The terrible curse of the play “Macbeth. Review of the play "Macbeth"

"Hey, what's your name?
- If you find out, you will shudder.
- No, even if the name is worse
They don't know in the underworld!
- I am Macbeth."

The Mystery of Macbeth

"Macbeth" is one of Shakespeare's most famous plays. The first production took place in April 1611 at the Globe Theater in London, and the performance has not left the stage for now. already four centuries. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were once played by such famous theater actors as Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. The play has been filmed dozens of times, including by Roman Polanski and Akira Kurasawa. Like most classical works, Macbeth became the subject of operas and ballets. However, of all the most famous Shakespeare plays, only a few, including Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth, were taken by rock musicians to write story songs or concept albums.

But why Macbeth? I think the answer to this question will be given by the play itself. It has everything: mysticism, the mystery of fate, crime, cruelty, repentance, revenge, sadness. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are one of the most complex and controversial characters in literature. Macbeth, despite his cruelty, does not evoke disgust in the reader, but, on the contrary, sympathy and, possibly, sympathy. After all, in the end it turns out that fate simply laughed at Macbeth, as Banquo warned him. Each reader in his own way can see and feel the inner world of the main characters of the play, understand their actions, what feelings drive them. It is this personal vision that is reflected in the songs of the groups "Rebellion" and "Jag Panzer".

Historical Macbeth and Shakespearean Macbeth – two completely opposite personalities. Shakespeare described Macbeth as a treacherous, cruel murderer and tyrant. In fact, as historians have proven, King Macbeth was a wise and noble ruler.
Let's figure it out.

Macbeth's path to the throne of Scotland
(Historical sketch)

Initially, in Scotland there was a seigneurial principle of succession to the throne, that is, the crown was inherited by the eldest in the family, which was the cause of constant civil strife in the struggle for the throne, until Malcolm II ascended the throne in 1005. It is he who is credited with establishing inheritance by primogeniture. Also in those days there was a practice of alternating representatives of different branches on the throne royal family. At the time of the reign of Malcolm II, there were two branches of the royal family in Scotland, descended from King Malcolm I (reign: 943 – 954).
First branch: Duff (reigned: 962-967), Kenneth III (reigned: 997-1005)
Second branch: Kenneth II (reigned: 971-995), Malcolm II (reigned: 1005-1034)

Malcolm II became king by killing his predecessor Kenneth III. He ruled the country for 29 long years. Malcolm had only daughters: Betok, Donada, the name of the third daughter is unknown. After his death, he bequeathed the throne to his son eldest daughter– to his grandson Duncan. But it is worth noting that the most legitimate rights (according to the rule of rotation) to the throne after the death of Malcolm II belonged to the son of Kenneth III’s granddaughter, Lulakh. But Lulach was still too young, so Duncan I became king unopposed in 1034.

Macbeth was born in 1005. His father was Findlech mac Ruedry - mormair (title of the highest aristocracy) of the region of Moray in Scotland, and his mother, presumably the second daughter of King Malcolm II - Donada. Findlech died in 1020, and power in Moray passed to Macbeth's cousins, Malcolm and Gillecomgan. After the death of Malcolm in 1029 and Gillecomgan in 1032, Macbeth became ruler of Moray. He soon married Gillekomgan's widow Gruoch, granddaughter of Kenneth III and mother of Lulach.
King Duncan's early reign has been called unprecedented, perhaps due to his youth (Duncan was about 33 years old at the time of his accession to the throne). In 1939, the British attacked the kingdom of Strathclyde, which is part of Scotland. In revenge, King Duncan raided the English city of Durham in 1040. The raid turned out to be a complete failure and the shameful flight of Duncan's army to their homeland, which led to discontent among the Scottish nobility and to another civil strife, as a result of which Duncan I invaded Moray that same year and died in the battle of August 14, 1040 at Botnagovan. Whether Duncan I was killed directly by Macbeth in the battle is not known for certain.

After the death of Duncan I, Macbeth rightfully became king of Scotland. (inherited the throne from his wife). Duncan left two young sons: Malcolm and Donald, but they were taken from Scotland - most likely to their mother's homeland, England. Unfortunately, little is known about Macbeth's reign and what kind of ruler he was. It is known that in 1050 the king made a six-month pilgrimage to Rome, where he became famous for his generous donations. This fact suggests that the country was calm, and the king was respected by his subjects, otherwise he would hardly have been able to leave the country for such a long period. In some early (late 11th century) historical chronicles, Macbeth is described as a generous, noble ruler. There are even short description Macbeth's appearance: "tall with golden hair." In the obituary of King Macbeth's death, his reign is called a “fertile period,” a metaphor for the ancient Celts that meant they did not starve. Macbeth ruled for 17 years.

In 1054, a distant relative of Duncan I, Siward, led the English army and invaded Scotland with the aim of restoring the power of King Malcolm III (the eldest son of Duncan I). Siward defeated Macbeth's army and captured the fortress of Dunsinane. However, the Anglo-Saxons then also suffered heavy losses, and Siward’s eldest son, Osbern, was killed. Three years later, on 15 August, Macbeth was killed by Malcolm at the Battle of Lumphanan in Aberdeen. Macbeth was succeeded by his stepson Lulach, who was not very intelligent, ruled only one winter and was killed. After Lulach, Duncan I's eldest son, Malcolm III, ascended the Scottish throne.
By the end of the 14th century, the life story of Macbeth and Duncan had almost become legend. Historians and chroniclers of that time were already based on the legend, and perhaps it was then that the version of the planned murder of King Duncan by Macbeth in order to gain the Scottish throne arose.

Macbeth
(A brief retelling of the plot of the play)

Main characters:

Duncan - King of Scotland

Malcolm - Duncan's eldest son
Donalbain – youngest son Duncan
Macbeth - nobleman, military leader of Duncan's army
Lady Macbeth is his wife
Banquo - nobleman, military leader of Duncan's army
Fleance - son of Banquo
Macduff - Scottish nobleman
Siward - Earl of Northumberland, leader of the English army
the younger Siward is his son
Lennox, Ross, Mentis, Angus, Caithnes - Scottish nobles

During a storm on the steppe, Macbeth and Banquo met three witches. The first witch glorified Macbeth as Thane of Glamis ( noble title, which he already possessed by birth), the second witch glorified him with the Cawdor thane (title), the third said: "Glory be to Macbeth, the coming king!". They predict to Banquo: "You are not a king, but you will give birth to kings.".

Once the witches have disappeared, nobles sent by King Duncan appear on the field. They tell Macbeth that for his valor in battle, the king awarded him the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is amazed: the first prediction came true, and he involuntarily already mentally sees himself as a king. Banquo warns his friend: “Often, in order to plunge us into trouble, the weapons of darkness predict the truth and deceive with honesty in trifles, so that it is all the more easy to deceive in an important matter.”

