Download Lesson 1 Macbeth

Macbeth
The three witches waited at the edge of the battlefield. They watched the Scottish army beat
Norway and they enjoyed listening to the groans of the dying. “He will be here soon” said one.
“I hear the sound of hooves” another cried out.
“Let the spell begin” screeched the third witch.
Two Scottish generals rode away from the battlefield. One was Macbeth, the bravest soldier in King
Duncan’s army. The other was Banquo, his companion. Both were tired and upset by the day’s
slaughter. “A hard fight to protect an old and feeble king, if I ruled Scotland…” Macbeth started
daydreaming about being crowned King of Scotland.
The witches leapt out in front of the generals. “What do you want?” demanded Macbeth.
“All hail Macbeth, who shall be king of Scotland! All hail Banquo, your children shall also be kings!”
chanted the witches. Macbeth was startled that they had read his mind and knew he secretly
dreamed of being the King of Scotland.
“Only King Duncan and his sons stand between me and the crown! My wife must know about this. I
will write to her tonight!” thought Macbeth.
When Lady Macbeth received the letter informing her that Macbeth had been told he will one day
become King of Scotland a plot began to form in her wicked mind. “We can have it all” she
whispered, “if only Macbeth was strong enough to do what needs to be done in order for him to
become king”.
Suddenly, there was a knock at Lady Macbeth’s door and a servant entered her room. “Lord
Macbeth has invited the King for a banquet tomorrow night.” said the servant.
“What?” gasped Lady Macbeth “We must hurry and get ready.” When the servant had left to get
things ready Lady Macbeth murmured “Come to me, Powers of Darkness, fill me with cruelty so I can
teach my husband how to be ruthless.”
When Macbeth arrived home Lady Macbeth whispered to him “King Duncan is old and weak. Kill the
King whilst he sleeps and blame it on his sons, then you can become King yourself.”
“No, I can never commit murder” cried Macbeth.
“Yes you can, it’s easy. You will drug the guards so they fall into a deep sleep and then you kill the
old King and take the throne.”
After everybody else was asleep, Macbeth crept along the corridors. “Tis the hour of the wolf and
the witch, when evil spirits roam the night” he thought. Just then he saw something ahead of him in
the corridor, glowing. It was a dagger floating in mid-air and shining with a green light. “This is a
trick of the mind” thought Macbeth, but as he tried to grab the knife it floated away and pointed to
the King’s room.
Lesson 1
© Nichola Wilkin 2012
When Macbeth returned from killing the King he was holding two daggers, dripping with the King’s
blood. “You should not have brought the daggers here” said Lady Macbeth “I’ll put them on the
guards as we planned.” After a while Lady Macbeth returned, covered in blood and her face was full
of triumph and cruelty.
The next morning the alarm was raised: “Murder! The King has been killed!” Shocked guests ran
from their rooms and people started chatting about who could have done it. Rumours flew around
the castle and people started to believed that the King’s sons had killed the king as they were tired
of waiting for him to die naturally so they could take over the throne. The sons however suspected
Macbeth but couldn’t prove it so instead they ran for their lives. Macbeth was crowned King of
Scotland as there was nobody else in line for the throne once the sons had run away.
Macbeth’s dream had come true and the three witches were right, but he wondered if they were
also correct about predicting that Banquo’s children will also become king one day. “I must find a
way to rid myself of him and his son” thought Macbeth and dark thoughts started to form in his
mind but this time he kept them secret – even from Lady Macbeth.
Macbeth decided to hold a huge feast to celebrate becoming King of Scotland and he invited
everybody – even Banquo. His plan was to hire two murderers to ambush Banquo and his son when
they were on the way to the celebrations.
Whilst the feast was taking place a servant told Macbeth that two men wanted to see him. Macbeth
realised that this must be the two thugs he had hired to kill Banquo and so hurried to meet them in a
private room. The murderers told Macbeth that they had done as he had asked: “We cut his throat
and threw his body in a ditch.”
“What about his son?” asked Macbeth anxiously.
“He escaped my lord. Banquo’s son still lives.” replied the murderers.
Macbeth returned to the feast, troubled by this news and was surprised to see a hooded figure
seated in his chair. “Who dares sit in my place?” he roared across the hall at the figure. The guests
fell silent and looked confused as the King’s chair was empty and they could not see anybody sitting
there.
“Why … no-one is in your chair” said Lady Macbeth. She could tell that Macbeth was not feeling well
but to cover up for this she announced to the guests “The King is joking.”
Macbeth ignored her and walked towards the figure he could still see seated in his chair, then drew
back the hood. He saw Banquo, with weed from the ditch tangled in his hair and a deep cut across
his neck. “Get back to your grave!” screamed Macbeth and then Banquo smiled and faded into the
shadows.
The witches were dancing around a cauldron when they felt Macbeth approaching. He rode out of
the moonlight towards them and called out “I want to know the future”.
“Beware Macduff… no man born of woman can harm you and you will rule until Birnam Wood walks
towards you.” was the witches' cryptic reply.
“Every man is born from a woman and trees cannot walk so I am safe” thought Macbeth.
Lesson 1
© Nichola Wilkin 2012
Macbeth was still worried that the witches had told him to beware of Macduff so he ordered
Macduff be arrested. Macduff fled to England to join the old king’s sons who had hid there after
Macbeth killed their father. Macbeth was furious and so had Macduff’s castle burnt to the ground
and his wife and children killed.
From then on, anyone who questioned the King’s commands was executed. Everybody was terrified
of him. Lady Macbeth felt more and more guilty about her part in the killing of King Duncan and kept
having terrible dreams where she was covered in the King’s blood – “Out damn spot”. She grew
weaker and weaker every day.
Meanwhile, Macduff and King Duncan’s sons raised an army in England to fight Macbeth and they
marched to Scotland. Macbeth’s own army advised him to go to battle against Macduff and
Duncan’s sons but Macbeth remembered the witches’ words and thought he was indestructible: “I
have nothing to fear until the day Birnam Wood walks here”.
Later that day, Macbeth received the news that Lady Macbeth had died. He did not sleep that night
and instead drank wine. The only thing that gave him hope was that his enemies could not defeat
him as no woods could walk.
The next day, one of Macbeth’s captains brought the King strange news. “The enemy is
approaching. To try to hide themselves they are hiding behind the branches of trees. It looks like
Birnam Wood is on the march and walking towards us”.
“My curse upon you witches!” howled Macbeth. “I have lost everything but at least I can die like a
soldier. Bring me my armour!” Macbeth started fighting like a mad man, slashing his sword at
everybody near him shouting “You were born from a woman so you cannot harm me!”
Suddenly somebody called his name. It was Macduff. “I have come to avenge the death of my wife
and children”
“Stand back” ordered Macbeth. “I cannot be harmed by a man born of a woman.”
“My mother died before I was born” replied Macduff. “To save my life the doctors had to cut me out
of her body.”
Macbeth realised that the witches had deceived him and by trusting their prophecy he had lost
everything. He was a broken man and knew that this was the end for him. “Come on then Macduff,
make an end of me.” said Macbeth.
Macduff swung his sword and cut off Macbeth’s head which was then put on a spike as the crowds
cheered. Three ravens flew around Macbeth’s head. “All hail Macbeth” they cawed.
The End.
Lesson 1
© Nichola Wilkin 2012