There have been so many incidents and mishaps attributed to the curse of Macbeth, it would be nearly impossible to discuss every single one. However, there are a few prominent ones that stand out.
- Shakespeare intended to flatter King James I with his portrayal of him in the play. However, James I did not like the play at all, and the bloodshed and depictions of violence made him so unhappy that he ordered the play be banned. The play was rewritten in a less violent tone and performed in 1703, but the worst storm in English history broke out during the run of the play. Several towns and cities were destroyed, and a half thousand sailors were killed. The original text of the play was restored before the play was performed again.
- In 1849, thousands of New Yorkers were outside of the Astor Place Opera to protest the actor William Charles Macready. The mayor called the militia on the protestors, causing the protest to turn into a riot. Twenty-two people were killed, and hundreds were injured.
- Abraham Lincoln read passages regarding Duncan's assassination to his friends a week before he, himself, was assassinated.
- In 1882, one of the actors accidentally stabbed another actor in the chest on the closing night of a production. The actor did not die, but he was significantly injured.
- In 1928, a set fell down on the actors at the Royal Court Theater during a rehearsal, seriously injuring some of the cast. The weekend before opening day, a fire broke out in the dressing room.
- In 1937, an absolute disastrous situation overcame the cast preparing for the play at the Old Vic. The director and one of the actors were in a car accident on the way to the theater. The dog belonging to the founder of the Old Vic, Lilian Baylis, was hit by a car a few days after this car accident. Laurence Olivier, the actor cast to play Macbeth, lost his voice due to a cold just before opening night, resulting in the play being postponed. A 25-pound stage weight fell and narrowly missed Olivier, and Baylis died of a heart attack right before the final rehearsal for the show.
- In 1947, an actor was stabbed in the final swordfight of the play and died from the resulting wounds.
- In 1970, the actor playing Macbeth died from heart failure during Act II of the play.
- Most recently, in 1998, Alec Baldwin sliced open the hand of another actor during production.
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Though many people in the theater community believe that the curse is just a superstition, it does have a few suspected origins. The play is believed to contain real spells that are used by the three witches in the play. It is thought that either the use of the "real" spells was enough to curse the play or that the use of the spells angered the witches so much at the time that they decided to curse the play themselves. In the 1600s, representing witchcraft in a play was considered very taboo, which likely encouraged the idea of the curse in the first place.
There are also alternative, more realistic explanations as to why Macbeth may be bad luck to perform. First, Macbeth is an extremely violent play that involves multiple swordfights and an overall dark setting on stage. This combination can lead to many accidents as the actors can often not see well enough to be safe with their props. Second, it is also an expensive play to produce due to the number of actors and props needed to perform it accurately. Theaters sometimes work on a pretty narrow profit margin, and financial problems caused by an expensive play are not beneficial to the theater's wellbeing. Last, Macbeth has been around for over four hundred years. Accidents and mishaps occur in theater all the time so the age of this play and how many times it has been performed may make it look worse than it really is.
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It would be unrealistic to expect theaters across the world to not perform one of Shakespeare's most popular plays, even if there is a curse attributed to the play. Because of this, many theaters have adopted some practices to counteract or overcome this curse and protect themselves.
What Is the M Word in Theater?
To some theater people, the curse of Macbeth does not just apply when there is a production of the play. The superstition actually applies in regards to the name of the play itself, suggesting that saying the "M" word inside of a theater can bring bad luck and utter disaster to any production. Because of this theory, the play has been given many nicknames, including:
- "The Scottish Play"
- "The Scottish Tragedy"
- "The Scottish Business"
- "The Bard's Play"
- "The Comedy of Glamis"
- "The Unmentionable"
- "That Play"
Some of the more superstitious actors even replace the character's names when discussing them, referring to them as "Mr. and Mrs. M" instead of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
A Remedy for the Macbeth Curse
Every curse has remedies to fix it, and the curse of Macbeth is no different. Actors from all walks of the earth have come up with solutions in case you say the "M" word inside of a theater.
One remedy, and seemingly the most widely accepted one, is to exit the theater, spin around three times, spit (sometimes over the left shoulder, sometimes over both shoulders, and sometimes just in general), recite a line from another play of Shakespeare, and then knock on the door to be let back inside. Variations on this remedy include saying the worst word you can think of instead of reciting a Shakespeare line, or to not say anything at all and just knock to be let back in.
According to some, there are ways around the curse entirely. When asked about the Macbeth curse on the NPR program "Ask Me Another", Patrick Stewart said, "If you have played the role of the Scottish thane, then you are allowed to say the title, any time, anywhere."
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Macbeth is a tragedy play that was written by William Shakespeare and first performed in the 1600s. Though it is a popular play that has been performed all around the world for four hundred years, it has also been credited for sparking a curse for theaters, known as "The Curse of Macbeth." The first performance of the play was a disaster from the beginning, as the young boy cast to play Lady Macbeth died on the opening night of the play, and Shakespeare had to step in to replace him. King James I, the inspiration for the play, hated the violence so much that he banned the play for over a century.
