What are the similarities you have found in Kurosawa's Throne of Blood with Macbeth? How does Asaji-dono differ from Lady Macbeth? How does her approach to convince Washizu differ from Lady Macbeth's to convince her husband? What other differences can you find, other than the obvious ones(setting, character names, etc.)? Why would Kurosawa choose to emphasize certain aspects over others Shakespeare emphasizes?

On Friday, we say part of a Japanese movie, directed by Akira Kurosawa called "Throne of Blood". This movie was based on Shakespeare's play Macbeth. There are many similarities in this movie that we, as audience, can relate to Shakespeare's short tragedy. 

First of all, except for the names, the characters  in "Throne of Blood" are the same as in Macbeth. The two generals, Washizu and Miki, represent in their Japanese culture Macbeth and Banquo, the two honorable generals. As well as in Shakespeare's play, Asaji is in "Throne of Blood" Washizu's wife, alike to Lady Macbeth. The place where the story takes place in the movie is feudal Japan, very similar to the Middle Ages where Macbeth takes place. So far, the story is likely the same as in the play. The movie starts with important people and the emperor of Spider Web's Castle, that told him about two generals that are very brave and did a lot for him: Washizu and Miki(this is similar to the beginning of Shakespeare's play). Another important similarity is the witch that Washizu and Miki meet in a forest. Different to Macbeth, there is only one witch in "Throne of Blood", but she tells the same prophecy to these characters as well as the three witches in the play told Macbeth and Banquo good future to them and their descendants, respectively. And as well as in Shakespeare's play, from the moment that they are promoted, Washizu(like Macbeth) will start aspiring to be, as the witch told him, emperor or Lord of Spider Web's Forest, even if for that he has to kill his Lord Tsuzuki.  Another important similarity is that ambition, power and magical characters are appaearing in this movie, as well as in Shakespeare's play.

There is one certain aspect of this movie that we have to analize: how Asaji-dono has convincing her husband, Washuki, for trying to kill his Lord further on the movie. Lady Macbeth and Asaji are simmilar in their characters, but they differ in certain aspects. First, their characterization. Shakespeare puts Lady Macbeth as an European ambicious woman, with sumptous jewerly. In "Throne of Blood", they characterize Asaji as the typical Japanese woman of feudal Japan, wife of a man of power in the reign(the general).Another aspect that we can see the differences between these two women is the way they convinced their husbands in their respective plots. The two of them convinced by their desire of power and to be more than a general. In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth convinced Macbeth by telling him that is a coward, that he was not a real man because of his cowardice. She also convinced him because she, compared to Macbeth, had more power to manipulate with the force of her words Macbeth's mind. In "Throne of Blood", Asaji convinced Washaki with calm and feminity. She was not dramatizing about the situation. She told her husband future bad consecuences of staying with the position that the Lord gave him. She told him that maybe his best friend, Banquo, told the Lord about the prophecy and know wanting him dead. Different to Lady Macbeth, Asaji confused Washaki about his future if he do not kill the Lord in order for them to be more powerful and being Lords of Spider Web's Forest.

Even that it is practically the same story, there are some differences, basically because of the different cultures. In Macbeth, the characters that represent the generals and the nobility seem to be refined and nice. In "Throne of Blood", the characters are more stiff. Another difference is the symbols they have in their respective kingdoms and the way they are dressed. I do not understand Japanese, but by the English translations, some dialogues differ from the one of Shakespeare. This differences can be due because I think the director of this movie, Kurosawa, wanted to "capture" the essence of Macbeth(which is the natural seek for power, the gaining or lost of honor and the consecuences that this can bring) in a Japanese context. Shakespeare in Macbeth emphasizes more about how a simple man can be convinced by ambition due to confusions about himself and his believes and letting him go by this ambition for more power. 

Here is the link for you to see a little trailer about Kurosawa's movie. So, what simmilarities and differences you can see? 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoYzsDVyFRU