Survey on the Way of Representing the Ambiguous Three Weird Sisters in Macbeth Through the Style of Japanese Adaptation

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Survey on the Way of Representing the Ambiguous Three Weird Sisters in Macbeth through the Style of Japanese Adaptation

UMEMIYA Yu (Assistant Professor at Waseda University)

In 1623, seven years after the death of William Shakespeare, the book called First Folio was published. The incomparable value of this collective book is not only due to the fact that it contains 36 of Shakespeare’s works, but also because it holds several plays that have never been published in other format. Without the Folio, 18 plays could not have reached the present time, including some of the well-known ones such as Twelfth Night, Macbeth, or Antony and Cleopatra to name but a few. An Indian scholar Ranjee Shanani once wrote in his book Shakespeare Through Eastern Eyes as follows.

His creations are not ideas but characters – real men and women, fellow humans with ourselves. We can follow their feelings and thoughts like those of our most intimate acquaintances. (177)

Shanani’s recognition tells us that Shakespeare is no longer restricted even within the diverse space where Ben Jonson describes in the preface of the Folio, ‘He was not of an age, but for all time’ (Norton 10), but more so Shakespeare is now for all the world. On the contrary, some may still claim that Elizabethan senses are required to fully embrace the significance of Shakespeare’s art (Smith 一五三 17). The bard is widely understood to be a playwright who created his works for his contemporary audiences, and therefore we cannot totally deny the harsh remarks by rather conservative critics. In other words, without having the sufficient amount of knowledge of Shakespeare’s time, there are some fragments where we cannot comprehend.

66 Survey on the Way of Representing the Ambiguous Three Weird Sisters in Macbeth through the Style of Japanese Adaptation

PORTER. Faith, here’s an equivocator that could swear in both the scales against either scale, who committed treason enough for God’s sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven. (2.3.8-11)

The quotation above is from Act2 , Scene 3 of Macbeth, known as the Porter scene. The noun‘ equivocator’ and the verb‘ equivocate’ can be the keywords of the entire play, because the plot describes the protagonist who is bewildered by the double meaning of the prophecies. More significantly, the scene works as a comic relief within the dense tragedy. The words are associated with a Jesuit, Henry Garnet, who was executed on 3rd May 1606 for treasonous complicity in the Gunpowder Plot. He is reported to be a person who testified at court by using the equivocation to escape the fatal sentence (Brooke ed. 59-60). By comically portraying the recent scandal in the play, the audience might have had the moment of laughter. It is not surprising if the same effect could not be achieved in the present auditorium, and most certainly the scene makes no sense to the ordinary modern audiences abroad. Even with the knowledge of this historical allusion, the scene now lacks the fresh topicality. Despite the problematic features contained in the play, Macbeth has attracted the interest of both academics and audiences for a long time. In the archive of the Royal Shakespeare Company, there are 46 records of performances in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon within almost 200 years of its history (see Appendix 1). In comparison to a much lesser acknowledged play, such as Titus Andronicus, with only six records including Yukio Ninagawa’s visiting production from Japan (see Appendix 2), the popularity of Macbeth is undeniable. Although the Royal Shakespeare Company produced only three productions after the turn of the century, within these 16 years, Macbeth has been performed six times at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, including two touring productions (see Appendix 3). This fact should confirm the play’s unchanging appreciation from the general public. In addition, Macbeth has appeared numerous times in the form of film. According to the list compiled by Graham Holderness and Christopher 一五二 McCullough, the first recorded film version of Macbeth was created by William V. Ranous in 1908 (34). Since then, 23 films have been premiered within the course of 75 years. It might not be surprising to see Hamlet on the top of the list with 34 examples, followed by Romeo and Juliet’s 24, Macbeth comes in third place.

67 Interestingly, after the completion of the list by Holderness and McCullough in 1994, six more versions of Macbeth became available, while Hamlet remains at the summit of the list with five additions, butRomeo and Juliet opening up the post for Macbeth with three records (see Appendix 4). Thus, the story of Macbeth has maintained its popularity, and various attempts have been explored by people from both stage and film. Because of its frequency, the ways of interpretation or representation vary. Compared to the filming technology in the early 20th century, diverse means of capturing the scenes have become available. Up till 1945, the films of Macbeth remained silent, and from 1951, it gradually shifted to colour images (Holderness and McCullough 34-5). The list may now also include the ones created for television broadcasting, reenactments of the stage or even direct recordings from the theatrical productions. In Macbeth, with the story dealing with the feature of unnatural elements, how to express the three Weird Sisters, Banquo’s Ghost, and Apparitions can often be the obstacles when creating a stage version. Additionally, as Macbeth himself mentions in the play as,‘ Who can impress the forest, bid the tree / Unfix his earthbound root?’ (4.1.110-1), there are several scenes‘ That will never be’ (4.1.109) realised in the live performances. On the contrary, John Emerson, a director who created the film version of Macbeth in 1916, once mentioned, the supernatural atmosphere of the play is obtainable by the aid of the camera (Ball 229), and therefore, this essay is, henceforce, going to explore the various visualizations of the significant, yet problematic characters, the three Weird Sisters, in order to highlight the unique image created by Japanese film director, Akira Kurosawa.

