MACBETH
Welcome everyone, come sit down and enjoy.
Lords
Thank you your majesty
MACBETH
We will talk with everyone as well as playing the host, we will wait for when Lady Macbeth will welcome everyone.
LADY MACBETH
Say welcome for me, to everyone.
First Murderer appears at the door
MACBETH
And they will respond to you with their hearts as well. The table is full on both sides. I will sit here in the middle. Be free and happy. Soon we will toast around the table.
Approaching the door
There is blood on your face.
First Murderer
Then it must be Banquo’s
MACBETH
It is better without him here. Is he dead?
First Murderer
My lord, I cut his throat.
MACBETH
You are the best to cut the throats, did you do the same to Fleance, if you did, you are supreme.
First Murderer
Most royal Macbeth, Fleance has escaped
MACBETH
I am angry, everything else had been perfect, as perfect as a whole marble, stong as a rock, as big as the air, but I am now restricted, bound into my own doubts and fears, but is Banquo safe?
First Murderer
Yes my lord, he is lying dead in a ditch with gashes all over him.
MACBETH
Thanks for that. The adult snake lies in the ditch. The young snake that escaped will in time become a threat, but for now, he has no fangs. Get out of here. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
Exit Murderer
LADY MACBETH
king, there is no joy, we have given the welcome but now they are waiting to be fed.
MACBETH
Oh no! It’s ok the food will be out soon.
LENNOX
Please sit your highness
The GHOST OF BANQUO enters, and sits in MACBETH’s place
MACBETH
We would have everyone noble in Scotland here if Banquo was present, I hope that he is late and nothing bad has happened to him
ROSS
He’s absent sir, he broke his promise. Please your highness, grace us with your company
MACBETH
The table is full.
LENNOX
There is a place reserved for you here, sir.
MACBETH
Where?
LENNOX
Here my lord, what’s wrong with your highness?
MACBETH
Which one of you did this?
Lords
What, my good lord?
MACBETH
You can’t say that I did it, don’t shake your head at me
ROSS
Stand up gentlemen, his highness is not well
LADY MACBETH
Sit down my friends, my husband is often like this, even when he was a child, please sit down. This is just a brief fit, he will be well again, don’t pay attention to him or he will be angry, just eat your food. Are you a man?
MACBETH
Yes and a bold one, a daring look that might appeal to the devil.
LADY MACBETH
Oh, proper stuff! This is your fears, the murder weapon that you killed Duncan with, these flaws and starts are not close to what real fear is, what would become storeys passed down generations. Shameful! Why do you make those faces, when everything is done, you look like a king on the throne
MACBETH
Please just look over there, look! (To Ghost) Look, see, what do you have to say? What do I care? If you can nod then speak as well. If the dead are going to return from their graves, then there is nothing to stop the birds from eating their bodies, so we might as well not bury our people at all.
GHOST OF BANQUO vanishes
LADY MACBETH
What? Has your foolishness paralyzed you?
MACBETH
As sure as I’m standing here, I saw him.
LADY MACBETH
Nonsense!
MACBETH
Blood has been shed now, and in the past. Horrible murders happen everyday, but now they have come back as ghosts.
LADY MACBETH
My worthy lord, your noble friends miss you.
MACBETH
I forgot about them. Don’t be shocked on my account, my friends. I have a strange condition which doesn’t surprise those who know me well. (raising his glass to toast the guests) Come, let’s toast to love and health to you all. Now I’ll sit down. Give me some wine. Fill my cup.
Lords
Hear hear!
Re-enter GHOST OF BANQUO
MACBETH
Go! Out of my sight! Stay in the ground. Your bones no longer contain marrow, your blood is cold. You’re looking at me with eyes that can no longer see.
LADY MACBETH
Good friends, this is nothing more than a habit. It’s nothing else. It’s only spoiling our pleasure tonight
MACBETH
I am as brave as any other man to come at me in the form of a rugged Russain bear, the armed rhinoceros, or a tiger from Iran. Take any shape other than the one you have now and I will never be scared . Or come back to life again and challenge me to a duel. If I am scared then call me a little girl, get out of here you horrible ghost, you’re a hallucination, get out!
GHOST OF BANQUO leaves
LADY MACBETH
You’ve ruined the whole dinner party
MACBETH
How can such things happen, overcome us without our curiosity? When you look at these terrible things, you keep a straight face, whilst mine is white with fear
ROSS
What things my lord?
LADY MACBETH
Please don’t speak to him, he’s gone a bit mad. I’m sorry you all have to leave in such a hurry and I hope you had a good night.
LENNOX
Good night, and i hope his majesty gets better soon.
LADY MACBETH
Good night everyone.
Everyone leaves except Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
MACBETH
Everything will have blood and get revenge for unnatural things have come alive, what is the time of night?
LADY MACBETH
Almost morning, hard to tell whether it’s day or night
MACBETH
Why do you think that Macduff refuses to come when I command him?
LADY MACBETH
Did you ask for him sir?
MACBETH
I have paid for a servant to spy. Tomorrow I will go find the witches and I will make them tell me what is going on. My safety is the most important thing to me, I have caused so much trouble that I can’t go any further. I cannot go back. I have plans that I need to put in action before I think about it.
LADY MACBETH
You don’t seem like yourself, you should get some sleep
MACBETH
Let’s go to sleep, My strange delusions are what causes my fear: We are new to crime
End