Skyeler's Macbeth Project

For my Macbeth project, I decided to make a soundtrack for the play.  I combined several audio clips together, then put some lines from the play into this video.

Skyeler

Riley's fav quotes

"Out damn spot" Lady Macbeth

"The king is dead!" Lady Macbeth

Murder in the castle

It was raining when I was first called to the castle, it was dark, and I was tired, but as a detective, you don’t get to choose when you get called out. The door was answered by a drunken porter. Who invited me in after saying something about equivocate, ignoring him I walked into the murder scene. Three bodies assaulted my eyes as a bloody monstrosity, two things stood out to me, a bloody hand print on the wall, and that the knives that clearly had killed these two guards and Duncan, the other body, were missing. Suddenly knocking resounded throughout the castle; someone else was at the door. I ran out of the room, to see who else would be coming in at a night like this, suddenly a man ran through the halls sounding the alarm of murder, I had arrived, and was ready to solve, who really killed Duncan, it was not the guards, for they did not have their knives.

I arrived down stairs, to find a meeting, Macbeth just admitted to killing the guards, “out of rage for what they had done.” Or so he claimed, maybe because they saw what he had done, therefore he was forced to kill them in order to hide what he had done. His wife fainted when she found out that I had been hired for the case. Mrs. MacDuff, when the argument had concluded, asked me over. Whispering, she said. “I fear for my family’s life, Already the Malcolm and Donalbain have fled, fearing for their lives as well.”

“I’ll do what I can to find the killer, as soon as possible.”

“Watch your back, or you might end up with a knife in it as well.”

While everybody else retired to their bedchambers, I returned to the scene of the crime, upon my arrival I ran into Lord Macbeth, Who quickly shoved his hands into his pockets, and continued on by without even an apology. The bodies had been covered over with sheets of white, but slowly red blotches began to appear on them. I took the sheets off to examine the bodies of the two guards. The knives had been returned to their sheaths. Walking into the bed chamber I removed the sheet over Duncan’s body, his skin was as white as the sheet I had just removed. Looking over I observed that the hand print had been scrubbed off the wall, and with it, my chances of removing the finger prints left in blood. Walking back out I removed one of the knives and pocketed it for further examination. I decided to retire for the night, and the next morning I sent the knife back to England for examination. I waited for days but never got the results back, finally I decided to go back to England for the results myself. When I stepped off the train I bought a newspaper and was horrified to see the front page picture, my client’s and her children’s dead body. I read quickly the location of this massacre and went there immediately. I arrived and once again found a bloody hand print on the wall, were we dealing with a serial killer, whose calling card was a bloody hand print? Or was this just the work of Scotland’s new, sick, and twisted king, still trying to cover up his lust for power. I took a Taxi to the lab where I had sent the knife. The Secretary said she had sent the results back to the sending address. I asked if I could see those results immediately. She nodded and turned and rummaged through a cabinet and swiveled back around and handed me a folder, there were two different sets of finger prints. One belonging to the guard; and one belonging to another man. The one I had suspected from the beginning, Macbeth. I caught the next boat back to Scotland, when we docked I got in the nearest taxi, but the driver refused to take me to the castle of Macbeth. “That’s a war zone now.” He said. Hopping out, I ran to a stable and rented a horse. I hoped I would get there in time. I arrived and found men in ghillie suites, near the edge of the forest. They invited me to charge the castle with them. But I politely declined; I would wait till after the castle was taken to enter. As I waited I went over the evidence, until the blue firework popped in the sky, my signal to come. I eventually caught up with the prince to be, but he told me that MacDuff was still missing. I had to find him before something happened. I opened each door. Looking and listening for any signs of Macbeth or MacDuff. Finally I opened a door, but instead of the men I was hoping for, I was met by three women, dressed in odd appeal. They spoke to me saying “You shall not stop our work oh wise man.” Another spoke up “Although it was a brilliant plan.” Then the last one. “Macbeth must die, by MacDuff’s vengeful hand.”

