Macbeth is a film adaptation of a Shakespearean comedy.
Macbeth ( [ məkˈbɛθ ] full title The Tragedy of Macbeth ) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare ; it is thought to have been first performed in 1606 . Macbeth ( or The Tragedy of Macbeth ) is a 1971 British-American historical drama film directed by Roman Polanski and co-written by Polanski and Kenneth Tynan . A film adaptation of William Shakespeare 's tragedy of the same name , it retells the story of the Highland lord who becomes King of Scotland through treachery and murder . Macbeth is a 2015 British-French-American war historical drama film based on William Shakespeare 's play of the same name , directed by Justin Kurzel and written by Jacob Koskoff , Todd Louiso , and Michael Lesslie .