Authenticity and adaptation in two Shakespeare films: The case of Macbeth (2015) and Cymbeline (2015)

Recent adaptations of Macbeth (Kurzel, 2015) and Cymbeline (Almereyda, 2015) highlight the continued relevance of the concept of authenticity. Taking Theodor Adorno’s concept of the authentic as our starting point, we argue that while Macbeth and its publicity materials suggest that the film can be read without interpretation as an ‘authentic’ expression of Scottish history, Cymbeline represents a more difficult and less ideologically loaded engagement with authenticity and Shakespeare adaptation.