Macbeth vs Film Adaptation: Joe & Ella — Comparative Essay Notes

Visual setup and mood after Duncan’s murder

• The kitchen scene after Duncan’s murder is described as clinical and sterile.
  • Note the blue fluorescent lighting that creates a hospital-like ambience.
  • The atmosphere mirrors a moral shift: humanity and morality feel more clinical/sterile.
• Observation to record: blue fluorescent lighting; sterile quality of the space; link to the idea that morality has become detached from humanity.

Milk motif and its significance

• The visual motif of milk is altered to reflect Joe’s supposed “milk of human kindness.”
  • The motif shifts post-quote to mirror Joe’s initial nobility and compassionate impulses.
  • This serves to foreground a tension between Joe’s early virtue and the later acts of violence.
• Significance: milk symbolism underscores the contrast between apparent virtue and actual violence, foreshadowing the murder of Duncan.

The kindle of the lobster: significance and parallels

• The lobster-kindle scene is treated as significant for exposing Joe’s early virtues.
  • Parallels to the pig’s head scene where respect and precision are shown in handling food.
  • The calm, respectful treatment of the meal contrasts with Joe’s later senseless murder of a human being.
• Conclusion: the lobster scene spotlights Joe’s initial values of virtue and compassion, which are challenged by his later actions.

Gender dynamics and labor/merit in a male-dominated era

• Joe/Ella (Ella) must navigate a male-dominated context and possibly appeal to lab/authority to prove themselves.
  • The lighting and framing suggest moral relativism: not just good or bad, but mixed aspects of humanity in modern life.
  • Emphasizes the tension between ambition, gender, and professional advancement.
• Related ideas: merit vs. appearance; the ethical implications of operating within a system that values success over virtue.

Neoliberal context, ambition, and insecurity

• Ambition is tied to insecurity in a neoliberal context: praising others can threaten one’s career; dramatizes how ambition and insecurity interlink.
• The film frames ambition as inseparable from insecurity and competition within modern structures.

Time-lapse of the sink and the stain motif

• The film uses a time-lapse depiction of the sink where blood is washed but does not saturate the water.
  • The director presents this as a stain on occlusions, suggesting a stain that Joe and Ella must bear in their conscience.
• The shot transitions from two hands to one, signaling strain in their relationship and foreshadowing moral deterioration.
• The washing sequence (Ella’s loan washing) implies the severance of their relationship due to amorality.

Sleep motif and its Macbeth parallel

• References to sleep appear as a motif of insomnia and wakefulness for Joe.
  • Time-lapse depiction of Joe awake at night introduces insomnia as a motif.
  • This motif echoes Shakespeare’s Macbeth sleep motif: "Macbeth hath disturbed sleep".
• Sleep/insomnia signals psychological unrest and moral anxiety in both texts.

Suicide and the city’s ambience vs. providential order

• Ella’s suicide is discussed in the context of contemporary discourse on mental illness.
• Joe’s death is framed differently: it is not presented with providential or divine intercession.
  • Instead, his downfall is framed as entropic and self-inflicted, tied to a collapsing character.
• By the film’s end, there is a different sense of order restored, symbolized by Billy’s son.

Comparative essay structures: three main options

• Structure 1: Separate paragraphs (two IDs per paragraph per text; then comparison in a separate set of paragraphs)
  • Most common approach; straightforward; easy to manage.
• Structure 2: Partially integrated (two ideas discussed in parallel; final paragraph compares both texts across ideas)
  • Useful when a secondary idea is narrower (e.g., gender) and benefits from synthesis.
• Structure 3: Full integration (three ideas woven across both texts in all paragraphs)
  • Most challenging; allows deeper synthesis but requires skillful handling to avoid confusion.
• Notes on counts: typically two main ideas; with full integration, three ideas may be explored; word count around ~1000 words; the number of pieces of evidence (IDs) can vary; at least three pieces of film technique evidence are required when analyzing the film.

