Retold by Victoria Heward

Retold by Victoria Heward

Editors: Claudia F iocco , Rebecca Raynes
Design: Nadia Maestri
Layout: Simona Corniola
Illustrations: Fabio Visintin

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I

Contents
M a c b e t h /Shakespeare 5

Introduction to Drama/Cast list 6

‘

ACTS:
Act I.I 11
Act I.ff 16
Act I.iii 20
Act I.iv 31
Act IL i 43
Act II.il 51
Act II.iii 62
Act IIL i 74
Act I ll.ii 78
Act III.iii 81
Act IV.i 96
Act IV.ii 101
Act IV.iii 105
Act IV. iv 108
Act IV.v 111
 ACTING 10, 27, 91
SHAKESPEARE’S ENGLISH 14, 58

THE CO M PANY 8
PUTTING ON THE SH O W 18, 28, 34, 48, 59, 90, 104, 122
COSTUMES 50, 73

GLOSSARY OF DRAMATIC TERMS 127

GLOSSARY 128

Dossiers:
Scotland 37
Some Scottish History 40
Shakespeare 70

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT 36, 68, 95, 110, 121

LANGUAGE PLAY 30, 60

[] S ta g e d i r e c t io n s ( n o t re c o rd e d ).

(SPEAKy S h a k e s p e a re 's o r i g in a l w o r d s o r w o r d s v e r y s i m i l a r t o th o s e h e u s e d .

fa T h is s y m b o l in d ic a t e s t h e b e g in n in g o f a r e c o r d in g a n d t r a c k n u m b e r .
 Macbeth
to } The year is 1040. Scotland is a cold, dangerous and isolated
place. There are invasions from the Vikings of Norway and wars
with the English. There is also a new King, Macbeth.
M acbeth k ills the old King D uncan to becom e the S co ttish
monarch. This is a perfectly normal way to take the throne in
the eleventh century.
M acbeth really existed and you can find his name in history
books. But was he like the King in Shakespeare's famous play?

& } The year is 1605. England has a

new King: the Scottish King James
who is now also m o n arch of
England . S h ak esp eare liv e s in
London and is a very im portant
actor, director and writer for the
King. He wants to please his new
King and w rites a S co ttish play,
Macbeth.
Sh ak esp eare is E n gland 's m o st
famous writer and now, after four
hundred years, people still love to
go to the theatre to see his plays.
T h e 'F lo w e r ' p o r t r a it o f S h a ke sp e a re .
(Royal Shakespeare Theatre Collection, Stratford.]
 introduction to D u m a
In this book you will read the story of Macbeth, one of Shakespeare's
most famous heroes. M acbeth is not only a story but a play to be
acted in the theatre. When you read the script try to imagine real
people speaking and moving. Think of their voices, their movements
and their feelings. There are lots of actors, some of them are very
important and they must say a lot, like Macbeth or Lady Macbeth.
There are also parts for people who don't have a lot to say and also
people who act without speaking, like Macduff's family.

Cast List
Names of the Actors, in order of appearance

3 Witches

Duncan, King of Scotland

Malcolm, the King's son

Donalbain, the King's son

Messenger

Macbeth, The Thane of Glamis

 Banquo, a Scottish nobleman

Lady Macbeth, Macbeth's wife

Macduff, The Thane of Fife

2 Murderers

Fleance, Banquo's son

2 Attendants, servants of the King

Lady Macduff, Macduff's wife

Macduff's children

Doctor

Nurse

Angus, a Scottish nobleman

Lennox, a Scottish nobleman

Caithness, a Scottish nobleman

 The Company
In the th e a tre there are lots of different jobs to do.
 There are lots of special theatrical words used in this book which
you probably don’t know. W hen you see a word in bold letters go to
the Glossary o f D ram atic Terms on page 127 to find the meaning.
ACTING
Here are some ideas to help you become a great actor. This simple
exercise will help you get started. Remember to try your best, forg et
about being shy and ... HAVE FUN!

m m m

1 In a small group, take turns miming these situations:

Eat a banana, a sandwich, spaghetti,

rice with chopsticks, soup, popcorn.
Everybody in the group write two different things to eat on
small pieces of paper. Mix the pieces of paper together
and take one. Mime eating the food, and the others in
your group m ust guess what you are eating.

W h at is your favourite food? Try eating it in these

different ways.

a. You are extremely hungry.

b. You are extremely full and can’t eat any more.

In your group choose one of these situations to act out.

Practise for 5 minutes together and then show the
other people in your class.

a. Imagine you are in a re sta u ra n t and the w aiter brings

you the wrong food.
b. Imagine it is a chaotic family dinner time. M other is
cooking. Brother and sister are fighting, Father is
watching the television, eating and speaking on the
telephone at the same tim e... (Invent other situations]
Imagine you’re at a great feast or a
royal banquet. Servants bring you food
and you m ust eat with very good manners.

This time you can mime and speak, in English of course.

10
 ACT I
Scene i
A wild heath 1 near the battlefield.

The witches know that Macbeth will

pass by the heath when the battle is
finished and plan to meet each other
again at that time.
SHAKESPEARE’S ENGLISH

THE THREE WITCHES

‘Fair is foul and foul is fa ir’ = good is bad and bad is good.
The witches know there is som ething bad in the air.
The witches often use mysterious language (see: the spell3 on pages 96 and
97). It is not important to understand every word they say, but it is important
to feel the magical rhythm and atmosphere the language creates.

1 Listen to track A again and then in groups of three (like the three
witches) say the words together.

Be careful with ‘Hover through the fog’; the words are quite fast.
Remember to put your tongue between your teeth when you pronounce ‘th ’.
Try to keep your thre e voices together, nobody too fast and nobody
too slow.

2 There are lots of different ways of speaking.

Complete the sentences by choosing a word from the box. If you
don’t know the meaning of the words look them up in a dictionary.

shout whisper cackle laugh

a. W hen you don’t want other people to hear, you...

b. W hen you are angry, you...
c. W hen something is funny, you...
d. If you are a witch, you...

14
 Repeat
‘Fair is foul and foul is fair. Fair is foul and foul is fa ir’,
a. shout b. w hisper c. cackle d. laugh

3 Which words do you associate with witches? Circle the words in the
box.

beautiful m ysterious old bad funny

ugly happy dangerous interesting scary

4 In your group of three witches decide how to say the words.

Are you beautiful, m ysterious witches who w hisper or are you old,
scary witches who cackle?
Use your imagination and repeat the words three tim es. Practise for
five m inutes and try to create a supernatural atm osphere.

5 Now perform to the rest of the class.

W hen you listen to the other people in your class close your eyes and
imagine the cold, wild heath. Imagine the m is t4 and the three witches
dancing round th e ir cauldron. 5
W hich group were the best witches? Why?

15
 <©> Scene ii - The King's camp near the battlefield.

LOOK, FATHER,
SOMEONE’S COMING
HE’S COVERED IN
BLO O D. 1 '

A messenger arrives to tell the King how the battle is progressing.

He says that the S co ttish army is defeating 2 the Norwegian
Vikings thanks to M acbeth. Duncan decides to give M acbeth
another title to thank him for his good service and his bravery.

[K in g Duncan is with his sons and other attendants off stage.

They come out when they hear a tru m p e t sounding. I

YOUR MAJESTY,
I BRING YOU NEWS
FROM THE
BATTLEFIELD.

^ DON’T WORRY,
YOUR MAJESTY. MACBETH
HAS EVERYTHING UNDER
CONTROL. THE BATTLE WILL
SOON BE FINISHED.
W ELL MAN,
ARE WE WINNING?
 MACBETH IS A
VERY BRAVE CAPTAIN,
I’M SURE WE W ILL DEFEAT
THE VIKINGS THANKS TO HIM
I W ILL GIVE HIM THE TITLE
T H A N E OF CAW DOR’

[ i h e m essenger exits and the others go back inside the camp.

17
 Putting on the Show
Act I Scene ii

1 B a c k s ta g e . T his is th e space behind th e s ta g e w h ich th e

audience never see.
The actors who are waiting to go on stage m ust stay very quiet
behind th e wings. This is im p o rta n t fo r tw o re a so n s.
Firstly, they m ust listen to the o ther a ctors to know
when it’s the rig h t m om ent to enter. Secondly, they
m ust stay silent so the audience can hear all
the words the actors are saying.
2 Use all the stage. Duncan, his sons and another attendant stand
at the fro n t of the stage on the right. There is lots of space in
the middle fo r the m essenger to enter and the audience can see
everything very well.

3 Make-up. The m essenger comes from a very violent battle and he

is probably covered in blood. Use special make up, face paint or
red lip s tic k to re p re s e n t th e blood on his fa ce , hands and
clothes.

