The Tragedy of Macbeth
Considered by many historians as the last of the Gaelic kings of Scotland, MacBeth has become less of a historical figure and more a fictional character. At the hands of later chroniclers -mostly English- and ultimately by the pen of William Shakespeare, MacBeth changed into a despicable ruler, a far cry from the real person. An evidence that fiction may account for a person’s reputation rather than their own deeds.
¤ Read Shakespeare’s tragedy ⇐ [in four acts]
◊ Orson Welles ↓ Macbeth Intro [1948]
Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Pour in sow’s blood that hath eaten her nine farrow;
grease that’s sweaten from the muderer’s gibbet throw into the flame;
finger of birth-strangled babe, ditch-deliver’d by a drab;
Make the gruel thick and slab, like a hell-broth boil and bubble, for a charm of powerful trouble.
When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightening or in rain?
When the hurlyburly’s done. When the battle’s lost and won.
That will be ere the set of sun. Where to meet with Macbeth?
♦ Roman Polanski’s 1971 movie soundtrack by→ The Third Ear Band ←
• The music of «Fleance» was composed by Denim Bridges during the sessions for the album «Music from Macbeth». The track, as we know, was sung by a very young Keith Chegwin with the lyrics based on a rondel poem written by Geoffrey Chaucer, titled «Merciless Beauty».
«Oh your two eyes will slay me suddenlyI may the beauty of them not sustain
so pierced is throughout my heart keen
unless your words will heal me hastily
my heart’s wound while that it is green
oh your two eyes will slay me suddenly upon my troth I tell you faithfully
that you are of my Life and Death the Queen
and with my Death the Truth be seen
oh your two eyes will slay me suddenly I may the beauty of them not sustain
so pierced is throughout my heart keen
so hath your beauty from my heart chased
Pity that it avails not to complain
for Pride doth hold your Mercy in its chain
guiltless my death hath ye purchased
I say you sooth there is no need to feign
so hath your beauty from my heart chased
alas that Nature hath in your embrace
beauty so great that no man may attain
to Mercy though he starve for pain».
Witch nr. 1: When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning or in rain?
Witch nr. 2: When the hurlyburly’s done. When the battle’s lost and won.
Witch nr. 1: That would be ere the set of sun.
Witch nr. 2: Where’s the place?
Witch nr. 1: Upon the heath.
Witch nr. 2 (nodding): There to meet with Macbeth . . .
A battlefield. Soldiers screaming. A man finishes another one. Horses and trumpets over the battlefield.
Duncan: What bloody man is that?
Malcolm: Hail, brave friend! Say to the king thy knowledge of the broil as thou dids leave it.
Banquo: The merciless Maddonwald led his rebellion from the Western Isles and fortune on his damned quarrel smiled. But brave Macbeth…
Someone: Well, he deserves that name…
Banquo: …carved out a passage till he faced the slave. And ne’er shook hands nor bade farewell
Till he unseamed him from the nave to the chops.
(Soldiers laughing. Horse)
Duncan: Valiant cousin! Worthy gentlemen…
Banquo: Upon this change did the Norwegian king … with new supplies of men, begin a fresh assault.
Duncan: Dismayed not this our captains, Macbeth and Banquo?
Banquo: Yes. As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion.
(Soldiers laughing)
Duncan: So well thy words become thee as thy wounds. They smack of honour. Go get him surgeons.
(Horses galopping. Soldiers are leaving. )
Rosse: God save the king.
Duncan: What news, my worthy thane.
Rosse: Norway himself, in terrible numbers, assisted by that most disloyal traitor, the Thane of Cawdor,
began a dismal conflict till Bellona’s bridegroom, Macbeth confronts the king arms against arms curbing his lavish spirit.
And to conclude, the victory fell on us.
Duncan: Great happiness! No more than Thane accord us shall deceive our bosom interest.
Go pronounce his present death. (Duncan throws the royal chain to Rosse.)
And with his former title, greet Macbeth.
Macbeth: So foul and fair a day I have not seen.
(They hear something and Banquo goes to check. They see three witches singing. )
Banquo:
What are these? So withered and so wild in their attire that look not like the inhabitants of the Earth. And yet are on it?
