Macbeth history. The terrible curse of the play "Macbeth

D. Verdi opera "Macbeth"

Verdi's tenth opera became a milestone for him and at that time the main one. A plot atypical for Italian opera, a baritone in the title role, new principles of singing in individual arias, intensity of passions, but not love ones, as the audience is used to, but the deepest and most diabolical that a person has - a thirst for power, revenge, envy, hatred. All this, coupled with beautiful music, singled out Macbeth from among 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	Tan Fire, Scottish nobleman
Duncan	party without words	King of Scotland
Malcolm	tenor	his son

Summary

The action takes place in Scotland and on the Anglo-Scottish border in the middle of the 11th century. Macbeth is the favorite of King Duncan, who has a great influence on him. The witches, met by Macbeth and Banquo returning from the battle, predict that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and king, Banquo's descendants will also become kings. Soon news comes from Duncan that for the victory in the battle Macbeth was given the title of Tan 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 assassination of the king, to which she persuades her husband. This plan is carried out as soon as Duncan stays overnight in Macbeth's 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 the throne. He and his wife decide to kill Banquo along with the heir by the hands of mercenaries. The killers are waiting for their victim in the park, where he appears with his son. Banquo dies, but the boy manages to escape. At this time, Macbeth, as the new king of Scotland, arranges a reception for the aristocracy, to which the ghost of Banquo also appears. The nobles begin to suspect that the new king has received power illegally. Macduff supports them.

Macbeth again turns to the witches for a prediction. They warn that he should be wary of Macduff, but may not be afraid of anyone who is born of a woman, and will also be invulnerable until Birnam Wood approaches the castle. Macbeth mercilessly cracks down on Macduff's family. Beside himself with grief, he stands under the banner of Malcolm, the son of the murdered King Duncan, who is coming from England to fight the bloody Scottish ruler, covering his troops with tree branches. Lady Macbeth, under the yoke of what she has done, goes mad 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 of his mother's womb.

   

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Interesting Facts

• Verdi spent his whole life looking creatively at various plays by Shakespeare. In the early 40s, he closely studied the plots of Hamlet and The Tempest, in the 60s he hatched the idea of ​​King Lear. In the 50s, he even planned to write operas for all the major Shakespearean 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", "Two Foscari", "Stiffelio", " Rigoletto», « La Traviata», « Simon Boccanegra», « Force of Destiny».
• One of the opera's superbly thought-out scenes is King Duncan's visit to Macbeth's castle. It passes in complete silence to the sounds of a leisurely march, which the composer noted in the score as "village music".
• After Macbeth and his wife, Verdi called the "third main role" of the opera the roles of witches, written for three choirs of 6 female voices - 2 from each register. Such an ensemble allowed the composer to express the demonic nature of the music.
• The first Lady Macbeth M. Barbieri-Nini, in addition to "Two Foscari" and "Macbeth", participated in another world premiere of Verdi's opera. In 1848 she sang Gulnara in Le Corsaire.
• After the Paris premiere, some of the press fell upon 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 publicly appear in the same newspapers with the rationale for his position. “Perhaps I didn’t manage to express everything in Macbeth, but it’s unfair to say that I don’t understand or don’t feel Shakespeare,” he wrote to the French publisher and publicist Léon Escudier. - "I love him very much and constantly re-read, not letting go of my hands from my earliest 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 was conquered by the Russian singer Maria Guleghina.

• The premiere of the opera came at a time when the liberation movement was gaining momentum in Italy. 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 choirs from Nabucco and Lombards, full of regrets for the lost homeland. In the 1865 version, as the events of the Risorgimento drew to a close, the new choir had already turned to human suffering in a broader sense.
• Verdi compared his hard work in the 1840s with the work of a galley slave - during this decade, 13 of his operas were written and staged - exactly half of those that he wrote in 54 years of his work. Among some rather ordinary 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

To create an opera based on Shakespeare's tragedy was a long-standing desire of Verdi, and by 1846 he was increasingly thinking about Macbeth. The maestro rewrote the plot outline of the future opera in prose and suggested that Francesco Maria Piave write poetry. They were not just familiar with the librettist, but understood each other well, having behind them the experience of creating two joint operas. Piave knew the maestro's high demands and sometimes rewrote the scenes many times, trying to achieve their conformity with the composer's intention. In September 1846, Verdi sent his co-author of his adaptation of Macbeth, writing that this tragedy is the greatest of all created by people. He asks Piave to be concise - the verses should express what is happening as briefly as possible to achieve the greatest effect. Verdi also notes that in the speech of 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 detailed the composer explained to the singer not only the nuances of music, but also all the psychological movements of the hero, working with him almost like a director.

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

Macbeth opened a new page in Italian opera - it was he who made the final transition from the era of bel canto to the era of realism. The composer made many key arias not vocal, but recitative with orchestral accompaniment - such is Macbeth's monologue before Duncan's murder, such is the scene of his wife's somnambulism. It is no coincidence that Verdi considered these two scenes to be key in the entire opera. Such a presentation speaks of 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 theater "La Pergola" on March 14, 1847. The part of Lady Macbeth was performed by Marianna Barbieri-Nini, it was her second work at the Verdi premiere - three years earlier she sang the main female part in "Two Foscari". After the first performance, despite the warm reception, the opera was criticized by both specialists and the public - how could it be, not a single decent tenor part and no love affair. At that time, both of these elements in the opera were mandatory. However, Verdi ignored this tradition - he was not interested in a love story, but in 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, a beautiful woman with a magnificent voice, to play the role of Lady Macbeth. The composer needed an artist who could not only sing, but bring to life an unpleasant and evil heroine with a deaf, harsh and gloomy timbre. Verdi was looking for the devil, not an angel. Such was Barbieri-Nini, but not Tadolini.

"Hey, what's your name?
- You will know - you will shudder.
- No, even if the name is worse
They do not 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 four centuries now. 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 Shakespearean plays, only a few, among which "Romeo and Juliet" and "Macbeth", were taken by rock musicians to write story songs or concept albums.