4 Sound Effects. During this scene you could use a cassette with
sounds of a battle. The volume m ust stay very low because if not,
the audience will not hear the actors.

5 The Auditorium. This is the place where the audience sit. It’s
im portant th a t everybody can see everything on the stage.

Sound and Light Technicians’ N otes

Think of the different ways you can create sound effects.

1 Use classical or modern music CDs.

2 Use musical instrum ents or other objects to make sounds in the
wings.
3 Before the show, record the sounds you need on a tape or CD.
You could record a scream , a door opening, lots of people eating
and talking etc. Use film s, friends, objects... and especially your
imagination.
4 Use specially made sound effects collections on CD or
cassette. You can usually get these from libraries.

19
 WELL, BANQUO, NOT AT ALL,
ANOTHER DAY FINISHED. BUT I’LL BE HAPPY TO
WE DIDN’T DO BADLY, GET HOME. WHAT
DID WE? ABOUT YOU?

lo t Scene iii - A wild heath near the battlefield.

M acbeth and another captain, his friend
Banquo, are retu rn in g from the b a ttle .
Suddenly they see three strange women
dancing around a cauldron: the three witches.
When they see M acbeth and Banquo, the
WAIT A MINUTE,
BANQUO, LOOK OVER witches stop dancing and greet them. Their
THERE. WHO ARE THOSE
THREE HORRENDOUS greeting is very strange and the two captains
OLD WOMEN?
are confused by what they hear.
The witches are dancing round their cauldron but stop when they
hear Macbeth and Banquo approaching. There is the sound of a drum
 HAIL, 2 MACBETH,
T H A N E 3 OF GLAMIS

HAIL, MACBETH,
THANE OF CAWDOR

HAIL, MACBETH WHO

WILL BE KING ONE DAY.

ARE THEY TALKING TO ME?

I’M THE THANE OF GLAMIS
IT’S TRUE, BUT I’M NOT THE
THANE OF CAWDOR, AND I’M
CERTAINLY NOT THE KING!

IT’S STRANGE, THEY

SEEM TO KNOW YOU.
 BANQUO,
YOU WILL BE HAPPIER
THAN MACBETH BUT
LESS HAPPY.

YOUR SONS
WILL BE KINGS BUT
YOU WILL NOT.

HAIL, BANQUO
AND MACBETH. HAIL, MACBETH
AND BANQUO.

The witches disappear

 THEY SAID
YOUR SONS WILL THEY SAID
BE KINGS. YOU WILL BE
KING.

THEY CALLED ME
BY THREE NAMES. I AM
THE THANE OF GLAMIS,
NOT CAWDOR AND
NOT KING.
 The m essenger arrives. He te lls M acbeth about the King's
decision to make him Thane of Cawdor. M acbeth is now very
surprised as the witches told him the same thing... and more.
He decides to write a letter to his wife, Lady Macbeth, and tell
her of the strange witches and their prophecy.

GREETINGS
FROM THE KING. MACBETH HIS MAJESTY,
I HAVE SOME GOOD KING DUNCAN OF
NEWS FOR YOU. SCOTLAND, HONOURS YOU
WITH THE TITLE THANE OF
CAWDOR FOR YOUR
BRAVERY IN BATTLE.

I SAID THAT
WHAT??
HIS MAJESTY.

WHAT??
YES, WE HEARD
YOU THE FIRST TIME, BUT
ARE YOU SURE HE SAID
THANE OF CAWDOR?

OF COURSE I’M SURE

ACTING

Macbeth says ‘W ho are those

three horrendous old wom en?’

1 a. Is he angry, happy, afraid

or surprised?

b. Say the sentence like

Macbeth says it.

2 Now say the sentence with a different voice.

a. angry b. happy c. nervous

d. sad e. surprised f. afraid

3 Invent a story.
Use your imagination: you can w rite an adventure story, a horror
story, a funny story ...

a. W o rk in groups of four or five. Choose one of the adjectives above

and invent a small story: fo r example a story about some people
who are afraid or angry.
b. W ith your group talk about the story in your language and then
w rite a dialogue in English.
c. W hen all the groups have finished, act the stories fo r the re st of
the class.

Remember If there are 5 people in your group there m ust be five

people in your story. Decide who you are, where you are
and why you are angry or afraid etc.

27
 Putting on the Show

1 The wings. This is the part of the stage which hides actors
when they are waiting. You can make these from two pieces of
c a rd b o a rd or th in wood. They m u st be ta lle r than the
ta lle s t a c to r and folded at the c o rn e r to help them
stand up. A c to rs who are not in th is scene are
waiting behind the wings, with props and the
prompt.
 The Scenery. This is used to re p re s e n t the place w here the
actors are. In this case they are in the Scottish countryside. You
can make the scenery from painted cardboard, supported from
behind. You can easily move it and hide it behind the wings when
the scene changes.

Special Effects. You can create atm osphere with shadows of the
witches on the wall. Hide lights or torches behind the bushes 4
and d ir e c t th e m up to w a rd s th e w itc h e s . T his is th e lig h t
technician’s job.

Macbeth and Banquo’s entrance. It’s a good idea to create a

space in the middle of the auditorium which the actors can use
as an alternative entrance. The perform ance is m ore interesting
and dram atic fo r the audience if there is a lot of movement and
surprise.

The Sound Technician. The sound te c h n icia n m u st stay in a

position where he or she can see all of the actors. It’s im portant
to use the sound effects at precisely the right moment.
Play some dram atic classical music before the witches arrive.
Use musical instrum ents like a drum or a cymbal 5 to represent a
storm or use a recording of thunder and lightning. 6

Special hint. Record the witches speaking and use the recording at
the same tim e as they speak on' stage to create a strange echo
effect.
LANGUAGE PLAY

LETTER TO LADY MACBETH

1 Macbeth writes a letter to his wife to tell her about the witches.
To complete his letter:
a. choose the best alternative in brackets ().
b. choose a verb from the box below and put it into the past
tense (one is in the negative form!).
c. unscramble the words in capitals.

happen be see think speak arrive

understand say disappear say

My Dear W ife,
a. I have some interesting news fo r you. I [m u s t/w a n t/n o t) tell you
of something strange which ........................... today.
b. A fte r a day of battle, I ............................ [to /o n /in ) the heath with
Banquo and we suddenly ........................... thre e strange women.
c. T h e y ............................ to me firs t and called me by three different
MENAS. The firs t woman used my real name, Thane of Glamis.
d. The CENDOS woman called me Thane of Cawdor and we
............................ this was very strange because I’m not Thane of
Cawdor.
e. [B e c a u s e /B y /B u t) then the third woman ..........................
'Hail M acbeth who will be King one day.’
f. Then these women spoke to Banquo. They said his LENDRICH will
be kings.
g. They said ( he/lyou)will be happier than me but not so happy.
It was very confusing and we .............................
h. The women ............................ but then a SEMEGRENS from King
Duncan .............................
i. He told me the King wants to IVEG me the title Thane of Cawdor,
exactly like the three old women .............................
j. I’m sure the women were SHWETIC who ( ] the
future. Do you understand, my love?
k. This means th a t one day I will be GINK of Scotland.
 <©► Scene iv
SO, YOU ARE THE
THANE OF GLAMIS AND M acbeth’s castle. (The same day)
NOW YOU ARE THE
THANE OF CAWDOR
TOO ... Lady Macbeth waits for her husband
to retu rn. She is very am bitious
and impatient.
She reads Macbeth's letter,
b e lie v e s th e w itc h e s '
p ro p h ecy and w an ts
h er h u sb an d to be kin g
im m ediately. She starts to
form a plan.
... EXACTLY LIKE THE THREE
STRANGE SISTERS PROMISED ...
BUT IT’S IMPOSSIBLE, SCOTLAND Jl_ady Macbeth is alone.
HAS A KING ... WE C A N T W AIT FOR HIM
TO DIE ... WE MUST DO SOMETHING ... She has M acbeth’s le tte r
THE WITCHES WERE RIGHT, YOU WILL
BE KING, MACBETH ... AND YOU in her h a n d .]
WILL BE KING SOON.
 When Macbeth gets home she tells him her plan:
to kill King Duncan and get the throne quicker.
Macbeth is not convinced but his wife continues to
DID YOU READ persuade him. He tells her that the King and his
MY LETTER?
DO YOU KNOW WHAT two sons, Donalbain and Malcolm, will be guests 1
HAPPENED?
in their castle that night.

^ a c b e th arrives home. His wife is waiting fo r him.,

YES, I READ
( YOUR LETTER. WE MUST )
V MOVE QUICKLY. J

WHAT DO
YOU MEAN ‘MOVE
QUICKLY’?

^ IF YOU W ANT TO BE
KING WE MUST KILL DUNCAN
TO GET THE THRONE. >
 YOU ARE ~ IT’S THE ONLY WAY.
MAD, WOMAN! IF NOT YOU MUST WAIT FOR
WE C A N T KILL TEN OR PERHAPS TWENTY
THE KING. YEARS FOR THE KING
w TO DIE.

WELL!
W HAT’S THE PROBLEM?
ARE YOU AFRAID?
MY HUSBAND, ARE YOU
A MAN OR A MOUSE?
M acbeth is silent.
IF YOU WANT
TO BE KING WE MUST
He’s thinking, but finally speaks
KILL DUNCAN TO GET His voice is cold and seriou s.]
THE THRONE.

MY DEAREST LOVE
DUNCAN COMES
HERE TONIGHT.

AND WHEN WILL HE GO?

HE W ILL NEVER SEE
TOM O RROW ’S SUN. LEAVE
TOMORROW. ALL THE REST TO ME.
 Putting on the Show
Act I Scene iv
 The Scenery. Make two big windows from
painted cardboard. Put some blue Velcro®
behind them and also on the wings.
If th e wings are also blue th e audience
will not see the V elcro® . Every tim e you
w a n t to r e p r e s e n t th e c a s tle , p u t th e
windows on the walls.

The Wings. Put the trees and other

scenery behind the wings.
Move the wings diagonally to look like
walls in a castle.

Special Effects. Use a powerful torch to

light Lady Macbeth. In the th e a tre this
light is called a spotlight.

If your teacher agrees, use real candles but if not,

use gold or yellow paper to make the flames.

A t the beginning of this scene Lady M acbeth reads the le tte r in

silence. W hen she has finished she needs some tim e to
th in k and ma k e her pl an. The a u d ie n c e must
understand her thoughts from the expression on
her face. Is she surprised, happy, angry?
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

1 Who ...?
Answer the following questions.

a. W ho wants to m eet M acbeth?

b. W ho arrives from the battle?
c. W ho is fighting against Scotland?
d. W ho is Banquo?
e. W ho is the Thane of Glamis?
f. W ho is the Thane of Cawdor?
g. W ho is King?
h. W ho will be King?
i. And who will be King in the future?
j. W ho will be happiest M acbeth or Banquo?

2 Do you remember:
a. Who is speaking?
b. Who is listening?
W rite the name under these quotations.

a. 'W e will m eet M acbeth.’

b. ‘Macbeth is a very brave captain.’

c. They said you will be King.’

d. ‘I m ust w rite to tell my wife w hat happened.’

e. ‘...we m ust kill Duncan to get the th ro n e .’

36
 Scotland
<©* Scotland is one of the four countries that form the United
Kingdom. Do you know the others? Find them on the map.

37
What words do you associate with Scotland? Try to think of the
words in English. If you don't know the words in English find them
in your dictionary.

Macbeth: (thinking) Ghost ... Lake ... Mountain ...

Here are some Scottish words.

1. Loch Ness monster 2. kilt

3. haggis 4. heath
5. bagpipes 6. Hogmanay

1 Connect the words with a definition.

a. O This festival is celebrated at New Year.

b. O This traditional food is made from the intestines of pigs or
sheep.
c. HH Areas of uncultivated land that are usually covered
with pink flowers called heather.
d. O This musical instrument gives a typical Scottish sound.
e. O Lots of people go to a lake in Scotland to look for this creature.
f. O This is a traditional costume for Scottish men,
made from tartan cloth.

38
 Argyll, Scotland.

Did y

Lots of surnames in
Scotland start with Mac
(like Macbeth and
Macduff). In Scottish 'Mac'
is used to indicate the son
of someone. In English
Johnson or Richardson
means, 'the son of John' or
'the son of Richard'.
Is there a similar surname
in your language?
Typical Scottish dress.

In the past each family group was distinguished by its particular

tartan. Tartan is the pattern found on traditional Scottish cloth.
Only members of the same family could wear the same tartan.
The family group was called a clan.
a Some Scottish History
Hodmms wall
In around AD 122 the Roman Emperor Hadrian started to build a
wall. The wall marked the northern border of the Roman Empire.
The wall was 73 miles (117 km) long. It also marked the traditional
division between England and Scotland, but this border caused
problems and fighting for hundreds of years. The English Kings
wanted to take Scottish territory and obviously the Scots wanted
to defend it.

Hadrian’s Wall.

wrfkm mlkce
William Wallace is a very famous Scottish hero who organised the
common people to fight and defeat English soldiers in the
thirteenth century. You can see his story in the film B rave H eart.
William Wallace was finally executed ('hung, drawn and quartered' *)
by King Edward in London in 1305.

40
 K m i Jrnes VI Scotland

esI
(jm

Another famous Scotsman is King

James VI. He became King of
Scotland when his mother, Mary
Queen of Scots, died and he was
only thirteen months old. In
England, at the same time,
Elizabeth I was Queen, but when
she died in 1603 she had no
children or brothers or sisters to
succeed2 her. The English asked
James to be King of England too
and he became the first monarch to
govern England, Scotland and
James VI of Scotland and
Ireland at the same time. He called
I of England and Ireland (1566-1625). this kingdom 'Great Britain'.
Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh,
King James was King of England
Scotland/Bridgeman Art Library.
when Shakespeare wrote M acb eth
(around 1605). He loved the theatre and some people think that
Shakespeare wrote a Scottish play to please his new King.

1 W rite the answers to these questions.

a. W h a t did Hadrian do?

b. W h a t is the film Brave H e art about?
c. W ho was M ary Queen of Scots?
d. W hy did James become King of England?
e. W hen did Shakespeare w rite ?

41
And new

Lots of British and foreign tourists love the natural beauty of

Scotland: its lakes, mountains and mists. The weather is not
always good but the scenery is
spectacular. Scotland is also
famous for its castles and, some
people say, its ghosts!
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland
and every summer the streets are
full of actors, musicians, singers
and dancers during the Edinburgh
Festival. Street performers.

The Edinburgh Tattoo: the military tattoo was first performed in 1950
and is still a popular event of the Festival.

42
 ACT II
i mm
{q } Scene i - M acbeth’s Castle. (The next day)

T he King and his sons arrive and there are grand Wpp
festivities to celebrate their arrival.
iMmmM

i f /f/J
'
w
B*

If
741
11

YOUR MAJESTY,
WELCOME TO OUR
THE PLEASURE IS ALL
H U M B LE 1 HOME.
MINE, MY DEAR MACBETH.
IT IS MY HONOUR TO BE
GUEST IN THE HOUSE OF A
F A ITH FU L2 SUBJECT.

The sound of trum pets announces the

arrival of King Duncan, his two sons,
Banquo, Macduff, the Thane of Fife and
other attendants. The King is
very happy to visit Macbeth
in his castle.]
 YOU DON’T KNOW HOW ^ COME, THE BANQUET
HAPPY WE ARE THAT YOU AND IS READY, LET’S EAT AND
YOUR SONS DECIDED TO STAY DRINK TOGETHER.
WITH US THIS EVENING.

YOUR HOSPITALITY
IS GREAT, MACBETH.
I THANK YOU AGAIN.
 THE BANQUET
y, LET’S EAT AND
KTOGETHER.

They all go into the great hall where a

wonderful banquet is waiting fo r
them . M acduff and Banquo are the
last to enter. I

I DON’T KNOW,
MACDUFF. TH ER E’S
SOMETHING STRANGE
IN ALL THIS. W HAT DO YOU MEAN
GOOD BANQUO?

IT’S A LONG STORY.

WE MET SOME W ITCHES
AND THEY TOLD US ...
In the great hall there
is much singing,
^ I’M TIRED.
dancing and eating SORRY TO LEAVE THE
PARTY BUT I MUST SLEEP.
Finally the King GOOD NIGHT EVERYONE.

stands up and says

goodnight to everyone.
The others follow.

GOOD NIGHT,
YOUR MAJESTY.
 Putting on the Show
Act II Scene i
1 Behind the wings. The tables and chairs to make the banquet
are prepared and stay behind the wings.

2 Props. Use coloured m aterial to cover simple

classroom chairs. Red is the best colour.

Props. Use white or red m aterial to cover two

tables. Put fru it and gold plates on the table.
Use gold spray on plastic plates or plant pots to
make a very special banquet fo r the King.

Sound E ffe c ts . Use a c a s s e tte o r CD of

medieval music fo r one or two m inutes while
the other students prepare the stage fo r the
banquet. W hen the stage is ready and the
King arrives, use the sound of a trum pet.

5 Props. Make a tru m p e t made from cardboard and use it when

the King arrives. Use gold spray and some red and gold m aterial
to make a special medieval trum pet.
 Costumes
It’s a good idea if all the cast dress in dark
jeans or tights and a dark coloured jum per

1 How to make a basic tunic.

Sew the two

pieces together
Decorate the
at the shoulders
fro n t piece if
you want.