“But Macbeth can’t die; he should be put behind bars where he belongs.”

“Macbeth!”

“Macbeth!”

“Macbeth! His head this way comes.” Then to my horror they all held hands and chanted. “Fair is foul and foul is fair, Hover through the fog and filthy air.” With a puff of smoke they vanished, and when the smoke cleared MacDuff appeared holding onto Macbeth’s head by his hair, he was covered in blood, at this sight I promptly screamed. But calmed down eventually. My client’s family had been avenged. And I was paid for my services to the crown. Another case solved, but it weighed heavy on me that I was unable to save MacDuff’s family in time.

Calleigh's Macbeth Project and quotes

Here are some of my favourite quotes:

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair.”
"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."
“The instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles.”
“Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires.”
"Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble." 

And for my project I did marked a map of Scotland with all the places mentioned in the play.

~ Calleigh

Skyeler's Favorite Macbeth Quote

I only had one favorite quote for Macbeth.  A rather funny one at that.

"Take thy face hence."

Skyeler

Victoria's Favorite Macbeth Quotes

Here are a few good lines out of a chilling play...

"Present fears

Are less than horrible imaginings." (Macbeth, 1.3.137)

"Come what come may,

Time and hour runs through the roughest day." (Macbeth, 1.3.146)

"My plenteous joys,

Wanton in fulness, seek to hide themselves

In drops of sorrow." (Duncan, weeping, 1.4.33)

"False face must hide what the false heart doth know." (Macbeth, 1.7.82)

"Where we are, there's daggers in men's smiles.

The near in blood, the nearer bloody." (Donalbain, 2.3.141)

"Nought's had, all's spent,

Where our desire is got without content.

'Tis safer to be that which we destroy

Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy." (Lady Macbeth, 3.2.4)

"You have displaced the mirth, broke the good meeting,

With most admired disorder." (Lady Macbeth, 3.4.112)

"I am in blood

Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more,

Returning were as tedious as go o'er." (Macbeth, 3.4.139)

"The night is long that never finds the day." (Malcolm, 4.3.240)

-Victoria

Victoria's Macbeth Project

For my Macbeth project, I decided to describe the special effects I would use if I were the director of a production of this play. I did my best to get the images in my head down on paper, so I hope it all makes sense. :)

Macbeth's special effects as directed by Victoria Brook

Act 1, Scene 1 – Witches’ first scene; planning to meet with Macbeth

Directions in the book: Lightning and thunder. Enter Three Witches.

My specific special effects: Light comes up on the witches already standing on stage. Thunder and lightning special effects. At the end when they all say, “Fair is foul…” strobe lights and a fog machine kick in and their voices are auto-tuned really low and gravely. For their exit, as they say, “Hover through the fog…” they all step up onto a small box (in front of them) and lift their arms. The strobe lights turn off and leave the theater in total blackness, their words echoing.

Act 1, Scene 3 – Witches talking with Macbeth and Banquo

Directions in the book: Thunder. Enter the Three Witches. Drum within.

My specific special effects: Thunder and flashes of lighting. Once the drum begins, it needs to be rapid, loud, and an overbearing drumbeat, rising in volume and rapidity until it suddenly stops when Macbeth and Banquo enter, the last note of the drum resonating. At line 1.3.49 (when they begin their “All hail’s), the part of the line, “All hail,” should be warped into a very deep masculine voice while the rest of the line the actress’s normal feminine voice.

At 1.3.63, the first “Hail” ought to be feminine, the second less so, and the third not at all.

For 1.3.69-70 the “All hails” should be in the scary voice as well.

Directions in the book: Witches vanish.

My specific special effects: The witches begin to laugh in very high-pitched, typical witch laughter. The laughter continues to morph into a very deep creepy laugh. They all throw their heads back as a strong wind blows their hair and skirts. Fog machine begins and strobe lights start. They “disappear” in the flickering light and fog. The strobe lights turn off and the lights come up on a foggy stage with Macbeth and Banquo in the fog.