But why "Macbeth"? I think the play itself will answer this question. It has everything: mysticism, the mystery of fate, crime, cruelty, remorse, revenge, sadness. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are some of the most complex and controversial characters in literature. Macbeth, despite his cruelty, does not cause 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 bands "Rebellion" and "Jag Panzer".

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

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

Initially, in Scotland there was a seigneurial principle of succession to the throne, that is, the eldest in the family inherited the crown, which was the reason for constant 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 birthright. Also in those days there was a practice of alternating representatives of different branches of the royal family on the throne. At the time of the reign of Malcolm II, there were two branches of the royal family in Scotland, descended from King Malcolm I (his reign: 943 - 954).
First branch: Duff (r. 962-967), Kenneth III (r. 997-1005)
Second branch: Kenneth II (r. 971-995), Malcolm II (r. 1005-1034)

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

Macbeth was born in 1005. His father was Findlech mac Ruedri, a mormer (the title of the highest aristocracy) of the Moray region in Scotland, and his mother, presumably, the second daughter of King Malcolm II, Donada. Findlech died in 1020, and power in Morea passed to Macbeth's cousins, Malcolm and Gillekomgan. After the death of Malcolm in 1029, and in 1032 of Gillekomgan, Macbeth became the ruler of Morea. He soon married the widow Gillecomgan Gruoh, the granddaughter of Kenneth III and the mother of Lulah.
King Duncan's early reign has been described as 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 retaliation, King Duncan raided the English city of Durham in 1040. The raid turned into a complete failure and a shameful flight of Duncan's army to their homeland, which led to the discontent of the Scottish nobility and to another civil strife, as a result of which Duncan I invaded Moray in the same year and died in the battle of August 14, 1040 at Botnagovan. Whether Duncan I was killed directly by Macbeth in battle is not known for certain.

After the death of Duncan I, Macbeth became King of Scotland by right. (he inherited the throne from his wife). Duncan left two young sons: Malcolm and Donald, but they were taken out of Scotland - most likely to their mother's homeland, to 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 semi-annual 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 called a generous, noble ruler. There is even a short description of Macbeth's appearance: "tall with golden hair." In the obituary on the death of King Macbeth, his reign is called a “fertile period”, the ancient Celts this metaphor meant that 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 Dunsinan. However, the Anglo-Saxons then also suffered heavy losses, and the eldest son of Siward, Osbern, was killed. Three years later, on August 15, Macbeth was killed by Malcolm at the Battle of Lumphanan in Aberdeen. Macbeth was succeeded by his stepson Lulah, who was not very intelligent, ruled only one winter and was killed. After Lulach, the eldest son of Duncan I, 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 the time were already basing themselves on the legend, and it may be that Macbeth planned to assassinate King Duncan in order to gain the Scottish throne.

Macbeth
(Brief retelling of the plot of the play)

Main characters:

Duncan - King of Scotland

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

During a storm on the steppe, Macbeth and Banquo met three witches. The first witch glorified Macbeth with the glamissian thane (a title of nobility that he already possessed by origin), the second witch glorified him with the Cawdorian thane (title), the third said: "Praise be to Macbeth, the coming king!". Banquo they predict: "You are not a king, but you will give birth to kings.".

As soon as the witches have disappeared, the 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 a friend: "Often, in order to plunge us into trouble, the tools of darkness predict the truth and seduce us with honesty in trifles, so that it is easier to deceive us in an important matter."

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

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

Lennox and Macduff arrive early in the morning. Macduff says that the king told him to get up early, and Macbeth escorts him to the king's chambers, where Macduff discovers Duncan's corpse. In a fake rage, Macbeth kills the servants, not giving them the opportunity to justify themselves. Fearing for their lives, Duncan's sons decide to flee in secret: Malcolm to England, and Donalbain to Ireland. Upon learning of their flight, the nobility considered that they were guilty, and Macbeth was proclaimed king.

King Macbeth becomes more and more worried and burdened by the prediction of the witches that the descendants of Banquo will sit on the throne: "And on my brow is a barren crown, in my right hand is a useless scepter. It will not be given to my son, but torn out by a strange hand. So, it means that I ruined my soul for the grandchildren of Banquo, killed Duncan good for them.". Macbeth hires assassins to kill Banquo and his son during their walk. The assassins reported to the king that Banquo was dead, but his son, young Flins, fled and escaped.

During the feast, the ghost of Banquo appears in the throne room and sits down in the place intended for Macbeth. No one except Macbeth can see the ghost, and therefore the guests are concerned about the strange behavior of the king. Lady Macbeth is trying 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. The ghost of Banquo disappears and reappears until King Macbeth completely loses control of himself. The feast ended ahead of time, the guests left. Macbeth decides to go back to the witches the next day.

Meanwhile, the Scottish nobles gradually begin to suspect Macbeth of the murder of Duncan and Banquo, and that "for impudent speeches and for refusing to come to the feast, Macduff fell out of favor with the tyrant.". Lennox tells the lord that Macduff fled to England to the eldest son of Duncan who found shelter there. "to ask that the war-loving Siward and Northumberland come to our aid and with their support, by the will of the Lord, we again gained the opportunity to eat bread at the meal, sleep at night, not be afraid of the dagger at feasts and not pay dishonor for differences, in short - to live.".

Macbeth goes to the witches' cave. The witches summon three ghosts, each warning Macbeth: "Macbeth, Fear Macduff", "Macbeth for those who are born a woman is invulnerable", "Let neither conspiracy nor indignation inspire confusion in you: until Birnam Forest sends trees to Dunsinan Hill on a campaign, Macbeth is indestructible.". Macbeth is reassured, because the forest cannot move on a campaign, and who can be born not of a woman?

Upon learning of 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 are moving to Scotland.

Dunsinan 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 from the blood, saying: "Get away, damned stain, away, I tell you! An hour, two - now it's time to get to work! What? It's dark in hell? Be ashamed, husband! You're a warrior! Don't be shy! and no one will dare call us to account. Well, who would have thought that there was so much blood in the old man! Surely these hands will never be clean?...". Hearing what the queen is talking about in a dream, the doctor concludes that Milady needs a confessor, and not a doctor, that she is sick in soul.

