How can I modernize Macbeth for a younger audience?

Question

For my English homework, I have to pitch a Macbeth that will appeal to younger audiences- as in teens- with possibley a new setting? Any ideas would be much appreciated- best response=best answer!

PLEASE MORE IDEAS! IF ANYONE CAN ALLOBARATE ON THE SPORTS IDEA OR THE SCHOOL IDEA ANYMORE, ID BE MUCH APPRECIATIVE!!!!

Answer 1

the witches were like social outcasts, brewing up some evil concoction;
so the modern one can be astute hyperintelligent punkers as the social outcasts brewing up something like crystal meth or computer spam or viruses

Macbeth et al could be done as Rap music stars, rich and famous, (today's equivalent of Royalty then)

Macbeth's father's ghost could be made as e-mail messages that were delayed or sent to wrong e-mail addresses and forwarded as spam and eventually making its way to Macbeth who understood the real meaning of it

Answer 2

This sounds morbid, but you might want to set it around sports tryouts (people coveting the spot of captain). This was done with the story of Othello; it was modernized so that it was set around a star basketball player and his girlfriend.

You can still have three witches, but think of something equivalent to wrecking a ship (maybe a car sliding on ice and crashing). If you're setting it in a sports or cheerleading context, you can start with someone telling of "Macbeth's" performance in a game and how he could one day be team captain.

Answer 3

This is such a great assignment, enjoy it! I had a similar one in 8th grade, and we set it in a big highschool, complete with cliques and prinicpals etc. We had popular bitches, outcasts, jocks, everything. Class president went from Duncan to Macbeth, the witches were goths, and instead of everyone dying, they were expelled from school. In the end, Macbeth and Macduff got in a huge fist fight.

We also changed some names to make them more modern.
Macbeth- Mack
Lady Macbeth- Mack's girlfriend, Girl (as in, "Heyy girl!")
Banquo- Quinn
Donalbain- Donald, Don
Lennox- Lenny

That's just the gist of it. Make it your own, change what you don't like, but most of all, enjoy!

Answer 4

I think you hould make the wording a little easier to understand. Make the king like a typical stereotype stepdad. Have you ever seen the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet? That's a version of Shakepeare that all teenagers can relate to. After the students in my class watched it, many started to get into Shakespeare. Like mtl said, make the witches copntemporary. Make them emo or nerds.

Answer 5

Murder story right? So bring in CSI.