Adding another Shakespeare adaptation to his acting credits, Denzel Washington has joined forces with Frances McDormand in retelling the famous playwright’s Scottish tale, The Tragedy of Macbeth. Joel Coen’s version transforms Shakespeare’s ending with a final scene in The Tragedy of Macbethbut remains faithful to a large proportion of the source material. The film is critically acclaimed for its refreshing interpretation of the Scottish legend, but also for Denzel Washington’s performance.
Before the film, Washington already had a lot of experience adapting William Shakespeare’s plays. In addition to all the theater work he has done, which leads him to play Shakespearean characters, he starred in 1993 Much Ado About Nothingwhich was based on a play written by Shakespeare. His role received significant praise, but not on the same level as the performance he delivered in The Tragedy of Macbeth, which allowed him to break an important Shakespeare Academy record.
Denzel Washington’s Oscar nomination for Macbeth tragedy broke a 31-year-old Shakespeare record
Washington lost the Oscar for Will Smith’s performance in King Richard
Until the release of The Tragedy of Macbeth As of 2021, no actor has been nominated for a Shakespearean role in 31 years. Shakespeare may never have gone out of fashion, but his long-standing work has had a complex relationship with the Academy for many years. Nominations for Shakespeare adaptations prevailed in the Academy’s early yearswith awards for Best Film and Best Actor. However, these adaptations only began to return after numerous nominations for Steven Spielberg’s reboot of West Side History.
Before Denzel Washington’s appointment to The Tragedy of Macbeth in 2022, the the last actor to be nominated for a Shakespearean role was Kenneth Branagh in 1990. Branagh was nominated for his role in Henry V during the 62nd Academy ceremony in 1990. Henry V is considered one of Kenneth Branagh’s best roles, despite losing the award to fellow nominee Daniel Day Lewis. It’s clear that Denzel Washington’s Oscar nomination for The Tragedy of Macbeth is credited to the visionary talent of Joel Coen, who signaled a much more cynical prophecy over Shakespeare’s tightly tied resolution.
Kenneth Branagh played Macbeth 8 years before Denzel Washington
Kenneth Branagh performed in the National Theatre’s live production of Macbeth
Kenneth Branagh returned to the stage for the first time in over a decade in 2013 to play Macbeth. This followed Branagh’s performance in Richard III at the Crucible in Sheffield in 2002. The actor has a remarkable familiarity with Shakespeare’s workwhich ultimately results in his mastery of the arts. Branagh’s Macbeth was performed in a deconsecrated church for the Manchester International Festival and reminds audiences how excellent the actor is at interpreting Shakespeare – which is notoriously considered an exceptionally difficult art.
The tragic story unfolds and provides a platform for Branagh to display an even greater range of vocal expressions, which truly makes it an experience you shouldn’t miss.
Directed by Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh Macbeth was played eight years before Denzel Washington’s performance in The Tragedy of Macbethand serves as a reminder of Branagh’s tremendous artistic talent with the sensitive nature of Shakespearean language. The tragic story unfolds and provides a platform for Branagh to display an even greater range of vocal expressions, which truly makes it an experience you shouldn’t miss.