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Macbeth, Death Note, and the Theatre of Actions

Netflix recently released a live action adaptation of the manga series デスノート, known in the west as Death Note. Though the film received much criticism for its failure to adhere to its original content, Adam Wingard’s take poses some striking similarities to William Shakespeare’s world-renowned play Macbeth. One of the most apparent similarities lies within Michel de Certeau’s concept of theatre of actions, or rather, to set in place and “authorize dangerous and contingent social actions” within a narrative (de Certeau 125). He explains this theatre of actions as consisting of three different types of foundations, the fās, fasti, and nefasti.

For those who have little to know idea what this Death Note is exactly, here is come context to familiarize with. The movie is set in Seattle, where it follows a high school student named Light Turner who discovers a notebook marked with the words “Death Note”. A god of death, Ryuk, visits Light and informs him that he can kill anyone in the world by simply knowing their real name and their face, and then writing that name in the notebook. A love interest of his uncovers this and encourages him to eliminate criminals and make the world a better place, killing under the guise of a god, “Kira”. The rest of the film is essentially a wild goose chase between these two teenagers and the FBI and a man named L.

Michel de Certeau introduces us to the notion of theatre of actions and how it pertains to fās. He quotes a man named Georges Dumézil, who describes fās as being something that “is properly speaking the mystical foundation, which is in the invisible world, and without which all forms of conduct... more generally speaking, all human conduct, are doubtful, perilous and even fatal” (Certeau 124). He goes on to explain that this is a foundation that provides space for the foreseeable actions to occur, it is the founding narrative in stories.

In Shakespeare’s play, the readers and playgoers are introduced to three witches in the beginning of the first act. These witches enter and call upon the elements to set the stage, that they three shall meet again “in thunder, lightning, or in rain... ere the set of sun.. upon the heath” (Shakespeare 1.1.1-6). The weird sisters are the first characters and the first scene the audience is exposed to. As the brief scene unfolds, it becomes clear that this is going to be no ordinary tragedy. We can expect that these witches will be making another appearance at some point in the play, and we are left wondering just what is in store for Macbeth as they speak of meeting with him after some battle finishes.

“When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning or in rain?

When the hurly-burly’s done, when the battle’s lost and won.

That will be ere the set of sun.”

In Wingard’s movie, the audience too is introduced to a mystical and supernatural force that sets the foundation for the rest of the narrative. While Light is alone in a classroom, he opens the mysterious notebook and it unleashes a whirlwind of elements. The audience hears thunder booming in the distance, sees flashes of lightening striking outside, and watches as the classroom erupts into a tornado of wind that leaves the room in disarray. As silence ensues, the death god Ryuk steps from the shadows and helps show Light how to use the Death Note. The foundation for the rest of the film is set as the two watch a bully of a classmate become decapitated in a “freak accident”. In Certeau’s eyes, this would be where the fās comes into action. Both the audience and Light Turner know that from here on out there is not going to be anything normal happening in this plot line. The major difference between this movie and Shakespeare’s play is that the main character is given an out at the very beginning. Ryuk tells Light that he needs to “separate the wheat from the chaff,” that in a weeks’ time if Light has refrained from touching the book, he will “find it a new home” (Wingard). Macbeth is not given this option from the weird sisters, but an argument could be made that he always had the option of ignoring the prophecies and continuing on with his regular life (if one can after learning he is to be king).

“Just put the note somewhere, leave it alone for seven days, and I’ll find it a new home” (Wingard).

Certeau describes this fās as being something that either exists or doesn’t exist, that “a time or a place are said to be fasti or nefasti depending on whether they provide or fail to provide human action with this necessary foundation” (Certeau 124). He explains that the idea behind fasti is that it is auspicious foundation that enables human action. In Macbeth, this concept can be seen when the prophecies are given to Banquo and Macbeth. As expected, the weird sisters appear once again and are met with the two men after winning a fierce battle with the Norwegians and the Thane of Cawdor. The witches all three greet Macbeth:

“All hail, Macbeth Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis.

All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor.

All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (Shakespeare 1.3.45-8).

Macbeth is being given a choice here, to seek after these prophecies or ignore them and let things things fall as they may. After he meets King Duncan of Scotland, he is hailed as the next Thane of Cawdor, which sets Macbeth down a path of believing in the witches’ words.

Following the parallels with Macbeth, Light also experiences his own fasti where he then set down a path of his own destruction. After his love interest, Mia, discovers the Death Note, she (along with Ryuk) start convincing Light that he needs to use this to eliminate the criminals of the world and use the book to make the world a much better place. She convinces him rather easily and starts feeding into his newly developing god complex. He becomes completely convinces that he is a saint by murdering people for their crimes. This later develops into him murdering people for the sake of self-preservation; he believes that if the FBI take him away from the Death Note, violence and criminal activity will spiral out of control. Here the combination of Ryuk and Mia’s words, and the Death Note’s presence act as the fasti that enables Light to continue killing in the name of “justice”.

“We could change the world” (Wingard).

Where fasti is an auspicious foundation or ritual, Certeau’s nefasti is an unauspicious foundation that fails to enable human action. This is something, an event, that the main character is aware of but chooses to ignore and proceeds with whatever plans they have concocted. Macbeth experiences this when the three weird sisters visit him a third time, and relay another three prophecies that tell him of his impending destruction. He wholeheartedly believes that he has nothing to worry about as one of the prophecies tell him to “be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth” (Shakespeare 4.1.95-7). He thinks that there is no possible way for Macduff to do him harm, for “then live, Macduff - what need i fear of thee?” (4.1.98-9). Macduff was born so obviously he was born of woman, which furthers his belief that he is completely safe, and he continues to discard the witches warnings. This meeting between the witches and Macbeth, this nefasti, fails to enable action out of him for he returns to his castle and continues as if nothing has changed.

Much like where Macbeth fails to heed the warning of the three witches and their apparitions, Light also experiences nefasti. As he continues to kill criminals (under the guise of Kira) and gain the popularity of the public, the FBI trace Kira’s whereabouts to Seattle and work with the local authority to uncover his identity. Light’s father just so happens to be the chief of police, and Light is informed time and time again (unintentionally) that they are zeroing down on Kira’s identity. Ignoring these constant warnings about his inevitable fate, he continues killing people with his beloved girlfriend. These warnings are a failure to enable human action, and as we see with the ending of Macbeth, this nefasti ends up with Light’s downfall. His identity is uncovered, his girlfriend dies, and he ends up in a coma after attempting to flee.

Overall the theatre of actions plays a large role in both Macbeth and Death Note, this idea of fās being the initial event that sets both narratives in motion. Both main characters experience some mystical ritual that starts them down the path to what they believe is success, and that path inevitably leads them to their own (probably avoidable) demise. It is very possible that without these foundations, that the events that occur in each plot would differ drastically. Macbeth may have never become king, and many lives would have been saved from his lust for power. The same can be said about Light, without the introduction of Ryuk, he may have never learned about the book and the events that lead to hundreds of deaths may have been avoided. Either way it is clear to see that Certeau’s concept was the one that initially planted the seeds that changed the course of each characters’ lives.

(P.S.A. - The movie is awful compared to the original content of the manga and its animated adaptation)

Works Cited

Certeau, Michel de. The Practice of Everyday Life.University of California Press, 1988.

Death Note. Directed by Adam Wingard, LP Entertainment, 2017.

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. The Norton Shakespeare. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1997.845-898. Print.

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