Speak if you can. What are you?
Oldest witch: All hail, Macbeth. Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis.
Witch nr. 1: All hail, Macbeth. Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor.
Oldest witch: All hail, Macbeth, that shall be king hereafter.
Banquo:
In truth are ye fantastical, or that indeed which outwardly you show?
My nobel partner you greet with present grace, and great prediction that he seems rapt withal.
To me you speak not. If you can look into the seeds of time and say which grain will grow and which will not,
speak then to me who neither beg nor fear your favours nor your hate.
Witch: Hail! Hail! Oh, lesser than Macbeth, and greater. Not so happier, yet much happier.
Thou shalt beget kings though thou be none. So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo.
Witch nr. 2: Banquo and Macbeth, all hail.
Macbeth:
Say, you imperfect speakers! Tell me more.
By Sinel’s death I know I am Thane of Glamis. But how of Cawdor?
Say from whence you owe this strange intelligence.
Or why upon this blasted heath you stop our way with such prophetic greeting?
Youngest witch screaming and showing her legs. Noise of a door closing.
Banquo:
Whiter are they vanished?
Macbeth:
Into the air. (Banquo laughing.) And what seemed corporal melted, as breath into the wind.
Banquo:
Were such things here as we do speak about? Or have we eaten of the insane root that takes the reason prisoner?
(Macbeth and Banquo leave on their horses.)
Your children shall be kings. You shall be king. And Thane of Cawdor. When it is not so? To the selfsame tune and words.
(Both laughing.)
♦ Macbeth and the dagger ↓
Is this a dagger, which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have theen not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feeling as to sight? Or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation, proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? I see thee yet in form as palpable as this which now I draw.Thou marshall’st me the way that I was going and such an instrument I was to use.Mine eyes are made the fools of the other senses or else worth all the rest. I see thee still. And on thy blade and dudgeon, gouts of blood which was not so before. There’s no such thing. It is the bloody business which informs thus to mine eyes. Now, o’er the one half-world nature seems dead . . .♦ Ambushed ↓
In a wood. Rosse is riding in the wood. He rides on a bridge till he joins the murderer who is cutting a tree.
2nd Murderer:
Who did bid these join with us?
Rosse:
Macbeth
2nd Murderer (while cutting a tree):
He needs not our mistrust since he delivers our offices and what we have to do to the direction just.
1st Murderer:
Well, stand with us. The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day.
And near approaches the subject of our watch.
(the 1st Murderer is fixing a rope on a tree. they’re making a trap for Banquo and Fleance.
Banquo and his son are riding quietly in the forest. Pheasant singing)
Banquo:
By the clock ‘tis day and yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp.
Is it night’s predominance or the day’s shame
that darkness does the face of earth entomb
when living light should kiss it? [Thunders . . .]
It will be rain tonight.
(They both stop suddenly as they see someone on horse back with a pike and a rope in his hand.)
2nd Murderer:
Let it come down!
(The 1st Murderer cuts the rope which kept the tree up and, by cutting it, it lets the tree falling down. Thus, it blocks Banquo’s passage in the back)
Banquo:
Treachery! (Banquo and his son begin to ride. Banquo takes out his bow and tries to hit the men. They fight violently.)
Fly, good Fleance, fly! (The 1st Murderer tries to hit Fleance’s horse.)
Fly! (Fleance goes quickly away, while his father stays and fights against Banquo) Fly!
Banquo sees that Rosse is trying to kill Fleance so he hits Rosse’s horse with an arrow. The horse falls and so does Rosse. Fleance manages to escape. Meanwhile Banquo is hit in the back with the axe by the 2nd murderer. He screams, falls on his knees and he’s kicked in the river by the 2nd Murderer. He is dead.
♦ Banquo’s Ghost ↓
Lady M: My royal lord, you do not give the cheer.
Macbeth: Sweet remembrancer. (Macbeth holds a cup and takes a look at Rosse.)
I drink to the general joy of the whole table. And to our dear friend Banquo whom we miss.
Would he were here.