Not far from Dunsinan, 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 themselves, so that the shadow of the foliage hides our numbers and confuses the scouts."
Dunsinane Castle is also preparing for battle. Macbeth received the news of his wife's death coldly and irritably: "What would she die at least a day later! I don’t have sad news today". And the excited messenger reported to Macbeth that Birnam Forest had moved on to the castle. "My resolve trembled. I see that the demon lied to me with an ambiguous truth: "You are unharmed until the Birnam forest comes to Dunsinan." - And now the forest has gone to Dunsinan! To arms, in the field! it doesn't matter where the end is to be expected - here or there."

Shakespeare drew information for writing some 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 Boyes) "History of Scotland", written in the sixteenth century.

Shakespeare largely "embellished" the deeds of Macbeth, depicting him as a cruel tyrant. At Holinshed Macbeth is described as a wise and just ruler who cared about 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, to control them, while 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 studies about King Macbeth.)

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

Macbeth's cruelty towards Macduff, according to historians, is due to the fact that Macduff, having violated his duty, began to communicate closely with the enemies of the king, and Macbeth personally led the army against his recalcitrant vassal. According to the play, Macduff angered Macbeth by fleeing to England, and in revenge the king sends assassins to massacre 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 tremendous impact on culture.

Inspired by Macbeth

Scottish tragedy in an Italian way

The Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, who admired the work of the great English playwright, in 1845 began work on the creation of the opera "Macbeth" based on the play of the same name. He was the first composer who dared to transfer Shakespeare's drama to the opera stage in a version close to the original. Before him, composers only relied on Shakespeare's plots, or even used the material that became the primary source for Shakespeare's plays. For example, Gioacchino Rossini in 1816 wrote the opera Otello based on the short story by Giraldi Cinthio The Moor of Venice, and Bellini in 1830 based on the short story Romeo and Juliet by Mateo Bandello wrote his opera Capuleti and Montecchi.

Verdi approached the work with all responsibility and zeal. The most difficult stage in the work for Verdi was writing the libretto, because it was necessary to outline the main storyline of the play, while avoiding frequent changes of scenes and scenery, which is usually unacceptable in operas: "... The only reason that keeps me from taking on Shakespearean stories more often lies precisely in this need to change the scenery every minute. When I visited the theater more often, this change of scenery led me to the greatest annoyance, and it seemed to me that I I am present at the performance with a magic lantern.The French have found the only correct solution in this matter - they build their dramas in such a way that only one scenery is required for each act; thanks to this, the action moves forward without any obstacles and without to divert the attention of the public."(from a letter to Verdi, 06/29/1853)

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

When the music and libretto were ready, rehearsals began. In the first place, Verdi did not put the vocal abilities of the singers, but their acting and the drama of the performance. He thoroughly explained to the singers (especially Felice Varesi, who played the role of Macbeth) with what intonation one should sing in this or that episode, how to reflect what is happening with the help of facial expressions and gestures: "... The scene depicts a cave in which witches are practicing witchcraft. You enter and address them with a question (short recitative), then ghosts appear. You have only a few words at this time, but as an actor you will have to accompany everything that happens expressive mimic 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 to see the singer: unattractive, but dramatically gifted with a sharp, 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 duet scene between the lady and Macbeth in the first act, when she incites her husband to commit murder, and the queen's somnambulism scene in the fourth act: "...If these moments are lost, the opera is a failure."(from Verdi's letter dated 11/23/1848)

Giuseppe Verdi was extremely demanding in rehearsals, he exhausted the actors, requiring certain scenes to be played over and over again, bringing them to the desired perfection. According to Marianne, a great duet in the first act Fatal mia donna("My Fatal Woman"), 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 more speech 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 it will be one hundred and fifty-one".

Giuseppe was exacting not only to the actors, but also to the impresario of the Pergola theater Alessandro Lonari, especially with fantastic scenes involving ghosts and witches. He asked Lonari not to save on fantastic scenes, ignoring the impresario's remarks that the abundance of otherworldly phenomena did not quite correspond to the character of Italians. The composer attached great importance to the shadow of Banquo, symbolizing the pangs of conscience of King Macbeth. Verdi insisted that the shadow be played by the same actor who portrayed Banquo in the first act. "... He should appear behind an ashen curtain, very rare, thin, barely visible; Banquo has disheveled hair and wounds on his neck should be visible. 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 scrupulous attitude to the production of the opera, the playing of the orchestra, actors, scenery and other things 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.

After 17 years, the Lyric theater in Paris offered Verdi to supplement the opera with new music. As a result, Giuseppe reworked almost the entire score and wrote an insert ballet. The composer also changed the finale 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 better musically. The premiere of the new version of "Macbeth" took place on April 21, 1865, and this opera became more popular than the first version.

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

"Macbeth" Bloch

Shakespeare's tragedy about the Scottish king prompted the creation of the 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. I lived it, I dreamed of it. Five more years - musical work: I finished it pretty quickly, most of it was created in one impulse, it took much more time to correct and discard the superfluous.Some scenes gave me great joy, but often I remained dissatisfied.Sometimes it seemed to me that I achieved a perfect combination of music and poetry, and sometimes I was disappointed on the contrary.My task was to accurately convey Shakespearean spirit and at the same time remain yourself."(from the memoirs of Bloch).

