LADY MACBETH His Wife

CHARACTERS

MACBETH

LADY MACBETH His Wife

THREE WITCHES

BANQUO A General

DUNCAN King of Scotland

MALCOLM His son

MACDUFF Lord of Fife

ROSS Nobleman

LENNOX Nobleman

SIWARD Earl of Northumberland

SEYTON Assistant to Macbeth

PORTER Gatekeeper of Macbeth's castle

MURDERER'S 1 AND 2

DOCTOR

NOTE DI REGIA

Suggestivi colpi di scena, effetti visivi, l’innovativa scenografia, il particolare disegno luci e personaggi forti e grotteschi quali streghe e fantasmi, fanno da cornice ad un adattamento fantasioso ed intrigante.

Il testo originale, ma con dialoghi naturalmente adattati e modernizzati e per rendere l’opera comprensibile ed affascinante anche per gli spettatori giovani, vi immergerà in una “black fable” che vi catturerà scena dopo scena in un crescendo emozionante ed avventuroso.

Un misto tra favola e dramma che vi divertirà e commuoverà con la sua trama affascinante e tenebrosa decisamente superiore anche ai più spettrali film horror moderni.

Nell’adattamento che vi presentiamo abbiamo deciso di mantenere invariato il lessico delle streghe, lasciando immutata la poesia che William Shakespeare ha voluto infondere alle rime con le quali questi personaggi si esprimono.

Grazie e buon divertimento da ERASMUS INTERNATIONAL MUSICAL AND THEATRE

www.erasmustheatre.com

“MACBETH”

By William Shakespeare

Adapted by Erasmus Theatre

Scene 1

A desert heath. Thunder and lightening. Enter Three Witches.

First Witch: When shall we three meet again

In thunder, lightening, or in rain?

Second Witch: When the Hurlyburly’s done,

When the battle’s lost and won.

Third Witch: That will be ere the set of sun.

First Witch: Where the place?

Second Witch: Upon the heath.

Third Witch: There to meet with Macbeth.

First Witch: I come, Graymalkin!

Second Witch: Paddock calls.

Third Witch: Anon.

All: Fair is foul, and foul is fair:

Hover through the fog and filthy air.

Scene 2

A camp near Forres (Scotland) after a battle.

Ross: Your highness, I bring you news from the battlefield.

Duncan: Come, come.

Malcolm: Report, brave friend.

Ross: Doubtful it stood. The merciless Macdonwald - a born rebel, blessed with treachery - brings light and heavy infantry from the west coast and fortune on his side, but all’s too weak; for brave Macbeth - who well deserves our praise - raised his bloody sword and carved out a passage through the battle until he reached Macdonwald. Without saying a word to the rebel he split him from gut to jaws and fixed his head upon the battlements.

Duncan: O valiant kinsman! A deserving gentleman!

Ross: Note, your highness, that the battle does not end here. As soon as we had squashed the revolt, the Norwegian King took advantage of our weary soldiers and began a fresh assault.

Duncan: Did this new attack trouble our leaders, Macbeth and Banquo?

Ross: No, no more than a sparrow threatens an eagle or a hare the lion. They fought like cannons loaded with a double charge.

Malcolm: What great news!

Ross: But this is not all. The Norwegian attack was aided by Lord Cawdor! The wretched traitor!

Malcolm: But Macbeth was victorious?

Ross: Of course, your highness. The King of Norway, asked for terms of surrender. We refused to let him bury his dead until he deposited ten thousand dollars at the island of Saint Columba.

Duncan: Lord Cawdor shall never deceive us again. Go pronounce his present death and bestow his title upon Macbeth

Ross: I’ll see it done.

Scene 3

On the heath.

First Witch: Where have you been, sister?

Second Witch: Killing swine.

Third Witch: Sister, where you?

First Witch: A sailor’s wife had chestnuts in her lap,

And munch’d and munch’d, and munch’d: ’Give

me,’ said I:

‘Off with you, witch!’ the rump-fed ronyon cries.

Her husband to Aleppo has gone, master of the Tiger:

But in a sieve I’ll thither sail,

And, like a rat without a tail,

I’ll do, I’ll do and I’ll do.

Second Witch: I’ll give you a wind.