Macbeth writes a letter to his wife in which he talks about the witches' predictions. Reading the letter, Lady Macbeth is both happy that her husband will become king and sad. After all, Macbeth, although he strives for greatness, and is not averse to the lust for power, but disdains villainy, he wants "to be honored, to remain pure, to play honestly, to win by deception". Having learned from a servant that Macbeth is returning home, and the king is going with him to spend the night, Lady Macbeth decides to kill Duncan, and thereby guarantee the throne for her husband.
During a feast arranged for the king, Lady Macbeth incites her husband to commit regicide in every possible way. She says that she has thought of everything: she will treat the king’s servants with strong wine so that they sleep soundly, and “The defenseless king and I will do as we please, blaming the drunken servants for our crime.”. Ultimately, Macbeth agrees - now he, too, is determined to commit the crime.

At night, Macbeth and his wife sneak to the king's chambers. The lady complains that if the king in the dream had not been so similar to her father, she would have done everything herself. Macbeth takes the daggers from Duncan's sleeping servants and enters the chambers. Coming out some time later with bloody daggers, Macbeth is so shocked by what he has done that he is unable to act further. Then Lady Macbeth takes everything upon herself - she plants daggers on the sleeping servants and smears their faces with the king's blood.

Lennox and Macduff arrive early in the morning. Macduff says that the king ordered him to be raised early, and Macbeth accompanies him to the king's chambers, where Macduff discovers Duncan's corpse. In a fake rage, Macbeth kills the servants without giving them a chance to justify themselves. Fearing for their lives, Duncan's sons decide to flee secretly: Malcolm to England, and Donalbain to Ireland. Having learned about their flight, the nobility considered them guilty, and Macbeth was proclaimed king.

King Macbeth begins to become increasingly disturbed and burdened by the witches' prediction that Banquo's descendants will sit on the throne: “And on my brow there is a barren crown, in my right hand there is a useless scepter. It will not be handed down to my son, but torn out by an alien hand. So, it means that I ruined my soul for Banquo’s grandchildren, I killed the good Duncan for them.”. Macbeth hires assassins to kill Banquo and his son during their walk. The killers reported to the king that Banquo was dead, but his son, young Fleance, fled and was saved.

During the feast, the ghost of Banquo appears in the throne room and sits in the place intended for Macbeth. No one except Macbeth can see the ghost, and therefore the guests are concerned about the king's strange behavior. Lady Macbeth tries to calm everyone down, saying that he has had this since childhood, the attacks are short-lived and in a minute he will come to his senses again. Banquo's ghost disappears and reappears until King Macbeth completely loses control of himself. The feast ended prematurely and the guests left. Macbeth decides to go to the witches again the next day.

Meanwhile, the Scottish nobles gradually begin to suspect Macbeth of murdering Duncan and Banquo, and that "For his impudent speeches and refusal to come to the feast, Macduff fell into disgrace with the tyrant.". Lennox tells the lord that Macduff fled to England to Duncan's eldest son, who found shelter there. “to ask that the war-loving Siward and Northumberland come to our aid and with their support, with the permission of the Lord, we again have the opportunity to eat bread at meals, sleep at night, not be afraid of the dagger at feasts and not pay for differences with dishonor, in short - to live.”.

Macbeth goes to the witches' cave. The witches summon three ghosts, each of them warns Macbeth: "Macbeth, fear Macduff", "Macbeth is invulnerable to those born of woman", “Let neither conspiracy nor indignation instill confusion in you: until Birnam Forest sends trees to Dunsinane Hill on a campaign, Macbeth is indestructible.”. Macbeth is calm, because the forest cannot march, and who can be born not of a woman?

Having learned about Macduff's escape to England, Macbeth, wanting revenge, sends assassins to Macduff's castle. They kill his wife and sons. In England, Ross tells the sad news to Macduff. Hardly experiencing grief, Macduff wants to fight Macbeth himself. The troops are ready, and he and Malcolm move to Scotland.

Dunsinane Castle. The lady of the court and the doctor are watching Lady Macbeth, who has been walking in her sleep for several nights. She constantly rubs her hands, trying to wash them of blood, saying: “Away, damned stain, away, I tell you! An hour, two - now it’s time to get down to business! What? Is it dark in hell? Be ashamed, husband! You’re a warrior! Don’t be timid! Why should we be afraid that they will find out about this! The power will be ours , and no one will dare to call us to account. Well, who would have thought that there was so much blood in the old man? Will these hands never become clean...". Having heard what the queen was talking about in her sleep, the doctor concludes that my lady needs a confessor, not a doctor, that she is sick at heart.

Not far from Dunsinane, near Birnam Forest, Malcolm, old Siward, his son, Macduff and the Scottish nobles, who rebelled against the tyrant Macbeth, gathered with an army. Malcolm suggests: “Let the warriors chop branches from the trees and carry them over them, so that the shadow of the foliage will hide our numbers and confuse the scouts.”
Preparations for battle are also underway at Dunsinane Castle. Macbeth received the news of his wife’s death coldly and irritably: “If only she could die a day later! I don’t have time for sad news today.”. And the excited messenger reported to Macbeth that Birnam Forest had moved towards the castle. “My resolve wavered. I see that the demon was lying to me with an ambiguous truth: “You are unharmed as long as Birnam Forest does not come to Dunsinane.” - And now the forest has gone to Dunsinane! To arms, to the field! After all, if the words of the messenger are not deceived, It doesn’t matter where to expect the end - here or there."

Shakespeare drew information for writing some of his historical plays from Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (published in 1587). Holinshed, in turn, may have been based on the Latin opus of the Scottish historian Hector Boethius (or Boyce) “History of Scotland”, written in the 16th century.

Shakespeare largely “embellished” the actions of Macbeth, portraying him as a cruel tyrant. U Holinshed Macbeth is described as a wise and just ruler who cared for the people and was benevolent towards the Scottish feudal lords. (It is worth noting that in the feudal era it was very difficult to be a king, and in order to sit on the throne for more than 10 years, the king had to have a strong, flexible mind and character and all the qualities to be respected, first of all, by the feudal lords, in order to control them, maintaining the unity of the kingdom, while trying not to infringe on the interests of each feudal lord. This is a modern view of history, which coincides with historical research about King Macbeth.)

There are other significant differences. For example, according to historical chronicles, the murder of the king is carried out by sent servants, and Banquo was also Macbeth's accomplice in the regicide.
Shakespeare, most likely, deliberately elevated Banquo's character, endowing him with highly moral qualities, virtues and nobility.
Also in Holinshed, the murder of Banquo occurs after a feast in Macbeth's castle - in Shakespeare, as we know, Banquo is killed on the way to the feast with King Macbeth.