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

From an excerpt from Bloch's letter to Edmond Fleg, one can clearly see 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:
"... Macduff turned out to be undramatic for me. By itself, he is nobody - a wrapper without an inside, a second plan. He personifies something, his task is to be a symbol, and only this is expressed. With Banquo, the same story. His essence lies in the manner speak or in a secondary side (his fate).Lady Macbeth, on the contrary, has three themes, three sides of character. And Macbeth is primarily a warrior. Much more important are the themes that make the characters act - fate, power, ambition, rightness. (. ..)
This by no means means that music loses its weight – on the contrary. But its search is directed primarily at the heart of the drama, at the heart of the characters, and does not concentrate on the text itself - the text is a conductor. Thus, the musical reflection of the drama, 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 demands drama in them. There are other themes, but these are the main ones: the militancy of Macbeth, the mystery of fate, as Banquo sees it, thoughts about crime. That is why it is difficult for me to give names for Macbeth's motives.
So: exceptional flexibility and viscosity of topics. They change form not according to the requirements of music, but according to the requirements of drama, psychology. You can also say that the topics converge into one big stream, which gives them life. Macbeth is not so much a drama of ambition, as we are used to seeing it, as a drama of conscience. It seems to me that my task is not to show the development of events, but the psychological reaction to these events.
Here is a man of honor, driven by ambition, commits 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 precisely in 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 Opéra-Comique on November 30, 1910. The opera was performed in French. The public warmly accepted Bloch's work, unlike the critics. Only a few positively evaluated the opera, including the Italian composer Ildebrando Pizzetti and the Parisian critic Pierre Lalo, who expressed his point of view in the newspaper Vremya on December 31, 1910:

"Macbeth, presented at the Opéra-Comique, despite minor shortcomings, has profound virtues: the character of a real dramatic and strong musician. Mr. Fleg's arrangement of Shakespeare's drama is also true and respectful as far as possible. The action is more concentrated , develops faster and looks even more cruel.It is 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-lyrical spirit of Shakespeare. This is the merit of the music. The music composed by Ernest Bloch has two features and two advantages brought together: the similarity - and even exact reproduction - of Shakespeare's poem, and the brightness of the expression of the drama. Bloch, it seems, so captured the thoughts of Shakespeare himself that he expressed them in music. In scenes where his writing looks absolutely realistic, he achieved the truth, which directly conveys the Shakespearean 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 sense 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 wrestled with her in a fight without a moment's hesitation.

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

Bloch's "Macbeth" is an undeservedly "forgotten" opera, most do not even know about its existence. It did not become an outstanding opera of its time, but it is worth hearing at least once. After all, listening to Bloch's opera, one feels the atmosphere of medieval Scotland, the drama and mysticism of the play itself.

"Macbeth" in rock music

Jag Panzer

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

Album Macbeth:
1. Prelude
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 at the movies

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, allowing you to create the atmosphere of 11th century Scotland and convey a mood of mystery and mysticism. I would like to pay special attention to the song "Fleance", which is performed by young Flins during a feast at Lord Macbeth. A beautiful and very sad song sounds against the background of general fun and joy, as if preparing for the upcoming sad events.
A year after the release of the film "The Third Ear Band" recorded the album "Music from Macbeth", which included all these songs. And in the same 1972, the group was nominated for a BAFTA award in the category "Best Film Music".

Music from the movie "Macbeth":

1 Overture
2 The Beach
3 Lady 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 Flair
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 gloomy and tragic Shakespearean story of King Macbeth will inspire more than once the creation of a musical, and not only, work.

Olga North

Notes:

This section outlines the most popular versions, but it is not worth asserting their absolute authenticity. In different chronicles, genealogical sequences, chronological dates and historical events are presented in different ways.

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

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

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

The original 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."

(c) Metal Saga

Macbeth and his wife show how terrible the evil that takes possession of human souls is. But evil is not omnipotent. If in one respect Macbeth is the darkest of Shakespeare's great tragedies, in another it is more hopeful than Hamlet, Othello, or King Lear. In none of them are so many people opposed to evil as in Macbeth, and nowhere are they as active as they are here.
Against Macbeth and his wife, trampling on humanity, the whole society rises. They are fought not by individuals, but by the whole country. The enemies of Macbeth realize that they are fighting not only for dynastic interests against the usurper king, but for humanity in general.
The dramatic conflict in "Macbeth" especially clearly reveals the difference between Shakespeare and the subsequent drama, in which psychological and moral problems were posed. There the struggle closed in a circle of spiritual and moral experiences. In Shakespeare, this struggle captures the whole society.

Read Macbeth online

William Shakespeare

Characters

Duncan, King of Scotland.

Malcolm, Donalbain - his sons.

Macbeth, Banquo - Duncan's generals.

Macduff, Lenox, Ross, Mentis, Angus, Catnes - Scottish nobles.

Fliens, son of Banquo.

Siward, Earl of Northumberland, English general.

Young Siward, his son.

Seiton, close associate of Macbeth.

Son of Macduff.

English doctor.

Scottish doctor.

Sergeant.

Gatekeeper.

Lady Macbeth.

Lady Macduff.

Court lady from the retinue of Lady Macbeth.

Three witches.

Spirit of Banquo and other ghosts.

Lords, nobles, officers, soldiers, assassins, servants and messengers.

Location: Scotland, England.

Wasteland. Thunderstorm.

Enter THREE WITCHES.

First witch

When with lightning, under thunder

Will we meet again in the rain?

Second witch

Once the fight is over

The victory of one side.

third witch

Before the evening dawn.

First witch

Where is the meeting?

Second witch

In heathers.

third witch

We will see Macbeth there.

First witch

The cat meowed. - It's time!

All witches

The toad stole.2 - Let's fly!

The line between good and evil, erase.

Let's rush up through the rotten steam.

(Disappear.)

Camp near Forres.3

Behind the scenes is the sound of battle.

Enter King Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Lenox; towards them - a bloodied sergeant.

Duncan

Who is covered in blood? By the looks of it

He can tell about the course of the battle

with the rebels.

Malcolm

This is the sergeant

Whose valor salvation from captivity

I am obliged. Hello my brave friend!

The king wants to know who had the upper hand

When you left the field

Sergeant

Like two swimmers entangled, each other

Enemies chained up. Mad McDonald,

True seditious, for from birth

The most vile vices nest in it,

In the west across the islands

Recruited Irish infantry

And behind the villain, smiling strife,

Fortune the whore has gone. But in vain!

Contrary to her, pet of swearing glory,

Brave Macbeth (he deserves these nicknames!),

Cutting your way with steel

Smoking bloody retribution,

Appeared to the traitor.

