Macbeth himself

The best Macbeth I've seen was Nicol Williamson in the 1980s BBC version. A strong warrior, and to me he captured the haunted, isolated nature of the character. He played it, as I remember it, as a little on the foolhardy side spurred on by his battle success and physical strength - when in doubt kill someone. He consulted the witches and you could see the hesitation in his eyes as he sought counsel. He was great but flawed.

In contrast Jason Connery and James McAvoy playing the chef Macbeth in the 2005 version the were just too competent and likable. In my mind they played it like they were kings - not someone wearing garments that were too big. And in both cases I had trouble believing they'd do it. And Jason Connery seemed to be consulting the witches because it was in the script.