Before moving on to the survey of the features in the films, it is worth considering how these characters are treated by Shakespeare’s hands, and believed to be existed in the real world. When we especially look at the Japanese translated works, 15 versions out of 20 use Majyo (魔女), the direct replacement of the word ‘witch’, to signify these characters. In the Folio text, there are six stage directions with the noun‘ Witches’, and therefore, it might be plausible to agree on calling the 一五一three sisters,‘ witches’. However, as the embodiment of the equivocator, the way to interpret and represent their figures should require further consideration. Nicholas Brooke does not ignore the fact that the word‘ witch’ is only used once in the play (Act 1, Scene 6) to connect the sisters to this mysterious being (Brooke ed. 3). The line is delivered by one of the three when she recollects her encounter and the

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scorn from the Sailor’s Wife. To be precise, the word is mentioned once more in Act 4, Scene 1, as an ingredient thrown into the cauldron to complete their spell.‘ [W]itch’s mummy’ (4.1.23) is treated carelessly just as they drop‘ poisoned entrails’ (4.1.5),‘ Toad’ (4.1.6),‘ snake’ (4.1.12),‘ Eye of newt, and toe of frog, / Wool of bat, and tongue of dog; / Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting, / Lizard’s leg, and howlet’s wing’ (4.1.14-17),‘ Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf’ (4.1.22), ‘maw and gulf / Of the ravined salt-sea shark; / Root of hemlock’ (4.1.23-25), ‘Liver of blaspheming Jew, / Gall of goat, and slips of yew’ (4.1.26-27),‘ Nose of Turk, and Tartan’s lips; / Finger of birth-strangled babe’ (4.1.29-30),‘ tiger’ s chawdron’ (4.1.33), and‘ baboon’s blood’ (4.1.37). Brooke even adds‘ blood of a bat’ (4.1.51),‘ lizard’s brain’ (4.1.52),‘ The juice of toad, the oil of adder’ (4.1.53), ‘red-haired wench’ (4.1.56), which are restored from the possible revision of Thomas Middleton (Brooke ed.53 -4). Some of the components we see here are not realistically obtainable, but moreover handling the mummified body of their kind should foster the impression of the three to be different from the actual witches. Their relationship with Hecate would of course draw them back to the image of the witches, but since the part is thought to be an addition made by Middleton (Brooke ed. 57), Shakespeare’s interpretation for the three could have been different. The understanding of the witches in the real world should also be significant to distinguish the model that the directors of the films decided to visualize. The tradition of witchcraft and magic has a long history, deriving from the Greeks and the Romans that‘ attempts to manipulate the natural and supernatural’ (Maxwell- Stuart 2). The activity includes‘ curing illness, dividing the future or destroying one’s enemies’ (Maxwell-Stuart 2). From various historical records of witch trials, we may discover evidences of their acts and contracts with the devils or familiars, which end up with the subjects’ imprisonments or executions. Having surveyed the witchcraft cases that happened during 1560 to 1705 in Fife, Scotland, Stuart Macdonald concludes that most of the accused were the ones who had the‘ power to harm, and troublesome neighbour[s]’ (50). Additionally, the possible reason for the strict prohibition from the authority is suggested to be the manipulation of‘ the thoughts, 一五〇 values and behaviours of the entire population’ (Macdonald 49). In other words, within the godly society, the ability of harming and curing must be preserved as the power of God only, and the church had to be the sole institution that can explain those acts (Macdonald 50).

69 In the classical literatures, we could find the portrayals of attractive but harmful and malevolent women as magicians, however, when the criticism towards these activates became important at the end of the 15th century, the imagery of the witches turned to crones and hags (Maxwell-Stuart 3). Thus, the stereotype of the witches is somewhat fixed as‘ female, ugly, malicious, and either mad or deluded’ (Maxwell-Stuart 2-3). The idea for the witches may differ from England to Scotland and to continental countries, but during the trails in each region, certain marks occasionally played an important role when determining the subjects to be witches or not. This mark may be referred to ‘as devil’s mark’ or‘ witch’s mark’, and the former is the sign of sealing a pact with the devil (Golden 275-277), whereas the latter is a common notion in England and is believed to be the spot where the witch allows the familiar to feed upon their blood (Golden 1220-1221). Facing a rare record for the examination of a male witch named John Walsh, Marion Gibson calls him‘ a conjuror, cunning man or village magician’ (25). Barbara Rosen, also dealing with the same case, provides the information that he is said to be‘ quite confident in his reputation as a healer [...] in his own eyes, he is a professional, with an acceptable place in the community’ (64). Although the researches on witches have been pursued by many academics, the figure itself remains still ambiguous. All we can grasp is that they are not distinctively different from the normal population, occasionally having a mark, and possibly accompanying familiars. We cannot even decide whether they are male or female, but Shakespeare’s description of the three Weird Sisters matches this ambivalent nature.

BANQUO. What are these, So withered, and so wild in their attire, That look not like th’inhabitants o’th’ earth And yet are on’t? --- Live you, or are you aught That man may question? You seem to understand me, By each at once her choppy finger laying 一四九 Upon her skinny lips. You should be women, And yet your beards forbid me to interpret That you are so. (1.3.39-47)

From the above description given by Banquo on his first encounter with the

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sisters, it is recognizable that they cover themselves in ragged outfit. Their unstable fingers occasionally touch their thin lips. Also, Banquo finds it difficult to determine whether they are male or female, dead or alive. This portrayal of the three suggests that they give a different impression fromthe one attached to two other characters who share the scene on this occasion: Banquo and Macbeth. However, uncertainty of their gender and lifeless nature within the living bodies maintain the ambiguity of the three. Their appearance might not have relevance with ordinary people, but they certainly do not frighten these two soldiers by their figures. If they were to emerge as a group of devils, either Banquo or Macbeth could have been startled and delivered the similar lines seen in Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus at the protagonist’s first encounter with Mephistopheles, the unmistakable devil.

FAUSTUS. I charge thee to return and change thy shape. Thou art too ugly to attend on me. Go and return an old Franciscan friar; That holy shape becomes a devil best. 1 ( .3.24-27)

Shakespeare not only made the appearance of the three similar to normal human beings rather than turning them monstrous; he also seems to have avoided the usage of the definite word: witch. As I have mentioned above, there are two occurrences of the noun throughout the entire play and none of them are uttered by the characters other than the three. Instead of pronouncing the word‘ witch’, Macbeth, Banquo, Hecate, and sisters themselves use the personal pronouns such as‘ you’ (31 times) or‘ they’ (14 times), out of a possible 119 occasions. It is certainly a misuse of language if the three sisters call one another witches, but especially Macbeth and Banquo could refer to them as such. Other than the personal pronouns both singular and plural, normal nouns are also used.‘ weird sisters’ appears six times,‘ sister (s)’, thrice,‘ hags’, twice, and‘ everyone’‘, beldams’‘, devil’, each appears once. We could find other nous such ‘as spirits‘’, ministers’ or‘ fiends’, but they are all not used to describe the three. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the words‘ beldam’ and‘ hag’ both have the same meaning as‘ witch’, 一四八 even though the current common definitions may suggest‘ ugly old woman’. Brooke also claims that the word‘ weird’ had a different meaning from the modern usage as ‘Destiny or Fate’ (Brooke ed. 3). Thus, the name‘ weird sisters’ would imply a group of females who have the power to foresee the future.

