Madam, - We attended the matinée performance of the Second Age production of Macbeth on Tuesday March 4th with an adult group who are returning to education and studying for Leaving Certificate.
It was with the greatest shock that we witnessed how the murder of Lady Macduff was directed, choreographed and acted. It was depicted with the most extreme, gratuitous sexual violence.
What was even more disturbing than watching this on stage was hearing the base response from the audience, the majority of whom were teenage and male. This was a surge of appreciation which culminated in loud clapping when the murder ended.
In the post-performance talk, the actor playing Macbeth assured the audience that the text was examined carefully so that nothing would be included that might be offensive - such as the nude scene. was this a joke? Shakespeare did not write Lady Macduff's death in this fashion. We merely hear later in the play that she has been killed.
Afterwards, we telephoned Second Age to convey our feelings and seek more explanation. The response we received has left us even more dismayed. We were told the rape scene was directed like that deliberately, was done to get maximum response and that young people are accustomed to such violence already.
This, of course, unfortunately is true and in society the nature of assault has changed, with group mentality often dictating the outcome.
Teachers work hard at inculcating sound moral values and responsible codes of behaviour in students. Bringing students to a public performance automatically gives the performance an imprimatur. What we experienced was in direct conflict with teachers' efforts to help students develop and to enable them to have healthy attitudes to each other.
As one of the sponsors of this production, does The Irish Times have a responsibility for what young people are exposed to? Fintan O'Toole reviewed the production but made no mention of this scene.
We are interested to hear your comment. - Yours, etc.,
KERRI O'BRIEN,
ANNE O'DONOHUE,
Liberties College,
Dublin 8.
• Irish Times sponsorship of such events does not include any input into artistic policy. - Ed, IT.
Madam, - I was bemused at the ingenuousness of some callers to RTE Radio's Liveline last week. In case anyone has forgotten, Shakespeare's Macbeth is a shockingly violent, disturbing play.
It opens with Macbeth's defeat of the rebel leader where he "unseam'd him from the nave to the chaps". Soon after, horrible images unfix Macbeth's hair and Lady Macbeth claims that she would, while feeding an infant child, "Have plucked my nipple from his boneless jaws/ And dashed the brains out".
The violence is relentless. Duncan is murdered, Banquo is murdered, Lady Macbeth commits suicide, the witches chant about birth-strangled babes, Macbeth cries, "I am in blood/ Stepp'd in so far, that should I wade no more,/ Returning were as tedious as go o'er". Macduff "was from his mother's womb/ Untimely ripp'd" and his wife and child are brutally murdered on stage.
If we're not happy with our 17-year-olds being exposed to this X-rated voyage into evil and anarchy, let's blame Shakespeare, not the producers. - Yours, etc.,
CATHY SWEENEY
(English teacher),
Bray,
Co Wicklow.