Fleance and Obscured Scottish Futures in Screen Adaptations of Macbeth by Goold, Kurzel and Coen

Hargitai, Márta (2022) Fleance and Obscured Scottish Futures in Screen Adaptations of Macbeth by Goold, Kurzel and Coen. Anglistica AION: An Intersciplinary Journal, 26 (2). pp. 27-38. ISSN 2035-8504

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Abstract

The play-text of Macbeth enigmatically leaves the future of Scotland open. The play ends with Malcolmhailed as the new king, but the rest of the weird sisters’ predictions, namely that Banquo’s issue will be kings, is leftunanswered even though Shakespeare’s main source, Holinshed’s Chronicles (Volume V) (1577) contains a detailed(albeit completely fabricated) sequel as to the future of Fleance. The three Macbeth film adaptations examined here– Rupert Goold (2010), Justin Kurzel (2015) and Joel Coen (2021) – all address this loose end of the play-text,leaving clues for the viewer to predict what might happen after the action of the film is over. By opening a door tothe future (often literally and visually, as in Goold and Kurzel), and showing Fleance on the move, they all suggesta linear or cyclical continuation of his story and Scottish history. This article considers key elements of theadaptations, focussing on the show of kings and the endings. I argue that the directorial choices of these films,instead of suppressing the line of Fleance, give voice and prominence to his alternative narrative, while alsoemphasising the cycle of violence that the play suggests. | -

Tipologia del documento:	Articolo in rivista
Parole chiave:	- ; Macbeth, ; film adaptations, ; Goold, ; Kurzel, ; Coen, ; Fleance
Soggetto:	D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D111 Medieval History P Language and Literature > PR English literature
Depositato il:	22 Ago 2026 13:27
Ultima modifica:	22 Ago 2026 13:27
URI:	https://www.rmoa.unina.it/id/eprint/9413

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