71 From the examinations above, it is possible to say when the filmmaker decides to respect the imagery of Shakespeare, the characterization should contain a sufficient balance between being normal and being eccentric. In other words, by combining the general notion of the witches and Shakespeare’s idea for the three, the embodiment of their ambiguous nature becomes crucial.

Unlike pursuing the original text of Macbeth, collecting information on filmed materials is manageable, and we could see the directorial decisions that the creators have made to convincingly visualize the scenes with the three Weird Sisters. The 1908 version expresses the first prophesy by showing Macbeth’s vision as becoming a King (Ball 42), and in 1909, the same effect is created‘ with the help of superimposed vision that appears above his head as he‘ speaks’” (Buchanan 80). The 1910 film inherits the technique of 1908 and shows Macbeth as King, seated on a throne, that implies the imagination of the protagonist (Ball 92). These three early films equally incorporate the cinematic way of portrayal which is to visualize the inner consciousness of the character directly on to the screen. According to Robert Ball, in 1910, the scene had already been made with a sense of spectacle by using fire and smoke, and the 1916 version encouraged the reviewer to praise the first scene as‘ [t]he most striking’ (Ball 244). The description quoted fromCinema News and Property Gasette explains that‘ [f ]irst smoke seems to rise spontaneously from the grassy ground, and then the witches, one by one, rise from the earth’ (Ball 244). Although these remarks to the early film versions do not clearly indicate how the Weird Sisters were embodied by the actors, but it is possible to say that the scenes with the three can be the primal concern or the part where the creators can exhibit their intuition for their inventions. When we look for the most outstanding film of Macbeth from the list of Holderness and McCullough, we cannot ignore one distinctive title, Throne of Blood. It is the only title that does not say Macbeth, and the only title supplemented as‘ FL’, which stands for foreign language (Holderness 34). There is always a margin of new discovery of another Macbeth created in different language and style, as the list is a 一四七selective one and rather outdated. However, because of its quality of the play itself that made Harold Bloom describe it as the masterpiece containing‘ virtually every vision of the sacred and moral that human chronicle has know’, Throne of Blood, or Spider Web Castle 『蜘蛛巣城』( ; Kumonosu Jo) is one of the most celebrated film versions of this Scottish play (Bloom 519).

72 Survey on the Way of Representing the Ambiguous Three Weird Sisters in Macbeth through the Style of Japanese Adaptation

The film was directed by Kurosawa and was released in 1957 in Japan. The 1950s was still a period when both black and white images or colour images were used, and Throne of Blood is in the former style. The language spoken by the characters is not Shakespeare’s English but Japanese, prepared by Hideo Oguni, Shinobu Hashimoto, Ryuzo Kikushima, and Kurosawa himself (Kurosawa 272). The setting of the film is moved from11 th century Scotland to the Age of Civil War in feudal Japan. This period from the mid15 th century to early 17th century is the time when the ruling power of the emperor was undermined and military dictators took over the authority. Due to the emergence of several skillful warlords, it was a time with almost constant conflict: continuous alliance and betrayal occurred even within the same military group. Coincidentally, it is close to the year when Shakespeare had actually written his Macbeth, and the circumstance seems suitable for the setting of the adaptation. Throne of Blooddoes not open with the usual scene of the three Weird Sisters discussing when they shall meet again. Instead, it starts with the scenery of the foggy mountainside covered in volcanic black soil. Passing by the stone foundation of a large structure, the camera captures seven ominous tombstones and a rusty wooden notice, saying‘ the site of Spider Web Castle’ (蜘蛛巣城趾). When the fog clears away, the grand castle with its distinctive black exterior appears. At the ending of the film, Kurosawa inserts a similar sequence, but in reverse. After the fog covering the corpse of Taketoki Washizu (鷲津武時), Macbeth, the scene shows the moving forest and soldiers marching with branches. Noriyashu Odakura (小田倉則保), the character equivalent to Macduff in the original, gives the order to the troops to conceal themselves from the enemy. Then, the frame is filled with the image of the entire castle, gradually being covered in fog, and it shifts to the sight of the wooden notice pillar that is used in the beginning. The opening and the ending would suggest that the story of Taketoki is not a present matter but an event that occurred some time in the past, and the castle saw its decline, being unable to last. Akira Iwasaki points out that the difference between Shakespeare and Japan has been successfully filled by emphasizing its irrelevance by showing the devastation of the castle in both opening and ending (Kurosawa 269). It seems his comment 一四六 is rather ambiguous, but as Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto shares the similar opinion (268), undoubtedly the structure is well prepared to fix the tone of the film. In addition to these parts, Kurosawa has prepared a chorus chant in both scenes as follows.

