. In Noh Theatre, the actors
wear masks: see the images from the V&A Museum’s collection of Japanese art and design on slide 18 of the
accompanying Throne of Blood presentation.
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Activity outlines
Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
• If internet access is available, ask students to find out more information about Noh Theatre. Background
information and links are included in the notes on slide 18 of the accompanying Throne of Blood presentation.
• Help students connect this style with themes from the play by reminding them that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
wear figurative ‘masks’ to hide their true emotions and desires. At key moments in the play, these metaphorical
‘masks’ slip.
2. Challenge students to find a piece of textual evidence from the play that shows a key moment when a character’s
‘mask’ slips, accidently revealing what they’ve been trying to hide:
• They should extract quotations that show both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s outward ‘masks’ and then quotations
that reveal their inner turmoil or fears.
• Once each pair has selected their key quotes, each student should pick either Macbeth or Lady Macbeth and
create a mask for that character, using the masks on slide 18 of the accompanying Throne of Blood presentation
as inspiration.
• On one side of the mask they must create an outward mask by drawing a facial expression and writing their
chosen quotation that reflects what that character would like to portray to the outside world.
• On the other side, students create an inward mask, with a facial expression and key quotation that reflects the
reality of how that character is really feeling as a result of their actions.
• Students rehearse and perform the feast scene in the style of Noh Theatre, flipping their mask to show when their
character’s masks are slipping to reveal their true feelings. These can be filmed and played back for peer review.
To soliloquy or not to soliloquy?
1. Explain to students that, in this film, there are no soliloquies. The director, Kurosawa, keeps the audience at a
distance from the characters by using wide camera shots and minimal dialogue. As a result, we do not see Asaji’s or
Washizu’s interior thoughts; however, in some key moments, we do see them on screen alone, reflecting in silence.
• Place students in pairs and give each pair one of the film stills on slides 19, 20 and 21 of the accompanying Throne
of Blood presentation.
• They should use this image as the basis for exploring a character’s internal motivations, and annotate them with
ideas for a short soliloquy for that character, expressing their hopes, fears and motivations at that point in the film.
This could be written in full and performed. To help students write their own soliloquy, you may want to remind
them of what a soliloquy is. We have included key soliloquies for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth on page 18.
2. Put students back into their film adaptation pairs and give each pair a different Key soliloquy (one person takes
Macbeth, the other takes Lady Macbeth) from page 18, or choose your own from another part of the play.
• They should change the language of the soliloquy to reflect the time and place that their adaptation is set.
• Once they have edited their soliloquy, they should annotate it with director’s notes for their own film interpretation
of the play.
• They should include notes on performance, sound, camerawork, settings, props and costume.
Extension: Students storyboard, script, film and edit their soliloquy. One person performs the soliloquy while the other
films it. Alternatively, these could be rehearsed and performed to the class or used as part of a speaking and listening
assessment.
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Activity outlines
Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
Further activities
Summary: These activities are designed to stretch and challenge
students’ understanding of the play and of film language, by
providing opportunities to engage in filmmaking that extends their
higher-order thinking skills.
Learning outcomes:
• Students explore and play with the concept of genre in order to reimagine a well-known play text for a specific film
audience.
• Students evaluate, select and summarise the plot of Macbeth whilst developing filmmaking skills such as planning,
scripting, filming and editing to create a one-minute version of the play.
Genre exploration
1. Firstly, ask students to write a film genre of their choice on a piece of paper. Encourage them to be adventurous and
not just pick the most obvious ones. You may wish to introduce them to the idea of hybrid-genres and sub-genres
to make their ideas more interesting. A hybrid genre blends themes and elements from two or more different genres
to create something new (ie mixing horror with sci-fi). A sub-genre is a subcategory within a particular, larger genre
(ie gothic horror). Students fold these genre ideas up and put them into a ‘hat’ for use later.
• Encourage students to reflect on all the Macbeth adaptations or performances they have seen, and the play text
itself. As a think-pair-share activity, ask students to identify the genre they feel fits most closely with the narrative
of Macbeth, giving reasons.
• Compare responses. For each genre idea, encourage students to identify the key genre features from the plot,
characters, settings and props that match with that genre.
2. Put students into small, mixed-ability groups, and ask each group to pick a genre from the hat, at random.
Students must work in their groups to create a treatment that alters the genre of Macbeth by using the Genre swap
worksheet on page 19.
Extension: Groups plan and create a short filmed trailer for the play that emphasises this genre. They should include
key dialogue and key moments that link to their genre and ensure that it would appeal to genre fans. If you have access
to edit facilities students could include text and graphic featuring key quotes and create a suitable voiceover
or copyright-free soundtrack.
One-minute Macbeth
1. Students work in their film adaptation pairs to plan, script, shoot and edit a one-minute version of their film
adaptation, in the time and setting they chose in Activity 1 (Locating the action on page 4).
Students can use the Into Film website to help them make decisions about key moments, dialogue, visual style,
costumes and direction. For advice on filmmaking, and on film language, see this helpful guide:
bit.ly/SecondaryFilmmaking.
2. As part of your school’s film club, stage a film festival or awards-style event that screens student versions of Macbeth
alongside other popular Shakespeare adaptations, available free from the Into Film catalogue.
