The Tragedy of Macbeth

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SHAKESPEARE IN A SUITCASE PRESENTS -

THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE ADAPTED BY MICHAEL REDWOOD FOR SPLATS ENTERTAINMENT

Primary text

SPEAKING CHARACTERS

MACBETH MACDUFF BANQUO ROSS WITCH 1 WITCH 2 WITCH 3 RAVEN 1 RAVEN 2 RAVEN 3 RAVEN 4 KING DUNCAN

KING DUNCAN, ROSS, MACDUFF are U.S.C on a platform. WITCHES in front and armies on benches S.L and S.R.

SQ: LATER

NARRATOR: O, for a muse of C.G.I, We have no screens to create scenes No Hollywood, no digital tricks For Macbeth's tale, a poor player That struts and frets his hour on this stage. A Scots warrior, who saved his land ‘Gainst the Vikings and slaughters them. CAST: All hail Macbeth, All hail Macbeth, All hail Macbeth, All hail Macbeth! NARRATOR: Then he's tempted by three witches to kill his king...and in killing his king he suffers forever. CAST: All hail Macbeth! NARRATOR: So please dear friends help us with your imagination Please help with your powerful minds Let us see this hall for Scotland, This bench a fort, This class a battle

(C) Splats Entertainment 2019 2 And (say school name) as: Warriors, Queens, Witches, Ghosts, Forgive our efforts made in one day For your fun and entertainment... CAST: All hail Macbeth, All hail Macbeth

WITCHES have their backs to audience. WITCHES come D.S.C

ALL WITCHES: Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

SQ: TEARS

CAST: There to meet with Macbeth.

SQ: LATER

WITCH 1: When shall we three meet again? WITCH 2: In thunder lightning or in rain? WITCH 3: When the hurly burly's done, RAVEN 1: When the battle's lost and won. RAVEN 2: Just before the set of sun. RAVEN 3: Where the place? RAVEN 4: Upon the heath...

A SOLDIER and KING DUNCAN enter.

SOLDIER: All Hail King Duncan! DUNCAN: Can you tell us anything about the battle? SOLDIER: Yes my lord. We won because Macbeth was so brave. NARRATOR: Here is what the soldier said -

KING DUNCAN listens to the battle report. WARRIORS line up for battle. The VIKINGS either side MACBETH in the middle. MACBETH'S WARRIORS are in a circle with double the amount of VIKINGS either side.

(C) Splats Entertainment 2019 3 In slow motion MACBETH'S circle of WARRIORS gets tighter until MACBETH roars and starts killing all the VIKINGS in his way to the NORWEGIAN KING kills him and lifts his crown.

During this the WITCHES enjoy the battle. In one corner of the stage is KING DUNCAN'S tent

NARRATOR: “Doubtful the bloody battle stood, ‘Gainst the Vikings and traitors like swimmers clinging together And drowning each other. But brave Macbeth, with brandished sword Sliced through the Viking soldiers Until he faced their King And without speaking a word He killed him, chopped off his head. CAST: All hail Macbeth

CAST cheers

NARRATOR: Banquo saw another army attacking he warned his friend Macbeth. BANQUO: Macbeth! More enemies!!!

VIKINGS rise again

MACBETH: I am as scared as lions are of rabbits. NARRATOR: Macbeth exploded like a cannon With his swirling sword and in short...

SQ: CUT LATER - PLAY TEARS

SOLDIER: ...The victory fell to us. DUNCAN: Brave Macbeth. From U.S.C.

Enter ROSS

ROSS: The enemy were helped by Lord Cawdor. DUNCAN: Execute him, give his title to Macbeth. NARRATOR: Meanwhile, on the battlefield Macbeth and his best friend Banquo stood in the mist. Then suddenly...

(C) Splats Entertainment 2019 4 MACBETH and BANQUO stand on the battle field surrounded by dead WARRIORS. The WITCHES dance round the bodies

ALL WITCHES: Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble. All hail Macbeth! WITCH 1: You will be lord of Cawdor WITCH 2: You will be king. WITCH 3: Hail Banquo! You won’t be so great. WITCH 1: But your children will be kings. ALL WITCHES: So all hail Macbeth and Banquo! Double, double, toil and trouble, Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

WITCHES exit squawking

SQ: CUT TEARS

MACBETH: They have disappeared.

