Sunday, November 10, 2013

"Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow" - Sir Ian McKellan & Patrick Stewart's Interpretations Of Macbeth

While searching for "Patrick Stewart reading Shakespeare", I came across the following video of Patrick Stewart as Macbeth and the famous "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" soliloquy. This particular version appears to be a modern version with the original lines intact, and the atmosphere created is a menacing, dark one.




Patrick Stewart talks a little bit about the soliloquy, and how Sir Ian McKellan gave him a bit of advice on how to do it. "The important word in the tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow is the word 'and'." And that was the key for him. The NYT review of the Macbeth interpretation is very positive. Apparently you can watch the whole thing on the PBS website for free.



It's a bit jarring to see a young Sir Ian McKellan doing the same soliloquy. This is a more classic interpretation of the play. They both give pretty riveting performances, and I can't decide which version I like better. (Though it's not like I have to choose.)



Below, Sir Ian McKellan does a brilliant explication of the soliloquy, expanding on each word, and what's going through his mind as he interprets the work. If you look closely, Patrick Stewart is in the background. Kids, if you are doing your English homework on Macbeth, you should pay close attention to what he says.

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