MACBETH
AND JOJI
Shakespeare’s
works continue to possess a contemporary relevance and also the events and
characters have a semblance to the contemporary human nature and feelings. We could
find many ‘Hamlets’, ‘Macbeths’, ‘King Lears’ etc. in our society and also
sometimes we can also see one of them within ourselves. So there is a
universality in every plays written by Shakespeare. The film adaptations and literary
adaptations of his works are numerous and this shows the nature of his works
which have the ability to transcend time and space.
One
such brilliance of Shakespeare is his play Macbeth. The play was published in
1606 which tells the story of Macbeth who killed his king by the lust for power
injected in him by his wife Lady Macbeth. This lust destroys them in both body
and in mind. Macbeth kills Duncan as one of the prophecy of the three Witches
came true and to make the next one to be also true which says that Macbeth is
to become the king of Scotland. The greed for power and authority is the
hamartia of the tragic hero. This play has been adapted in many films till now.
Joji is one such film.
Joji,
directed by Dileesh Pothan is centered on a family ruled by an aristocratic
father, Panachel Kuttapan, who oppressed the whole family under him. In greed
of the familial properties and power the youngest son of the family kills his
father driven by the freedom that he has got while his father was ill. And to hide
his involvement in the murder he also kills his elder brother. The theme and
the main characters of the movie have a resemblance to the play Macbeth and
many differences could also be seen between them.
The
name of the play and the main character is Macbeth and for the film also it is
the same. The scenic visions of the movie Joji is brilliant. The location of
Panachel House, similar to the Scottish palace is between a forest like area
which could be connected with the Birnam Woods of Macbeth. Macbeth kills the
King of Scotland, Duncan, in order to gain the power and authority. Macbeth was
driven by the prophecy made by the three witches in the Birnam woods that he
will become the king of Scotland. Joji kills his father for his own freedom. His
father never gave him freedom in anything and also punished him. Here we can
see a similarity and also a distinction between the characters of both the works.
While Macbeth kills his king Joji kills his father and elder brother. While Macbeth
kills his king out of greed Joji did it for enjoying the same freedom that he
got while his father was in the hospital. Relationship between the characters
differs while there is a clear semblance between the characters, Macbeth and
Joji. There are many such similarities and differences between both of the
works. Lady Macbeth is the person who persuades Macbeth to commit the murder of
the King. Bincy is the only female character in the movie and she, like Lady
Macbeth, by her very minute dialogues and actions, makes Joji capable in mind
to kill his father. Here also we can see the difference in the relationships, Lady
Macbeth is the wife of Macbeth where Bincy is Joji’s sister-in-law.
Other
than the three main characters and the theme of the greed for power and
authority there are no elements of Macbeth in the movie. The movie does not
have a plot that could be even compared to that of Macbeth. The perfect acting
of Fahad Fazil as Joji is the most important fact that made the movie a success.
Macbeth is a magnificent work that has lived a long run with at most recognition and acceptance. And the exuberant plot comprising that of the giant castle,
war, royalty, witches etc. was compressed into a cabriolet family ruled by an aristocratic father.
The
film has its overall theme based on the play Macbeth, written almost four
centuries ago, and became a success in the current society also. This highlights
the relevance of the works of Shakespeare in the contemporary human life. No matter
when the work was written, all of his plays have a universal acceptance.
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