Friday, March 23, 2012

Fleance Heads to the Witches

At the end of Polanski's version of Macbeth Fleance goes to the witches' coven. By making Fleance go there Polanski makes the audience think about the things that might be running through Fleance's mind. I think that Fleance went to the witches' coven because his father might have told him about the prophecy the witches made during the first act: "Hail" "Hail" "Hail" "Lesser than Macbeth, and greater..." "No so happy, yet much happier..." "You shall father kings, yetnot be one yourself. So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!"

If in fact Banquo had told his son of this prophecy then there is a chance that Fleance went there to find out information pertaining to the prophecy. He might have also gone there to avenge his father's death, because if the witches hadn't said anything then his father might still be alive, for it was the witches who planted the seeds of murder in great Macbeth's head.

In doing this, Polanski has changed what Shakespeare had originally meant to be the final scene of this extravagent play. Shakespeare had oringinally ended the play with a speech from Malcolm signifying that all is well, and as it should be within the fair country of Scotland. Polanski changed this to Fleance's arrival at the citches' coven. While this is an excellent way to end the movie we must acknowledge the fact that the original ending is better suited for the play. Polanski made it so that there is a small flicker of hope for a sequel to the movie when there is no way that there can be one. It also gives us some resolution and sparks our curiosity because it lets us know that Fleance definitely makes it out alive but it also makes us wonder whether the prophecy will come true.

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