73 See the site of the castle‘ [ dream’ for the ending] that was obsessed As if the spirit of the dead still stays It is the path of a berserker that has been possessed Nothing changes from past to present days (Oguni et a1. l18-l9; translation mine)

The lyric seems to effectively portray the whole atmosphere of Throne of Blood which is the story of Taketoki, being possessed by the ambition of becoming the lord of the castle, once owned by his master Kunimaru Tsuzuki (都築国丸). Kurosawa’s decision of not plunging directly into the play of Shakespeare, but to provide a little moment to enter his version, may show his consideration to create a fine adaptation. As a result, the appearance of the three Weird Sisters is significantly different from the one that could be found in previous films. Two soldiers, Taketoki and Yoshiaki Miki (三木義明), the characterization of Banquo, lose their way in the accustomed forest of Spider Arms (蜘蛛手の森 ), which is the Birnam Wood from Shakespeare. Becoming impatient by not knowing what is happening, Taketoki shoots an arrow to the canopy of the forest, and the sinister laughter returns with the lightning. At once, both soldiers conclude that their mysterious situation of being in a labyrinth is created by the act of Mononoke (ものの怪 ), meaning evil spirits or inhuman being. The noun has been continuously used in the film, and it can be the simplest way of explaining Kurosawa’s three Weird Sisters. Taketoki and Yoshiaki’s determination of conquering the charm is represented by their courageous shouts and the sound of the galloping horses. However, mixed with a heavy rainstorm, lightning and shrill laughter, the scene gives the impression of confusion. And the calmness which arrives with the appearance of a small hut creates a strong contrast before entering the important dialogue of prophecy. When Taketoki aims his arrow towards the hut, an almost inaudible, indistinct chant comes out, and the two after being hushed for a while by surprise, question the singer. 一四五 It is scarcely possible to judge whether this singer is a male or a female by first hearing. The song is delivered in a delicate and soft voice which can be related to a high pitched female singer, but a somewhat aged-sound prevents us from determining this. Additionally, the lyric is far from soothing in comparison to its slow and calm melody. It describes the greed of humans and scorns at their nature

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(Oguni et al. a9-a10). By preparing a song that gives a double impression, Kurosawa seems to have successfully set a tone for this character to be uneasy to comprehend. The physical appearance is also well considered to maintain this quality. The white Haori (羽織), a coat-type clothing, over a seemingly light coloured Kimono (着物), Japanese traditional dress, stands out especially in a black and white film. This vivid impression is further emphasized by the contrast with the dark colour of the forest and black armor worn by the two soldiers. Furthermore, its long white hair, together with the white thread coming out from the spinning wheel, may foster the connection of the colour white with this character. We might relate the colour with purity or sacredness, but because of the similarity with the pale colour of the dead, it is not always regarded as good (Stewart 28-41). Also, according to Japanese tradition, the colour white is associated with holiness and often used for the cloak of sacred ministers, but because of this understanding, the dress of the dead is also in the same colour (Hamada 100-1). Therefore, making the ominous character wear white may even elevate the ambiguity of its quality in both cultural backgrounds. Thus, from these perspectives, it is possible to say that the colour which is applied by Kurosawa to this character has a double meaning, good and bad, fair and foul, just as it is implied by the three Weird Sisters in Shakespeare’s original. The hag in Throne of Blood seems to have only limited number of facial expressions. When the character is squinting and almost smiling for the delivery of the prophesy, the countenance may remind us of the mask of Okina (翁) from Japanese traditional Noh drama (能). Okina represents a wise old person and is regarded as symbolising‘ wisdom and tranquility’ (Udaka 164). In contrast, when the expression changes by giving a strong cross-eyed gaze, it can be connected to the mask of Ayakashi (怪士), which embodies the‘ spirit of a general killed in battle [...] signaling the otherworldly power’ (Udakda 168). This shift of nature may be derived from Kurosawa’s intention of representing the character in relation to a specific Noh play: Kuroduka 『黒塚』( ). He continuously claimed that the idea of the witch does not exist in Japanese culture and tried to extract the image of the hag from the classical Noh drama (Kurosawa 251). Kuroduka describes the encounter of a pilgrim and an old woman in the forest, 一四四 which turns into the confrontation against an ogress. It is said that for the part of the woman, the mask of Uba (姥) should be used to represent the character, and for the ogress, Hannya (般若) mask is common (Nishino and Heneda eds. 55-6). Other texts suggest Syakumi (曲見) or Fukai (深井) for the woman, and Shikami

75 (顰) for the ogress (Kuroduka; Kawanishi 33). Kurosawa himself mentioned during the interview that he aimed at Yamannba (山姥) for the expression (Kurosawa 1988 354). They are different from the impression we receive from the film, but the heap of bones that is captured after the disappearance of the spirit, together with its unmistakable gesture of the spinning wheel, tells us the connection with the Noh play. The interesting thing is that Kurosawa did not use the direct reference to the ogress in Kuroduka at its first appearance, but saved it for the later scene. At the second prophecy, the spirit answers the call of Taketoki, and stands within the fog, surrounded by the pile of bones that we saw earlier. Additionally, once-tied hair has been loosened to make us relate it with Hannya’s wild hairstyle. In this way, the impression of Kurosawa’s film may shift from Okina to Ayakashi and then to Hannya. In other words, it transforms from a gentle old man to a spirit of the general, and finally to the devil. Throne of Blooddoes not provide the image of the spirit as a group of three, but the number is reduced to one. However, we can see fragments of its existence through different characters, first, that is to say Asadi鷲津浅茅 ( ), the equivalent of Lady Macbeth. At Kurosawa Digital Archive, organised by Ryukoku University, we may find a number of photographs of Noh masks. The one for a female role is Syakumi which represents a woman not having the youthfulness, but representing a graceful female strength with a benign acceptance of fate (Udaka 150). This nature may suit the character of Lady Macbeth, and thus Kurosawa converted the role, which he once claimed to be too Europeanised for Japanese audiences to accept, into a more familiar figure (Kurosawa 251). Moreover, it is the mask that some texts suggest, the suitable prop for the woman in Kuroduka. Even from this point, Asadi could be a character with a touch of the quality of the spirit. To support the idea even further, the reference of Isudu Yamada, who played the role, is important. She was consulted whether she could put gold powder into her irises to imitate the special Noh mask: Deigan (泥目) for the sleepwalking scene. The mask signifies the being from beyond the temporal world with the emotion of resentment (Udaka 152). Although the idea of using gold powder did not reach the scene due to its 一四三technical difficulty, Kurosawa clearly claimed that he used Syakumi to represent a character who becomes unnatural, and considered the gilded eye to emphasis her madness (Kurosawa 1988 354). Mansai Nomura, an actor of Kyogen (狂言), another form of Japanese traditional theatre, comments that the movement of Asadi is that of Noh, in contrast to Taketoki’s Kyogen-like mannerisms (Kurosawa

