The Curse of Macbeth Essay - 889 Words

The Curse of Macbeth Macbeth is one of Shakespeares more popular plays, and nearly everyone knows about the abundant blood and gore, the witches, Lady Macbeths ambition, and the ghost of Banquo. However, not as many people know about the superstitions that surround this play. Theres a long-standing belief that the play is jinxed, than any company that produces it is courting disaster, and that quoting from the play (or even saying the title) leads to serious bad luck. Theres no doubt that several superstitions are associated with Macbeth. Many actors refuse to say the name of the play but rather refer to it as The Scottish Play or even The Plaid Play (Gero). Some go even further, referring to it as The†¦show more content†¦When the Oldham Repertory Company revived Macbeth for an anniversary celebration, the lead actor, Harold Norman, was stabbed during the final fight with Macduff and eventually died. His baby daughter subsequently suffocated in the theater and his widow went mad. And it seems that Norman had scoffed at the plays curse and had quoted from Macbeth in his dressing room (8). When the 1961 Stratford Shakespeare Festival ran Macbeth, there were numerous accidents. During the final month of the production, an actor from the company was found stabbed to death in a nearby park; another actors daughter was killed in a fall; the companys manager was found tied up in the bathroom of his apartment. He had been beaten, strangled and stabbed several times with a carving knife (Demcisak 8). Clearly, Macbeth himself is not the only one in blood / Stepped in so far (3.4.137-138). Contemporary theater companies continue to report disasters. Steven Gagen describes a 1995 production in Melbourne, Australia. As director, he had publicly made fun of the curse. Then his wife developed a sudden and serious valvular heart disease and two members of the company (one only twenty-six) died suddenly. Another theater veteran tells about a theater history professor who directed a production of Tartuffe and ran around screaming Macbeths name. By opening night, hed contractedShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth - The Three Weird Sisters1267 Words   |  6 Pagesriots circumventing performances, the imprecation of Macbeth is one of the most enduring superstitions of the stage. Macbeth has an outlandish and hazardous past. This imprecation, so goes the tale, has its roots in the play s occult storyline of witchcraft, murder, and ghosts (Dunning, B). It all commenced when Lady Macbeth’s actor died suddenly in 1606 forcing Shakespeare to find a replacement actor at the last minute (History.com). In Macbeth the three weird sisters known as the witches reflectRead More Macbeth Essays963 Words   |  4 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Macbeth The play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare is often believed to be cursed by many. 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One often wonders whether it is fate, the witches, or the people around him that compel him to think in certain ways and influence his decisions. It is only his own character from the beginning, however, that allows him to make some of the choices that he does and commit horrificRead MoreRole Of Witches In Macbeth1160 Words   |  5 Pagespeople believe in beings who possess supernatural powers. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth there are such beings, more specifically witches, who have many paranormal capabilities, including casting curses and predicting the future. Shakespeare incorporates these characters into his play to emph asize the inherent fear of these supernatural forces. Different cultures have varying types of witches, the ones depicted in Macbeth are the most stereotypical witches. Despite their stereotypical characteristicsRead More Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Macbeth - Lady Macbeth as a Tool of Fate1176 Words   |  5 PagesLady Macbeth as a Tool of Fate  Ã‚   The play of Macbeth is all about power and greed. It is about ambition overriding inhibitions and the conscience of a good man. We know that most people consider Macbeth to be a good and a brave man at the start of the book, for example King Duncan himself refers to him as â€Å"O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman!† He is admired for his skills in battle by everyone. It is hard to say what driving force underlies the events of the story, and it is equally hard to