MACBETH – A Play by Fowey Class
Scene 1 – Meet the witches
There’s an exceedingly strong storm. It bangs, crashes and rattles. Three
ravens float in and nest together before suddenly turning into three black, evil
witches.
W1: When shall we three meet again in thunder, lightening or rain?
W2: When the hurly burlys done, when the battle’s lost and won!
(huddle and swirl scarily, dancing around a cauldron)
W3: Where the place?
W1: Upon the heath
W2: And there to meet Macbeth.
(Witches exit twirling their cloaks.)
Narrator: Had the witches been real or were the fantastic images made out of
shadows of rock. Yet their words are real – a battle was being fought and
there was a man called Macbeth.
BATTLE SCENE
Messenger 1: My lord, Macbeth has won the battle against the evil
Norwegians. His sword never stopped slashing the enemy. He is a hero.
Messenger 2: Awful news your grace, the treacherous thane of Cawdor has
been captured and executed. He gave away our secrets to the Norwegian
army.
King D: I command you two to go pronounce the death of this traitor and
greet Macbeth ….What he has lost Macbeth has won. He is now my man.
Scene 2 – Witches’ Prediction
Narrator: Macbeth and Banquo are strolling across the damp, misty moors.
Suddenly they stop, confused and worried.
Macbeth: (A drum is heard) What is this? A dark shadow? A haunting dream?
(They come across 3 witches huddled together in a group. One raises a
cranky, wrinkly finger)
1st Witch: All hail Macbeth. Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!
(Drum)
2nd Witch: All hail Macbeth. Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!
(3rd drum)
3rd Witch: All hail Macbeth. Thou shalt be king hereafter!
Macbeth: What is the meaning of this?
Banquo: (joking) Sounds like good news to me old friend.
Macbeth: (worried) Where did you get this news? I am Thane of Glamis …
not Cawdor! How could I be king?
Witches suddenly disappear into mist and the two friends look around slightly
unsure of what was just seen.
Scene 3 – Murder of Duncan
Narrator: A messenger arrives at Macbeth’s castle with a letter. Lady
Macbeth reads it over and over while pacing up and down her room. A
servant enters with an important message.
Servant: My lady ….My lady...Urgent news: King Duncan arrives tonight to
pay us a royal visit.
Lady Macbeth: What excellent news! Tell the kitchen to prepare a banquet
and make the best chambers ready.
(Servant hurries off)
Lady Macbeth: So, the king is coming. This is our only chance to seize
power. The question is: does that cowardly husband of mine have the
courage to make our dreams come true?
Narrator: A short time later, Macbeth arrives home and is greeted by his wife.
Lady Macbeth: My love...my love…How good to see you. Listen! I have a
plan! You do want to be king, don’t you? Tonight the king arrives and we won’t
get a chance like this again.
Macbeth: No …. Why tonight? … let’s think about this clearly and not rush in
– I am no murderer! (angry/up-tight)
Lady Macbeth: (reassuring Macbeth) You just leave the details to me my
love, relax, relax, calm yourself.
Narrator: King Duncan arrives at Macbeth’s castle with his two sons, Malcolm
and Donalbaine and the royal party begins.
Duncan: My lady! How nice it is to see you again. I do hope you are well.
Lady Macbeth: Thank you your majesty. We are delighted to have you as our
guest. We hope you will enjoy the banquet.
Narrator: After the banquet, the king is tired and retires to his bedchamber.
Macbeth: (head in hands –talking to himself) I can’t do it …. I can’t kill my
King…. I should be protecting him, not killing him. (Changes to a nasty
character) But, think of the power, he is weak and you are strong.
Lady Macbeth: (Frustrated as she walks in listening to Macbeth) Do you want
to be king or don’t you? If you don’t act now, you’ll regret it!
Macbeth: But what if it goes wrong?
Lady Macbeth: It won’t. The plan is full proof. I’ll drug the guards. You use
their dagger to kill him and then put the dagger back in the guard’s hands.