Macbeth's cruelty towards Macduff, according to historians, is caused by the fact that Macduff, having violated his duty, began to closely communicate with the king's enemies, and Macbeth personally led an army against his rebellious vassal. According to the play, Macduff angered Macbeth by fleeing to England, and the king, in revenge, sends assassins to deal with Macduff’s innocent family.
The image of Lady Macbeth is also an absolute invention of the playwright.

One way or another, Shakespeare's tragedy "Macbeth" immortalized the name of King Macbeth, albeit endowing him with dubious qualities, and subsequently had a huge impact on culture.

Inspired by Macbeth

Scottish tragedy with an Italian twist

The Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, who admired the work of the great English playwright, began work in 1845 on creating the opera "Macbeth" based on the play of the same name. He was the first composer who decided to transfer Shakespeare's drama to the opera stage in a version close to the original. Before him, composers only relied on Shakespearean plots, or even used material that became the primary source for Shakespeare’s plays. For example, Gioachino Rossini in 1816 wrote the opera “Othello” based on the novella “The Moor of Venice” by Giraldi Cintio, and Bellini in 1830, based on the short story “Romeo and Juliet” by Mateo Bandello, wrote his opera “Capulets and the Montagues”.

Verdi approached the work with all responsibility and zeal. The most difficult stage in Verdi’s work was writing the libretto, because it was necessary to set out the main storyline of the play, while avoiding frequent changes of scenes and scenery, which is usually unacceptable in operas: "...The only reason The thing that keeps me from taking on Shakespearean plots more often lies precisely in this need to change the scenery every minute. When I visited the theater more often, this change of scenery caused me the greatest irritation, and it seemed to me that I was present at a performance with a magic lantern. The French found in this case the only thing the right decision– they structure their dramas in such a way that only one set is required for each act; The action, thanks to this, moves forward without any obstacles and without the public's attention being distracted by anything."(from a letter to Verdi, 06.29.1853)

Giuseppe himself writes the full text of the libretto in prose, dividing it into scenes and numbers. The librettist Piave had only to translate the text into poetic form. Some scenes were revised by the Italian poet and translator Andrea Maffei. The writing of music and libretto proceeded in parallel.

When the music and libretto were ready, rehearsals began. Verdi did not put the vocal capabilities of the singers in the first place, but their acting and dramatic performance. He thoroughly explained to the singers (especially Felice Varesi, who performed the role of Macbeth) with what intonation they should sing in a particular episode, how to reflect what is happening with the help of facial expressions and gestures: "...The scene depicts a cave in which witches practice witchcraft. You enter and address them with a question (short recitative), then ghosts appear. At this time you only have a few words, but as an actor you will have to accompany everything that happens expressive facial scene..."(From a letter from Verdi to Varesi, late January 1847).

It is also interesting how the composer saw Lady Macbeth. She seemed to him ugly and ugly, as the personification of her cruelty and lust for power. This is how he wanted the singer to be: unattractive, but dramatically gifted with a harsh, muffled and gloomy voice. This singer turned out to be Marianna Barbieri-Nini. Verdi considered the most important dramatic scenes in the opera to be the scene of the duet between the lady and Macbeth in the first act, when she incites her husband to commit murder, and the scene of the queen’s somnambulism in the fourth act: "...If these moments disappear, the opera has failed."(from a letter from Verdi dated November 23, 1848)

Giuseppe Verdi was extremely demanding during rehearsals, he exhausted the actors, demanding that certain scenes be played over and over again, bringing them to the desired perfection. According to Marianne, the big duet in the first act "Fatal mia donna"(“My Femme Fatale”), during which Macbeth commits the murder of King Duncan, was rehearsed for an unbearably long time - and all in order to “to achieve, as the maestro said, a feeling of speech rather than singing”. There is a legend that when the exhausted Felice told Verdi that they had already sung this duet a hundred and fifty times, Giuseppe angrily remarked: "So this will be one hundred and fifty-first".

Giuseppe was demanding not only of the actors, but also of the impresario of the Pergola theater, Alessandro Lonari, especially regarding fantastic scenes involving ghosts and witches. He asked Lonari not to skimp on the fantastic scenes, ignoring the impresario’s comments that the abundance of otherworldly phenomena did not quite suit the character of the Italians. The composer attached great importance to the shadow of Banquo, symbolizing the torments of King Macbeth's conscience. Verdi insisted that the same actor who portrayed Banquo in the first act play the role of the shadow. "...He should appear behind an ashen curtain, very rare, thin, barely visible; Banquo's hair is disheveled and wounds should be visible on his neck. I received all this information from London, where the tragedy has been going on continuously for more than two hundred years..."(from Verdi’s letter to Lonari dated 12/22/1846)

Giuseppe's meticulous attitude to the production of the opera, the playing of the orchestra, actors, scenery, and so on was not in vain - the premiere of "Macbeth" took place at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence on March 14, 1847 and was a resounding success.

17 years later, the Parisian Lyric Theater invited Verdi to complement the opera new music. As a result, Giuseppe redid almost the entire score and wrote an insert ballet. The composer also changed the ending of the opera: in the first version it ended with the death of Macbeth, and in the second - with a chorus glorifying the victory over the tyrant and the new king. The second edition of the opera turned out to be better and of higher quality musically. Premiere new version"Macbeth" was performed on April 21, 1865, and this opera became more popular than the first edition.

On at the moment Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Macbeth" is one of the most famous and popular in the world. It is periodically staged at famous theaters, including the Bolshoi and Mariinsky.
On my own behalf, I will add that Verdi’s opera itself is certainly good and of high quality, but still too pompous and colorful, which does not fit in with Shakespeare’s picture and the atmosphere depicted in the play.

"Macbeth" Flea

Shakespeare's tragedy about the Scottish king prompted the creation of an opera of the same name not only by Giuseppe Verdi, but also by the Swiss-Jewish composer Ernest Bloch. This was Bloch's only opera, and was written between 1904 and 1910. “I composed Macbeth in the Swiss mountains and forests, I was 25. For a year I immersed myself in the poem headlong. I lived it, I dreamed of it. Another five years - musical work: I finished it quite quickly, most of it was created in one rush, it took much more time to correct and throw out unnecessary things. Some scenes gave me trouble. great joy, but often I remained unsatisfied. Sometimes it seemed to me that I had achieved the perfect combination of music and poetry, and sometimes I was disappointed. My task was to accurately convey the spirit of Shakespeare and at the same time remain myself."(from Bloch's memoirs).

The libretto was written by Edmond Fleg, a famous writer of the time.