ROSS and MACDUFF enter

NARRATOR: After the witches had disappeared Lord Ross and Macduff arrived with amazing news. Ross said... ROSS: The king is so happy with you he says you can be Lord Cawdor. MACBETH: Lord Cawdor is alive. MACDUFF: He is a traitor, he will die. MACBETH: (to audience) What the witches said is true. BANQUO: Amazing. You will be king! Your sons will be Kings! NARRATOR: . ..and so after winning the battle Macbeth met the witches who called him Lord of Cawdor and said he will be king. But strangely they promised Banquo's children would also be Kings. Let's find out what happens with the next group after a round of applause please for group 1.

SQ: SCENE CHANGE MUSIC

END OF ACT ONE

SPEAKING CHARACTERS

MACBETH NINE RAVENS LADY MACBETH BANQUO FLEANCE ROSS MACDUFF KING DUNCAN DUNCAN'S GUARD PORTER 2 MURDERERS

SQ: SCENE CHANGE MUSIC

NARRATOR: Ross told Macbeth that the king would visit his castle tonight. Macbeth sent his fastest rider with a letter to tell Lady Macbeth what the witches had said.

MESSENGER enters and delivers the letter. Exit MESSENGER.

LADY MACBETH:(Reading) The witches said I would be Lord of Cawdor then Ross arrived and told I was made Lord of Cawdor. The witches also said I will be king and suddenly they disappeared. King Duncan is visiting tonight.

(To audience) Macbeth will be king. I want him to be king.

NARRATOR: Macbeth arrived home. Lady Macbeth had a plan to drug King Duncan's guards kill him as they slept. She saw Macbeth. LADY MACBETH: My Hero. MACBETH: The King comes to stay here tonight. LADY MACBETH: And you will kill him...

Enter KNG DUNCAN, ROSS and SOLDIERS

DUNCAN: What a pleasant castle... LADY MACBETH: I will show you to your room.

(C) Splats Entertainment 2019 6 NARRATOR: Later that night, when everyone was having a celebration party, Macbeth went outside - doubting he could kill King Duncan. Here is what Macbeth thought....

SQ: ROOKS

MACBETH: If I killed Duncan could it all be forgotten? RAVEN 1: But it wont be. RAVEN 2: You will teach people to kill a king. RAVEN 3: ...and they will kill you when you are king. RAVEN 4: He's your guest. RAVEN 5: You don't kill guests. RAVEN 6: ...and he is your cousin too. MACBETH: I don't want to do it. NARRATOR: Macbeth decided against killing Duncan to become king then Lady Macbeth came of the party.

SQ: ROOKS OFF

LADY MACBETH enters.

LADY MACBETH: What are you doing? MACBETH: I won't kill him. LADY MACBETH:You promised. NARRATOR: Here is what Lady Macbeth said. RAVEN 7: Get Duncan's guards drunk. RAVEN 8: Kill king Duncan. RAVEN 9: Blame the guards, kill them. MACBETH: I will do it. NARRATOR: And so, when the evening came. Macbeth crept through the corridors towards Duncan’s chamber.

SQ: TEARS

Enter the WITCHES floating the dagger in front of MACBETH.

MACBETH: Is this a dagger I see before me?

SQ: CUT TEARS PLAY SINGLE BELL TOLLING

MACBETH follows the dagger which is carried by the witches. The bells tolls.

WITCHES move off the stage is empty we only hear the bell.

SQ: SINGLE BELL TOLLING CUT

SQ: LOOKING FOR THE GHOST

Enter LADY MACBETH. She walks around looking in the dark listening.

NARRATOR: Macbeth came out of King Duncan's room after killing him. He still had the knives. LADY MACBETH: Why have you got the daggers? MACBETH: I am not going back in there. LADY MACBETH: I will.

Exit LADY MACBETH, MACBETH is alone listening in the silence.

SQ: LOOKING FOR THE GHOST CUT SQ : KNOCKING ON DOOR

Lady Macbeth re-enters

LADY MACBETH: Quick someone is coming lets wash the blood off our hands

MACBETH and LADY MACBETH exit. PORTER enters.

PORTER: Knock, knock, knock. Who is it, the devil?

SQ: KNOCKING ON DOOR STOP

Enter MACDUFF, BANQUO and GUARDS

NARRATOR: The next morning Banquo and Macduff came in to Macbeth’s hall. BANQUO: You are up early. MACDUFF: The king asked me to wake him up. BANQUO: (To audience) What a stormy night. I heard wolves, owls and ravens screaming!

MACDUFF eneters DUNCAN’S chamber.