However, the curse did not stop there. There have been many incidents since the first play, including an extremely deadly storm, a fire, several accidents, and numerous deaths and injuries. This dangerous curse is thought to have come from the use of real spells in the play as it may have angered the three witches that are in it. More realistically, the dark setting and violent scenes are credited for the seemingly extreme number of incidents. Among theater people, Macbeth is such a curse that they won't even say the name of the play, instead using the "M" word or any number of nicknames that have been created for the play. If someone accidentally says the word, the curse must be broken by the person exiting the theater, spinning three times, spitting, reciting a line from Shakespeare, and then knocking to be let back in. There are some variations on this remedy, but most are quite similar.
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Video Transcript
The Curse of Macbeth
For people in theater, William Shakespeare's play ''Macbeth'' holds a long legend of curses and bad luck. From its opening night in 1611, many people have been superstitious of the play. Because of this, actors believe they should not say the name ''Macbeth'' in a theater unless they are rehearsing or performing the play. While we're still safe to talk about the play in classrooms, many people believe that mentioning ''Macbeth'' by name will lead to poor production, injuries, and just overall bad luck. This is the ''Curse of Macbeth.'' In the theater, people will only refer to ''Macbeth'' as the ''Scottish Play,'' ''that play,'' or ''the Glamis Comedy.''
The Witches
William Shakespeare wrote ''Macbeth'' around the same time that King James I began to rule England and Scotland. When King James I was named the new king of England, Shakespeare wanted to secure his role in the court. Before King James, Shakespeare would perform his plays for Queen Elizabeth and he wanted to be sure that he could continue this role with King James.
While writing ''Macbeth,'' Shakespeare included many elements in the plot line that would have been interesting to King James I. One of these elements was the use of the supernatural.
When the play opens, Macbeth is greeted by the three witches who tell Macbeth that he will one day be king of Scotland. The witches make appearances throughout the play, continually casting spells to make prophecies. Those who believe in the ''Curse of Macbeth'' believe that Shakespeare included authentic spells from witches, and because the witches' spells are real, they're awakened when the play is performed. The witches aren't happy that their black magic was used, so they curse the play's performance.
A Long History
There's a long history of productions and people who were affected by the ''Curse of Macbeth.''
On its opening night, the young boy who was to play Lady Macbeth developed a fever and died suddenly. Shakespeare had to take over his role. History says that King James was not happy with the bloodshed in ''Macbeth'' so the play was not performed again in England until 1703, a century later. On the night of its first performance in a hundred years, England had one of its worst storms in history.
Although smaller curses continued, real daggers being used instead of fake or even crowds attacking the actors, the next large curse moment occurred in 1849 at the Astor Place Opera House. A protest being held outside the Opera House escalated to a riot where 23 people died and hundreds were injured.
In the 20th century, the Curse of Macbeth continued. During productions, sets fell down, fires broke out, an actress playing Lady Macbeth died suddenly, an actor playing Macbeth suddenly could not speak when on stage, actors were in car accidents on the way to the theater, an actress playing Lady Macbeth fell off the stage, actors were stabbed by real swords, and one proprietor and actor even had a heart attack.
In 1953, famous actor Charlton Heston was even a victim of the curse. On his opening night, the castle was to be set on fire as part of the production. A wind blew and the fire spread towards the audience. Heston suffered burns on his legs.
Another famous actor that suffered the curse is Alec Baldwin. During his production of the play, he accidentally injured the actor playing Macduff with his sword, cutting open his hand.
Instances of actors being injured or productions gone awry continue through today. As recent as 2013, actor Kenneth Branagh injured another actor in an opening fight scene. For all of these well-documented stories, there are many smaller theaters performing ''Macbeth'' who also claim they have been a victim of the curse.
Is There a Curse?
Among actors and actresses, there is a strong belief that the ''Curse of Macbeth'' is real. For others, the explanation of the curse is explainable. ''Macbeth'' has a lot of bloodshed and sword fights. The play itself has many scenes in the night or with dark skies. Those who do not believe the curse believe that the dark environment and amount of swords on the stage at once creates an environment where someone could be easily injured. Not just that, but the play is over 400 years old and has been performed almost countless times. With that many productions, there are bound to be injuries or just weird things that happen.
Be assured, there is a remedy for the curse. If someone says the name ''Macbeth'' in a theater, he or she should leave the theater, spin around three times, spit over his or her left shoulder, and recite a line from Shakespeare.
Lesson Summary
So the question must be asked again: Is ''Macbeth'' a cursed play? Many people believe so. The ''Curse of Macbeth'' involves the belief that if an actor says the name ''Macbeth'' while in the theater, the production will be cursed. Because of this, actors will only reference the play as the ''Scottish Play'' or ''that play.''
The history of the curse began on the night of its first performance. The young boy playing Lady Macbeth suddenly became ill and died. Since then, many productions and actors have claimed to be a victim of the curse. There are many stories of injuries, accidents, stage sets falling apart, people falling off stages, real daggers and swords being used, and even death.
For those who do not believe the curse, the explanation is simple. The play is over 400 years old, so accidents will happen. But for those who believe, they will not risk the curse falling on them. Instead, if an actor accidentally says ''Macbeth,'' he or she should immediately leave the theater, turn around three times, spit over his or her shoulder, and quote a line from Shakespeare.
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