Use ribbon or cord

to fix the two
pieces together.

2 Make the tunic

Use a long piece
longer fo r the king.
of red m aterial
to make a cloak.

50
 ^0^ Scene ii - Macbeth's castle. (Later that night)

When everyone is asleep, M acbeth, encouraged by his wife,

goes into King Duncan's bedroom and kills him with a dagger.1
He is very afraid and starts to imagine things.
 BUT W HAT W ILL I DO IF HE WAKES UP?
THEY W O N T HEAR YOU.
I PUT A SPECIAL SLEEPING
POWDER IN THEIR WINE.
THEY W ILL SLEEP LIKE YOU MUST BE QUICK.
BABIES UNTIL TOMORROW HE W O N T WAKE UP.
MORNING.

YES... I’LL GO AND

DO IT NOW THEN...
YES BUT W HAT...?

GO, NOW!!

WHEN YOU RETURN

GIVE THE DAGGER
TO ME.
 WHAT IF WE FAIL?

r |F YOU ARE
COURAGEOUS WE WILL
NOT FAIL. NOW GO.

["They look at each other fo r the last

tim e and Lady Macbeth goes out. Jj
He trie s to take the
imaginary dagger but his
hand takes only air,
the dagger doesn’t exist.

IS THIS A DAGGER WHICH I

I C A N T TAKE YOU BUT SEE BEFORE ME? THE HANDL
I CAN SEE YOU. ARE YOU TOWARD MY HAND. COME,
A DAGGER OF THE MIND? . LET ME CLUTCH TH EE.2
A FALSE CREATION?
[ a bell 3 sounds midnight. M acbeth runs
out and the stage is empty. An owl 4 cries.
Thunder strikes and then there is s ile n c e .]

I’LL GO NOW AND DO IT.

THE BELL INVITES ME. HEAR IT
NOT, DUNCAN FOR IT IS THE BELL
THAT CALLS YOU TO HEAVEN
OR TO HELL.

\
 ^M acbeth runs back onto the stage with a bloody dagger in his hand.

HE’S DEAD ...

DID YOU HEAR
I KILLED THE KING
THAT NOISE?

GOOD
WHAT ...?

DID YOU SPEAK?

 NO I DIDN’T. NOW
GIVE ME THE DAGGER.
I’LL LEAVE IT NEAR THE SLEEPING
GUARDS AND PUT BLOOD ON THEIR
FACES. EVERYONE WILL THINK
THEY KILLED HIM.

I HEARD
THAT NOISE AGAIN
SOMEONE IS HERE

NO O NE’S HERE,
MACBETH. IT’S ALL IN
YOUR IMAGINATION.

I DID A
TERRIBLE THING
HOW CAN I ...?

STOP THIS
NONSENSE NOW. LET’S
GO TO SLEEP BEFORE
SOMEONE SEES US.

They both leave the stage

SHAKESPEARE’S ENGLISH

IS THIS A DAGGER?
Macbeth:

a. Is this a dagger which I see

before me? The handle tow ard
my hand.
b. Come, let me clutch thee. I
can’t take you but I can see
you.
c. Are you a dagger of the mind?
A false creation?
d. I'll go now and do it. The bell
calls me.
e. Hear it not, Duncan fo r it is
the bell ...
f. ... th a t calls you to Heaven or
to Hell.

1 The words in blue are Shakespeare’s original words and the others
are very sim ilar to the words th a t Shakespeare used.
W ith a partner and a dictionary, try to understand what Macbeth
says.
First translate each line into your language and then w rite your own
simplified version in English.

a ............................................................................................................................
b............................................................................................................................
c............................................................................................................................
d............................................................................................................................
e........................................................................................ ....................................
f .............................................................................................................................

2 Compare your version and Shakespeare’s version. Are they similar?

Which do you prefer?

58
 Putting on the Show
Act II Scene ii

MAKE A DAGGER
Use a piece of aluminium or a baking tray. Cut the shape of a dagger
and with a torch create a 'dagger of the m ind’ to use in Act II Scene 2.
Use tra n sp a re n t coloured paper to cover the dagger for a special
effect.

< S D
TRANSPARENT
COLOURED PAPER
LANGUAGE PLAY

CHARACTER STUDY OF MACBETH AND LADY MACBETH

^ T o compare two different objects or people we use a comparative

adjective.

If the adjective is short (with one syllable) we add -er afte r the base
adjective.
For example: OLD-OLDER. Duncan is o ld e r than Macbeth.

If the adjective finishes with a ‘y’ we take away the ‘y’ and add -ier after
the base adjective.
For example: HAPPY-HAPPIER. Banquo will be h ap pie r than Macbeth.

If the adjective is long (with m ore than one syllable) we add more
before the adjective.
For example: BEAUTIFUL-MORE BEAUTIFUL. Lady M acbeth is
m ore b e a u tifu l than the witches.

Be careful there are three irregular adjectives: good, bad and far.
y^Do you know how to form the com paratives? j

1a Use your dictionary to understand all of these adjectives and write

the comparative form.

bad............................................... courageous
cruel determined
happy ............................. im patient
intelligent more intelligent... |oya|
mad powerful
relaxed ............................. scared
serious ............................. strong
unsure ............................. worried

1b Which adjectives fit Macbeth and Lady Macbeth best?

1c Which adjectives don’t fit either of them?

60
2 W rite questions to compare Lady Macbeth and Macbeth and then
w rite the answer.

a. W ho is tall? ....................................................................
Macbeth j.5. ta lle r than .Lady .Macbeth,.................................................
b. W ho is am bitious? ...................................................................................

c. W ho is brave?

d. W ho is nervous?

e. W ho is powerful?

f. W ho is happy?

3 Look again at Act I Scene iv (when Macbeth returns home to his

castle) and Act II Scene ii [when Macbeth kills the King) and
underline the. part which made you decide.

r WELL HUSBAND, ^
THEY'RE ALL SLEEPING. DEAREST,
HERE’S THE DAGGER. I’M NOT SURE IT’S
ARE YOU READY? / A GOOD IDEA.
{©> Scene iii - M acbeth’s castle.
(The m orning after)

The next day the crime is

discovered. Donalbain and
Malcolm, the King's sons, are
afraid and they run away.
Malcolm goes to England and
Donalbain to Ireland. Everyone
thinks that they are gu ilty .1
Macbeth is crowned King.

[we hear the sound of a c o c k 2

crowing and then someone
ringing a bell loudly. A voice off
stage scream s. I
 Malcolm and Donalbain enter, followed by Macduff

WHO DID THIS r he w a s ^

TERRIBLE THING TO A GOOD KING.
l OUR FATHER? EVERYBODY LOVED HIM.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY
SOMEONE WANTED
V TO KILL HIM.

LISTEN BROTHER,
I AM AFRAID. THE PERSON
WHO DID THIS W ILL NOT
V STOP NOW. v

DO YOU THINK HE
WILL KILL US TOO?

IT’S POSSIBLE.
MACDUFF WHAT
DO YOU THINK?
 YOU’RE RIGHT, AND
I DON’T WANT TO RISK
I DON’T KNOW. LIFE. LET’S ESCAPE Nfl
I DON’T UNDERSTAND I’LL GO TO ENGLAND
W HAT IS HAPPENING IN
THIS CASTLE BUT
I DON’T LIKE IT.

AND I’LL GO TO IRELAND

WE WILL BE SAFE THERE

GOODBYE
AND GOOD LUCK,
MY FRIENDS.
stage in one direction and in the
other Macbeth, Lady Macbeth,
Banquo and others a rrive .]
 I’M SURE YOU ARE
WRONG MY LADY. DUNCAN
HAD TWO GOOD SONS WHO
LOVED HIM.

AND SO OBVIOUS
YOU WILL BECOA
KING, MACBETH. >
WERE DUNCAN’
FAVOURITE CAPT
YOU MUST BE 01
CHOICE TOO.

YES, MACBETH
MUST BE KING.
 £ • '/ . , r
His thoughts are interrupted
// mm/‘S as the people happily proclaim
M acbeth the new King of
Scotland. There is much
cheering and cla p p in g .]

LONG LIVE THE KING!

LONG LIVE THE KING!

'Hk1 ■ /J tlp m
m j gmm LONG LIVE THE KING!

( M
4 g 4^P
■ M
'V / i y
! i l LONG LIVE THE KING! Vk
‘4 / h U B
mm
*
m
*k Jf
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

Tick 0 the best answer; a, b or c.