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2010 39). Kyogen can be categorised as comical entertainment whereas Noh often represents a tragic story, sometimes involving the story of the afterlife, specifically called Mugen-Noh (夢幻能). The expression from the Noh mask and the way Asadi maneuvers her body may result in providing an image of not an ordinary woman, but much closer to a supernatural being, especially when she is placed against a distinctively active husband. As a result, the trusted wife of Taketoki becomes a character that shares the nature with the forest spirit. E. Pearlman suggests that Throne of Blood frequently captures the dominance of the forest over tyrants (258). This recognition is further emphasised by pointing out that the death of Taketoki is caused not by an off-stage blow by his enemy Macduff like in the original, but with the numerous arrows shot by his own troops. Perlman claims that the arrows which are made from the wood in the forest, and feathers of birds that live within, may imply the power of nature (258). As well as the marching of the forest before Taketoki’s army decides to betray their master, there is a scene where the castle is invaded by numerous birds while Taketoki awaits for the beginning of his last battle. Since the scene is followed by the deforesting by Kuniharu Tsuzuki (都築国春), or Malcolm’s army to fight against Taketoki, it seems as if nature is also fighting against the human world. The imagery of fog may contribute to enhance this special power seeping out from the forest. As it is clear from the ending of the film, the story does not secure a future peace governed by the new monarch. With Shakespeare’s original, we may hear Malcolm’s triumphant speech, but in Kurosawa the sequence I have discussed earlier is shown with the full image of the fog. At the scene where Taketoki and Yoshiaki finally escape from the maze of the forest after the first prophesy is also accompanied by fog. They appear from the dense white fog that hardly allows us to see through, just as if they have successfully fled from supernatural power. As we have seen so far, Kurosawa transferred Shakespeare’s three Weird Sisters into his own style, by first reducing the number, but the presence of the character is embodied by other external implications such as his wife and nature that surrounds the area. Significantly, they are both once the source of security for Taketoki. Asadi was his trusted wife, and the forest was the maze that would prevent the enemy 一四二 from invading the castle. Furthermore, representing the ambiguity of its figure by using the tone of voice, the type of apparel, and the image of the Noh masks, which are enhanced by the colour white, Kurosawa successfully captured the essence of this delicate character: the character with both qualities of good and bad.

77 Since most of the works can never be totally original, as we might learn from how Shakespeare wrote his plays by mixing several sources, Kurosawa’s judgment can fully be appreciated only by considering other examples that may have affected his way of representation. As Kurosawa himself mentions, his first intention of creating his version of Shakespeare was born during his experience of filming Rashomon 『羅生門』( ), which premiered in 1950. He explains that while shooting at the forest in Nara (奈良), in the western part of Japan, south from Kyoto ( 京都), and east from Osaka (大阪), the image linked with that of the forest in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. However, this idea did not come to realisation because Kurosawa thought the concept of a fairy does not exist in Japanese culture. Instead, even though at first he was uncertain of how to visualize the witch, that is also lacking from Japanese understandings, he decided to venture his style of Macbeth. Before reaching the completion, he had to face yet another obstacle, and that was the film created by Orson Welles, which premiered in America in1948 , and 1952 in Japan. After studying Welles’s Macbeth, Kurosawa decided to pursue his own interpretation and reached Throne of Bloodin 1957 (Kurosawa 251-2). From this fact, it is clear that there is a necessity of looking at Welles’s version before concluding the uniqueness of Kurosawa’s creation.

Welles’s Macbeth also appears in black and white which was completed within only 23 days due to the shortage of its budget (Welles and Bogdanovich 205). The restriction forced Welles to consider his version to be an encouragement for other filmmakers rather than a great work of art (Cowie97 ). However, his interpretation of the three Weird Sisters and the clear remarks that relate to their representation is worth mentioning. Welles’s understanding of the play is not the struggle of power but the conflict between old Druidical religion and new Christianity (Welles and Bogdanovich 214). Supported by this recognition, the film frequently captures numerous soldiers with Celtic crosses, especially when they are marching towards the castle of Macbeth. It is clear that the Three, named as such in the film, stand on the opposite side of the spectrum, with their forked sticks and dark black 一四一figures. This confrontation is established in the very early part of the film. At the end of their first encounter with Macbeth, it is not their choice to vanish‘ into the air’ (1.3.81), but expelled by the power of the cross, hoisted by Welles’s inventive character: the Holy Father. Their existence as the abstract symbol of pagan religion, or evil, may also be

78 Survey on the Way of Representing the Ambiguous Three Weird Sisters in Macbeth through the Style of Japanese Adaptation emphasised by their appearance and ritual by the cauldron. The scene originally set in Act 4, Scene 1, is moved to the very beginning in Welles’s film, followed by the ordinary start of the play with the line‘ When shall we three meet again’ (1.1.1). Here we could see the steaming cauldron placed on the large open fire, and the Three work the clay-like content and form a puppet in the shape of a man. Later, in the scene of the prophecy, the Three lay a sash on the doll to represent the title of the Thane of Cawdor, and crown it to suggest the one would become a King. Without a doubt, the puppet is the duplication of Macbeth, and at the conclusion of the duel with Macduff in the end, the puppet loses its head as Macbeth loses his too. This implication can strengthen the involvement of the Three, as well as their evil pagan features. In addition, although Welles inserted several scenes to show the figure of the Three, none of them captures the distinct expression of the characters. All we can see is their blurred faces that are smudged by the shadow and fog. They also take over the lines of the Apparitions at the second prophecy. In Macbeth’s second encounter, he appears in the middle of the frame and responds to the loud and violent shout of the Three. Thus, they embody not only the pagan ministers, but also the feature of supernatural beings. The Weird Sisters in Welles’s film shares the similar characteristic to Kurosawa’s version by maintaining the unnatural figure. Nevertheless, the distinctively evil appearance and their active involvement in the story is the disagreement between the two. As Welles himself stresses,‘ [t]he witches cue the whole thing. They aren’t foretelling the future, they’re making it happen’ (Welles and Bogdanovich 215); his Three are not marginal characters who observe the situation. This may cohere with Kurosawa’s view, since he might have divided the idea of the Weird Sisters into the role of Lady Macbeth and the image of the forest. However, when we compare the two from their appearance only, Kurosawa seems to have succeeded in replicating Shakespeare’s ambiguous vision, whereas Welles created the apparent evils.