From an excerpt from Bloch’s letter to Edmond Fleg, it is clearly visible what role music and text played for Bloch in the opera, how he saw and perceived the characters, how he understood the essence of his creation:
"... For me, Macduff turned out to be undramatic. By himself, he is nobody - a wrapper without interior, a background. He personifies something, his task is to be a symbol, and only this is expressed. With Banquo the same story. His essence lies in his manner speak or in the secondary side (his fate). Lady Macbeth, on the contrary, has three themes, three sides of character. And Macbeth is, first of all, a warrior. Much more important are the themes that force the characters to act - fate, power, ambition, righteousness.(. ..)
This in no way means that music loses its weight - on the contrary. But her search is directed primarily to the heart of the drama, to the heart of the characters, and does not concentrate on the text itself - the text is a guide. Thus, the musical reflection of the drama is what should be expressed, what is the exclusive privilege of music - the human side, the inner meaning, the spirit - and not the text.
My themes express the states of mind of the characters, and what requires drama in them. There are other themes, but these are the main ones: Macbeth’s belligerence, the mystery of fate as Banquo sees it, thoughts about crime. And therefore it is difficult for me to give names to Macbeth's motives.
So: exceptional flexibility and viscosity of themes. They change form not according to the demands of music, but according to the demands of drama and psychology. One could also say that the themes converge into one big flow, which gives them life. Macbeth is not so much a drama of ambition, as we are used to seeing it, but a drama of conscience. It seems to me that my task is to show not the development of events, but the psychological reaction to these events.
Here is a man of honor, driven by ambition, committing crimes. What will he come to? Here's the problem. In the end, everything happens around this, and as you can see, my musical concept - now it is completely clear to me - is exactly this. It can be said without hesitation that the characters and their musical significance, and the themes that characterize them, depend on this concept."

The premiere of "Macbeth" took place in Paris at the Opera-Comique on November 30, 1910. The opera was performed in French. The public warmly accepted Bloch's work, unlike the critics. Only a few praised the opera, including the Italian composer Ildebrando Pizzetti and the Parisian critic Pierre Lalo, who expressed his view in the newspaper Vremya on December 31, 1910:

"The Macbeth presented at the Opera-Comique, despite its minor shortcomings, has deep merits: the character of a true dramatic and strong musician. Mr. Fleg's adaptation of Shakespeare's drama is also faithful and respectful as possible. The action is more concentrated , develops faster and looks even more cruel. It’s like a condensation of tragic horror.
Macbeth (the play) is closely connected with music by the sense of terror, mystery and evil fate with which it is filled, and by the poetic and lyrical spirit of Shakespeare. This is the merit of the music. The music composed by Ernest Bloch has two features and two combined advantages: the similarity - and even exact reproduction - of Shakespeare's poem, and the vividness of the expression of the drama. Bloch, it seems, was so captivated by Shakespeare’s own thoughts that he expressed them in music. In scenes where his writing looks absolutely realistic, he achieved a truth that directly conveys Shakespeare's tragedy. We perceive the currents of the characters’ passions, hear the meaning of their words and the play of voices, they are right in front of us, conveyed by music in the very meaning of existence... The musician who expressed them in this way saw their desires, actions and sufferings, he did not coldly assist the action, but was in him, as he saw in reality. Hence the depth of his feelings and their dramatic expression. This is the drama that Bloch wanted to express: he met her face to face, he grappled with her in a fight, without hesitating for a second."

Despite the fact that Bloch and Fleg were Jews, Macbeth was staged in fascist Italy in 1938, although there were only three performances. After the war, already in 1953-1963, Bloch's opera was staged in Milan, Rome, Brussels, Geneva and Israel. The opera "Macbeth" was performed once on the concert stage in Great Britain in 1975. In 2004 it was staged in Frankfurt. On the 50th anniversary of Ernest Bloch's death, on 23 March 2009, Macbeth was staged for the first time in the UK at London's Bloomsbury Theatre, with the help of the University College London Musical Society Opera Company and Orchestra under the direction of Charles Peebles.

“Macbeth” by Bloch is an undeservedly “forgotten” opera; most people don’t even know about its existence. It was not the outstanding opera of its time, but it is worth hearing at least once. After all, listening to Bloch’s opera, you can feel the atmosphere of medieval Scotland, the drama and mysticism of the play itself.

"Macbeth" in rock music

Jag Panzer

In 2000, heavy metal/power band from Colorado (USA) "Jag Panzer" released a concept album "Thane To The Throne" based on the play "Macbeth". According to the musicians themselves, the group worked with the material day and night, often reworking songs and completely rewriting lyrics. Work on the album lasted exactly a year.
Overall, the album is very good, both musically and lyrically. "Jag Panzer" outlined the main scenes of the play, adding a little to them with their own personal vision inner world Macbeth. The only thing that was not included in the album concept was the queen’s somnambulism scene. Unusual, perhaps, in the album "Thane To The Throne" are the short instrumental compositions, especially the violin composition "The Prophecies", written in the style of Vivaldi's times, and the Spanish-inspired "The Downward Fall". And the final song “Tragedy of MacBeth”, in my opinion, is the best orchestrated song of the entire album.

Album "Macbeth":
1.Preludium
2. Agnus Dei (Acropolis)
3. Wutach Schlucht
4. Die Zeit
5. Ohne Geld
6. U.S.A.
7.10.5.1941
8. Expectans Expectavos
9. Coincidentia Oppositorum
10. Wolfis
11. Agnus Dei (Exil und Tod)

"Macbeth" in cinema

In 1971, Roman Polanski filmed Shakespeare's Macbeth. The music for the film was written by the British group "The Third Ear Band". Their music, medieval, folk and at times psychedelic, perfectly complemented the film, creating the atmosphere of 11th century Scotland and conveying a mood of mystery and mysticism. I would like to draw special attention to the song “Fleance”, performed by young Fleance during Lord Macbeth’s feast. A beautiful and very sad song sounds against the background of general fun and joy, as if preparing for future sad events.
A year after the film's release, The Third Ear Band recorded the album Music from Macbeth, which included all these compositions. And in the same 1972, the group was nominated for a BAFTA award in the category " best music to the film."

Music from the film “Macbeth”:

1 Overture
2 The Beach
3Lady Macbeth
4 Inverness: Macbeth's Return-The Preparation-Fanfare-Duncan's Arrival
5 The Banquet
6 Dagger And Death
7 At The Well -The Princes" Escape-Coronation-Come Sealing Night
8 Court Dance
9 Fleance
10 Grooms" Dance
11 Bear Baiting
12 Ambush - Banquo's Ghost
13 Going To Bed-Blind Man's Buff-Requiescant-Sere And Yellow Leaf
14 The Cauldron
15 Prophecies
16 Wicca Way

I am sure that the dark and tragic Shakespearean story of King Macbeth will inspire the creation of musical and other works more than once.

Olga North

Notes:

This section outlines the most popular versions, but it is not worth asserting their absolute authenticity. Different chronicles present genealogical sequences, chronological dates and historical events differently.

Macbeth is a shortened version of the name Mac Bethad mac Findleich. Also in some sources there is a variant of the name Maelbeta.

