When and Where

Adaptations come in many different variations. What one person gets from the story can be completely different from another person; therefore, we get adaptations that are much unlike the original work. This is not necessarily a bad thing because when people interpret differently we get a variety of adaptations. I never really considered adaptations being brought into different times and cultures and the effect it would have on the piece, but Hutcheon does a great job pointing this out and explaining why this is. She mentions that time and culture have a significant impact on the change an adaptation goes through. An artists work reflects their opinions and cultural backgrounds.  An interesting example she gives is of Carmen Jones’ all black cast when she was initially supposed to be a Spanish woman. When people were expecting the Spanish cast they reacted quite differently in America during a time before the Civil Rights Movement happened.

When referring to Goold’s Macbeth, Hutcheon is able to justify her writing. Shakespeare’s Macbeth took place in the eleventh century. In Goold’s version, he connects the play with World War Two which were obviously not in the same time frame. Macbeth wears a Stalin mustache and carries a military machine gun. In my opinion, the 2010 audience can better relate to this version because it hits close to home. Knowing the audience is key to a successful adaptation. I believe that Goold did a great job with his version because instead of keeping us in the eleventh century, he used a different approach that more modern day viewers were able to relate to.