Mohammed Alqallaf: Overview of Macbeth by Shakespeare

★Mohammed  Alqallaf 

     translated by Fatma AL Khaldi

Athens, the beautiful city and capital of Greece, is the cradle of Western civilization and the land of art, literature, and theater. Theater originated there in the 5th century BC during the flourishing of Hellenic culture, which had a religious character. We find choirs performing hymns and dances in honor of the god Dionysus. Prominent pioneers of Greek theater include Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. In the State of Kuwait, located in Asia, particularly in the Gulf, we find this similarity with the Greeks in this beautiful and wonderful city, the pearl of the Gulf, a land of art that was pioneering in theater among its Gulf neighbors. The beginnings in both countries were similar; religious at first and then encompassing other areas such as politics and society.                                         

Brief about the State of     Kuwait in Culture

The seeds of Kuwaiti theater were planted during the era of historian Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Rashid in 1924 when he wrote his play “Reform Dialogue.” Then, in 1936, it evolved with plays derived from Islamic history and in schools by the efforts of the greats, Mohammed Mahmoud Najm and Hamad Al-Rajib, may God have mercy on them. In 1957, the efforts continued with Mohammed Al-Nashmi and Abdullah Khuraibet, who produced great writers and valuable, socially relevant plays. Later, Zaki Tolaimat laid the academic foundations that led to the emergence of new talents.

From there, the state began to sponsor theater groups such as (Kuwaiti Theater, Arab Theater, Folk Theater, and Gulf Arab Theater), and built venues like (Dasma Theater established in 1950, Shamiya Theater in 1962, Keifan Theater in 1963, and Abdul Hussein Abdul Reda Theater opened in early 2016). These theaters provide support and encouragement for staging their plays, renting out these theaters, and hosting official festivals such as the Kuwait Theater Festival, Theater Days for Youth Festival, and other festivals, although they did not continue.

Activities of Dar Al-Athar

Dar Al-Athar is an Islamic and cultural institution with two cultural centers, American and Yarmouk. It holds various evenings, and in 2023 celebrated its 40th anniversary. For the 2023-2024 season, it announced activities including lectures, seminars, musical evenings, and theatrical performances. Two plays staged were Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and “Macbeth.”

          Story of the Play Macbet

I attended the play Macbeth at the Yarmouk Cultural Center, starring Nader Abdullah as Macbeth and Louise Dornan as Lady Macbeth. Produced by Alison Shan Price and directed by Hamad Al-Jenaie, who won the Judi Dench Dame Award for Shakespeare.

“Macbeth” is considered one of Shakespeare’s most important tragedies. In this play, he makes the viewer reconsider themselves and the concept of evil, which occupies a large space within it. Shakespeare excels in depicting villains and the implications of their actions on human suffering—a topic that writers of his time found challenging to discuss and present.

The play “Macbeth” discusses the country of Scotland and the role of the three witches and the prophecy about Macbeth, the Lord of Scotland, and how he will become their king. Here, his wife encourages him to achieve this goal, leading to the king’s downfall.

From this point, once Macbeth deposes the king and ascends to the throne after the war, he feels guilty about his sins, a theme that parallels Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Macbeth fears being overthrown or facing threats from those around him, as he becomes distrustful.

Lady Macbeth, his wife, goes mad due to the guilt she shares with her husband until she is afflicted with what is termed hysteria. We see how she deals with those around her in an unattractive, provocative way, quickly feeling emotions as if afraid of her fate.

In the end, the son of the slain king manages to avenge his father, kills Macbeth, and ascends to the throne.

The performance was exceptional and enjoyable, and the actors’ high level of expertise, their memorization of the script, and their movement across the stage were commendable. Occasionally, they engaged in “breaking the fourth wall,” involving the audience in the play—a nice touch from the director and actors. The costumes were fitting for the play’s roles, and even the simple set design effectively conveyed meaning to the audience.

Despite the beautiful play and performances, some criticisms include:
 The speed of the kings’ deaths did not do justice to their characters’ demise.
 The swords used in the stabbing scenes clearly appeared as toys to the audience.
 During the conflict and fighting scenes, it might have been better to use red paint to indicate wounds and to show difficulty in movement when a warrior is injured.
 Macbeth’s character should not seem to suffer and rejoice simultaneously due to the rapid pace of the scenes.

I wish you continued success and achievements.

Photo by:
Yarmouk Cultural Centre

★Critic.