Robert II Stuart (2 March 1316 - 19 April 1390) - King of Scotland from 1371, founder of the Stuart dynasty on the Scottish throne.

Operetta is a theatrical performance in which individual musical numbers alternate with dialogues without music.

In the original, the monologue reads as follows: “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time, and all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle. Life"s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

D. Verdi opera "Macbeth"

Verdi's tenth opera became a milestone for him and, at that time, his main one. An atypical plot for an Italian opera, a baritone in the title role, new principles of singing in individual arias, intensity of passions, but not love ones, as the public is accustomed to, but the deepest and most devilish ones that exist in a person - the thirst for power, revenge, envy, hatred. All this, coupled with the beautiful music, made Macbeth stand out from the many operas written by the composer in the 1840s.

Characters		Description
	baritone	Thane of Glamis, Scottish general
Banquo	bass	general in Duncan's army
Lady Macbeth	soprano	Macbeth's wife
Macduff	tenor	Thane of Fayre, Scottish nobleman
Duncan	party without words	king of scotland
Malcolm	tenor	his son

Summary

The story takes place in Scotland and the Anglo-Scottish border in the mid-11th century. Macbeth is King Duncan's favorite and has great influence on him. The witches, met by Macbeth and Banquo returning from battle, predict that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and king, and Banquo's descendants will also become kings. Soon news comes from Duncan that for his victory in the battle Macbeth has been given the title of Thane of Cawdor - the prophecy begins to come true. Macbeth's thoughts were captured by the second part of the prediction - about coming to power. He writes about this to Lady Macbeth, who is plotting the murder of the king, to which she persuades her husband. This plan is carried out as soon as Duncan spends the night in the Macbeths' castle - in the morning Macduff finds his torn body.

Macbeth becomes the Scottish king, but he is haunted by the words of the witches that the descendants of Banquo should ascend to the throne. He and his wife decide to kill Banquo along with the heir at the hands of mercenaries. The killers wait for their victim in the park, where he appears with his son. Banquo dies, and the boy manages to escape. At this time, Macbeth, as the new king of Scotland, organizes a reception for the aristocracy, to which the ghost of Banquo appears. The nobles begin to suspect that the new king gained power illegally. Macduff supports them.

Macbeth again turns to the witches for a prediction. They warn him that he must fear Macduff, but need not fear anyone who born of a woman, and will also be invulnerable until Birnam Forest approaches the castle. Macbeth mercilessly deals with Macduff's family. Beside himself with grief, he stands under the banner of Malcolm, the son of the murdered King Duncan, who comes from England to battle the bloody Scottish ruler, covering his troops with tree branches. Lady Macbeth, under the weight of what she has done, goes crazy and dies. Macduff pursues Macbeth and kills him - this is how the last prophecy is fulfilled, because he really was not born, but cut out from his mother’s womb.

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Interesting facts

Verdi spent his entire life creatively looking at various plays by Shakespeare. In the early 40s, he closely studied the plots of Hamlet and The Tempest, and in the 60s he hatched the idea of King Lear. In the 50s, he even planned to write operas based on all of Shakespeare's major tragedies. But it turned out that “Macbeth” was born, and only many years later, at the end of his career - “ Othello" And " Falstaff"(based on the plays "Henry IV" and "The Merry Wives of Windsor").
Together with F.M. Piave Verdi created 7 more operas: Ernani, The Two Foscari, Stiffelio, Rigoletto», « Traviata», « Simon Boccanegra», « The power of destiny».
One of the superbly thought out scenes of the opera is the arrival of King Duncan at the Macbeths' castle. It passes in complete silence to the sounds of a leisurely march, which the composer noted in the score as “village music.”
Verdi called the “third main role” of the opera after Macbeth and his wife the parts of the witches, written for three choruses of 6 female voices - 2 from each register. Such an ensemble allowed the composer to express the demonic nature of music.
First Lady Macbeth M. Barbieri-Nini, in addition to The Two Foscari and Macbeth, participated in another world premiere of Verdi's opera. In 1848, she sang Gulnara in “The Corsair”.
After the Paris premiere, some of the press attacked Verdi - both for the non-musical plot and for the fact that he did not understand the meaning of Shakespeare's tragedy. The composer was determined to speak publicly in the same newspapers justifying his position. “I may not have been able to express everything in Macbeth, but it is unfair to say that I do not understand or feel Shakespeare,” he wrote to the French publisher and publicist Léon Escudier. “I love it very much and constantly re-read it, not letting it out of my hands since my early youth.”
On December 7, 1952, La Scala opened the season with Macbeth, where Maria Callas performed the role of Lady Macbeth for the first time. Exactly 45 years later, in this role, Milan conquered Russian singer Maria Guleghina.

The premiere of the opera came at a time when Italy was gaining momentum liberation movement. The final chorus of Scottish exiles in Macbeth was often perceived by the public as a manifesto against tyranny; it became a direct successor to the choruses from Nabucco and The Lombards, full of regrets about the lost homeland. In the 1865 version, as the events of the Risorgimento were drawing to a close, the new chorus had already addressed human suffering in a broader sense.
Verdi compared his intense work in the 1840s to the work of a galley slave - during this decade, 13 of his operas were written and staged - exactly half of those that he wrote during his 54 years of work. Among some rather mediocre and even unsuccessful works for Verdi, there are undoubted achievements, the main of which are “ Nabucco" and "Macbeth".

Popular arias

“Pieta, rispetto, amore” - Macbeth's aria (listen)

“Vieni t’affretta” - Lady Macbeth’s aria (listen)

“Ah, la paterna mano” – Macduff’s aria (listen)

History of creation and productions

Creating an opera based on Shakespeare's tragedy was Verdi's long-standing desire, and by 1846 he was increasingly thinking about Macbeth. The maestro rewrote the plot outline of the future opera in prose and invited Francesco Maria Piave to write poetry. They were not just acquainted with the librettist, but understood each other well, having behind them the experience of creating two joint operas. Piave knew the high demands of the maestro and sometimes rewrote scenes many times, ensuring that they corresponded to the composer’s plan. In September 1846, Verdi sent his adaptation of Macbeth to his co-author, writing that this tragedy is the greatest tragedy created by people. He asks Piave to be concise - poems must express what is happening as briefly as possible to achieve the greatest effect. Verdi also notes that in the speech of the witches he would like to see strange and original nuances that distinguish them from other heroes.

Verdi entrusted the performance of the title role to one of the best baritones of those years - Felice Varese. The surviving letters testify to how thoroughly the composer explained to the singer not only the nuances of the music, but also all the psychological movements of the hero, working with him almost like a director.

If in Shakespeare Lady Macbeth is merely a catalyst for her husband's evil intentions, then in Verdi she is a direct instigator and equally a full participant. Her brilliantly written role for dramatic soprano is as important as the title role.