SQ : THUNDERSTORM

NARRATOR: Macbeth killed King Duncan and made it look like it was the King's guards that did it. Everyone was confused and frightened as King Duncan had been a kind old man. Duncan's son Malcolm ran away to England. Macbeth was happy and threw a big party but he had one problem. The witches said Banquo's children would be Kings - not Macbeth's - so he sent murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance when they were out in the forest.

SQ : THUNDERSTORM STOP

SQ: WOLVES BAYING

The forest is formed with a green cloth and is pulled across the stage. The two MURDERERS appear.

BANQUO: We are nearly there son. It will rain tonight. MURDERERS: Let it come down!

The MURDERERS appear from below the cloth and pull BANQUO down.

BANQUO: Fly Fleance!

FLEANCE panics and runs off stage.

SQ : WOLVES BAYING STOP

NARRATOR: Fleance had survived but Banquo was dead lets find out if what the witches say is true with the next group. A round of applause please for group 2.

SQ : SCENE CHANGE MUSIC

END OF ACT TWO

SPEAKING CHARACTERS

MACBETH LADY MACBETH ROSS MACDUFF 3 WITCHES 3 RAVENS 3 GHOSTS 2 MURDERERS

SQ SCENE CHANGE MUSIC

All the guests stand behind the cloth so it looks like a table with tankards and freeze. BANQUO is hiding beneath the cloth. The WITCHES are at the side.

NARRATOR: Macbeth had killed his best friend and his son, or so he thought. Now he was having a party to celebrate becoming King when Banquo's blood covered murderers came to report to Macbeth...

MACBETH is next to the table - the MURDERERS join him with red juggling scarves on them.

MACBETH: You have blood on you. MURDERER 1: It is Banquo's blood. MACBETH: It is better on you than in him and Fleance. MURDERER 2: Fleance escaped. MACBETH: The worm fled? Go!!

The MURDERERS exit. LADY MACBETH enters

LADY MACBETH: Your party has started. MACDUFF: Lord, sit here - there is a space.

SQ : GHOST OF PAST

There is a space but as MACBETH turns BANQUO rises and with a skull and points at MACBETH. MACBETH screams.

The GUESTS look at the BANQUO place - they do not see BANQUO.

GUESTS: What? LADY MACBETH:You are imagining things.

BANQUO rises again walks around pointing at MACBETH. MACBETH screams.

LADY MACBETH:Everyone out!

CAST drop the cloth to end the banquet.

MACBETH: Blood will have blood. I will go to the witches.

SQ END GHOST OF PAST - PLAY TEARS

Witches enter

ALL WITCHES: Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble. Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble. WITCH1: Round about the cauldron go; WITCH2: In the poison'd entrails throw. ALL WITCHES: Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble. WITCH 3: Eye of newt and toe of frog, WITCH 1: Wool of bat and tongue of dog, WITCH 2: For a charm of powerful trouble, WITCH 3 Like a hell-broth boil and bubble. ALL WITCHES : Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble. WITCH 1: By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes. MACBETH: I am the King. I have questions for you.

The RAVENS and GHOSTS appear

RAVEN 1: Speak! RAVEN 2: Demand!

(C) Splats Entertainment 2019 11 RAVEN 3: We’ll answer! GHOST 1: Beware of Macduff. MACBETH: Good advice. I will kill him. GHOST2: None of woman born will harm Macbeth. MACBETH: Yes, No one who has been born can hurt me. GHOST3: You shall not be beaten in battle until the woods march to the castle. MACBETH: (Thinks) Until the woods attack my castle... But will Banquo’s children be kings? ALL WITCHES: Ask no more! MACBETH: Tell me!

BANQUO’S GHOST appears with GHOSTLY KINGS following him. The WITCHES & the GHOSTLY KINGS disappear. MACBETH is alone in shock.

MACBETH: (seeing the ghosts) Horrible sight!

SQ: TEARS STOP

NARRATOR: Now Macbeth was sure he was safe as King as he just needed to kill Macduff. No man of woman born could kill him and he wouldn't be beaten until the woods marched to his castle. Let see what happens with group 4 but for now can we have a big round of applause for group 3.

SQ: SCENE CHANGE MUSIC

END OF ACT THREE

SPEAKING CHARACTERS

MACBETH LADY MACBETH MALCOLM MACDUFF SEYTON 2 MESSENGERS 2 MACBETH SOLDIERS 2 MACDUFF SOLDIERS

SQ - SCENE CHANGE MUSIC

MALCOLM’S ARMY enters and stands in an inverted V. MACBETH enters with his SOLDERS and stands trapped like a hunted animal. On the other side of the stage. LADY MACBETH stands with the DOCTOR & SEYTON.

