Is Macbeth a tragic hero or a villain? – people have had differing opinions on this since Shakespeare's magnum opus was first staged in 1606. However, one cannot help but sympathise with the character. These feelings and questions came to life with the rendition of Macbeth by The Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, University of Dhaka.

Students of the department staged Macbeth at Nat Mandal, University of Dhaka from October 9 onwards, with the closing show to be staged today.

The energy of the students was consistently high throughout the show, but the pinnacles of the play were each of Macbeth's soliloquies. Macbeth, played by S M Latiful Khabir, was able to aptly portray his inner conflicts. The way he struggled to choose between greed and his conscience, followed by a slew of mental distress - subjected him to the audience's pity.

Photo: Sheikh Mehedi Morshed

Even though his manipulative wife, Lady Macbeth, played by Kirtee Bejoya, faced a similar consequence, she could hardly garner any sympathy. Dressed in a red gown, her eyes reflected a hunger for power while she maintained a strong personality with powerful vocals throughout. However, the characters were deliberately too loud at times, which sounded unnatural.

That being said, the troupe's extraordinary work in costume, design, music and choreography justified the story of this Shakespearean tragic hero. The popular scene of the three witches became enjoyably spooky in a dimly lit environment with the sounds of cackling crows and shaky voices.

The stage and light direction by Syed Jamil Ahmed, costume by Kazi Tamanna Haque and Umme Somaiya and choreography by Amit Chowdhury were commendable, and kept the audience enthralled.

It was only possible to bring out the essence of Shakespeare's melodramatic style even in Bengali, because of Syed Shamsul Haque's brilliant translation. "It was a team work," said the director of the play, Dr Israfeel Shaheen. "Together, we tried to experience the battle inside Macbeth's mind and showcase how political ambition can be the cause of a person's downfall."

Renowned theatre personalities Ramendu Majumdar, Sara Zaker, Mamunur Rashid, Tariq Anam Khan, Nima Rahman and Minister of Cultural Affairs, Asaduzzaman Noor attended the play in the last few days.