“Macbeth” opened a new page in Italian opera - it was it that made the final transition from the era of bel canto to the era of realism. The composer made many of the key arias not vocal, but recitative with orchestral accompaniment - such as Macbeth’s monologue before the murder of Duncan, such as the scene of his wife’s somnambulism. It is no coincidence that Verdi considered these two scenes to be the key ones in the entire opera. Such a presentation indicates the author’s intention to focus not on the music as such, but on the authenticity of the characters and the accurate transmission of the plot.

The premiere took place at the Florentine La Pergola theater on March 14, 1847. The role of Lady Macbeth was performed by Marianna Barbieri-Nini, this was her second work at the Verdi premiere - three years earlier she sang the main female role in The Two Foscari. After the first performance, despite the warm reception, the opera was criticized by both experts and the public - how could it be, not a single decent tenor part and no love affair. At that time, both of these elements were mandatory in opera. However, Verdi ignored this tradition - he was not interested in love story, but the study of the psychology of power.

That is why, before the 1848 production in Naples, he rejected the idea of inviting the outstanding singer E. Tadolini to play the role of Lady Macbeth - beautiful woman with a great voice. The composer needed an artist who could not so much sing as bring to life an unpleasant and evil heroine with a dull, harsh and gloomy timbre. Verdi was looking for the devil, not an angel. Barbieri-Nini was like that, but not Tadolini.

The name of this woman - like many of Shakespeare's heroes - has long become a household name. For example, Leskov (not without irony) called his story about a merchant’s wife, who without hesitation sent her father-in-law, her husband, and her young nephew to the next world - “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk”... in a word, the image is extremely unattractive (G. Verdi, who wrote the opera according to this tragedy, he even demanded that the role of Lady Macbeth be played by a singer with a hoarse voice and ugly). What kind of woman is this and how justified is her notoriety?

It’s hardly worth retelling the plot of Shakespeare’s play - we’ll still have to look for a person who doesn’t know it... it’s better to remember what place our heroine occupies in it. Without exaggeration, the place is central. Macbeth himself is initially a completely noble hero, devoted to the king; only women are to blame for his moral decline (not the plot - but a gift to misogynists!). First - the witches with their predictions, one of which immediately came true... by the way, there is no special mysticism in this: from what sources could the witches get information about the “case of the Thane of Cawdor” and the king’s decision to transfer the title and possessions of the executed traitor to Macbeth - one can only guess - but they definitely could (they were only a few minutes ahead of the royal messenger with this news), and then - clean water the Oedipus effect (a prediction that came true precisely because it was made). By the way, witches successfully use this effect in the future: it was at their instigation that Macbeth makes Macduff, “not born of woman,” his enemy, and the witches, in principle, could also be aware of the corresponding detail (maybe just one of them his mother and “Caesaril”).

However, even the prediction of the witches would not have forced our impeccable hero to commit betrayal and murder, if not for his persistent wife, who dreams of becoming the Queen of Scotland (the question inevitably arises - did she persuade the witches to “process” her husband?). And here it turns out that Macbeth - so brave and unbending on the battlefield - is scared to death of his wife at home. And she knows how to twist ropes out of her husband - especially since Macbeth is not her first: she mentions that she “breastfed her children,” Macduff subsequently says that Macbeth is childless - which means Lady Macbeth had children from his first marriage... So, it’s very easy to “promote” a man (especially such a weak-willed one) into something:

Or your hope

I was drunk and now, having slept through,

Green and pale, looking

To the old fervor? Your love, I see

She's like her in everything. Or are you afraid

Be the same in your deeds and in power,

As in desires? Would you like to own

By what you see as the decoration of life,

Living like a coward...

In a word, two “classic” manipulation techniques that are often used by ladies from ancient times to the present day: “You don’t love me” and “You’re a coward, you’re a rag.” And the henpecked man gives up!

The lady, meanwhile, has developed a simply ideal plan: to “remove” the king, and to avert suspicion from herself, and at the same time eliminate the princes from succession to the throne by “hanging” murder on them (after all, she also gives Macbeth the idea of planting a murder weapon on them).

But it’s still impossible to call the heroine unscrupulous. As psychiatrists say, “if there is no conscience, hysteria develops, if there is a conscience, neurosis develops.” Lady Macbeth develops precisely a neurosis - more precisely, an obsessive-compulsive neurosis (also known as obsessive-compulsive neurosis): she wanders around the castle, trying to wash her hands of the “indelible” blood... Even she, an example of cunning and mercilessness, cannot live with such a burden - and dies, announcing the castle with a terrible scream. “She should have died later,” Macbeth notes with annoyance, and one can understand him: this weak-willed man cannot withstand everything that has befallen him without her “support” (more precisely, stimulation).

This is how Shakespeare presents the story to us. Did all this really happen?

Yes, we can say that it happened: the people depicted in the tragedy really lived in Scotland in the 11th century, and the playwright presented the political situation of that era correctly. Shakespeare was right in asserting (or rather, hinting) that Macbeth was the second husband of Lady Macbeth... however, we all call her by her last name - history has preserved her name! Her name was Gruoch, and her first husband was Gillekomgan, Mormaer (Count) of Moray - he died in the civil strife for the possession of this county. The unfortunate widow and her son managed to escape and find shelter with a relative of Maelbeth's husband (whom we now know as Macbeth), and later she became his wife.

Did their relationship resemble those presented to us by the English playwright? We don’t know this - historical chronicles do not preserve conversations on the marital bed. But if she incited her husband to take any actions against the king, one should not judge her harshly: firstly, the late King Malcolm II, and therefore his grandson Duncan I, was her blood enemy (and the reason was serious: the murder of his brother ); secondly... similar thoughts then visited many.

The fact is that King Duncan I did not really resemble the wise and noble sovereign whom Shakespeare portrays to us: in fact, he was an impetuous and narrow-minded person. He came to power in a very dubious way (mortally wounding his own grandfather in battle), and was an extremely incompetent ruler (as well as a commander): he was defeated in England, where he invaded against the advice of military leaders, and the constant raids of the Orkney earl Thorfinn did nothing I couldn't resist. It is not surprising that the matter ended in a rebellion, which was actually led by Macbeth - and not alone, but together with Banquo (the same Banquo who is depicted in the tragedy as his next innocent victim).

But if Gruoch played some role in these events, then she definitely did not incite her husband to any treachery or betrayal. There was no secret murder under the cover of darkness - there was a battle in which Duncan died.

Macbeth became king, having all the rights to this - both according to his own pedigree and the pedigree of his wife. He ruled for 17 years, and - as the chronicle states - “All these years the country prospered.” The raids of Thorfinn of Orkney stopped, and the new king restored order within the country - so much so that he could even afford to leave the country for a long time, making a pilgrimage to Rome. Church sources call him a benefactor of the Church - he was the first among the Scottish kings to receive such a description.