NARRATOR: Macbeth had believed the witches all along. He had killed king Duncan, killed his best Friend Banquo and any one he thought would get in his way. Now the witches had told him no man of woman born could kill him and not until the woods marched to his castle could he be beaten. And that wasn't going to happen was it? All he had to do was kill Macduff and he was safe.... or was he?

SQ18: LATER

MACBETH: Take an army and kill Macduff! MAC SOLDIER 1: My Lord, Macduff has escaped. MACBETH: Then attack his castle and kill everyone there! MAC SOLDIER 2: His family as well? MACBETH: Yes. Go!

While the NARRATOR speaks, we see the MACDUFF FAMILY killed.

NARRATOR: Here is what MACBETH thought...“Now I'm unbeatable they say. None of woman born can kill me until the woods march to my fort. Macduff has run off to England - so kill his wife, his kids and all...”

A while later in England, MACDUFF receives the news.

SQ: LATER CUT

MACDUFF: Messengers! Any news from my family? MESSENGER 1: My Lord, your family is dead. MESSENGER 2: Macbeth killed them. MACDUFF: Then Macbeth must die! MALCOLM: Together we have 10 000 soldiers. I will help you fight Macbeth. MCD SOLDIER 1: My Lord, how will we defeat him if he stays in his castle? MALCOLM: Carry the branches from the wood. Then he will not see how many soldiers we have ... MCD SOLDIER 2: We will trick him to come out and fight! NARRATOR: Meanwhile in MACBETH'S castle.

LADY MACBETH, THE DOCTOR & SEYTON enter

LADY MACBETH: Out damned spot. Out I say! Who would of thought the old man Had so much blood in him? Blood, out! DOCTOR: (To SEYTON) She has gone mad. I don't think she will live much longer.

THE SOLDIERS, MACDUFF, ROSS, PRINCE MALCOLM AND FLEANCE all lift tree hands and slowly march to MACBETH

SQ: FIRE BATTLE

SEYTON rushes to MACBETH

SEYTON: Macbeth! The woods march to the castle! MACBETH: The Witches tricked me! What else? SEYTON: The queen, my Lord, is dead. MACBETH:. She would have died anyway. Get me my sword, at least I will die fighting.

SOLDIERS fight in slow motion. MACBETH faces MACDUFF.

MACBETH: You will die! No man of a woman born can kill me. MACDUFF: Then you will die! I was untimely ripped from my mothers womb! MACBETH: The witches tricked me. Play on Macduff!

SQ: FIRE BATTLE STOP

MACDUFF enters, carrying the crown.

MACDUFF: The rare monster is dead, we are free!

All cheer. MALCOLM bows before MACDUFF who places the crown on his head.

MACDUFF: Long live King Malcolm! ALL: Long live King Malcolm! NARRATOR: ... and that is the tragedy of Macbeth. A big round of applause for group 4 and all the pupils who have performed for us today.

SQ: EXIT MUSIC END OF ACT FOUR

The year is 1606. King James I has recovered from being on board a ship in violent storm - a storm which almost killed him. Rumour has it that he saw three strange women standing on the coast while the boat was in trouble.

Imagine now that you are King James and you are convinced that witchcraft is responsible for the storm. To keep yourself safe, you want to rid your kingdom of all witches.

Write a short note to Mr William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon asking him to write a play that will show people that trying to kill a king or listening to witches is a terrible idea. Apparently his recent plays ‘Hamlet’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet’ were very popular and you think he will be able to write something that your people will really listen to.

Remember, you are the king, so will need to be convincing, but don't grovel. You want something done - he pretty much has to do it or there will be consequences for him!

Dear Mr Shakespeare,

Writing a playscript means writing in a very different style and format. Playwrights are responsible for writing down not only who says what and when, but also for describing what happens on stage for the actors.

Look at the example below from Act Three of the Splats version of Macbeth.

The scene title is A list of clearly marked characters is included

Stage Directions - which are the movements of the actors - are Sound Cues included are marked as ‘SQ’

The character who speaks each line is Props included which are used are written down

In Shakespeare’s story, the character of Fleance (Banquo’s Son) escapes the murderers, but is never heard from again. Imagine that Fleance meets Macduff after his family has been killed too and write a scene for your actors to perform.

Think about these questions - • Where will your scene take place? • Will anyone else be there when they meet? • What do the characters have in common that they can talk about? • What are they wearing, holding or using when the scene happens? • Are there any sound effects or music that are heard during your scene?