Macbeth: (feeling happier) So everyone will think they’ve done it! I can do this
– this is my time.
(Macbeth walk nervously through the hallway. All is still and quiet. Evil lurks
around every corner. He suddenly stops as a strange image is seen in front of
him)
Macbeth: (Agitated, looking around) What is this trick I see before me, it
cannot be real. Your mind is racing. Do the deed…
(Macbeth exits, slashing the air with his hands to get rid of the image. He finds
the guards asleep, enters Duncan’s chamber and stabs him while he sleeps.
He returns to his chambers still clutching the daggers)
Macbeth: The deed is done my love…But look - my hands, the blood, the
pain! (Macbeth breaks down)
Lady Macbeth: Why did you bring the daggers back? You should have left
them with the guards! Give them to here.
(She grabs the daggers and returns to wipe the blood on the guards’ clothes
and put them in their hands.)
Lady Macbeth: (returning to Macbeth) My hands are of your colour, but I
shame to wear a heart so white (rubs hands together). A little water clears us
of this deed. (They wash and lie down to sleep).
(Knocking at the door startles them and they awake with a fright)
Narrator: Macduff arrives at Macbeth’s castle and discovers that Duncan is
dead.
Macduff: (shouting) Murder! Murder! The king is dead!
(Everyone comes out of their rooms, rubbing sleep from their eyes)
Macbeth: (pretending to have just woken up) What’s going on?
Macduff: See for yourself! I went to wake the king and found him murdered!
He’s been slain in his sleep.
(Macbeth slips away)
Lady Macbeth: What? In our house?
Donalbaine: (tearfully) But …. But … who did it?
Macduff: The bodyguard, by the look of it
Macbeth: (returning) And they have paid for their crimes. When I saw them
lying there, stained with guilt, I killed them.
(Everyone stares at him in astonishment)
Macbeth: My anger and grief overcame me!
Lady Macbeth: (squealing and fainting to distract attention from Macbeth)
Oh! Help me!
Banquo: (rushing to her side) Look to the lady!
Narrator: As lady Macbeth is carried to her bed, Malcolm takes his younger
brother Donalbaine aside.
Malcolm: (whispers) Donalbaine we have to get out of here.
Donalbaine: why? The murderers are dead.
Malcolm: You don’t really think it was them, do you? They would never have
done such a thing!
Donalbaine: (shocked) You mean it was someone else! But who?
Malcolm: I’m not sure. But whoever it was, I don’t think they’ve finished. We’ll
be next. We must leave immediately.
Narrator: The two princes leave immediately. Malcolm flees to London, while
Donalbaine heads for Ireland.
(Outside the castle Macduff and Lord Ross discuss what has happened)
Lord Ross: It’s a shady business and no mistake. What’s the latest news?
Macduff: Well, the finger points to the princes. They’ve run away. People are
saying they killed Duncan so they could take the throne and then fled when
they lost their nerve.
Lord Ross: I suppose Macbeth is next in line?
Macduff: It’s settled then. He’ll be crowned king tomorrow.
Scene 4 – The Coronation Feast
Narrator: Macbeth and his queen are to have a coronation banquet to
celebrate their crowning. Macbeth invites Banquo and his son Fleance. But
little do they know that Macbeth has given orders to kill them.
(Banquo and Fleance walking towards the palace)
Banquo: What was that noise?
Fleance: Probably just deer father, do not worry yourself.
(Suddenly, two murderers hired by Macbeth jump out from behind a tree and
push Banquo to the floor. They each reach for their sharp daggers and stab
Banquo)
Fleance: No! NO! Father, Father ……(Fleance defends himself and kills one
of the murderers).
Banquo: Run for your life son, save yourself. Live to avenge my death!
(Fleance exits)
Narrator: Meanwhile at the banquet there is laughter and joy until Macbeth
spots a messenger at the door.
Macbeth: Have you done the deed?
Mess: Yes his throat has been cut open.
Mcbeth: Good, good, both dead for certain?
Mess: I’m sorry but the son escaped.
