Indeed, Macbeth was not performed much at all in the century after, and when it was, the results were often calamitous. It's been suggested that James was not that thrilled with the play, as the next record of a performance was five years later. But whether or not the curse made its debut at the tragedy's premiere, something appears to have afflicted Macbeth from the start. This tale has been debunked as the fabrication of English critic Max Beerbohm, who included it in an 1898 review and ascribed it to Aubrey. It fell to the playwright himself to step into the role. Unfortunately, he was stricken with a sudden fever and died. John Aubrey, who supposedly knew some of the men who performed with Shakespeare back in the day, has left us with the report that a boy named Hal Berridge was to play Lady Macbeth at the play's opening on August 7, 1606. Those doing the cursing must have gotten an advance copy of the script or caught a rehearsal because legend has it that the play's infamous ill luck set in with its very first performance. Therefore, they retaliated with a curse on the show and all its productions.
Alas, the story goes that the spells Will included in Macbeth were lifted from an authentic black-magic ritual and that their public display did not please the folks for whom these incantations were sacred. Shakespeare incorporated a trio of spell-casting women into the drama and gave them a set of spooky incantations to recite. In addition to setting the play on James' home turf, Scotland, Will chose to give a nod to one of the monarch's pet subjects, demonology (James had written a book on the subject that became a popular tool for identifying witches in the 17th century). According to some, William Shakespeare wrote the tragedy to ingratiate himself to King James I, who had succeeded Elizabeth I only a few years before. The lore surrounding Macbeth and its supernatural power begins with the play's creation in 1606. If you do utter that fateful word, all you need to do is exit the theatre, spin round three times, spit, curse and ask to be let back in.What follows is much of the text of the original feature, with some elaborations on the original entries, as well as a few corrections and additions. It’s no wonder a little blood (fake or otherwise) has been spilt throughout its 400-year performance history.īut best not risk it, eh? Thankfully, an antidote is on hand. Shakespeare’s tragedy is also packed with accident-prone action, including six murders, portentous storms and an entire forest upping sticks and traipsing across the stage. Legend goes that if an actor hears the word “Macbeth” uttered in the theatre it’s because, being a big money-spinner, it is being touted as a replacement for their own failing play. Of course, there are some far more practical reasons behind the superstition. Still not convinced? In 1937, Laurence Olivier’s production of Macbeth was thwarted by disaster: theatre manager Lilian Baylis died during dress rehearsals the director and the actor playing Lady Macbeth were caught up in a car accident and a falling weight narrowly missed crash-landing on Olivier. And in 1849, a rivalry between the English actor-manager William Macready and American actor Edwin Forrest turned deadly when fans of Forrest stormed Macready’s production. In 17, riots broke out during runs of the play in London. In 1672, an actor playing Macbeth in Amsterdam committed a real murder on stage. This turned out to be a myth conjured up by the 19th and 20th-century cartoonist and critic Max Beerbohm – but the dramatic die had already been cast.Įven the toughest cynics must concede there have been a number of Macbeth-related mishaps over the years. Historians would later insist that the actor scheduled to play Lady Macbeth died suddenly before opening night. Rumours circulated that a coven of witches had put a curse on the play. So when William Shakespeare staged a new play that saw three “weird sisters” recite some decidedly convincing spells, the public got scared.
0 kommentar(er)
