Macbeth's Netflix Recommendations

Macbeth's Netflix Recommendations

By Elena Rehberg

1. Cruel Intentions

Cruel Intentions is a film about betrayal and scandal in the upper east side of Manhattan. It depicts the everlasting theme that what goes around comes back around (karma) in the most treacherous ways amongst a group of young wealthy adults. This film demonstrates the motif of appearance versus reality, similar to that in the story of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, because the characters, while attempting to "put on a face" to fool those around them, are really hiding their true intentions to achieve what they want. Likewise, in Shakespeare's Macbeth, there's a common motif of appearance versus reality within the lives of the characters. Macbeth experiences this most often and even outright speaks about the theme with "False face must hide what the false heart doth know" (Shakespeare 45). The appearance versus reality found within Macbeth varies in some contexts as the audience is unsure what is really happening and what is a figure of Macbeth's imagination. The similarities drawn between the motif found in both the novel and the film make this a must see for Macbeth, who knows the thrill of cruelty and feeling of betrayal. 

2. The Vampire Diaries (TV)

This television series, The Vampire Diaries, was first played on the CW before being added to Netflix. The show revolves around the life of a girl, Elena (lol), who accidentally befriends and falls into a love triangle with the supernatural (vampires, werwolves, witches, etc.). The Vampire Diaries follows her through the many problems she and her friends encounter in a lifestyle of chaos caused by supernatural occurrences and characters. The show depicts a theme throughout all eight seasons of supernatural, just as Shakespeare's Macbeth. This motif is shown in the novel during many of the acts, and notably when Macbeth is speaking to the witches about his apparitions and the Second Witch tells him, "Something wicked this way comes. Open, locks, whoever knocks" (Shakespeare 123). The motif of supernatural here leads the audience into thinking that Macbeth and those around him are headed towards more evil and darkness on their path to completing the prophecy. Since this theme is found in both The Vampire Diaries and in Macbeth, Macbeth would enjoy and relate to this television series immensely. 

3. Coraline 

Coraline is an animated movie that deals with a young girl, Coraline, traveling into another dimension to meet her "other parents" who she's dreamed up to be the perfect mother and father - until they're not. Once they propose the idea of her living with them forever under the condition that she must sew buttons into her eyes, she becomes skeptical of her "other parents'" true motives. This presents a motif also found in William Shakespeare's Macbeth, of appearance versus reality as Coraline begins to uncover the truth about what her second dimension mother and father really want from her. In Macbeth, a similar idea is incapsulated as Macbeth progressively loses his mind and begins to unravel after murdering his friend, Banquo, amongst many others. As his friends offer him a place at the dinner table, he believes he sees the ghost of Banquo and states that, "The table's full" (Shakespeare 101). This demonstrates how the motif of appearance versus reality was apparent in this scene since Macbeth was the only one who thought he could see Banquo's ghost, but in reality, no one else could so he likely wasn't there, but was a figure of Macbeth's imagination. While the theme of appearance versus reality is present in both Macbeth and Coraline, so is the theme of imagination as Macbeth sees a ghost and Coraline believes that she's traveled to another dimension and met clones of her parents. Macbeth would relate to the events within Coraline due to their common belief in the unknown and imagination. 

4. Once Upon a Time (TV)

On Netflix there's a television series called Once Upon a Time that follows people in a small town, Storybrook, full of unknowing fictional storybook characters. In the first episode, it's discovered that all of the characters became stuck in this town due to a prophecy by Rumpelstiltskin for Snow White to protect her child, Emma, who's the main character and must save the other storybook characters. This contains a theme also found in Macbeth by William Shakespeare of prophecies. Throughout Macbeth, his actions are in light of a prophecy told to him by the three witches, just as Emma's actions once she finds out why she ended up in Storybrook. Macbeth discovers his prophecy in Act 1 Scene 3, when the third witch proclaims, "All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!" (Shakespeare 17). Once Macbeth discovers that he will become the king of Scotland, he first tries to let it happen naturally, but then is overcome by the prophecy and decides to take matters into his own hands alongside Lady Macbeth. The motif of prophecies is found in both Once Upon a Time and Macbeth, which is why this is a must watch for Macbeth. 

5. Dexter (TV)

This television series, Dexter, was a show about a blood-splatter analyst for the Miami police, who also doubles as a serial killer. The series has a common motif throughout of blood, since the main character, Dexter, deals with blood constantly in not only his job, but as a hobby (ew). This is comparable to Macbeth by William Shakespeare, that contains a motif of blood as well. The blood in Macbeth is not only literal as murder continues, but also metaphorical in that Macbeth begins rambling, "Blood hath been shed ere now... murders have been performed too terrible for the ear" (Shakespeare 105). Macbeth states this as he's surrounded by friends who are unsuspecting of his crimes, but it's taken with a grain of salt, as would be the suspicion that Dexter would be a serial killer given his profession as a blood-splatter analyst. The two would get along pretty well, and Macbeth would likely relate to Dexter a lot as the motif of blood incapsulates both of their lives. An absolute five star rating if Macbeth were to give Dexter a watch.