He did not shake hands with him, did not say goodbye to him,

But the body was cut in half,

And stuck his head on a pole above the tower.

Duncan

Oh gallant cousin! Worthy vassal!

Sergeant

But sometimes the sun, rising,

Brings with it a storm to ships to destruction,

So for us a source of trouble

Became the key of consolation. Know, King of Scotland:

Barely truth with valor in union

Drive back the Lightfoot Irish,

King of Norway, considering the moment convenient,

Rat fresh in intact armor

He led us.

Duncan

And trembled before him

Macbeth and Banquo, our generals?

Sergeant

No more than eagles before a sparrow

And the lions before the hare. Frankly speaking,

They are like cannons whose charge is doubled

They answered the enemy with a double blow.

Did they want burning wounds with blood

To bathe or raise again Golgotha,

I don't know... But my strength has run out.

I'm getting weak. The wound calls for help.

Duncan

She, like your speech, stuck to you:

Honor breathes in both. - Quick doctor!

The sergeant is taken away.

Who is coming to us?

Malcolm

Venerable Russian tan5.

Ross enters.

Lenox

His eyes reveal haste,

He seems to have arrived with unusual news.

God save the king!

Duncan

Where are you from,

Decent thane?

My lord, from Fife,

Where are the captured Norwegian banners

Your fighters are being cooled.

King of Norway, leader of countless hordes,

And with him the Cawdor Thane, low traitor,

They hit us. And the fight went on

Bye, Macbeth, beloved of Bellona,

Covering yourself with tested armor,

Chest to chest, sword to sword, in single combat

Not knocked out of the Norwegian arrogance. Briefly speaking,

Enemy destroyed.

Duncan

Great luck!

King of Norway, asked for peace,

But before burying the dead,

He had to on the isle of St. Colm

Give us ten thousand dollars.

Duncan

The Cawdorian Thane will not betray us anymore.

Go, tell them to put an end to the troublemaker.

Congratulate Macbeth with the Thane of Cawdor.

I will do everything with zeal.

Duncan

He raised Macbeth with his fall.

Everyone leaves.

Steppe overgrown with heather. Thunder.

Enter THREE WITCHES.

First witch

Sister, where have you been?

Second witch

Poisoned pigs.

third witch

And you, sister?