In 2015, we had yet another film adaptation ofMacbeth , directed by Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel. Since the time difference between the latest version and 一四〇 both Kurosawa’s and Welles’s is more than 60 years, the filming technique has seen a rapid development and now it enables the film to visualize almost anything one can imagine. However, Kurzel, aiming for the authenticity of the scenery, executed all of the 36 days of the shooting process on location (Macbeth 13). As it is written

79 in the production notes, Kurzel’s Macbeth suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Macbeth 16), and his traumatic experience can be that of the war or the loss of his child suggested at the very beginning of the film. From this feature, the three Weird Sisters could have been entirely concealed within the consciousness of the protagonist. Instead of deciding on the rather extraordinary representation, Kurzel shows the Weird Sisters in their living figure in the scene following the wordless funeral of an infant in the opening. Here, they stand together in line in the distance as a group of observers. The implication to divide them from the normal people is their scars on the forehead. These can be understood as the devil’s marks I have mentioned above and distinguish the characters as the typical witches. What is also interesting about Kurzel’s portrayal is that the sisters are not three. There is an aged woman with a child, a young mother with an infant, and one that seems to have recently passed her puberty. They might suggest the different stages of woman in life, as well as the image of the family. The implication of children should play a significant role in this film. Apart from the family of Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff, the funeral scene for Macbeth’s child tells that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are a family whose child has been lost. It has been frequently debated whether Lady Macbeth had a child or not, causing L. C. Knights to leave a well-known remark as‘ [t]he main difference between good and bad critics is that the good critic points to something that is actually contained in the work of art, whereas the bad critic points away from the work in question; he introduces extraneous elements into his appreciation – smudges the canvas with his own paint’ (33),‘ [y]et the bulk of Shakespeare criticism is concerned with his characters, his heroines, his love of Nature or his “philosophy” – with everything in short, except with the words on the page’ (11). Unlike the written text, the film versions should be allowed to use various external and internal implications, and Kurzel’s addition can be accepted as his unique understanding of the story. To strengthen the image of family and traumatic experience, the film also captures young soldiers and their deaths. Similar to Welles’s direction, Kurzel prepared several scenes for the sisters, and 一三九they appear at Macbeth’s final duel with Macduff. In the middle of the turmoil, the group appears from the smoke in the battlefield. Towards the scene when Macduff gives his decisive line,‘ Macduff is from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripped’ (5.7.45-6), the camera catches the close-ups of the sisters, as well as the child soldier who died in the earlier part of the film. This may suggest that the Sisters are

80 Survey on the Way of Representing the Ambiguous Three Weird Sisters in Macbeth through the Style of Japanese Adaptation observing the fulfillment of the prophecy, and the child can be the inviter to the after world. Another insertion is placed right after Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking scene. In this film, Lady Macbeth does not sleepwalk nor is watched by the Doctor and the Gentlewoman, but instead, she delivers the lines to an empty space. By later revealing the figure of a sick child, possibly the same child that has been laid at the funeral scene in the beginning, this part may suggest that Lady Macbeth is also suffering from past traumatic experiences. After her soliloquy, she walks into the wild, hallucinated, and delivers her last words‘ To bed, to bed, to / bed’ (5.1.65-6). The sisters observe Lady Macbeth’s walk, as if, once again, they are witnessing the key moment of the story. Thus, the function of the Sisters in Kurzel’s film can be recognized as observers rather than the active subjects who guide Macbeths into corruption.

So far I have discussed the representations of the three Weird Sisters from Macbeth in some of the film adaptations, together with the treatment of Shakespeare and how the witches might exist in real life. Among the various examples, I especially focused on one unique figure produced by Kurosawa. He not only conceals the direct impression of the character being evil, but also seems to have divided its supernatural power to the role of Lady Macbeth and the nature in the forest. Through these directorial decisions, he may have succeeded in portraying one of the most eccentric Shakespearean characters with a fine balance of ambiguity. Because of its calmness and white appearance, that can equally be related to the quality of sacredness, it would give a different impression to the Western audience from the original. When we survey the features within the Japanese cultural context, such as the concept of Noh drama with its distinctive masks, the effect can be furthermore strengthened, and we can appreciate the character even from a foreign perspective. Compared to Kurosawa, Welles represents the character with more active involvement in the story. Because of the frequent implication of their clay puppet and Macbeth’s connection, it gives the impression of them being in charge of 一三八 the fate of the protagonist. Welles blurs the character literally by using the vague physical image, but their evil nature is obvious, especially when they are placed in the opposite side of the holy crosses. In the most recent version, Kurzel seems to have put more emphasis on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s psychological disorder in

81 relation to the image of children. Due to this modern approach, the Weird Sisters became significant yet marginal characters. Unlike Welles, the expression of the Sisters can be seen throughout the film, and it reminds us of the witches we may discover in books or the trial records. However, in Kurzel’s version, the three, or five, including the speechless post puberty girl and the infant, lack the impression of being evil. They certainly have maintained the characteristics of the witches but their complexion and the way of delivery is that of sorrow rather than being malicious. Since every version is a result of deep consideration of the creators, all the variants should be valued. Nevertheless, Kurosawa’s realisation of the character stands out especially when it is considered from the perspective of Shakespeare’s original writing. His style can be appreciated by saying that it is the rare example that successfully created the Weird Sisters with both negative and positive qualities. The way Kurosawa captured the essence of Shakespearean characters by incorporating the culture of Japan, which Shakespeare could never have used for his play, is certainly unique.