First Witch: You are kind.

Third Witch: And I another.

First Witch: I myself have all the other;

And the very ports they blow,

All the quarters that they know.

I’ll drain him dry as hay:

Sleep shall neither night nor day

Hang upon his pent-house lid;

He shall live a man forbid.

Weary seven nights nine times nine

Shall he dwindle, peak and pine:

Though his bark cannot be lost,

Yet it shall be tempest-tossed.

Look what I have.

Second Witch: Show me, show me.

First Witch: Here I have a pilot’s thumb,

Wrack’d as homeward he did come.

Sound of a drum.

Third Witch: A drum! a drum!

Macbeth doth come.

All: The weird sisters, hand in hand,

Posters of the sea and land,

Thus do go about, about:

Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine,

And thrice again, to make it nine.

Peace! The charm's wound up.

Enter Macbeth and Banquo.

Macbeth: I have never seen such a foul and yet fair a day.

Banquo: How much further till we arrive at Duncan’s palace? (Macbeth stops him)

Who are these wild and withered creatures? They do not look like they are from this world and yet they stand here upon it. Do you live? You seem to understand me.

Macbeth: Speak, if you can: what are you?

First Witch: All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Lord of Glamis!

Second Witch: All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Lord of Cawdor!

Third Witch: All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter.

Banquo: Good sir, why do you start and seem to fear their fair words? (to the Witches)

In the name of truth, tell me, are you real? (to Macbeth) My noble comrade, will you say nothing? You have been greeted as a future king! (to the Witches) If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not, then speak to me. I do not fear you.

First Witch: Hail!

Second Witch: Hail!

Third Witch: Hail!

First Witch: Lesser than Macbeth, but yet greater.

Second Witch: Not so happy, yet much happier.

Third Witch: Thou shalt father kings, though you be none:

All hail, Macbeth and Banquo!

First Witch: Macbeth and Banquo, all hail!

Macbeth: Wait! You haven’t said enough. Tell me more. I became Lord of Glamis after Sinel’s death, but Lord of Cawdor? Lord Cawdor lives! And how can I be king? How do you know such things and why do you stop our way upon this war-torn heath with these predictions? Speak, I charge you.

The Witches vanish

Banquo: Where did they go?

Macbeth: Into the air. What seemed like flesh dissolved like breath into the wind. They said that your children shall be kings.

Banquo: They said that you shall be king.

Macbeth: And Lord of Cawdor too?

Banquo: Who’s there?

Enter Ross

Ross: King Duncan has happily received news of your success in battle, Macbeth. He is amazed that you fought the Norwegian army without fearing the day’s great slaughter. Relay riders poured into camp with news of your great defence. The king has sent me to give you thanks and bring you to his court.

Macbeth: I am most grateful and honoured.

Ross: He also bid me call you Lord of Cawdor. A title of which you are most worthy.

Banquo: What? Did those hags speak the truth?

Macbeth: The Lord of Cawdor lives. Why do you confer his title on me?

Ross: He lives, yet he is condemned to death and no longer deserves to be called “Lord”. I know not how or why he allied with those of Norway, only that he is a traitor. He has confessed to treason and shall be punished.

Macbeth: (to himself) Lord of Glamis and Cawdor and the greatest yet to come to pass. (to Ross) I thank you for your pains.

(to Banquo) Do you not hope now that your children shall be kings after the witches first prediction has been proven correct?

Banquo: If their words were true then you may hope to wear the crown. But it is strange: often, evil lures us by telling truths and by giving rewards that will destroy us. (to Ross) Friend, a word, I pray you.

Macbeth: (to himself) Two truths are told. Shall I be king? This supernatural prophecy cannot be ill, cannot be good; If ill, why commence with a truth? I am now Lord of Cawdor: If good, then why does it give me thoughts that unfix my hair and make my heart knock at my ribs? Present fears are less than my horrible imaginings. My thought, of murder, is for now only fantastical but it unnerves me.

Banquo: Notice how deep in thought Macbeth seems.

Macbeth: If chance will have me as king, why then, chance may crown me without my intervention.

Banquo: New honours have been placed upon him and like new clothes it will take a while before they fit perfectly!

Macbeth: Come what come may.