Characters Duncan, King of Scotland. Malcolm | ) his sons. Donalbain | Macbeth, relative of the king | ) Scottish generals. Banko | Macduff | Lenox | Ross | Mentheis) rulers of the Scottish regions: Angus | Katnes | Flins, son of Banco Siward, Earl of Northumberland, English general. Young Siward, his son. Seiton, Macbeth's squire. Young son of Macduff. English doctor. Scottish doctor. Sergeant. Gatekeeper. Old man. Lady Macbeth. Lady Macduff. Court lady under Lady Macbeth. Hecate. Three witches. Spirit of Banquo and other ghosts. Lords, nobles, officers, soldiers, assassins, servants and messengers. The action takes place in Scotland and England in the middle of the 11th century. ACT I Scene 1 A deserted place. Thunder and lightning. Enter THREE WITCHES. The first witch When among the lightning, in the rain and thunder Will we see each other again? The second witch When one of the commanders of the other will break in battle. The third witch Zarya will decide its outcome. FIRST WITCH Where shall we meet? The second witch In the wasteland. The third witch Macbeth will be there by then. The first witch The cat is purring, calling. I'm coming! The third witch I hear the call of the toad in the pond. All together Evil is good, good is evil. Let's fly, jumping on a broomstick! Disappear. Scene 2 Camp near Forres. Fighting cliques behind the scenes. Enter Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, and Lenox, with retinue. They come across a wounded sergeant. DUNCAN Who is this bloodied soldier? It seems to me that we will learn from him About the course of the rebellion. Malcolm He's the sergeant who helped me escape capture. Hello, friend! The king wants to know Under what conditions you left the fight. Sergeant It has not yet been revealed who will take. Opponents are like two swimmers who are prevented by the Fight from moving in the water. Ruthless MacDonald, who combined in himself all the baseness of a rebel, Gathered a detachment of Irish spearmen And raised the western islands. Fate tried to support the rebel, But could not do anything. The brave Macbeth (he is rightfully named so) Courageously pierced his way with a sword Smoking bloody retribution, And, standing face to face with the traitor, He did not shake hands, did not waste parting words, But he blew off his head on a grand scale And hoisted it on a palisade. DUNCAN Our brave cousin! Honor the sample! Sergeant But as cloudless clouds replace And a storm sinks ships in the sea, So the source of our salvation Suddenly turned into a spring of death. Pay close attention, King of Scots, listen: As soon as the law triumphed, Putting the Irish to flight with weapons, The King of Norway, seizing the moment, Led untouched forces against us. DUNCAN Well, tell me, did he frighten Commanders Banquo and Macbeth with that? Sergeant Yes, frightened, like a sparrow - an eagle And a hare - a lion! To tell you the truth, They, like guns of double power, Doubled the decisiveness of the blows. Whether they thirsted for blood to wash themselves, To perpetuate a new Golgotha, I don't know... I'm getting weaker. The wounds burn. DUNCAN Your words And these wounds speak of honour. Get him a doctor as soon as possible. The sergeant is taken away. Who goes there? Ross enters. Malcolm Venerable Russian Thane. Lenox How his eyes burn! He must have brought unusual news. ROSS Long live the king! Duncan Where are you from, worthy thane? ROSS I, sir, from Fife, Where the Norse flag blew the sky, And brought cold to our army. There, the Norwegian hordes merged With the Cawdorian thane that had fallen away from you And started a terrible battle with us. But Macbeth, the bridegroom of Bellona, ​​arrived in time, In his impenetrable armor, Met them in hot hand-to-hand combat, And the enemy was curbed. In other words, we won. DUNCAN How lucky! ROSS The Norwegians are asking for peace. We did not allow them to bury the dead, Until their king Sven paid Ten thousand gold in St. Colm. Duncan Thane of Cawdor who has broken loyalty to us Will be punished by death for deceit. And with the areas of the enemy's slander And with his title, congratulate Macbeth. ROSS I'll do it all. Duncan What he has lost, the most worthy Macbeth shall gain. They leave. Scene 3 Steppe. Thunder in the distance. Enter THREE WITCHES. First Witch Where have you been, sister? The second witch Pestilence sent on pigs. Third Witch And you, sister? The first witch was sitting with the skipper. That chestnut was full of hem. You know yourself click yes click! "Give me a bite," I asked. And this creature is like a bark: "Get out of here, damned hag!" Her husband is sailing on the "Tiger" in Aleppo, And I'm on the bottom of the sieve I'll set off like a rat without a tail, After him, after him, after him in pursuit. SECOND WITCH And I will blow into the sieve. First Witch Thank you for that. Third Witch I'll blow the winds too. FIRST WITCH And I'll treat you to mine. Their breath touched All the edges and countries of the world, As if by a compass the steering wheel No matter how I kept the direction. I'm on the way to the sailor I'll give sadness and melancholy as a friend, So that, being bored, he doesn't close his eyes for an hour at night, So that he forgets peace and sleep Ninety-nine den, So that he melts and dries, Hurrying his last breath. But I won't let storms or waves sink it. Look what I have. Second Witch Let me take a look. The first witch This is the sailor's finger: Near the earth fell into the water. Drum beat offstage. Third witch Hear, hear - drumming! Soon Macbeth will appear to us. All Hand in hand, let's run Around the dance let's go. A round dance flickers, The earth will leave from under your feet. Nine times in a circle, circle We will run and close the circle. The circle is cursed, and our word is strong! Enter Macbeth and Banquo. Macbeth More beautiful and more terrible I do not remember the day. Banquo How far is Forres? Who is it? How pitiful their appearance, and how wild their attire! They are so different from the other Inhabitants of the earth, and yet they are on it! Who you are? Are you living beings? May I ask you? Like yes. You understood me and put Dry fingers to dry lips. You are women, but the beards on your faces seem to tell us something else. Macbeth Who are you, answer, if speech is given to you! First Witch Praise be to thee, Macbeth, glamissian thane! Second Witch Hail to you, Macbeth, Cawdorian Thane! Third Witch Praise be to Macbeth, king to come! BANQUO Why did you shudder? Their words caress the ear. And I ask you to confess: Do you really exist, or are you imagining us? You prophesied for Macbeth a new rank And a royal title beyond a speedy inheritance. He is confused. And you didn't tell me anything. But if, foreseeing fate in advance, You know what will happen, what will not, also turn to a person who does not expect mercy from you And is not afraid of your hatred. First Witch Praise! Second Witch Praise! Third Witch Praise! First Witch You are less than Macbeth, but also more. SECOND WITCH Without happiness, but happier than him. Third Witch You are an ancestor of kings, but not a king. Praise, praise to you, Banquo and Macbeth! FIRST WITCH Praise you, Banquo and Macbeth, praise you! Macbeth It is clear that if my father, the Glamis Thane, died, then I am the Glamiss Thane. But the Cawdorian thane is alive and well, And it is also impossible to become one, How difficult it is to become a Scottish king. Where are your clues from? Where are you from, who met us in the steppe with a prophetic greeting? Tell. Witches disappear. Banko Earth also blows bubbles, Like water. Appeared on the surface And spread. Macbeth Dissipated like steam, And melted into the air without a trace. Too bad they got away. I would ask them. Banquo Did they really stand there, Or did you and I gorge ourselves on henbane? Macbeth Your descendants will be kings. BANQUO You will be a king in your own life. MACBETH And also the Cawdorian thane. Truth? Banquo Yes, exactly. Who goes there? Enter Ross and Angus Ross Macbeth! The King was pleased to hear of your success. Even on your morning victory He lavished praises in delight, When by the end of the day you found yourself in battle with the Norwegians, not being afraid of the spectacles of death heaped up by You, Words were not enough for glorification. The news flew in a hail from the battlefield And added new features And to your services to the kingdom. Angus The King sent no reward with us, But only gratitude and an invitation To come to him. ROSS But he hath commanded Thee to be called a Cawdorian Thane For further blessings. Thank you! You have rightfully earned your new title. BANQUO (aside) How! The devil knows how to tell the truth? Macbeth But the Cawdorian is alive. I don't understand, Why dress me up in someone else's outfit? ANGUS Whoever was a tan still lives, but will pay with his life, so he is heavily accused. Whether Norwegian ally or rebellion Unspoken accomplice, only he is Guilty of treason, He is caught in it, confessed and will die. MACBETH (aside) Glamis and Cawdorian thane! And then the Crown! (To Ross and Angus) Thank you for your hard work. (Aside, Banquo) Well, how are your hopes, founder of the Dynasty! Am I really a Thane of Cawdor? BANQUO (aside, to Macbeth) On this basis You could dream of a crown. But the spirits of lies, preparing our doom, First beckon us with the semblance of truth, To destroy us with the severity of the consequences. (Turns to Ross and Angus.) Listen... (Departs.) Macbeth (aside) Two truths come true, Leading to the harbinger of a higher power, There is a beginning. (to Ross and Angus) Thank you gentlemen! (Aside.) Those supernatural rewards can't be for better or worse. They are not for bad: in these predictions the truth was hidden. I am a Cawdorian Thane. They can't be good: otherwise, how could I yield to suggestions, Whose horror makes my hair stand up And makes my heart beat in the ribs? Imaginary fears are worse than real ones. I'm all frozen At the assumption of this murder, And life before me is obscured by the Fruit of imagination, fiction. BANQUO (to Ross and Angus) You see him withdraw into himself. MACBETH (aside) When fate wants to give me a crown, Let it give without my help. BANQUO He must get used to the new honor. She, like a dress, must be worn. MACBETH (aside) Ah, come what may! Every day will pass, no matter what turn it takes. BANQUO We wait, worthy Macbeth. MACBETH Pardon me, gentlemen. I remembered Lost. Your favors I will write on the pages of my heart, Which I read every day. Let's go to the king. (Aside, Banquo.) At