* This article is the extended version of the paper,‘‘ Fair is foul, and foul is fair’: the Ways of Representing the Three Weird Sisters’, at a conference, Shakespeare Film East West, which was held at Waseda University on 21st - 22nd January, 2017.

Appendix 1 Performance records of Macbeth at Stratford-upon-Avon by the Royal Shakespeare Company (compiled from Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Collections)

1883 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. Elliot Galer. 1896 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. F. R. Benson. 1899 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. F. R. Benson (Slight change in cast) 1900 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. F. R. Benson (Slight change in cast) 1903 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. F. R. Benson (Slight change in cast) 一三七1905 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. F. R. Benson (Slight change in cast) 1906 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. F. R. Benson (Slight change in cast) 1908 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. F. R. Benson (Slight change in cast) 1910 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. F. R. Benson (Slight change in cast) 1911 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. F. R. Benson (Slight change in cast) 1916 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. Ben Greet.

82 Survey on the Way of Representing the Ambiguous Three Weird Sisters in Macbeth through the Style of Japanese Adaptation

1920 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. W. Bridges-Adams. 1921 (April) Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. W. Bridges-Adams (Slight change in cast) 1921 ( July) Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. W. Bridges-Adams (Slight change in cast) 1923 (April) Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. W. Bridges-Adams (Slight change in cast) 1923 ( July) Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. W. Bridges-Adams (Same cast from April) 1925 (April) Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. W. Bridges-Adams (Slight change in cast) 1925 ( July) Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. W. Bridges-Adams (Same cast from April) 1927 (April) Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. W. Bridges-Adams (Slight change in cast) 1927 ( July) Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. W. Bridges-Adams (Same cast from April) 1929 (April) Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. Eric Maxon. 1929 ( July) Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. Eric Maxon (Slight change in cast) 1930 (May) Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. Eric Maxon (Same cast from1929 July) 1930 ( July) Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. Eric Maxon (Same cast from May) 1931 (April) Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. Eric Maxon (Slight change in cast) 1931 ( July) Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. Eric Maxon (Same cast from April) 1933 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. Theodore Komisarjevsky. 1938 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. B. Iden Payne. 1942 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. B. Iden Payne (Slight change in cast) 1944 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. Robert Atkins. 1946 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. Michael Macowan. 1949 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. AnthonyQ uayle. 1952 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. John Gielgud. 1955 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. Glen Byam Shaw. 1962 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Dir. Donald McWhinnie. 1967 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Dir. Peter Hall. 1974 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Dir. Trevor Nunn. 1977 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Dir. Trevor Nunn (New cast) 1982 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Dir. Howard Davies. 1986 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Dir. Adrian Noble. 1988 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Dir. Adrian Noble (Slight change in cast) 1994 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Dir. Adrian Noble (New cast) 1996 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Dir. Tim Albery. 2004 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Dir. Dominic Cooke. 2007 The Swan Theatre. Dir. Connall Morrison. 2011 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Dir. Michael Boyd. 一三六

83 Appendix 2 Performance records of Titus Andronicus Stratford-upon-Avon by the Royal Shakespeare Company (compiled from Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Collections)

1955 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dir. Peter Brook. 1972 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Dir. Trevor Nunn. 1981 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Dir. John Barton. 1987 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Dir. Deborah Warner. 2003 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Dir. Bill Alexander. 2006 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Dir. Yukio Ninagawa (Visiting)

Appendix 3 Performance records of Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Globe in London (compiled from the resources at the web page of Shakespeare’s Globe)

2001 Shakespeare’s Globe. Dir. Tim Carroll. 2010 Shakespeare’s Globe. Dir. Lucy Bailey. 2012 Shakespeare’s Globe. Dir. Maja Kleczewska (Visiting) 2013 Shakespeare’s Globe. Dir. Eve Best. 2015 Shakespeare’s Globe. Dir. Tang Shu-wing (Visiting) 2016 Shakespeare’s Globe. Dir. Iqbal Khan.

Appendix 4 Recorded film versions of Macbeth (compiled by revising and adding to the list of Holderness and McCullough)

1909 (Italy) Dir. Mario Caserini. b/w. sil. 1910 (France) Dir. Andre Calmettes. b/w. sil. 1911 (GB) Dir. Franc R. Benson. b/w. sil. 1913 (Germany) Dir. Arthur Bourchier. b/w. sil. 一三五1916 (France) Dir. UNKNOWN. b/w. sil. 1916 (USA) Dir. John Emerson. b/w. sil. 1922 (Germany) Dir. Heinz Schall. b/w. sil. 1945 (GB) Dir. Henry Cass. b/w. 1946 (USA) Dir. Thomas A. Blair. b/w. 1946 (USA) Dir. Orson Welles. b/w.

84 Survey on the Way of Representing the Ambiguous Three Weird Sisters in Macbeth through the Style of Japanese Adaptation

1949 (GB: TV) Dir. Peter Bax. b/w. 1951 (USA) Dir. Katherine Stenholm. col. 1954 (USA) Dir. Maurice Evans. b/w. 1957 ( Japan: Throne of Blood) Dir. Akira Kurosawa. b/w. FL. 1960 (GB) Dir. George Schaefer. col. 1966 (GB: TV) Dir. Michael Simpson. b/w. 1970 (GB: TV) Dir. John Gorrie. col. 1971 (GB) Dir. Roman Polanski. col. 1979 (GB: TV) Dir. Trevor Nunn (TV Director: Philip Casson). col. 1981 (USA: Video Cassette) Dir. Arthur Allan Seidelman. col. 1982 (USA: Video) Dir. Sarah Caldwell / Kirk Browning. col. 1983 (GB/USA: TV) Dir. Jack Gold. col. 1997 (GB) Dir. Jeremy Freeston. col. 2003 (Stage 2000) Dir. Gregory Dorran. col. 2006 (Australia) Dir. Geoffrey Wright. col. 2010 (Stage 2008) Dir. Rupert Goold. col. 2014 (Stage 2013) Directed by Eve Best. col. 2015 (GB-France-USA) Dir. Justin Kurzel. col.

