The Curse of Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth essays

The Curse of Macbeth Macbeth is one of Shakespeares more popular plays, and nearly everyone knows about the considerable blood and gore, the witches, wench Macbeths ambition, and the ghost of Banquo. However, not as m each quite a little 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 adduceing the title) leads to serious mediocre 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 Scotch Play or even The Plaid Play (Gero). Some go even further, referring to it as The Unmentionable or even That Play (Demcisak 8). Actors similarly look unkindly on anyone who says the name of the title character or quotes from the play while in the theater. The only way to cure the bother created is to perform a ritual. For instance, t he offending actor may be ask to turn around three times and spit over his left(a) shoulder, or turn around three times and quote from A Midsummer Nights Dream (Faulkner). Whats the evidence for the curse or jinx? adult luck certainly seems to follow productions of Macbeth.According to legend, during the plays first production, the boy who played Lady Macbeth died backstage (Rozakis 245). In 1849, three of New Yorks theaters were featuring Macbeth, and two of the lead actors had a serious rivalry going. Edwin Forrest (one of the Macbeths) reportedly encouraged some of his followers to fragment the production at his rivals theater. In the resulting riot, thirty-one people were killed (Demcisak 7). Demcisak reports more tra... ...lthttp//ws.bowiestate.edu/ archive/1995/0075.html>. Gagen, Steven. The sparing Play. Online posting. 6 Feb. 1995. SHAKSPERws.bowiestate.edu. 7 March 2001 <http//ws.bowiestate.edu/archives/1995/0075.html>. Gero, Edward. Re The Scottish Pl ay. Online posting. 8 Feb. 1995. SHAKSPERws.bowiestate.edu. 12 March 2001 <http//ws.bowiestate.edu/archives/1995/0088.html>. Ivanov Goes to Moscow. ArtsZone. 2 March 2001. <http//www.ovationtv.com/artszone/programs/ivanov/wild.html>. Rozakis, Laurie. The sweep through Idiots Guide to Shakespeare. New York Alpha, 1999. Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Literature An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 7th ed. New York Longman, 1999. 1522-1634.