How to structure body paragraphs (topic sentences and context)

• Topic sentence must frame the paragraph and tie to contextual reasoning.
  • Example (contextualized): In response to the shift from providentialism to humanism in the Renaissance, Shakespeare warns against the corrosive power of unchecked ambition.
• If using full integration, topic sentences should address both texts and connect to the context.
• Context links are essential in each paragraph to pass the assessment and show how context informs analysis.
• When discussing Macbeth’s death, link to Shakespeare’s purpose for King James I and the desire to restore order; discuss Machiavelli’s influence or the broader context as appropriate.

Suggested thematic scaffolds for analysis

• Core themes to structure around: power, ambition, morality/conscience, guilt, madness, appearance vs reality, gender, legitimacy and leadership.
• These themes interrelate and rarely stand alone; for example, gender cannot be separated from power and morality in both Macbeth and the Joe/Ella narrative.

Introduction and conclusion scaffolding

• Introduction should open with a statement about why texts are reimagined/adapted, and what such adaptations seek to achieve.
• Present a thesis that frames three broad ideas (e.g., guilt, morality, power) within the adaptation’s context; then refine these ideas to fit the specific question.
• Conclude with a concise line about what the comparative study reveals or gains from comparing the texts.

How to signpost and present comparisons in the essay

• Use comparative language to signal similarities and differences and explain why.
• Early in the essay, show awareness of how the texts relate or diverge before delving into detailed analysis.
• Decide on the chosen structure early and stick to it; adapt as needed based on the question.

Evidence and quotation strategy

• For Macbeth (tragedy) in film context, reference: peripeteia, anagnorisis, catharsis; ensure you have at least three pieces of film evidence (tools like lighting, camera work, editing, sound, etc.).
• For the film, include at least three pieces of evidence; you may layer and weave them into analysis as needed.
• Use signposting and concise comparative statements to frame how the film reframes Shakespeare’s themes.

Practical advice for writing the essay

• Do not wait to introduce the relationship between texts in later paragraphs; show some awareness of the relationship early on.
• In a separate-structure essay, frame the Shakespeare paragraphs with context and then introduce the film for comparison in later sections.
• In an integrated approach, ensure that each paragraph discusses both texts and clearly states what each adds to the argument.
• The introduction should include a thesis and a closing line about what the comparative study affords the reader.
• The conclusion should be concise: one to two sentences reiterating your thesis and the significance of the comparison.

Additional notes and practice pointers

• The teacher plans to post past questions to help students practice; use those to anticipate question wording and to tailor your structure.
• There is no single correct structure; choose the approach that best suits your strengths and the question.
• Be ready to discuss how context shapes the way each text presents themes such as ambition, gender, power, and morality, and how modern audiences reinterpret these themes.

Brief recap of key terms and motifs to remember

• Milk of human kindness motif and its transformation in the film.
• Blue fluorescent lighting as a symbol of moral sterility.
• Time-lapse/sink motif and the idea of a stain on conscience.
• Sleep/insomnia as a recurring motif linking Macbeth and the Joe/Ella narrative.
• The ending’s sense of order restored vs. providential judgment; contrast between mythic/religious restoration and entropic downfall.
• Performance/appearance vs. reality in the depiction of virtue and guilt.

Quick reference: Macbeth-specific terms (to include in analysis)

• Peripeteia (reversal of fortune), Anagnorisis (recognition), Catharsis (emotional purgation)
• Note: The transcript mentions “Marsha” which appears to be a transcription error for peripeteia.
• Macbeth’s murder scenes, divine providence, and Jacobean audience context (King James I).

Practical example prompts you can adapt

• Example topic framing: Rosal reimagines Shakespeare’s critique of unchecked ambition by reframing Macbeth’s rise and fall through the lens of a neoliberal, gendered modern world; the film’s portrayal of Joe and Ella critiques the idea that meritocratic success absolves moral compromise.
• Signpost a comparison early: discuss how ambition appears in Macbeth and in the film’s Joe/Ella; then analyze how gender shapes ambition and leadership in both texts;
• Structure choice: begin with a separate-paragraph approach or a partially integrated approach, depending on your comfort with weaving sources.

Final note on approach

• Focus on how the adaptation reframes context to shape interpretation.
• Tie each body paragraph to the broader module question: why do adaptations occur, what do they reveal about the original text, and how context changes the reading of ambition, morality, and gender.