1. Lady M acbeth is happy to have Duncan as guest in the castle

because
a. 0 she thinks he’s a good King
b. 0 she wants the opportunity to kill him
c. 0 she wants to give him a gooddinner

2. A banquet is
a. 0 Banquo’s son
b. 0 a grand dinner
c. □ a chair

3. Banquo tells M acduff to

a. 0 watch M acbeth’s movements carefully
b. 0 drink some wine
c. 0 tell a long story

4. W hen he is tired, King Duncan

a. 0 goes home
b. 0 decides to go to aparty
c. 0 sleeps in a bedroom in M acbeth’s castle

5. Macbeth thinks his w ife’s idea is

a. 0 excellent
b. 0 stupid
c. 0 risky

68
 6 . Lady Macbeth says
a. Q the guards are dead
b. Q the guards are babies
c. Q the guards are sleeping

7. A fte r killing the King, Macbeth is

a. Q sorry and afraid
b. □ happy because now he will become King
c. O tired and wants to go to sleep

8 . The next day, Malcolm and Donalbain

a. O go to two different places
b. O understand everything
c. O think M acduff killed th e ir father

9. M acbeth says
a. O Malcolm and Donalbain were good sons
b. Q Malcolm and Donalbain killed the King
c. Q Malcolm and Donalbain m ust return to Scotland

1 0. W hen M acbeth is crowned King

a- □ everybody is happy
b. □ nobody is happy
c. □ some people are happy
 Shakespeare 1564-1616
Here are some facts about Shakespeare’s life. Put them into the
c o rre ct order.

a. 0 He died on 23 April 1 6 1 6 in S tratford MR. WILLIAM

upon Avon. SHAKESPEARES
COM EDIES,
b. 0 He was born on 23 April 1 5 6 4 during h is t o r ie s , &
t r a g e d ie s .
Publifhcd according to theTme Original! Copies.
the plague. (His two young sisters died
before he was born.)
c. 0 W hen he was 22 he left his wife and
his family to go to London and work
as an actor.
d. 0 He studied Latin and Greek at school.
e. 0 In 1 5 8 6 he already had three children.
f. 0 He returned to S tratford in 1611 as a
very rich man and retired in luxury. L O N D O N
Printed by Ifaac Iafgard, and Ed. Blount 1623.

g. 0 W hen he was eighteen he m arried Anne

Hathaway who was eight years older than him.
h. 0 He left school when he was 15 and didn’t go to university.
i. 0 His firs t play was published when he was 30.

Stratford-upon-Avon. The house where Shakespeare was born.

 EntejMment in Shakespeare's tjme

In Shakespeare's time there was obviously no television, no

newspapers, no radio or CDs. Everybody went to the theatre: young
and old, rich and poor. London was a great centre for theatre and
culture and all the most famous actors went to work there, similar
to Hollywood today. Shakespeare was one of the best actors,
directors, and writers of the time. He was very famous.

now..,
2 Fill in the table.
1A
English Speaking C ountry Your C ountry
play Macbeth
newspaper The Times
novel
poem
magazine
film
J

3 Do a survey. Ask your friends these questions.

a. W h a t is your favourite film? W hy do you like it?

b. Do you prefer listening to music, reading, or watching a film? Why?
c. W ho is the m ost famous a ctor in your country?
d. Do you often go to the theatre? W h y /W h y not?
e. A part from Macbeth, do you know the title s of any other plays
by Shakespeare?

Did you how?

Most people thought acting was a very bad profession for women
and so there were no actresses. All of the women in Shakespeare's
plays were acted by young boys! Imagine boys wearing women's
clothes and acting the parts of Lady Macbeth, Cleopatra or Juliet!
At first there were no tickets to see a performance. People passed a
box round the auditorium and if people liked the show they put
some money in it, but if the play wasn't very good nobody gave
anything! (Shakespeare was very lucky because when he was at the
beginning of his career, theatres decided to sell tickets and so he
made a lot of money.)
The most famous Shakespearian theatre, T he G lo b e, was an
octagonal building, but it was similar to a stadium and had no roof.
If it rained the people in the middle got wet. These were the
poorest people who only paid one penny to watch the show.
They were called 'groundlings' because they sat
on the ground. Those who paid more money
had a cushion or a sto o l1 to sit on.
 Costumes
Lady M acbeth has a long tunic like the King.
Her jum per is a sim ilar colour to the tunic.

1 Make medieval sleeves.

Sew a piece of triangu lar

m aterial to the sleeves.

2 Make King Duncan an old man.

f \
Use talcum powder to
give him white hair.
 ifl&i Scene i - Castle.

Macbeth is now
King of Scotland but
Banquo remembers
the witches'
prophecy and
suspects the truth.
Macbeth is also
worried because he
remembers what the
NOW MACBETH HAS
witches said to EVERYTHING. HE’S THANE OF
GLAMIS, THANE OF CAWDOR ANI
Banquo. He hires 1 KING, EXACTLY LIKE THE THREE
W ITCHES SAID. AND WHAT
murderers to kill ABOUT ME?

Banquo and his son

Fleance.

THEY SAID THAT

MY SONS WILL BE KINGS.
I HAVE A SON, FLEANCE.
WILL HE BE KING?
[hlis thoughts are interrupted because
Macbeth arrives. Banquo bows. 2J
GOOD MORNING
YOUR MAJESTY.

GOOD MORNING, BANQUO.

HOW ARE YOU? IT’S A BEAUTIFUL
DAY... WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS?

I THINK I’LL GO YES, YOUR MAJESTY.

HUNTING IN THE FOREST, HE’S YOUNG BUT HE WANTS
YOUR MAJESTY. v TO LEARN.

AH YES, GOOD IDEA... WELL, HAPPY HUNTING

AND WHAT ABOUT YOUR SON SEE YOU THIS EVENING
FLEANCE? WILL YOU TAKE AT DINNER.
v HIM WITH YOU? ^
V

[ Banquo leaves the stage. Macbeth is alone

but he snaps his fingers and two men arrive

DID YOU HEAR HIM?

HE SAID THAT HE AND THE BOY
FLEANCE ARE GOING HUNTING
IN THE FOREST. FOLLOW THEM
AND KILL THEM. DO YOU YES, YOUR MAJESTY.
UNDERSTAND?

YES, YOUR MAJESTY

 AND DON’T RETURN UNTIL YES, YOUR MAJESTY
THEY ARE BOTH DEAD. BANQUO
IS A BAD MAN, AN ENEMY OF
THE KING. HE MUST DIE.

YES, YOUR MAJESTY

The m urderers leave and M acbeth

is alone again. He speaks to himself

I’M SORRY FOR

BANQUO
BUT THE WITCHES
SAID HIS SONS
W ILL BE KINGS
AND I CAN
RISK NOTHING.
 Scene ii - In the forest.

The murderers follow Banquo and kill him

brutally. Fleance escapes.

["The two m urderers arrive in the fo re st and spy

on Banquo and F leance.]

FATHER, I’M TIRED

ALRIGHT,
LET’S REST NOW

WE CAN SIT
UNDER THIS TREE AND
EAT OUR LUNCH.

GOOD IDEA, SON

 ■-
[Banquo and Fleance stop walking
because they hear a noise. I

RIGHT, THERE
THEY ARE. ^ YOU TAKE
BANQUO AND I’LL TAKE
. THE BOY.

NO I’LL TAKE THE BOY

YOU TAKE BANQUO.

FATHER, DID YOU

HEAR A NOISE?

YES SON, I HEARD

A NOISE AND I HAVE AN
IDEA WHO IT IS.
 Scene iii - The Castle. (Later the same day)

During the grand banquet dinner the ghost of Banquo appears,

covered in blood and knife wounds. Only Macbeth can see him
and he is terrified. Nobody understands why Macbeth is acting
strangely or who he is talking to. His wife guesses and tries
to calm the situation. Macduff sees this strange scene and
starts to become suspicious. He goes to England to persuade
Malcolm to return and fight Macbeth.

[T h e m urderers are explaining

the problem to M acbeth.
He is not happy. ]

W HAT DO YOU MEAN

‘FLEANCE ESCAPED’?

HE RAN AWAY,
YOUR MAJESTY. I TOOK
BANQUO AND ...
NO, YOUR MAJESTY,
I TOOK BANQUO AND
CUT HIS T H R O A T '
TW ENTY TIMES.

I CUT HIS THROAT!

NOT YOU.
 GET OUT, BOTH
OF YOU!

COME, HUSBAND.
["The two men go away and FORGET FLEANCE
Lady Macbeth arrives. I FOR THIS EVENING
DINNER’S READY.

["They go into the great

hall where the dinner
and the court are waiting
for them. Macbeth sees
all the seats are occupied.
 mmmmm
W F PLEASE,
■ YOUR MAJESTY, SIT DOWN
DINNER’S READY.

Lady M acbeth indicates a place

at the table but it is not free.1

BUT THERE IS NO
PLACE FOR ME. HERE’S YOUR
PLACE, MY DEAR
["The ghost of Banquo, covered in blood and cuts on his face and
neck, is sitting in M acbeth’s place. To the others the ghost is
invisible. M acbeth is shocked and then angry. I

w h o is
RESPONSIBLE
FOR THIS?