Everyone: (raising their cups) Banquo!
Macbeth: Now good digestion wait on appetite, and health on both!
Lenox: May it please Your Highness, sit.
Rosse: Please it Your Highness to grace us with your royal company?
Macbeth: The table’s full
Lenox: Here is a place reserved, sir.
Macbeth: Where?
Lenox: Here, my good Lord.
(Lenox and Rosse show the vacant seat to Macbeth. Macbeth sees that the ghost of Banquo is sitting there. The ghost turns. Macbeth drops his cup and spills all the wine on the ground. Lenox immediately gets the cup and cleans the ground)
Macbeth: Which of you have done this?
Lords:
What, my good Lord?
(Banquo, all covered with blood, stretches his hand towards Macbeth.)
Macbeth: Thou canst not say I did it. (Banquo’s ghost nods.)
Never shake thy gory locks at me.
Rosse: Gentlemen, rise. His highness is not well.
Lady M: Sit, worthy friends. My Lord is often thus and hath been from his youth. Pray, keep seat.
The fit is momentary. Upon a though he will again be well.
(Lady M rises from his seat and goes towards Macbeth. She wishpers to his ear.) Are you a man?
Macbeth: Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that which might appal the devil.
Lady M: O, proper stuff! This is the very painting of your fear.
This is the air-drawn dagger you said led you to Duncan.
Shame itself! Why do you make such faces?
When all’s done you look but on a stool.
Macbeth: Prithee, see there! Behold, look! How say you!
Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee!
Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold.
Thou hast no speculation in those eyes which thou dost glare with.
(Banquo’s ghost advances while Macbeth retreats. He stumbles onto a step and falls.)
What man dare, I dare. Take any shape but that, and my nerves shall never tremble.
Oh, hence, horrible shadow! Unreal mockery, hence!
(Banquo is now holding a hawk on his right arm and Macbeth is so frightened that he covers his face and looks away. He now hides on the floor. Lady M reaches him.)
Lady M: What? Quite unmanned in folly.
(Macbeth rises and tries to see more clearly if the ghost is still there. He has gone and now he sees all the assembly which is staring at him.)
Macbeth: If I stand here, I saw him.
Lady M: Fie, for shame.
Macbeth: Blood hath been shed ere now, in the olden time.
Ay, and since too, murders have been performed too terrible for the ear.
Time has been that when the brains were out, a man would die and there an end.
But now they rise again, with 20 mortal gashes on their crowns and push us from our stools.
Lady M: You’ve displaced the mirth, broke the good meeting with most admired disorder.
(Now the assembly stares at him both preoccupied and surprised.)
Macbeth (trying to keep his countenance):
Can such things be and overwhelm us like a summer’s cloud without our special wonder?
You make me strange, even to the disposition that I owe.
When now I think you can behold such sights and keep the natural ruby of your cheeks
when mine is blanched with fear.
Lenox: What sights, my Lord?
Lady M: I pray you, speak not, he grows worse and worse.
Question enrages him. At once, good night.
Stand not upon the order of your going, but go at once.
(Lenox taps his stick to the ground and shows everyone off the room.)
Rosse (to Lady M): Good night, and better health attend His Majesty.
Lady M: Kind good night to all.
Macbeth: It will have blood. They say blood will have blood.
Stones have been known to move and trees to speak.
(Everybody exits. Macbeth takes a seat. Lady M opens the shutters to look outside.)
Macbeth: What is the night?
Lady M: Almost at odds with morning, which is which.
(Lady M joins his husband at the table. She seats opposite to him.)
Macbeth: How sayst thou that Macduff denies his person at our great bidding?
Lady M: How know you this, my lord?
Macbeth: I hear it by the way.
There’s not a one of them, but in his house I keep a servant paid.
Lady M: You lack the season of all natures, sleep.
Macbeth: Come, we’ll to sleep. (Lady M takes the candle and they go to sleep. They mount the stairs.)
(In Macbeth’s chamber. He is talking to his Lady on the bed. There’s a red light which illuminates the room.)
I must again to the weird sisters. More shall they speak.
For now I am bent to know, by the worst means, the worst.