As for Banquo, neither Macbeth nor his wife had anything to do with his death: he died in a battle with the Vikings.

What Shakespeare did not sin against the truth is that the sons of the late Duncan really made attempts to overthrow Macbeth, and their supporter was Thane Macduff, as well as Earl Siwart of Northumberland - and their invasion of Scotland really cost Macbeth his life...

Gruoch did not live to see this - she died three years before these events... I want to believe that she died happy - after all, the historical Lady Macbeth seems to be a much more attractive person than the Shakespearean heroine.

As we see, art is not always more beautiful than real life!

The location is England and Scotland. Time of action - XI century.

The tragedy begins with a conversation between three witches who discuss when they will meet again - they decide to gather “as soon as the battle ends with the victory of one side.”

In a military camp near Forres, the Scottish king Duncan listens to a bloody sergeant good news: King's cousin, brave Macbeth, defeated the troops of MacDonald and the Irish, and killed him in single combat. Ross tells the king that immediately after the victory, the Scottish army was subjected to a new attack - the king of Norway (Svenon) and his ally, the Thane of Cawdor, who betrayed Duncan, moved fresh forces against it. And again Macbeth triumphs over his enemies. The Norwegians are forced to pay a huge indemnity, and Duncan orders the traitor to be executed and the title of Thane of Cawdor to be transferred to Macbeth.

In the steppe, under the rumble of a thunderstorm, three witches brag to each other about the abominations they have committed. Macbeth and Banquo appear on their way to Forres. The prophets were expecting them. They greet Macbeth three times - as Thane of Gdamis (this is his hereditary title), then as Thane of Cawdor, and finally as the future king. Banquo is not afraid of the sinister old women, he asks to predict his fate too. The witches proclaim Banquo's praise three times - he is not a king, but the ancestor of kings - and disappear. Honest Banquo is not at all embarrassed by the prediction; witches, in his opinion, are just “bubbles of the earth.” Royal envoys Ross and Angus appear, they urge the commanders to appear before Duncan and congratulate Macbeth on his new title - Thane of Cawdor. The witches' predictions begin to come true. Banquo advises Macbeth not to attach importance to this: the spirits of evil lure people into their networks with the semblance of truth. However, Macbeth is already dreaming of the throne, although the thought of the murder of the magnanimous Duncan, which opens the way to it, fills him with disgust and fear.

At Forres, Duncan greets his commanders with tears of joy. He bestows the title of Prince of Cumberland on his eldest son, Malcolm, and declares him his successor to the throne. The rest will also be showered with honors. To give Macbeth a special look, the king will stay overnight at his castle in Inverness. Macbeth is furious - another step has appeared between him and the throne - Malcolm. He is already ready to commit a crime.

In Macbeth's castle, his wife reads a letter from her husband. She is delighted with his predicted fate. Yes, Macbeth is worthy of any honors and he has no shortage of ambition, but he lacks the willingness to commit a crime for the sake of power. But he is not afraid of evil itself, but only of the necessity of committing it. with my own hand. Well, she is ready to instill in her husband the missing determination! When Macbeth, ahead of the royal cortege, appears at the castle, his wife immediately announces to him: Duncan should be killed on the only night that he will spend visiting them. When the king appears at the castle, she has a murder plan ready.

Macbeth is ashamed to kill the king who showered him with favors under his own roof and fears retribution for such an unheard-of crime, but the thirst for power does not leave him. His wife reproaches him for cowardice. There can be no failure: the king is tired, he will quickly fall asleep, and she will intoxicate his servants with wine and potion. Duncan should be stabbed with daggers, this will divert suspicion from the true culprits.

The feast is over. Duncan, having showered Macbeth's family with gifts, retires to the bedroom. Macbeth follows him in and commits murder, but Lady Macbeth has to cover his tracks. The thane himself is too shocked. A ruthless woman laughs at her husband's inappropriate sensitivity. There is a knock at the castle gate. This is Macduff, one of the most noble nobles of Scotland. The king ordered him to appear at first light. Macbeth has already changed into his night dress and, with the air of a kind host, accompanies Macduff to the royal chambers. The picture that he sees upon entering is terrible - Duncan is stabbed to death, and the drunken servants are smeared with the master’s blood. Allegedly, in a fit of righteous anger, Macbeth kills the bed servants who did not have time to recover. No one doubts their guilt except the sons of the murdered man, Malcolm and Donalbain. The young men decide to flee from Macbeth's castle to England and the Irish, respectively. But the escape makes even the noble Macduff suspect them of involvement in the death of their father. Macbeth is elected as the new king, who went to Scone to accept the crown there.

At the royal palace at Forres, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth (both wearing royal robes) shower Banquo with pleasantries. Tonight they are giving a dinner, and the main guest at it is Banquo. It’s a pity that he has to leave on urgent business, and God willing, if he has time to return to the feast. As if by chance, Macbeth finds out that Banquo's son Fliance will accompany his father on the trip. Banquo leaves. Macbeth realizes that the brave and at the same time reasonable Banquo is the most dangerous person for him. But the worse thing is that, if you believe the witches (and so far their predictions have come true!), the childless Macbeth has stained himself with a vile crime, because of which he is now hated by himself, so that Banquo’s grandchildren reign after him! No, he will fight fate! Macbeth has already sent for the murderers. These are two desperate losers. The king explains to them that Banquo is the culprit of all their misfortunes, and the simpletons are ready to take revenge, even if they have to die. Macbeth demands that they also kill Fleance, Banquo's son. “He who began with evil will wallow in it.”

In the palace park, the killers waylaid Banquo and Fleance, who were heading to dinner with Macbeth. Attacking simultaneously, they overpower the commander, but Banquo manages to warn his son. The boy escapes to avenge his father.

Macbeth cordially seats his entourage at the table, and the circular cup has already been poured. Suddenly one of the killers appears, but his news does not please the king too much. “The snake is killed, but the baby snake lives,” says Macbeth and turns to the guests again. But what is it? The royal place at the table is taken, and the bloody Banquo sits on it! The ghost is visible only to Macbeth, and the guests do not understand to whom their master is addressing his angry speeches. Lady Macbeth hastens to explain her husband's oddities as illness. Everyone disperses, and the calmed Macbeth tells his wife that he suspects Macduff of treason: he did not appear at the royal feast, and besides, informers (and the king keeps them in all houses under the guise of servants) report his “cold feelings.” The next morning, Macbeth goes to the three witches to look deeper into the future, but no matter what they predict, he will not back down, for him any means are good.

Hecate, a gloomy deity, talks to the witches and is going to kill him.

Forres. Castle. Lenox talks with another lord about the death of Duncan, Banquo, their children, Macduff, who, like Malcolm, fled to England. Macbeth is called a tyrant.