Banquo: Worthy Macbeth, we are waiting for you.

Macbeth: Forgive my musing. My dull brain was engaged with things forgotten. Let us join the king.

Scene 4

At Duncan’s palace.

Duncan: Noble Macbeth, I am eager to express my thanks to you. You are so deserving of such thanks and reward that I and all Scotland are forever in your debt.

Macbeth: The service and the loyalty I owe pays itself. Your highness, I accept my obligation to you and to Scotland. I did what a loyal subject should do to express his love and honour to his king.

Duncan: I have now planted you, and will labour to make you bloom. Noble Banquo, you are no less deserving of praise. Let me infold you and hold you to my heart.

Banquo: And if there I grow, the harvest is your own.

Duncan: Princes, kinsmen and lords, note that I bestow upon Malcolm, my eldest son, the title Prince of Cumberland, and will succeed me on Scotland’s throne. Malcolm’s honour accompanies rewards to all who deserve royal praise. Now let us go to Inverness and Macbeth’s castle to celebrate our victory.

Macbeth: (to himself) Malcolm is heir to the throne! That is an obstacle that I must fall against or overcome to continue my path to the throne. Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires and conceal what my hand must do.

Scene 5

Macbeth’s castle. Lady Macbeth reads a letter.

Lady Macbeth: “I was eager to tell you this news, my love, so that you may join in my rejoicing. Lay it to your heart, and farewell.”

You are Lord of Glamis and Cawdor and shall be what the witches promised. Yet I fear your nature is too full of the milk of human kindness to take the quickest way to the throne. But you are not without ambition however, you fear to do what you must to become king. Hurry home so that I may twist your thinking with my sharp words towards the obstacles that stand between you and your crown.

Messenger: My lady, I have word that the king comes here tonight.

Lady Macbeth: Is your master not with the king?

Messenger: Yes my lady, Lord Macbeth is coming. A messenger brought the news in advance.

Lady Macbeth: Then we must prepare. (Messenger leaves)

And so, we shall play host to Duncan. Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, strip away all womanly qualities and fill me from head to toe with direst cruelty. Thicken my blood and halt the flow of regret, that no visits of conscience will distract me from my purpose. Come, dark night, and cover yourself in hellish fog so that my keen knife sees not the wound it makes.

Enter Macbeth.

Great Glamis and worthy Cawdor! You will be greater than both. Your letters have transported me beyond the present to a future that will soon be true.

Macbeth: My dearest love, Duncan comes here tonight.

Lady Macbeth: And when will he leave?

Macbeth: Tomorrow.

Lady Macbeth: Duncan shall never see the sun of tomorrow. Your face, my lord, is a book where men may read your intention. You must pass the time playing the host. Welcome the king with kind gestures and words and look like an innocent flower to conceal the serpent within. You must prepare for a royal visit, leave this night’s darker business with me.

Macbeth: We will talk more of this later.

Lady Macbeth: Go. Here comes the king now. I will greet his highness.

Exit Macbeth. Enter Duncan.

Duncan: Ah, see, our honoured hostess. I thank you for treating us to your hospitality.

Lady Macbeth: My service, even doubled and quadrupled, is far less than the honour you bestow by visiting our home. For former kindnesses and for the recent honours you have given Macbeth, we offer you our prayers.

Duncan: Where is the Lord of Cawdor? We followed him closely but his love for you has sped him home before us.

Lady Macbeth: He is busy making preparations.

Duncan: Give me your hand and take me to our host.

They exit

Scene 6

Enter Macbeth

Macbeth: If it were done when it is done, then it is best that it is done quickly. If the assassination can secure my destiny and bring me success, then this blow might be the be-all and end-all of my crimes. But I am both Duncan’s kinsman and subject. I am his host. I should protect him against his murderer not be the one to bear the knife. Besides, Duncan has been such a kind and virtuous ruler that all will mourn his death. I can think of no reason for continuing my plot other than my ambition for the throne.

Enter Lady Macbeth

How now! What news?

Lady Macbeth: He is finishing his meal. Why did you leave us?

Macbeth: We will proceed no further with this filthy business. He has honoured me and elevated my reputation. I must enjoy these rewards rather than cast them aside so soon.