For mine own good, all cause shall give way.
I’m in blood, stepped in so far that should I wade
no more returning were as tedious as go o’er.
Strange things I have in head that will to hand,
which must be acted ere they may be scanned.
♦ The witches’ Cauldron ↓
MacBeth wants more predictions from the witches who’ve already told him about his future. They brew up a special magic potion while chanting magic spells.
A dark, gloomy and sinister place in a plain. It’s night. Macbeth arrives on horseback. The weird sisters are singing. He approaches their refuge. One of the three, the youngest, is naked and waits for him. She shows him into their refuge. He enters and sees lots of naked women and in the middle there’s a boiling cauldron.Eldest witch: By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. Macbeth: How now, you secret, black and midnight hags? What is it you do? Witch 1: A deed without a name. All together: Double, double, toil and trouble. Fire burn, cauldron bubble. Witch 2: Toad that under cold stone, days and nights has 31. [She puts a frog into the cauldron]Witch 3: Swelted venom sleeping got, boil thou first in the charmed pot. [She throws into the pot some liquid]Witch 4: Eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tounge od dog. [She throws into the pot all these things]Witch 5: Adder’s fork and blindworm’s sting, lizard’s leg and howlet’s wing.Witch 6: Nose of Turk and Tartar’s lips, slivered in the moon’s eclipse. [Macbeth looks at them, disgusted]Witch 7: Fillet of a fenny snake, in the cauldron boil and bake.Witch 8: Liver of blaspheming Jew, gall of goat and slips of yew. Macbeth: I conjure you, by that which you profess, howe’er you come to know it. Answer me to what I ask you.Eldest witch: Speak!Witch 2: Demand!Eldest witch: We’ll answer. Say if thou’dst hear it from our mouths, or from our masters. Macbeth: Call them let me see them. [A witch takes out a cup from a bag. She pours into it some of the liquid they are boiling into the cauldron]Eldest witch: Cool it with a baboon’s blood, then the charm is firm and good. [She pours the blood into the cup. They all bring the cup to Macbeth. He takes it in his hands and drinks it. He is about to faint. The witches take him and bring him in front of the cauldron. He looks into it and sees his face reflected] Macbeth: Tell me, thou unknown power.Witch: He knows thy thought. 1st Apparition (whispering): Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth. Beware Macduff! Beware the Thane of Fife.Macbeth: Thou hast harped my fear aright. But one word more!Witch: He will not be commanded. [The apparition disappears. Then comes another one. Someone is cutting and opening a belly. Someone takes out a baby and puts him into the arms of a woman. Another woman smiles. Then a boy appears]♦ A sight of lady Macbeth’s madness ↓
Lady M: Here’s the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.Doc: What a sigh is there! The heart is solely charged.Lady M: Wash your hands, put on your nightgown. Look not so pale. I tell you, Banquo’s buried. He cannot come out of his grave. Even so?To bed, to bed. Come, come, come. Come, give me your hand. What’s done cannot be undone. To bed, to bed.Doc (between himself): More needs she the divine than the physician. God! God forgive us all.♦ Lady Macbeth is Dead ↓
[Macbeth and Seyton stop talking because they are interrupted by the cry of a woman, which comes from inside the palace. They look at each other]
Macbeth: What is that noise? [Seyton goes to have a look. Macbeth looks very worried]
Macbeth (between himself): I’ve almost forgot the taste of fear. The time has been, my senses would have cooled to hear a night-shriek.
My fell of hair would at a dismal treatise rouse and stir as life were in it. I have supped full with horrors.
[Seyton rejoins Macbeth and he stops between the two colums]
Macbeth: Wherefore was that cry?
Seyton: The Queen, my Lord, is dead.
Macbeth: She should have died hereafter. There would have been a time for such a word.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time.
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow.
[A poor player struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more]
It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
♦ Macbeth beheaded ↓
:::::::: = ::::::::
¤ Shakespeare: The Animated Tales is a BBC television program of 12 episodes, each episode showing an animated half-hour adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s plays. The animation, done by Christmas films Studio in Moscow, offers a wide range of animation techniques.
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