Macbeth in the witches' cave. He demands an answer from the higher spirits, which disgusting old women can call for him. And then the spirits appear. The first warns: “Beware of Macduff.” The second ghost promises Macbeth that no one born of a woman will defeat him in battle. The third says that Macbeth will not be defeated until Birnam Wood marches on Dunsinane Castle. Macbeth is delighted with the predictions - he has no one and nothing to fear. But he wants to know whether the Banquo family will reign. Music is playing. Eight kings pass in front of Macbeth, the eighth holds a mirror in his hand, which reflects an endless series of crowned kings in a double crown and with a triple scepter (this is an allusion to the king of England, Scotland and Ireland - James I Stuart, whose ancestor was the semi-legendary Banquo) . Banquo himself comes last and triumphantly points Macbeth's finger at his great-grandchildren. Suddenly everyone - ghosts, witches - disappears. Lenox enters the cave and reports that Macduff has fled to England, where Duncan's eldest son has already found refuge. Macbeth planned to kill Macduff and his family. In her castle, Lady Macduff learns of her husband's escape. She is confused, Ross explains to her that “Prudence is not fear.” She tries to joke with her son. The boy is smart beyond his years, but the jokes are not funny. A messenger who unexpectedly appears warns Lady Macduff: she must quickly flee with her children. The poor woman does not have time to take advantage of the advice - the killers are already at the door. The kid tries to stand up for the honor of his father and the life of his mother, but the scoundrels stab him to death and rush after Lady Macduff, who is trying to escape.

Meanwhile, in England, Macduff tries to persuade Malcolm to stand against the tyrant Macbeth and save suffering Scotland. But the prince does not agree, because Macbeth’s reign will seem like just a paradise in comparison with his reign, he is so vicious by nature - voluptuous, greedy, cruel. Macduff is in despair - nothing will save his unfortunate homeland now. Malcolm rushes to console him - suspecting a trap, he was testing Macduff. In fact, his qualities are not at all like that, he is ready to oppose the usurper, and the king of England gives him a large army, which will be led by the English commander Siward, the prince’s uncle. Enter Lord Ross, Lady Macduff's brother. He brings terrible news: people in Scotland have taken up arms, the tyranny is unbearable. The Scots are ready to rebel. Macduff learns of the death of his entire family. Even his servants were slaughtered by Macbeth's henchmen. The noble thane seeks revenge.

In the dead of night in Dunsinane, a lady of the court talks with a doctor. She is worried about the queen's strange illness, something like sleepwalking. But then Lady Macbeth herself appears with a candle in her hand. She rubs her hands, as if wanting to wash the blood from them, which cannot be washed off. The meaning of her speeches is dark and frightening. The doctor admits the powerlessness of his science - the queen needs a confessor.

English troops are already near Dunsinane, Malcolm, Macduff and the prince's uncle Siward. They are joined by Scottish lords who rebelled against Macbeth. Mentis, Catnes, Angus, Ross, Lenox. In Dunsinane, Macbeth listens to news of the approach of the enemy, but why should he be afraid? Aren't his enemies born of women? Or did Birnam Forest set out on a campaign? And in Birnam Forest, Prince Malcolm gives an order to his soldiers: let everyone cut down a branch and carry it in front of them. This will hide the number of attackers from scouts. The castle is Macbeth's last stronghold; the country no longer recognizes the tyrant.

Macbeth has already become so hardened in soul that the unexpected news of his wife’s death only causes him annoyance - at the wrong time! But then a messenger appears with strange and terrible news - Birnam Forest has moved towards the castle. Macbeth is furious - he believed in ambiguous predictions! But if he is destined to die, he will die as a warrior, in battle. Macbeth orders the trumpet to be sounded to muster the troops. In the thick of the battle, Macbeth meets young Siward, but he is not afraid of his formidable opponent, boldly enters into a duel with him and dies. Macduff has not yet drawn his sword, he is not going to “cut down the hired peasants,” his enemy is only Macbeth himself. And so they meet. Macbeth wants to avoid a fight with Macduff, however, he is not afraid of him, like anyone born of a woman. And then Macbeth finds out that Macduff was not born. He was cut out from his mother's womb before his term. Macbeth's rage and despair are boundless. But he is not going to give up. Enemies fight to the death.

The troops of Malcolm's rightful heir gained the upper hand. Under unfurled banners, he listens to the reports of his entourage. Siward the father learns about the death of his son, but when he is told that the young man died from a wound in the front - in the forehead, he is consoled. You couldn't wish for a better death. Macduff enters carrying Macbeth's head. Everyone follows him and greets Malcolm with cries of “Long live the Scottish King!” Trumpets are playing. The new ruler announces that, specifically to reward his supporters, he is introducing the title of earldom for the first time in Scotland. Now we must take care of urgent matters: return those who fled from Macbeth’s tyranny to their homeland and approximately punish his minions. But first of all, you should head to Scone Castle to be crowned there according to the ancient custom.

If we try to make an objective assessment of the recognition of plays William Shakespeare , then “Macbeth” will give way in the case of Russian-speaking readers and viewers. She is not part school curriculum and does not evoke lasting associations, like the same “Hamlet” or “Othello”. At the same time, after purchasing the gift edition of the author’s tragedies, I personally waited with great longing for the moment when, in the order of the table of contents, taking breaks, I would reach the story famous commander. Ask yourself whether you are strongly susceptible to someone else’s, albeit authoritative, opinion. So in the case of Macbeth, society does not press with the edifying thought that this is a work that everyone should know educated person. Nevertheless, I was deeply impressed by this small but emotionally absorbing tragedy.

William Shakespeare is known, among his other virtues, for his ability to borrow ideas from historical events in intriguing ways and to give his characters personalities. real prototypes. The play Macbeth is based on the story of a Scottish king who lived and reigned six centuries before the actors Globus Theater for the first time they performed a dramatic epic on stage. Even from the available sources, it becomes clear that the author, as usual, did not set out to follow the letter of the story, focusing the attention of readers and viewers on the content. This is a case of artistic license, which only gives the story being told a reason for emotional response. Although life is often stranger than fiction, Shakespeare's storyline can hardly leave you indifferent.

It is not surprising that in the UK opera Macbeth is still considered almost the pinnacle of theatrical art. What is wonderful about literature is its ability to recreate in the mind the whole world, with its characters, surroundings, and abundance of action. This play makes you constantly turn over a variety of vivid images in your head, including brutal battles. Not to say that Shakespeare meticulously describes everything that happens, but he provides a wide field for imagination. As I have already noted in reviews of other plays by the author, he provides a very flexible creative template that adapts, individually, to each individual reader or contemplator. The very idea that the world of “Macbeth”, for example, will be different for me and for you, is captivating. After reading, I had a strong desire to get acquainted with the most worthy film adaptations that exist today and to go to a good production in the theater.