FOR WHAT,
YOUR MAJESTY?

FOR THIS!
 ■
II

WHO ARE YOU?

WHERE DO YOU COME
FROM? WHAT DO YOU
WANT FROM ME?

HE’S TALKING
TO THE CHAIR.
NOBODY’S THERE

["The others look at each other in surprise. They

MY HUSBAND
don’t understand why Macbeth is so angry. But IS NOT WELL.
then Macbeth understands it is a ghost and not YOU MUST EXCUSE HIM.

a trick. He starts to be a fra id .]

[hie leaves the
room. M acduff
understands
th a t something
strange is in
the air. 1

I DON’T TRUST MACBETH.

BANQUO WAS RIGHT. I’LL GO TO
ENGLAND AND TELL MALCOLM W HAT IS
HAPPENING. PERHAPS I CAN CONVINCE
HIM TO RETURN TO SCOTLAND AND
FIGHT MACBETH FOR
THE THRONE. ^
Macduff leaves the stage
but he doesn’t know th a t
Lady M acbeth heard
everything he said. I

SO, MACDUFF IS
GOING TO ENGLAND TO GET
M ALCOLM’S HELP. I MUST TELL
MY HUSBAND. WE W ILL HAVE
^ REVENGE! m
 Putting on the Show
Act III Scene iii

1 Backstage. Use make up to change Banquo very quickly into a

ghost. Give him a white face with lots of blood on it. There’s not
much time, so prepare the make up before the performance starts.

2 Actors. W hen Macbeth sees the ghost, the other actors m ust
rem em ber th a t they ‘can't see’ anything.

3 Soliloquies. M acduff and Lady M acbeth come to

the fro n t of the stage to speak alone. In this
w ay t h e ir w o rd s a re p r iv a te ; o n ly th e
audience can hear.
ACTING

INTERPRETING THE ROLE

1 laa-aaama
The actor m ust understand how his character feels in every particular
moment. M acbeth changes very often in this scene. Look at these
adjectives and w rite the line of the text when you think they indicate
how M acbeth is feeling.
a. angry _ t her e js.n o ^la ce fo r me’..................................................

b. calm ..............................................................................................................
c. furious ..........................................................................................................
d. irrita te d .......................................................................................................
e. scared ..........................................................................................................
f. surprised ....................................................................................................
g. suspicious ..................................................................................................

Do the same fo r Lady Macbeth. How does she feel?

h. calm ..............................................................................................................
i. confused .....................................................................................................
j. em barrassed .............................................................................................
k. w orried ........................................................................................................

Remember th a t when M acbeth is speaking to the ghost in the great

hall his friends, guests and attendants are watching. They don’t speak
but they show th e ir reactions.
I. W h a t are they feeling? How do they react?

W ith a partner think about the reaction of the other characters in the
scene and w rite adjectives to describe th e ir feelings.
m. M urderers: ......................................................................................... .......
n. Attendants: ................................................................................................
o. Macduff: .....................................................................................................

91
2 (E E B M M

surprised angry irrita te d furious calm suspicious

scared calm confused w orried em barrassed

a. Not only our voices but also our faces, our hands and our bodies
change with our feelings.
Choose one of the adjectives above. Try to make your face express
this emotion and see if your partner understands which adjective it
is. Continue the exercise with your partner and together try to
express all the different emotions.
b. Now think about your hands and your body.
W h a t do you do when you’re angry, and when you’re em barrassed,
scared, surprised?
Do exercise 2a. again but this tim e with your whole body.
(You probably need to stand up to do the exercise well.)
c. Watch five minutes of a good film (in English or in your language).
The first time you watch, make notes on the different feelings expressed
by the actors: are they relaxed, happy, nervous, tense, bored, angry?
The second time you watch, pay attention to how the actors express
these feelings: do their faces change? W hat about the hands, the
body etc.? Make notes on these things in a special drama notebook.

SERIOUS OR FUNNY?

a. In the plays of Shakespeare you can find very dram atic moments
but very funny m om ents too.
In this scene the two murderers are funny. Why do they make us laugh?
b. Often two comedians work together. They often make fun of each other
and argue to make the audience laugh. Laurel and Hardy are a typical
example. Can you think of any other famous comedy couple on TV?
c. In a group of three practise reading the m u rd e re rs’ scene.
Macbeth: (shouting) What do you mean 'Fleance escaped?'
Murderer 1: He ran away, Your Majesty. I took Banquo and ...
Murderer 2: No, Your Majesty. I took Banquo and cut his
throat twenty times.
Murderer 1: I cut his throat! Not you.
Macbeth: Get out, both of you!

92
d. W h a t could you do to make the m urderers funnier?
Think about th e ir voices th e ir gestures and th e ir faces.
e. In the same scene M acbeth, Lady M acbeth and M acduff are very
serious.
If one of the characters doesn’t want to tell the others what they are
thinking they speak alone. Only the audience can hear their secrets
or their ideas. This way of speaking alone is called a soliloquy.
Find two small soliloquies in this scene. W hy do these two people
speak alone?

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

a. Now act out Scene III. To do this exercise you need a maximum of
7 people or a minimum of 5. (The two m urderers can double as
the two attendants during the banquet.)

The murderers are explaining the problem to Macbeth. He is not happy!

Macbeth: (Shouting) What do you mean 'Fleance escaped'?
Murderer 1: He ran away, Your Majesty. I took Banquo and...
Murderer 2: No, Your Majesty, I took Banquo and cut his throat
twenty times.
Murderer 1: I cut his throat, not you.
Macbeth: (Angrily) Get out, both of you!
The two m en go away and Lady M acbeth arrives.
Lady Macbeth: Come husband. Forget Fleance for this evening.
Dinner's ready.
T hey go into the great hall w here the d in ner and the court are
waiting for them . M acbeth sees all the places are full.
Attendant: Please, Your Majesty, sit down. Dinner's ready.
Macbeth: But there is no place for me.
Lady Macbeth: Here's your place, my dear.
Lady M acbeth indicates a p la ce at the table but it is not free. The
ghost of B anquo , covered in blood and cuts on his fa ce and n e c k , is
sitting in M acbeth's place. To the others the ghost is invisible.
M acbeth is sh o ck ed and then angry.
Macbeth: Who is responsible for this?
Macduff: (M acduff is sitting at the table) For what, Your Majesty?
Macbeth: For this! (He indicates the chair but is the only person to
see the ghost)

93
 The others look at each other in surprise. They don't understand
why M acbeth is so angry. But then M acbeth understands it is a
ghost and not a trick. H e starts to be afraid.
Macbeth: (Speaking to the ghost) Who are you? Where do you come
from? What do you want from me?
Attendant 1: Who is the King talking to?
Attendant 2: He's talking to the chair. Nobody's there.
Macbeth: Look. D on't you see? A dead man at our table.
Lady Macbeth: (Speaking to the court) My husband is not well. You
must excuse him. (Speaking to M acbeth) Stop this scene now. It's in
your imagination, the chair is empty.
The ghost stands up and leaves the room .
Macbeth: (Speaking to the court) Please excuse me. Like my wife
said, I'm not well at the moment. I think I'll have a rest. (Speaking to
him self) Tomorrow I w ill go to the heath and speak to the three
witches. They will tell me everything.
H e leaves the room . M a cd u ff understands that som ething strange is
in the air.

Macduff: (Speaking to h im self) I don't trust Macbeth. Banquo was

right. I'll go to England and tell Malcolm what is happening. Perhaps
I can convince him to return to Scotland and fight Macbeth for the
throne.
M a cd u ff leaves the stage but h e doesn't kno w that Lady M acbeth
heard everything h e said.
Lady Macbeth: (Speaking to herself) So, Macduff is going to England to
get M alcolm's help. I must tell my husband. We will have revenge!

b. It’s a good idea if someone makes notes during the exercise. Help
the other people in your group understand what is good and what
is not so good about th e ir perform ance.
c. Do it again with everybody acting different characters.

Remember Find, or make space to work. You can’t act

sitting at your desk.
Think about how your character feels.
W hen your character is not speaking h e /s h e
m ust continue to act by listening and reacting to
the others who are speaking.

94
 UNDERSTANDING THE
L ------------------------
-
TEXT
- - -

1 Are these statem ents true or false? If the statem ent is false
rew rite it to give the correct information.

a. The witches said Banquo will be King.

b. Banquo is Fleance’s son.

c. The m urderers kill Banquo and Fleance.

d. M acbeth is angry when he hears what the m urderers say.

e. Everybody can see the ghost.

f. The ghost is sitting in M acbeth’s chair.

g. Lady Macbeth thinks M acbeth is ill.

h. Macbeth tells everyone he will go to speak to the witches.

i. M acduff wants to be the next King.

j. Lady Macbeth wants to tell

her husband everything.
 A C T ^ IV
Scene i - Th w ild heath.

