"BLEED, BLEED, POOR COUNTRY"

Productions of Shakespeare’s plays remain as a point of connection for nations around the world, trespassing geographical borders and reaching diverse cultures. The aim of this article is to analyze side by side Brazilian and Irish Shakespearean productions of Macbeth, considering their critical emphasis in relation to significant political issues in each country and pertinent themes in the play. The Brazilian staging directed by Marcio Meirelles (2015) and the Irish production directed by Jimmy Fay (2010) were selected for this investigation. Regarding the theoretical background, Thomas Postlewait’s and Marco De Marinis’s notions of contextualization in productions, as well as Alan Dessen’s study of the verbal aspects and Dennis Kennedy’s analysis of the visual elements in performances will guide the discussions.