William Shakespeare's masterpiece, Macbeth, is a tragedy brilliantly brought into the 21st century by Rupert Goold. Although Shakespeare's Macbeth is a play set in 16th-century Scotland, Rupert Goold modernizes the play by changing the setting to a Soviet-style country and implementing modern elements in the characters and theme. Although Shakespeare's Macbeth and Rupert Goold's film adaptation share many ideologies and an overall plot, there is a difference in the setting, characters, and overall atmosphere of the story. setting for Macbeth in a bleak, militaristic, society-style state, described by critic Ben Brantley as a "desolate, joyless environment resembling nothing more than a morgue". The setting contributes to creating a disturbing atmosphere, felt by the audience throughout the entire performance. The mannerisms and costumes of the characters in Rupert Goold's film are in the context of the setting. Being what critic Joseph White accurately describes as "more vicious and less merciful", Rupert Goold's Macbeth is perceived by the film's viewers as a Stalin-like dictator. . The halls of his palace are decorated with murals of his face. The film also illustrates the large masses of crowds. Through this perspective of Macbeth, Rupert Goold emphasizes the theme of the corrosive power of unbridled ambition. Not unlike Shakespeare's Macbeth, the character of Macbeth in Rupert Goold's film is a wild, power-hungry politician. In Goold's film, however, Macbeth finds humor in the tumultuous events that lead to his downfall. His chilling laughter at the announcement of his wife's suicide and his humiliating attitude towards his fellow kings... middle of paper... their half-truths and prophecies. Ultimately, they appear to be angels from Hell. The contemporary interpretation of Macbeth from Rupert Goold's Lady Macbeth and Lady Macbeth from William Shakespeare's Macbeth are different in character traits and appearance. In Ruper Goold's Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is depicted as an instrument of evil, a constant figure of burning wrath. Through dark costumes and makeup, viewers of the film see her as a morbid housewife, consumed by ambition. The film stays true to the themes of Macbeth. It does not dilute the eternal qualities of evil and betrayal that are so viscerally expressed in the play. I am sure that the "Bard of Avon" would be satisfied with the modern adaptation, for Macbeth, as is true of all his works. timeless because they address the core of human nature, both good and bad.