_ Macbeth visits the three witches ai^djiiey make three new prophecies.

["The witches are making a spell around th e ir ca u ld ro n .]

 FILLET OF A
FENNY S N A K E ,2 IN
THE CAULDRON
BOIL
AND BAKE.

EYE OF N E W T 3 AND
TOE OF FROG, WOOL
OF BAT AND TONGUE
OF DOG.

FOR A CHARM OF
POWERFUL TROUBLE
LIKE A HELL- B R O T H 4
BOIL AND BUBBLE.

r DOUBLE DOUBLE >

TOIL AND TROUBLE, FIRE
BURN AND CAULDRON
^ BUBBLE. J
 MACBETH,
BEWARE MACDUFF.

MACBETH, MACBETH.
DO NOT BE AFRAID OF
ANY MAN WHO WAS
BORN OF WOMAN.

THEN I WILL NOT BE

AFRAID OF MACDUFF
BECAUSE HE WAS BORN
OF WOMAN.
 MACBETH DO NOT
BE AFRAID UNTIL BIRNAM
WOOD MOVES TO
. DUNSINANE HILL.

THAT WILL NEVER BE.

NOBODY CAN MOVE A FOREST.
THE WOOD WILL NEVER MOVE
TO DUNSINANE HILL. THANK
YOU, STRANGE SISTERS.
NOW I KNOW I HAVE
v NOTHING TO FEAR.
^ Scene ii - Macduff’s castle. JP L

Macbeth discovers that

Lady Macduff and
Macduff has gone to two children are
England to get Malcolm and playing in their
is very angry. As revenge1 garden. They don’t
he sends soldiers to kill see the two
Macduff's wife and children. m urderers waiting
behind a tr e e .]

OK, THERE THEY ARE

LADY MACDUFF AND

THE TWO CHILDREN.

I DON’T KNOW WHY

MACBETH WANTS TO
KILL MACDUFF’S FAMILY
BUT I’M SURE HE HAS A AND WE ARE HERE
GOOD REASON. TO FOLLOW ORDERS,
NOT TO ASK WHY.
RIGHT?

RIGHT.
 Putting on the Show

Here are some ideas to give the audience a surprise in Act IV, Scene ii.

1 Can you see the two m urderers hiding behind the trees?
2 Lady Macduff and the children arrive from the back of the auditorium
but they don’t see the two murderers waiting for them.

Make the tree s like this.

 (A Scene iii - In England.

A m essen ger te lls M acduff w hat

happened and he decides to return
to Scotland to kill Macbeth himself.

MALCOLM,
A MESSENGER TOLD ME THAT
MACBETH HIRED MEN
TO KILL MY FAMILY.

^ LET’S GO
IMMEDIATELY TO SCOTLAND.
MACBETH KILLED MY FATHER
AND YOUR FAMILY.
- WE NEED REVENGE.
^ I WANT TO KILL HIM
WITH MY OWN HANDS, MALCOLM
THEN YOU WILL BE THE TRUE
KING OF SCOTLAND.

LET’S GO, MACDUFF.

TOGETHER, WITH THE ENGLISH
ARMY, WE W ILL DEFEAT MACBETH.
EVERY SOLDIER MUST CUT A BRAND
FROM THE TREES IN BIRNAM WOOD.
WE WILL HIDE BEHIND THEM FOR
PROTECTION AND ADVANCE
 LOOK, DOCTOR.
SHE’S SPEAKING TO
HERSELF AGAIN.

YES, SHE DID THE

SAME YESTERDAY, BUT I
DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT
SHE WANTS TO SAY.

r LISTEN,
SHE’S STARTING TO
SPEAK AGAIN.

^3^ Scene iv - In Macbeth's castle.

A doctor and a nurse observe Lady Macbeth. She is sleepwalking

and talking to herself. They think she has become mad.
 WILL SHE G O T O
BED NOW? THERE’S
SOMETHING STRANGE IN
THE AIR, NURSE.
WATCH HER.

^ BANQUO’S DEAD,
HE WILL NEVER RETURN.
COME, GIVE ME YOUR HAND
WHAT, IS DONE CANNOT
BE UNDONE. I WILL, DOCTOR.
. TO BED, TO BED. .

The doctor and

the nurse watch
Lady Macbeth
walking around. I
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

LADY MACBETH
At the beginning of Act IV Lady Macbeth is not on the stage, she is waiting
in the wings. Quickly put make-up on her face to give her a mad appearance.

Pink blusher i!S 8 il

She has a and lipstick. She has dark eye­
small crown shadow under her
eyes and at the
iide of her nose.

Dark blusher^
and lipstick.

der hair is untidy.^)

1 Lady Macbeth says, The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?’

a. W ho is the Thane of Fife?

b. W here is his wife now?
c. W hy does Lady M acbeth say ‘W ill my hands never be clean?’

2 The Doctor says, ‘I’m afraid she’s m ad.’

a. Do you think she is mad? b. W h y /W h y not?

3 ‘W hat is done cannot be undone.’

a. W h a t is Lady M acbeth thinking of when she says these words?

b. Choose the best adjective to describe Lady Macbeth in this scene.

mad scared guilty tired am bitious happy ill

no
 Scene v - In S c o tla n d

The conclusion to the tragedy of M a c b e th

LOOK, THE ENGLISH WE W ILL MEET THEM

ARMY’S APPROACHING IN WHEN THEY ARRIVE AT
THE DISTANCE. BIRNAM WOOD.

COME ON,
WE SHOULD TELL
THE KING.

PEOPLE SAY THE KING

IS MAD NOW. HE HAS MANY QUIET, HERE
SECRET MURDERS ON HIS HANDS HE COMES.
HE IS LIKE A THIEF IN
< A KING’S CLOTHES.
 M acbeth arrives followed
by the doctor. I

The doctor looks at him

I AM NOT AFRAID,
r DO YOU UNDERSTAND? MACDUFF but understands nothing.
IS NOT A MAN, HE’S A BOY. HE WAS BORN
OF WOMAN, HE HAD A MOTHER ...
He tries to interrupt
AND SO I HAVE NO FEAR. y Macbeth to tell him
something but there is
■>VV A ^ '. \ C-----
ii v never an opportunity. I

An attendant arrives TEN THOUSAND

WHAT? G E E S E ?1

NO, YOUR
YOUR MAJESTY .. MAJESTY ...
THERE ARE TEN SOLDIERS ... ENGLISH
THOUSAND... v SOLDIERS. .

GO AWAY, YOU
HORRIBLE BOY.
 WELL, DOCTOR
HOW IS THE
PATIENT?

The servant
runs away and
Macbeth speaks
to the doctor. I

I’M SORRY,
YOUR MAJESTY, SHE’S NOT
WELL. SHE HAS PROBLEMS
OF THE MIND.

W ELL CURE HER!

I HAVE NO TIME FOR
MEDICINE.

GIVE ME MY SWORD,
I’M NOT AFRAID OF DEATH UNTIL
BIRNAM WOOD MOVES TO
DUNSINANE HILL.
W e hear the
sound of the
nurse scream
backstage.
An attendant
arrives

YOUR MAJESTY
THE QUEEN
IS DEAD!

There is silence
and everybody
looks at Macbeth.
At this point
another messenger
arrives. I

EXCUSE ME,
YOUR MAJESTY.
 ... BUT SOMETHING
VERY STRANGE HAPPENED WHEN I
WAS ON THE HILL. I LOOKED TOWARDS
BIRNAM WOOD AND IT BEGAN
v TO MOVE. >

WHAT? LIAR!
IF THIS IS A JOKE I WILL
CUT YOU OPEN ALIVE.
^M acduff, Malcolm and others arrive carrying branches.
W e hear the sound of a tru m p e t and M acduff and Macbeth prepare to fight.
 r BUT THEY DIDN’T >
I WILL NEVER BE TELL YOU THAT I WAS
AFRAID OF YOU, MACDUFF NOT BORN IN THE
THE WITCHES GAVE ME NORMAL WAY,
A MAGIC LIFE. fcv MACBETH. >

I WAS R IP P E D 2 FROM
MY MOTHER’S W O M B .3
 WHAT? NOT BORN
OF WOMAN? IT WAS A TRICK!
THE W ITCHES TRICKED ME.
AGGGHHH! I W ILL NEVER GIVE
THE SCOTTISH CROWN
TO MALCOLM.
[T hey fight each other and M acduff wins.
He cuts off M acbeth’s head and takes it
to Malcolm. I
 HAIL, KING
HAIL, KING OF SCOTLAND.
HAIL, KING OF SCOTLAND
OF SCOTLAND

HAIL, KING HAIL, KING

OF SCOTLAND OF SCOTLAND

[ “There is much shouting and cheering as Malcolm is crowned King.