leisure, think about the occasion. There will be time, Let's talk about it heart to heart. Banquo (aside, to Macbeth) Ready! MACBETH (aside. Banquo) Until then, not a word! Let's go, friends. They leave. Scene 4 Forres. Room in the palace. Pipes. Enter Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Lenox, and Retinue. Duncan Executed Cawdor? Have the riders returned, who carried the order? MALCOLM No, my lord. But a witness to the death of the tan told me, That he repented of everything, asked Your Majesty for forgiveness, And died in peace. He ended his life more worthy than he lived. He died In the consciousness of the inevitability of the end And with life, as with a toy, said goodbye. DUNCAN That's how deceptive the appearance of people! After all, I believed this man Unlimitedly. Enter MACBETH. Banquo, Ross and Angus. Dear brother! I would not want to be known as ungrateful, But the flight of your deeds My gratitude can not keep up. Your merit is incommensurately great, and there is no equal reward. Blame yourself and don't be annoyed. Macbeth I serve your Majesty, in allegiance to the throne, and here is my wages. To be a master is the work of a king, The duty of a subject is to be a servant and a son, And to do with the rest all that is required by honor and love. Duncan Welcome guest! I have lifted you up and will continue to lift you up. - Hello, noble Banquo! Be no less a guest according to your merits. Let me hold you tight to my heart. Banko I will put a root in it, all the fruits are yours. DUNCAN Tears won't let me speak. I am crying out of joy. Friends, comrades-in-arms and sons, Closest of those close to you, know: We transfer the right to the throne In inheritance to the eldest son, Malcolm, Who is thus elevated To the rank of Prince of Cumberland. I will add: Along with him, like the brilliance of the stars, We will shower honors on all those who are worthy. Macbeth, we are going to Inverness to see you As a pledge of our close friendship. Macbeth Hours not spent on you, Not rest, but hard work. To proclaim this joy to my wife, I will go ahead myself. DUNCAN My thane of Cawdor! Macbeth (aside) Prince Cumberland blocks my way. I must fall or step over. O stars, do not look into my soul, Such desires are there at the bottom! No matter how frightening it would be, anyway, Closing my eyes, I will accomplish what is destined. (Exits.) DUNCAN You're right, Banquo. I don't give a damn about them. My brave Macbeth is a feast of the soul and a holiday. Let's follow. He galloped forward, To prepare a cordial meeting. Yes, he is an incomparable person. They leave. Scene 5 Inverness. A room in Macbeth's castle. Lady Macbeth enters, reading a letter. Lady Macbeth "I met them on a happy day and made sure that their knowledge is immeasurable. I was impatient to ask them in more detail, but they vanished into the air. - just as these prophetic sisters called me not long before, transporting me to a more distant future with the exclamation: “Praise be to you, future king!” I considered it my duty to tell you this, dear participant in my celebration, so that through ignorance you would not lose your share of the joy that awaits you. Lay it down in your heart and say goodbye." Yes, you are a Glamis and Cawdorian thane And you will be what fate promised, but too Impregnated with the milk of heartfelt feelings To act. You are full of ambition. But you'd like to, without getting your hands dirty, Rise up and sin without sin. You will not cheat in the game, But you will appropriate the dishonorable prize. And you hesitate not because you are an opponent of evil, but because you are afraid to do evil with your hand. Hurry home! I will relentlessly in your ears I will begin to trumpet courage to you And with my tongue I will destroy all the barriers Between you and the golden crown, Which is assigned to you from above As if in advance. Servant enters. What do you say? Servant King is coming to us. Lady Macbeth What nonsense! Isn't your master with him? Then he would have ordered the preparations. Servant Macbeth will come himself. Messenger Said that he overtook him on the road. That's all that the messenger could say, So he was suffocating. Lady Macbeth Be kind to him. He has important news. The servant leaves. From the battlements of the wall The hoarse raven announced loudly the fatal arrival of Duncan. Here, to me, villainous inspirations, Indulge in me, demons, spirits of darkness! Let the woman die in me. May I be full of fierce cruelty. Thicken my blood and block the Path of pity, so that the voices of life Do not shake the terrible decision And its firmness. Here, to me, Invisible geniuses of murder, And instead of milk, Fill my chest with bile. Dress yourself in the smoke of hell, Dead of night, so that the knife does not see the wounds That it will inflict, and the sky could not Remind: "Stop!" Macbeth enters. Great thane of Glamys and Cawdor, One hundred times great in what lies ahead! Your letter took me From the present to the future, And I'm all in it. MACBETH My love, Duncan Come tonight. Lady Macbeth When does he suppose to leave? MACBETH Tomorrow morning. Lady Macbeth There will never be such a "tomorrow". My friend, as in a book, on your face It is easy to read outlandish things. They must be hidden. To deceive People, be yourself, like everyone else. Look kinder. Seem like a flower and be a snake under it. You have to take care of the guest. You leave me to think for myself, How to make the night work better for us, So that the rest of the nights and days We reign supreme alone. Macbeth We'll talk later. Lady Macbeth But don't be shy, Try to be as cheerful as you can And leave everything to me. They leave. Scene 6 There. In front of Macbeth's castle. Pipes and torches. Enter Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Banquo, Lenox, Macduff, Ross, Angus, and retinue. DUNCAN The castle is in a good location. The air is clean and easy to breathe. Banko Tom's bail Swift's nest. This summer guest vouches for us that the sky is favorable To the refuge. There is no ledge, pillar, Corner under the roof, where the suspended cradles of these birds would not be molded. And where they nest, I noticed - Healthy land. Enter Lady Macbeth. DUNCAN Here is the lady herself! Although love brings us worries, However, we all cherish it. Here you appreciate us the more, The more we have brought you trouble. Lady Macbeth Double favours, quadrupled are few, compared with the favors, my lord, With which you have bestowed upon us before And showered us again. We pray to God for you. DUNCAN Where is the Thane of Cawdor? We rushed after him to overtake And meet here, but he is a good rider, Besides, Love for his wife served as spurs to him along the way. So today we are your guests. Lady Macbeth We ourselves are our own And the house is your property, And we are rather guests in it, and not you. DUNCAN Then let me offer you a hand. Take to your husband. He conquered us. We will distinguish it more and more. Come on, lady. They leave. Scene 7 Macbeth's castle. Pipes and torches. Kravchiy and several servants enter and cross the stage with food and utensils. Then Macbeth enters. MACBETH A good blow, and the matter would be over, And off with your shoulders! Minutes would not hesitate. If all the difficulty consisted in hiding the traces and in order to achieve good luck, I 6 here, on this shallow of time, Sacrifice the afterlife reward. But retribution awaits us on earth. A little bit of life you set a bloody example, She will give you the same lesson. You pour poison into a goblet, and justice Brings this poison to your lips. - The king spends the night under double protection. I am a relative and a subject of his, And this makes it difficult to attempt. Then he is a guest. I should have guarded the door to his rest from attacks, And not sneak up on it with a knife. And, finally, Duncan was like a ruler So pure and good that his valor, Like angels, trumpeted for vengeance. And in a storm of pity a whirlwind will be born, And it will reveal a cloud with a naked baby, And, having flown around the whole world with this news, Will flood it with a sea of ​​tears. I don't see how I can set myself on fire. Like a wild horse, The desire for power will rear up And fall, stumbling, at the same moment. Enter Lady Macbeth. Well how are you? LADY MACBETH He is finishing his supper. Why did you leave, getting up from the table? Macbeth Did he ask me? Lady Macbeth Asked, of course. MACBETH Let's abandon the plan. I owe everything to Him. I stand so high in popular opinion that I would like to live a little with this good fame. Lady Macbeth What is your dream? She was drunk, Didn't get enough sleep and sees in black, What was pleasing to the eye before a hangover? So that's the price of your love? You are bold in your desires, but when it comes down to it, you are weak. But is it compatible to yearn for higher power And to recognize one's own cowardice? "And I want and pricks," like a cat In the proverb. Macbeth I beg you, be silent! I will do everything in my power to do so. Who dares more is not a man. LADY MACBETH What kind of beast then made you reveal your intentions to Me? Then you could, and you were human. The sooner you enter this path, the more you will be. Although neither the time nor the place was suitable, at that time you were ready to find them. The desired case Presented itself, and now you retreated! I fed and I know what happiness it is to hold a suckling child in my hands. But if I gave such a word, Like you, - I swear, I would pull out the nipple From the soft gums and find the strength I, mother, to crush the child's skull! Macbeth What if we miss? Lady Macbeth Let's miss! Tune in more boldly, and we will not miss. Having traveled all day, Duncan is tired, and as soon as he falls asleep, I will get his squires Both so drunk that I will scout out vapors In their brains, as in stills. When they, having fallen asleep in a dead sleep, Stretch out like two pig carcasses, What can't we do together Above the defenseless? What's to stop us From blaming the drunken sleepy servants And paying them off for the murder? MACBETH Give me only sons. Your spirit is so created to give life to men! To expose the murder as the work of servants, Let us use their daggers for this And stain them with the blood of themselves. Will they believe? Lady Macbeth I would not believe it When we raise our loud cry For this death! MACBETH Well, I make up my mind. All the muscles were filled with readiness. Let's go back to the hall and plan our black Let's cover up with feigned carelessness. They leave.