*1 b/w: black and white film *2 sil: silent film *3 col: colour film *4 FL: foreign language *5 This list is a selective one and we may add more by including various televised versions and adaptations.

Work Cited. Ball. Robert. Shakespeare on Silent Film: A Strange Eventful History. London: Allen & Unwin, 1968. Bloom. Harold. Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. New York: Riverhead Books, 1998. Buchanan. Judith. Shakespeare on Silent Film, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Cowie. Peter. The Cinema of Orson Welles. London: A. Zwemmer, 1965. Gibson. Marion. Early Modern Witches: Witchcraft Cases in Contemporary Writing. London: Routledge, 2000. Golden. Richard. M. Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: The Western Tradition. ABC-CLIO, 2000. 一三四 [www.devserenity.com/books/Encyclopedia%20of%20Witchcraft.pdf]. 2016. 12.12. Hamada. Nobuyoshi. ed. Japanese Traditional Colours. [Nihon no Dentoshoku]. Tokyo: Piebooks, 2007. Holderness. Graham and Christopher McCullough.‘ Shakespeare on the Screen: A Selective Filmography’. Shakespeare and the Moving Image: the Plays on Film and Television. Eds.

85 Anthony Davies and Stanley Wells. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. pp.18-49. Kinghts. L. C. How Many Children had Lady Macbeth?. Cambridge: G. Fraser, The Minority Press 1933. Kuroduka. Tokyo: Hinoki-shoten, 1929. Kurosawa Akira Digital Archive. Ryukoku University Digital Archives Research Center. [http://www.afc.ryukoku.ac.jp/Komon/kurosawa/]. 2016.12.12. Kurosawa Akira. Tokyo: Kawade Shyobo, 2010. Kurosawa. Akira. Akira Kurosawa Archives. [Taikei Kurosawa Akira]. Ed. Yasuki Hamano. Vol.2. Tokyo: Kodan-sya, 2009. ---. Complete Works of Akira Kurosawa. [Zenshu Kurosawa Akira]. Vol. 4. Tokyo, Iwanami- shoten, 1988. Macbeth: Production Notes. STUDIOCANAL. [http://press.optimumreleasing.net/dyn/ MACBETH%20press%20notes%20UPDATED%2030.04.15.pdf ]. 2016.12.12. Macdonald. Stuart.‘ In Search of the Devils in Fife Witchcraft Cases, 1560-1705’. The Scottish Witch-hunt in Context. Ed. Julian Goodare. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2002. Marlowe. Christopher. Doctor Faustus. Eds. David Bevington and Eric Rasmussen. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1993. Maxwell-Stuart. P. G. Witchcraft in Europe and the New World, 1400-1800. NY: Palgrave. 2001. Nishino. Haruo and Akira Haneda. Eds. The Dictionary of Kyogen and Noh. [Kyougen Nou Jiten]. Tokyo: Heobon-sha, 1987. Oguni. Hideo and others. Throne of Blood [Kumonosu Jo]. Screenplay. Pearlman. E.‘ Macbeth on Film: Politics’. Shakespeare and the Moving Image : the Plays on Film and Television. Eds. Anthony Davies and Stanley Wells. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Rosen. Barbara. Ed. Witchcraft in England, 1558-1618. New York: Taplinger, 1972. Shahani. Ranjee G. Shakespeare Through Eastern Eyes. London: H. Joseph 1932. Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Collection. [http://www.calmview.eu/shakespearebirth placetrust/Calmview/Default.aspx?]. 2016.12.12. Shakespeare’s Globe. Discovery Space. Past Productions. [http://www.shakespearesglobe. com/discovery-space/previous-productions]. 2016.12.12. Shakespeare. William. Macbeth. Ed. Nicholas Brook. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. 一三三 The Oxford Shakespeare. ---. The First Folio of Shakespeare. 2nd edition. New York: W.W. Norton, 1996. Smith. Logan Pearsall. On Reading Shakespeare. 3rd edition. London: Constable 1945. Stewart. Jude. The Book of the Meaning of Colour. [Iro to Imi no Hon]. Trans. Yukiko Hosoya. Tokyo: Film Art-sya, 2014. Udaka. Michishige. The Mystery of Noh Mask. [Nomen no Shinpi]. Tokyo, IBC Publishing,

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2015. Welles. Orson and Peter Bogdanovich. This is Orson Welles. Ed. Jonathan Rosenbaum. New York: HarperCollins, 1992. Yoshimoto. Mitsuhiro. Kurosawa: Film Studies and Japanese Cinema. Durham: Duke University Press, 2000.

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87 日本版翻案から見る『マクベス』の三姉妹の表象に対する一考察

梅宮悠

時事的な内容や舞台上で表現困難な内容を含みながらも、ウィリアム・シェイクスピアの『マクベス』は変わらぬ人気を長年保ち続けている。近年では舞台だけではなく、同作品が映像化されることも多く、現在30作品以上が挙げられる。それらの中でも撮影技術の進歩に伴い、白黒のサイレント映画だったものがカラーのトーキー映画へと変化していき、さまざまな特殊効果の演出の違いなども見受けられるようになった。そこで本論文では、戯曲の重要人物でありながら実体の曖昧な三姉妹の映像媒体を通しての表象に注目する。一般的にこの三姉妹は「魔女」（witches）と解されることが多いが、シェイクスピアの原文を一瞥すると、決して作者が物語を通じてそう宣言しているものではなく、むしろ特定の呼称を避けているようにも思われる。曖昧な存在、見方によっては善にも悪にも変化し、まさしく劇のキーワードになる‘equivocation’（曖昧表現）の体現者たる三姉妹を日本の伝統芸能に結びつけて巧みに翻案した人物こそ黒澤明なのである。本論では黒澤の個性的な表象方法を紹介するとともに、黒澤の直前に公開されたオーソン・ウェルズ、また2015年に公開された最新版の映画『マクベス』における姉妹の姿を比較し、半世紀以上も前に制作された和製『マクベス』の価値を探る。

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