Macbeth The Scottish Play Superstition History Bad Luck

Macbeth The Scottish Play

Superstition?

History. • Bad Luck to use the name. • Other names used • Really important in a performance of the play • Okay in other

But Why? • Witches cast real spells • More chance of harm with violent acts • Used by struggling theatres • The first actor who played him died • Lady Macbeth died in a first performance and cursed the play • It reveals witches’ secrets • Used actual knowledge of witches and witchcraft

But still there is more! • real spells are cast in the three witches scene. • Productions of Macbeth are said to have been plagued with accidents. • According to the superstition, Shakespeare got a few of the lines from an actual coven of witches and when they saw the play they were greatly offended and cursed the play

The Remedies • the person who spoke it leave, perform traditional cleansing • The rituals include turning three times, spitting over one's left shoulder, swearing, or reciting a line from another of Shakespeare's plays. Popular lines for this purpose include, • "Angels and ministers of grace defend us" (Hamlet 1. IV), • "If we shadows have offended" (A Midsummer Night's Dream 5. ii), and "Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you" (The Merchant of Venice, 3. IV).

How true is it all? • Parodies abound • http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=h--HR 7 PWfp 0 • http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Ez. SJt. X 33 yz 8 full movie