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 the Mtsensk district" ... in a word, the image is extremely unattractive (G. Verdi, who wrote the opera according to this tragedy, 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 is hardly worth retelling the plot of Shakespeare's play - you will still have to look for a person who would not know him ... better 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 directly - 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 the witches could get information about the "case of the Cawdor Tan" 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 (after all, they were only a few minutes ahead of the royal messenger with this message), and then - pure Oedipus effect (a prediction that came true precisely because it was made). By the way, the witches successfully use this effect in the future: it is from their suggestion that Macbeth makes Macduff, “not born of a woman”, his enemy, and the witches, in principle, could also be aware of the corresponding detail (maybe it was one of them his mother and "caesarel").

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

Or your hope

I was drunk and now, having overslept,

Green and pale, looking

To the old ardor? Your love I see

She is like her in every way. Are you afraid

Be the same in your deeds and in power,

How about wishes? Would you like to own

In what you see the adornment of life,

Living like a coward...

In a word, two "classic" methods of manipulation, which are often used by ladies from ancient times to the present day: "You do not love me" and "You are a coward, you are a rag." And henpecked surrenders!

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

But to call the heroine unscrupulous is still impossible. 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 disorder): she wanders around the castle, trying to wash her hands of "indelible" blood ... Even she - a model of deceit and ruthlessness - cannot live with such a burden - and dies, announcing the castle with a terrible cry. “She should have died later,” Macbeth remarks with annoyance, and one can understand him: this weak-willed person cannot withstand everything that has fallen on him without her “support” (more precisely, stimulation).

This is how Shakespeare tells us the story. But was all this really?

Yes, we can say what 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 when he asserted (more precisely, hinting) that Macbeth was the second husband of Lady Macbeth ... however, that we are all her by her last name - after all, history has preserved her name! Her name was Gruoh, and her first husband was Gillekomgan, Mormaer (Earl) of Moray - he died in civil strife for possession of this county. The unfortunate widow, together with her son, managed to escape and find shelter with a relative of her husband Maelbeta (whom we now know as Macbeth), later she became his wife.

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

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

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

Macbeth, on the other hand, became king, having all the rights to it - both according to his own pedigree, and according to the pedigree of his wife. He ruled for 17 years, and - according to the chronicle - "All these years the country prospered." The raids of Thorfinn Orkney stopped, and inside the country the new king put things in order - 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 be awarded such a description.

As for Banquo, neither Macbeth nor his wife are related to his death either: he died in battle with the Vikings.

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

Gruoh 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 Shakespeare's heroine.

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