All three pieces of Lady Macbeth’s sleep walking scenes were masterpieces. After watching three times each I am unable to grade them with different grades. They were all A plus particularly the first two ones for their action performance and the last one for powerful singing. I must admit the fact that third version of Shirley Verrett, I have no idea what was going on. However I was moved more by the music and the voice of actor than her acting.
Jane Peptone : When she came up from stairs to high platform, she walked back and forth and looked in air so astonished that she was totally paranoid. Her pain strikingly cries and sometimes hysterical smiles reflected her mental breakdown. Her expressions were full of guilt, remorse, isolation, and insecurity nearer to the stage of human insanity. When she said lines, “all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand” – she look really remorseful, spreading her hand away from her nose-face as if there were real blood and its smell. At last when she pulled and pushed her husband virtual and imaginary hand to go to bed, her performance did great justice to Shakespeare classic. “What is done can’t be undone” part of her performance showed her desperation and loneliness and her need of her crime partner husband’s deep and intense emotional support in time of her mental crisis.
Judi Dench : After watching Judi Dench as Queen Elizabeth - a witty, cunning , arrogant and royal lady (queen), I never thought her acting so deep in agony, grief and remorse. I have Judi image as either queen Elizabeth or rough and tough Bond. As she appeared in the sleep walking scene with her left hand finger in mouth holding a candle light with right hand – her cries were full of guilt and remorse. Her eyes full of deep pain, her voice trembling with emotions of pain were much noticeable. Pronouncing her word “still” emphasizing deep agony and afterwards deep cries after saying the lines, all perfumes……this little hand, was the height of perfection; Judi Dench as Lady Macbeth to her best. I have nothing more accurate to comment expect borrow the lines from the afterward lines from the doctor. “What a sigh there Judi Dench heart was sorely charged at that time,” as Lady Macbeth as she was charged with full authority of Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love.
Shirley Verrett : Her lady Macbeth sleep walking scene was more of singing than of acting. Her voice were so finely tuned that it was hard for an audience to focus on her acting. Watching and listening her third time I felt that her opera was full of more melancholy about some lost love or tragic destiny than guilt or remorse that lady Macbeth was going through. However it still was a great piece of work.
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3 comments:
Well I only liked 2 of the scenes from the sleep walking of Lady Macbeth. the second scene of the sleep walking was amazing. the tears and the action i really felt like i was apart of the scene.
I agree that the second scene was very moving but i liked the first one more since it was more convincing. I'm pretty sure you can't be that emotional while sleepwalking.
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