Write the opening of your scene below - try and stick to the layout of the Splats playscript wherever you can. ______

THE PLAY

Lady Macbeth is a leading character in William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth. The play was written somewhere around the year 1606 and is one of Shakespeare’s most performed plays alongside classics such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Not only is it performed in theatres all over the world and in a variety of different languages, it is also studied by pupils in schools everywhere.

THE CHARACTER

Lady Macbeth is the wife of the leading male character, who is a nobleman in Scottish society. After hearing of the prophecy from some witches about her husband becoming King, Lady Macbeth convinces her husband into committing regicide. Regicide is the name given to the crime of killing a monarch - in this case King Duncan.

She is a manipulative character who is very strong-willed. After coming up with a plan to kill the King, she then convinces her husband to carry out the murder when King Duncan comes to their castle. Even when Macbeth is scared after the killing and starts to panic she remains calm, going back into the crime scene to smear blood from Duncan’s body on the guards to make it look like they committed the crime.

The sight of the blood however haunts Lady Macbeth’s thoughts and she begins to sleepwalk in the night, imaginging that the blood is still on her hands. Shakespeare’s phrase “Out damned spot!” has become one of the most famous quotes in the English language. Even though she has become Queen of Scotland, the guilt of what they have done slowly drives her mad and although she dies off stage in the show, we can asssume that she has taken her own life.

STRONG WOMEN

Written during an age when women were not even allowed to perform in the theatre, Lady Macbeth is a really important character in Shakespeare’s plays. Even though Macbeth & Macduff are the characters with the most physical strength in the play, it is Lady Macbeth and the Witches that are the most powerful, convincing Macbeth to commit these awful crimes.

This has meant that throughout history, it has given the chance for some of the theatre’s most famous female actors to play the iconic role of Lady Macbeth. Some very famous names that have portrayed the character throughout history include; Ellen Terry, Vivien Leigh, Francesca Annis, Judi Dench, Glenda Jackson and Alex Kingston.

QUESTIONS

1. Roughly which year was Macbeth written in?______2. Can you name at least two other plays written by Shakespeare that are mentioned in this report? ______3. Lady Macbeth hears of a ‘prophecy’ about her husband in the play. What is a ‘prophecy’? ______4. Macbeth commits ‘regicide’ in the play. Against who? ______5. What does Lady Macbeth do in Duncan’s chamber? ______6. What is the quote said by Lady Macbeth while she is sleepwalking that has become particularly famous? ______7. What is it that haunts Lady Macbeth’s thoughts? ______8. Why might it be surprising that Shakespeare wrote such a powerful female character in his play? ______9. Name three actors who have played Lady Macbeth on stage who are mentioned in the report. ______10. In two sentences how would you describe Lady Macbeth’s character to someone who has not seen or studied the play? ______

(C) Splats Entertainment 2019 21 READING COMPREHENSION: ANSWERS 1. 1606 2. Any two from Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet or A Midsummer Nights Dream 3. A prediction of something that will happen in the future. 4. King Duncan 5. Smears the blood on the King’s Guards. 6. “Out, damn spot!” 7. The blood from the murder scene. 8. Because woman were not allowed to take part in the theatre during his lifetime. 9. Any three from Ellen Terry, Vivien Leigh, Francesca Annis, Judi Dench, Glenda Jackson and Alex Kingston. 10. Sentences might include vocabulary such as accomplice, scheming, murderer, manipulative, powerful, dominant, Macbeth’s wife, The Queen of Scotland, haunted, mentally unstable.

These fifteen words are all important to the story of Macbeth - can you find them in the wordsearch?

M Y C E H P O R P A C B B A N M B U R D D U N A P P A R I T I O N A S H I W I T Q U I C K H L M V A N G E H D U N S I N A N E O S T E Q R A G B M I C S I W B A P P L O U V T E S M J R R S D V B T G H E O P H R O P G L T S O H G A L M I H S H E L D C N K I R N D S A A C N M E M N T B A L W A G H F M T X U E D D U N C A N T D M U G I J L H F N A G R G M T U R D R W S E S T F H G R R D B A T M A C B L E C A U W G D O R E M U L G L M S C D R D I E E T G R R T O E I B A G A L C M R D A A A D O R S A I G D G Y A S S E N A H T E B C A M Y D A L M C S R V R A E A K N D E W E N S

DUNSINANE DUNCAN PROPHECY GLAMIS MACDUFF BANQUO CAWDOR DAGGERS LADY MACBETH WITCH BATTLE GHOST HEATH APPARITION MURDER