Download Macbeth shortened script

William Shakespeare’s MACBETH
LIST OF ROLES
Narrator
Duncan
KING OF SCOTLAND
Malcolm
Donalbain
HIS SONS
Macbeth
THE LORD OF GLAMIS CASTLE AND LATER, KING
Banquo
MACBETH’S FRIEND
Macduff
THE ENEMY OF MACBETH
Lenox
Ross
LORDS OF SCOTLAND
A Doctor
Three
Murderers
Lady Macbeth
WIFE OF MACBETH
Three Witches
Apparitions
Soldiers and Lords
Scene 1
ENTER Three WITCHES
1ST WITCH
When shall we three meet again
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
2ND WITCH
When the hurlyburly’s done,
When the battle’s lost and won.
3RD WITCH
That will be at the set of sun.
1ST WITCH
Where the place?
2ND WITCH
Upon the heath.
3RD WITCH
There to meet with Macbeth
NARRATOR
Here come Macbeth and Banquo, soldiers of King
Duncan, fresh from a battle with Duncan’s
enemies
Enter MACBETH and BANQUO
A drum is heard in the distance.
WITCHES
A drum, a drum!
Macbeth doth come.
MACBETH
It is so foul and fair a day.
BANQUO
What are these women,
That look not like the people of the earth?
MACBETH
Speak, if you can: what are you?
2
WITCHES
All hail, Macbeth, who shall be king!
WITCHES
(Turning to Banquo)
And All Hail Banquo – You will not be king
But your sons will be kings!
So all hail Macbeth and Banquo!
MACBETH
Stay and tell us more…
The WITCHES vanish.
BANQUO
Where are they vanished?
MACBETH
Your children shall be kings.
BANQUO
You shall be king.
SCENE 2
NARRATOR 1
The witches have said that Macbeth will be made King.
Macbeth can hardly believe it and writes to his wife to tell her
All about it!
Enter MACBETH and LADY MACBETH
NARRATOR
Macbeth’s wife is an evil woman
She decides that if Macbeth is to be King then someone must die.
King Duncan, who is coming to visit Macbeth that night, must be killed!
3
NARRATOR
After a dinner party for the King at his castle
Macbeth waits for a Lady Macbeth to ring a bell to tell him to kill the
King!
MACBETH
Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand?
My wife says I must use a knife like this to kill my King!
A bell rings
The bell invites me. Now I must do it!
ENTER KING DUNCAN -getting ready to go to bed/sleeping
MACBETH creeps up on him
King Duncan – I’m sorry. By the ring of this bell
You are sent to heaven, or to hell.
He stabs the KING!
Enter LADY MACBETH
MACBETH
LADY
MACBETH
I have done the deed.
Go, get some water
And wash this filthy blood from your hand. –
Why did you bring the daggers from the place?
Go!
MACBETH
I will not go!
I am afraid.
LADY
MACBETH
You coward!
Give me the daggers!
4
They both exit.
SCENE 3
NARRATOR
With King Duncan dead, Macbeth is made King. The
witches prediction has come true. But what about Banquo?
Macbeth and his wife become jealous of Banquo. What if
Banquo’s sons try to take the crown away from Macbeth?
They decide that someone else must die now.
Banquo must be killed!
(BANQUO enters. 3 murderers hired by Macbeth come
on to the stage and slit his throat)
Now Macbeth has killed Banquo he can surely enjoy a
party at his house with his friends. Or can he?
SCENE 4
LENOX
Please, King Macbeth – sit down to dinner
The ghost of BANQUO comes in and sits in
MACBETH’s place
ROSS
Please your highness. Sit down
MACBETH
The table’s full.
LENOX
Sit here my good lord.
MACBETH
Which of you have done this?
LORDS
What, my good lord?
5
MACBETH
(to GHOST) I didn’t kill you! It wasn’t me!
ROSS
Gentlemen, rise!
LADY MACBETH
Sit, good friends. Macbeth is simply feeling ill
(aside to MACBETH) Are you a man?
MACBETH
(ignoring his wife and speaking to the Ghost)
Go away, you horrible shadow! Unreal ghost, go away!
NARRATOR
The party guests get up and leave quickly, embarrassed by
Macbeth’s behaviour. Macbeth decides to go and see the
Witches again to find out what he should do next!
Enter the THREE WITCHES
SCENE 5
ALL WITCHES
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.
Enter MACBETH
MACBETH
How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags!
Show me what you know!
3 Apparitions appear and mime whilst the
Narrator speaks the following lines
NARRATOR
The witches call upon apparitions to tell
Macbeth three things. Firstly that he will never
be defeated by anyone born of woman. Secondly
that he shall not be defeated until the woods
march up to his castle. But thirdly, that he
6
should beware Macduff! They also show him a
vision of Banquo’s children as kings of Scotland!
MACBETH
Filthy hags! Why do you show me this?
Horrible sight! Now I see its true;
Banquo’s sons shall be king after all!
The WITCHES laugh and vanish
NARRATOR
Meanwhile, in Macbeth’s castle, Lady Macbeth is walking
in her sleep…
Macbeth’s castle
Enter LADY MACBETH.
LADY MACBETH
(WASHING HER HANDS IN HER SLEEP)
Out, out spot! Out I say!
Who would have thought the old man would have
So much blood in him.
What, will these hands never be clean?
SCENE 6
The wood outside Macbeth’s castle.
Enter MALCOLM, MACDUFF AND
VARIOUS SOLDIERS
MALCOLM
Let every soldier take a branch from the wood
And disguise himself as if he was a bush or tree.
7
Macbeth’s wood will march on to his castle!
The army pick up branches and cover themselves
Enter MACBETH and SOLDIERS
MACBETH
Lady Macbeth screams off stage.
What is that noise?
Enter a DOCTOR
DOCTOR
The queen, my lord, is dead.
MACBETH
My queen is dead!
How will I live without her?
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
All the way to my dusty death!
Enter a MESSENGER
What is it?
MESSENGER
As I stood upon the hill
I thought I saw your wood moving towards the
castle!
MACBETH
Don’t lie to me you slave!
(under his breath) This is what the witches said!
ENTER MACDUFF. MALCOLM AND
THE ARMY
8
MACDUFF
I have no words. My voice is in my sword.
They fight
MACBETH
You cannot win. I have a charmed life
I cannot be beaten by anyone born of woman!
MACDUFF
Then despair Macbeth!
For my mother died before I was born
I was ripped from her body
So I was not of woman born!
Exit fighting
Enter PRINCE MALCOLM and soldiers
MACDUFF arrives on stage with Macbeth’s head,
which he has chopped off!
MACDUFF
(speaking to MALCOLM)
Hail, King Malcolm
Behold Macbeth cursed head.
The time is free.
Hail, king of Scotland!
ALL
Hail, king of Scotland!
THE END
9