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Our resources are designed to be used with selected film titles, which are available free for clubs at www.intofilm.org
Activity outlines
Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
And finally…
Groups can view live video recordings, including Macbeth, from the National Video Archive of Performance (NVAP) at
the V&A free of charge. Contact bookings.office@vam.ac.uk to make an appointment. A list of recordings is available
here: bit.ly/VandA-Performance
Visit the V&A Museum’s Japan collection: www.vam.ac.uk/page/j/japan/
Go to ‘Search the Collections’ to find out more about the V&A Museum’s collections online: collections.vam.ac.uk/
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Filming locations:
Cast/interview list:
Synopsis/plot outline:
Themes/issues:
Tagline:
Title:
Production company name:
Your pitch should be a maximum of three minutes long. Use this template to guide you:
Film pitch worksheet
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Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
Director’s notes:
Director’s notes (Give reasons for your choices):
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Dialogue:
Shot type:
Dialogue (Write a key quotation here):
(Draw your shot here)
Shot type:
Key shots worksheet
Director’s notes:
Dialogue:
Shot type:
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Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
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The camera is far away, these
kind of shots are often used
to establish a location (where
everything and everyone is)
or to show a character lost in
their surroundings.
Long shot/establishing shot (LS)
Camera shots
From the waist to the top
of the head. Very common,
and most shots in a film are
probably mid-shots.
Medium/mid shot (MS)
It’s a mid shot with room for
two people really, but it’s a
nice easy way to say ‘and now
let’s have a shot with both of
them in it’.
Two-shot
Just the face. Good for
intense/emotional scenes.
Close-up (CU)
An isolated piece of a face:
an eye, mouth etc. Good
for those extreme shock
moments, or when someone
is studying something. Also
good for getting details on an
object or some writing.
Extreme close-up (ECU)
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Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
Focus on… mise-en-scène
What is mise-en-scène?
The term is borrowed from a French theatrical expression, meaning roughly “put into the scene”. In other words,
mise-en-scène describes everything in the frame, the way it is shown and how it has been arranged.
The prompts below will help you analyse it for its effect on the audience.
1. Costume, hair and make-up
Choices about a character’s appearance are usually designed to
have an immediate effect on the audience.
• How are the different characters presented? Make notes on costume, hair and any other interesting features.
• What ideas about their status, and their state of mind, do you get from their costume?
2. Performance
Look closely at the actors’ performances, and
listen carefully to their voice and delivery.
• How do they use voice, facial expressions, gesture and body language to convey a sense of character?
• How do they interact with one another, and with the audience or camera?
3. Setting and props
Look closely at all the objects you can see, as well as
the background scenery or setting.
• How do the setting and any props elements create a sense of time and place?
• What do they tell us about status? Do you notice any interesting details?
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Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
4. Sound and music
Listen carefully to how sound (including incidental sounds,
sound effects and voiceover) and music are used.
• What can you hear? What effect does it have as you watch?
• If any instruments are used, can you identify them or guess at what they might be?
• Does the sound in the scene create atmosphere, or link to wider ideas of character or theme?
5. Lighting
Look carefully at the lighting in the scene, thinking about what is
lit and what is in shadow, as well as the direction the light seems
to be coming from.
• What are the main areas of light and shadow in the scene? Has lighting been used to
focus attention on a particular character or part of the set?
• Does the lighting seem ‘natural’, or ‘heightened’ (with bright lights or deep shadows)?
• How does lighting create atmosphere?
6. Camera
To film a theatre production, cameras can be positioned around the
auditorium to record a single performance. With a feature film, different
camera positions may be used, and different ‘takes’ may be edited
together to create the final recording.
• Look at the shot types at key moments. Has a close up been used or a long shot? Is the camera
high up or low down? What effect does this have on the audience?
• Does the camera move at all and, if so, how – does it follow a character, or zoom in or out?
7. Editing
Editing involves deciding the order in which shots appear on screen, the
duration of shots and any ‘transitions’ between them (such as a fade).
• Count the number of shots in the edit. How quickly do they change? What effect does this
pace have on the audience?
• Does the edit keep us in one time period, or do we move back or forth in time?
• How does editing place shots side by side to help audiences understand the narrative, character or setting?
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If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well
It were done quickly: if the assassination
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch
With his surcease success; that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all here,
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,
We’d jump the life to come. But in these cases
We still have judgment here; that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poison’d chalice
To our own lips. He’s here in double trust;
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,
Who should against his murderer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against
The deep damnation of his taking-off;
And pity, like a naked new-born babe,
Striding the blast, or heaven’s cherubim, horsed
Upon the sightless couriers of the air,
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,
That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself
And falls on the other.
Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be
What thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature;
It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great;
Art not without ambition, but without
The illness should attend it: what thou wouldst highly,
That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false,
And yet wouldst wrongly win: thou’ldst have, great Glamis,
That which cries ‘Thus thou must do, if thou have it;
And that which rather thou dost fear to do
Than wishest should be undone.’ Hie thee hither,
That I may pour my spirits in thine ear;
And chastise with the valour of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden round,
Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem
To have thee crown’d withal.
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Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 7)
Lady Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 5)
Here are two key soliloquies from Macbeth. Use these to help you write your own soliloquy.
Key soliloquies
Criterion © (1957) All rights reserved
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Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
Reel to Real: Adapting Macbeth - Throne of Blood
Genre swap worksheet
Allocated genre:
List the key features of your allocated genre here:
Narratives:
Settings:
Sound and music:
Characters:
Costumes, hair and make-up:
Actors:
How could this relate to Macbeth? Use the headings above to transform Macbeth into a film that would fit with
the key features for your genre.
Narratives:
Characters:
Settings:
Costumes, hair and make-up:
Sound and music:
Actors:
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