Modernization of Shakespeare's Macbeth: A Discourse Analysis

This comparative study examines the relationship between the dominant discourses of the filmic adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth in the 21st century. In Scotland, PA (2001) directed by Billy Morrissette, the effect of the dominant discourses of 1970s are examined to demonstrate the ways in which the powerful economically repress the poor in the American society. A close analysis of the social, historical and cultural contexts in this adaptation shows the ways in which cinematic adaptations of literary works are influenced by their social and cultural contexts. In other words, Morrissette has created a new work of art by recreating the seventeenth century Shakespearean play within the context of modern time discourses. The theoretical framework of this study is based on Linda Hutcheon's theory of adaptation and Robert Stam’s model of intertextual dialogism. The paper shows how in today's world, power-seeking, discrimination and inequality persist and how the powerful draw on new and more complicated practices to continue their exploitation of the downtrodden.