120
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

1 Answer these questions.

a. W h a t are the witches doing when Macbeth arrives?

b. W hy isn’t Macbeth afraid?

c. W hy did Macbeth tell the m urderers to kill Lady Macduff?

d. W h a t does M acduff want to do?

e. How does Malcolm want to protect the soldiers?

f. W hy are the doctor and the nurse watching Lady M acbeth?

g. W hy is Lady Macbeth acting strangely?

h. W h a t do other people think of M acbeth now?

i. W hy is Macbeth angry when the messenger tells him about

the wood?

j. Did M acduff have a m other?

 Putting on the Show
Now you’ve read the story of M acbeth you’re ready to s ta rt organising
the show.
There are 4 different steps to follow.

1 Auditions, casting and other jobs.

2 Preparation andorganisation.

3 Rehearsals.

4 The show.

AUDITIONS, CASTING...
W ith your teacher decide which part you want to act. If m ore than one
person wants to act the same p a rt you m ust have an audition. For
example if three boys want to be M acbeth they m ust act a small part
in fro n t of the other students and then everybody decides which is the
best in terpretation.

If th e re are too m any s tu d e n ts in your cla ss, you can add m ore
attendants and guards. Don’t fo rg e t th a t there are also extra jobs to
do like sound effects, lighting, prompt and director.

If there are not enough students in your class, some people can have
tw o or th re e p a rts : fo r exam ple the m u rd e re rs can also be King
Duncan’s guards. The witches can be also be Lady M acduff and her
can also be the doctor, the nurse and

122
 ...AND OTHER JOBS
Decide who will be the best people to do these different jobs.
Director
Costume and scenery designers
Lighting and Sound effects technician
Prompt

The prompt and the lighting and sound effects technicians cannot
act because they m ust do th e ir jobs during the perform ance.

For the show it’s not a problem if the m urderers, the attendants,
messenger and M acduff's children are boys or girls.

PREPARATION AND ORGANISATION

Divide a page in your notebook into 4 columns like this:

\
Places Sound effects Props and costumes

Act 1 scene i
A ct 1 scene ii
A ct 1 scene iii
etc.

V
PLACES
Now in pairs, or in small groups, make a list of the different places you
find in the story.

Place

E.g. A ct 1 scene i The wild heath

A ct 1 scene ii The King’s camp near the battlefield

V J
W rite a list of these places in the firs t column.

SOUND EFFECTS
Do the same again, but this tim e use your imagination and the script
to w rite a list of all the sounds which are not spoken by the actors.

Sound Effects

Act 1 scene i The wind on the heath

A ct 1 scene ii The sound of shouting, fighting etc.

PROPS AND COSTUMES

Finally, repeat the exercise and use your imagination to think of all the
possible props and costumes to make the performance more interesting
and realistic.

Props and costumes

Act 1 scene i Cauldron

A ct 1 scene ii Swords

READY TO GO!
You now have lots of ideas to put on a wonderful
show. Your teacher will help you, but the final
result depends on you and your class.

124
REHEARSAL TIME
A friend can help you remember your words

Tips for Actors

Don't panic.
Don't turn The audience
your back to doesn't
the audience i f you make
a mistake.

Speak loudly
but don't 'Don'tstand
shout. Learn mfro n t o f
to project other a cto rs
your

W atch the professionals: There are lots of excellent film s of Macbeth,

watch one in your language and pay attention to the actor who is
acting your part.
a. If you are Macbeth, watch what he does in the film when he meets
the witches, when he kills Duncan, when he sees the ghost etc.
b. If you are the lighting and sound effects technician, listen to and
watch the special effects in the film. Do they give you any good ideas?
If possible film your rehearsals and your exercises.
Talk about them after.

Remember the dress rehearsal - the last rehearsal

before the opening night. It’s a good opportunity to
check you haven’t forgotten anything.
 In English it’s bad luck to say ‘Good Luck’ before a theatrical performance
but there is an expression which we usually say: Break a leg.

BEFORE THE OPENING NIGHT...

Use the poster to advertise your show.

Make a programme and a display to show your

work. Put photographs of your rehearsals and
preparation on the wall. W rite about M acbeth
and put your w riting on the wall too.
 GLOSSARY OF DRAMATIC TERMS
Audience : the group of people who
watch the show.
Audition : to decide who will be the
best actor fo r the part.
Auditorium : the place where the
audience sit to watch the show.
Backstage : the part of the stage
th a t the audience don’t see.
Cast : the group of actors in a
show.
Casting : choosing the best person
to act each character.
Comedian : an actor who makes the
audience laugh.
Costumes : the clothes th a t the
actors wear to seem more
realistic.
Director : the person who makes
the decisions and tells the actors
how to speak and where to move.
Dress rehearsal : the last rehearsal
before the opening night.
Everybody is in costum e, with
lights, props, sound effects etc.
Entrance : the m om ent when an
actor comes onto the stage to
act.
Lighting : usually different coloured
lights are used to create a
particular atm osphere or special
effects, like shadows.
Mime/Miming : when you act
silently and don’t speak.
Opening Night : the firs t evening
you perform the play in fro n t of an
audience.
Play : a story told by actors in a
theatre.
127
Programme : a small booklet given
to the audience at the beginning
of the show. It usually contains the
credits and other inform ation.
Prompt : the person who stays
hidden during the perform ance but
who helps the actors if they forget
th e ir words.
Props : the objects used on stage
by the actors.
Rehearsal : the tim e when the
actors and the d irector practice
and try to improve th e ir
perform ance.
Scenery : part of the stage specially
painted or constructed to
represent the place where the
story takes place.
Script : the text which contains the
words th a t an actor m ust say and
some stage directions.
Soliloquy : when an actor speaks
alone and tells the audience his or
her thoughts.
Sound effects : noises which help
create atm osphere like music,
w eather or shouting.
Spotlight : a circle of
strong light.
Stage : the place where the actors
act.
Stage Directions : indications
w ritten on the scrip t which tell the
actor how to speak or what to do.
Wings : the part of the stage where
the actors w ait before th e ir
entrance.
 GLOSSARY
Act l.i heath : a Scottish hill.
battlefield : place where soldiers fight.
spell : a sequence of words used to perform magic.
mist : thin fog.
5 cauldron

Act l:ii
m
1 blood : red liquid th a t is inside your body.
2 defeating : winning against.

Act l:iii 1 drum

2 Hail : Hello.
3 Thane : title of Scottish nobleman.
\ bushes : small trees.
cymbal : |ggp
3 thunder and lightning : loud noise after very bright
flashes you see in the sky during a storm .
Act l:iv 1 guests : people who stay in another person’s house.
Scotland 1 hung, drawn and quartered : to kill someone by hanging,
removing th e ir internal organs then cutting them into pieces.
2 succeed (to) : to become the next Queen or King.
Act II:i 1 humble : ordinary,, not special.
2 faithful : loyal.
Act ll:ii 1 dagger : a weapon sim ilar to aknife.
2 thee : you.
3 bell : / 4 owl

Act Ihiii 1 guilty : resposible fo r a crime.

2 cock

Shakespeare 1 stool

Act III.i 1 hires : [here] pays.

2 bows : bends down to show respect.
Act lll.ii 1 cry out : [here] shout.
Act lll.iii 1 th ro at : the fro n t (part) of your neck.
Act IV. i 1 toil : work.
2 fenny snake : snake which lives in marsh (wet)area.
3 newt : a small creature that lives partlyin water andpartly on land.
4 broth : soup.
Act IV. ii 1 revenge : hurting someone in return.

Act IV.v 1 geese : sing, goose.

2 ripped : [here] taken, cut.
3 womb : pa rt of body where a baby grows.
D R A M A
 ISA A

aobefh

‘Hail, Macbeth who will be King one day.’

On a cold Scottish heath, three witches make a
prophecy. Inspired by th e ir words and encouraged by
his evil wife, M acbeth begins his tra il of destruction to
gain and keep the Scottish throne.
This perform ance-based cartoon adaptation of
M acbeth includes:
■ Preparatory exercises fo r diction and mime
■ Easy to follow ideas on how to put on the show
■ Tips and explanations to help students and teachers
prepare fo r a complete production
■ A glossary of dram atic term s
■ Analysis of the main characters and plot
■ A brief study of the traditions and history of Scotland
■ An introduction of the life and tim es of Shakespeare
■ A dram atic recording of the text in full

ISBN 3-526-52128-X
9783526521280

783526"52128011
This volume without the side coupon is to
be considered a sample copy not for sale.
Langenscheidt ELT