Narrator: As Macbeth returns to his seat he sees the head of Banquo on his
plate.
Macbeth: Who are you to sit in my seat? Away! Away! (Moving nearer).
Banquo my dear friend, how good to see you (turns away and switches
personality and talks to himself) He is dead you fool, you are seeing things.
LM: Calm down dear, sit, relax - there’s nobody there.
Mb: Can’t you see him? – he’s there on my throne.
Ross: Is there something wrong?
LM: Yes, I think you should leave, my husband is not well.
(All guests leave)
Narrator: Lady Macbeth is furious and orders her husband to go to bed
immediately.
Scene 5 – Back to the witches
Setting – the cold, misty, moor where Macbeth is looking for the witches.
Narrator: Macbeth decides he must go to visit the witches again to hear
more of his future.
Whole cast chant: Double, double toil and trouble – etc.
W1: We are here, Macbeth. We know what you have come for.
W2: Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff.
W3: Macbeth! Macbeth! Laugh to scorn. The power of man, for none of
woman born shall harm Macbeth.
3 witches: Macbeth shall never be destroyed until Great Birnham wood
walks to Dunsinane Hill.
Macbeth: (laughing) So, I’m safe, why should I be worried – that’ll never
happen!
(The witches vanish)
Scene 6 – Macduff’s family are murdered.
Narrator: Macbeth fears Macduff knows too much so he sends for two brave
guards he can trust.
Macbeth: I hope I can trust you, Macduff and his family are traitors – kill
them all. Make sure no one sees you and don’t leave anyone alive.
(The two guards jump on their horses and gallop away to Macduff’s house.
Guards knock on door)
Guard 1: We’re here to see Lady Macduff.
Servant: I’m sorry she’s busy putting the children to bed and will be going to
bed shortly herself.
(The two guards barge into the house, knocking the servant out of the way
and kill Macduff’s wife and children)
Narrator: Meanwhile, back in England where Macduff has fled…
Lord Ross: My lord I have bad news for you. Your wife and children have
been murdered.
Macduff: My wife?.....…………My babies?
Ross: Macbeth’s men broke into your castle, I’m so sorry.
Macduff: (Menacing and angry) The revenge begins. I’ll kill him!
Scene 7: The Nightmare continues…
Narrator: Lady MacBeth walks through the hallway wearing her nightgown
and carrying a candle. She has her eyes wide open but she’s still asleep.
Doctor: She just wrings her hands again and again and says strange
things….ssh listen (Puts his fingers to his lips.)
Servant: She does this all the time. It’s very strange. It’s like she’s washing
her hands of something. I wonder what troubles her.
Dr: Sshh she speaks.
LM: Out damned spot! Out I say! (Rubbing her hands. She cries out in a
hollow scream.) My hands still smell of blood. Even the perfumes of Arabia
won’t sweeten by bloody hands.
Servant: She has spoken what she must not.
(The queen drifts away like a light feather down the hall leaving shadows in
the eerie hall)
LM: To bed, to bed. What’s done can never be undone. To bed, to bed. (Her
voice trailing away.)
Scene 8:
Macduff kills Macbeth
Narrator: Macduff and Malcolm and 10,000 soldiers go to kill Macbeth.
Malcolm has ordered his men to cut down the branches of Great Birnham
Wood as a disguise.
Malcolm: At my command we will throw down our branches and attack.
Narrator: As Macbeth’s men see the trees coming towards the castle, they
flee in panic.
Malcolm: Throw down your branches. Attack!
Narrator: Macbeth runs to the drawbridge where he sees Macduff.
Macduff: I’m here to take my revenge.
Macbeth: (laughing) No man born of woman can kill me.
Macduff: But I was cut from my mother’s body. She died giving birth to me.
Are you ready to surrender?
Macbeth: I will never surrender.
(A battle takes place between the two rivals. Swords are swung and injuries
occur, but Macduff has the final say and kills Macbeth, screaming a vengeful
release.
Macduff: Victory! We won! We won – he is no more.
(Three witches are seen circling the body and cackling with laughter)