10 Things You Need To Know About Michael Fassbender's Macbeth

4. The Beginning Is Totally Different

The play famously opens with the three weird sisters on a moor, chanting spells and horrible incantations, arranging their next meeting, when they will predict the rise and fall of Macbeth. In this film, things are rather different. Rather than opening with the witches - as pretty much every other Macbeth adaptation has done in the past - here we are introduced the title character immediately at the funeral of his own son. This could have all sorts of implications for the film, particularly for our reaction to the actions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. It is possible that the loss of his child acts as the real spur for Macbeth to kill King Donald and it would certainly fit in with suggestions the characters are more driven by anger and jealousy as opposed to a desire to rise to power. Only time will tell whether this will have a softening effect on Macbeth or indeed whether such a move is a good thing.