Macbeth - Shakespeare Stories (Includes CD)

Author: (English) Shakespeare / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: After ascending the throne, Macbeth and his Queen still worried about the other prophecies of the three witches: Although Macbeth had become king, his successor would not be his own descendant but the descendant of Banquo. Thinking about this, coupled with the fact that he had committed crimes with his bloody hands but willingly handed the throne over to Banquo's descendants, made him extremely resentful. The prophecies of the three witches had come true one by one, and to prevent other prophecies from being fulfilled, they decided to eliminate Banquo and his son as well. For this, they hosted a banquet, inviting all the great lords, especially Banquo and his son Fleance, with great honor. That night, Macbeth ambushed assassins along the way as Banquo and Fleance were heading to the royal palace. Banquo was killed on the spot, while Fleance escaped the chaos. After that, the Scottish throne passed down from Fleance, continuing until King James VI of Scotland and King James I of England, who then unified England and Scotland. At this banquet, the Queen's attitude was extremely warm and regal. As the hostess, she conducted herself with grace and courtesy, and everyone present was charmed by her. Macbeth and the lords and nobles conversed, and he said that if his friend Banquo had been there, he would have gathered all the finest men of the land in one place. He also said that he would rather Banquo reproached him for forgetting to attend than mourn him if he met with misfortune. Just as he was speaking, the ghost of the murdered Banquo walked in and took the seat Macbeth had intended to occupy. Although Macbeth was brave and fearless of the devil, this terrifying sight still turned his face pale with fear. He froze in cowardice, his eyes fixed on the ghost of Banquo. The Queen and the nobles saw nothing, only him staring intently at the empty chair (so they thought), and they assumed he had temporarily lost his mind. The Queen scolded him and whispered to him that it was just an illusion, just like the dagger he had seen in the air when he went to kill Duncan. But the ghost did not disappear, and Macbeth, ignoring others, began to speak to the ghost. His words were incoherent and full of hidden meanings. The Queen feared he would reveal terrible secrets, so she excused herself by saying that Macbeth's old illness had returned and quickly sent the guests away. Macbeth was tormented by these terrifying visions. He and the Queen had terrible nightmares. Killing Banquo made them uneasy, and Fleance's escape made them anxious. Fleance was the ancestor of the future kings, and he would prevent their own descendants from ascending the throne. They were thus filled with fear and anxiety, their minds racing. Macbeth then decided to seek out the three witches to find out what would happen next. He found the three witches in a cave on the heath. They had anticipated his arrival and were already working on a terrible spell to summon spirits from hell to reveal the future.