Act 3, Scene 3 – The murder of Banquo

Directions in book: They set upon Banquo. Banquo dies. Fleance escapes.

My specific special effects: Slow motion is good, but strobe lights would make the scene creepier and jumpier. At line 3.3.18, the stage is totally pitch black.

Act 3, Scene 4 – Banquo’s ghost haunts Macbeth

Directions in book: Banquo’s Ghost enters and – unnoticed by Macbeth or his guests – sits in Macbeth’s place. Macbeth sees Banquo’s Ghost.

My specific special effects: Banquo should be VERY bloody, arms and face very red and dripping wet. He should be dressed in absolute white, except for the many and obvious stains. Once he is noticed by Macbeth, normal lights switch off and a black light switches on. Macbeth should be followed by a spotlight.

Directions in book: Banquo’s Ghost vanishes.

My specific special effects: There should be a momentary pause between the black light

turning off and the regular lights turning on, during which Banquo steps behind a barrier or through a doorway. When he comes back he can simply step back on stage.

Act 3, Scene 5 – The witches talk to Hecat

Directions in book: Thunder. Enter the Three Witches, meeting Hecat.

My specific special effects: Hecat should be standing on a box or stool, wearing dark clothes and having long white hair, keeping her back to the audience. She should say her lines in a low, fast, passionate chanting. Music and lighting should create an eery environment.

Act 4, Scene 1 – Macbeth goes to see the witches at their house and receives further prophecy

Directions in book: Thunder. Enter the Three Witches.

My specific special effects: Constant dripping sound effect, as if in a cave. Possibly rodent noises. Dark and foggy air—a cold feeling. The witches and a cauldron are behind a very large white sheet, backlit as to create perfect and dark shadows of everything the witches throw into the cauldron. Every time the witches say “Double double…” the color of the light shone on the sheet changes from white to a red light. When Macbeth arrives the witches come out from behind the sheet. The apparitions arise from the cauldron, and from behind the sheet the shadows and clearly visible. The second apparition (the bloody child), may be accompanied by sound effects of a crying baby to indicate how young the child is or further sound effects to give clues that the child was taken by C-section. Before disappearing, he should run his hand down across the sheet, allowing “blood” to soak through the sheet to show the audience he is bloody. For the line of kings, actors wearing obvious crowns should line up behind the sheet, except for Banquo.

Directions in book: Music. The Witches dance and then vanish.

My specific special effects: The witches again disappear in fog and possibly strobe lights. A departing witch scream may be called for to increase the creepy factor J.

Act 4, Scene 2 – Murder of Macduff’s family

Directions in book: Exit Lady Macduff, crying “murder!” exuent Murderers, follower her

My specific special effects: When Lady Macduff’s son is stabbed, line 4.2.82 (“He has killed me, mother”) should repeat and echo eerily. When Lady Macduff exits, she screams off stage, but the scream is cut off mid-way into a few soft gasps followed by silence.

-Victoria

Elizabeth's Macbeth Blog Project

I found this song to fit very well with how I felt Macbeth's character progressing throughout the play.

(At the moment, I can not get the youtube video to post, that will be coming later.)

Tonight I'm so alone
This sorrow takes a hold
Don't leave me here so cold
(Never want to be so cold)

Your touch used to be so kind
Your touch used to give me life
I've waited all this time,
I've wasted so much time

Don't leave me alone
Cause I barely see at all
Don't leave me alone, I'm

[Chorus:]
Falling in the black
Slipping through the cracks
Falling to the depths can I ever go back
Dreaming of the way it used to be
Can you hear me?
Falling in the black
Slipping through the cracks
Falling to the depths can I ever go back
Falling inside the black
Falling inside, falling inside the black

You were my source of strength
I've traded everything
That I love for this one thing
(Stranded in the offering)
Don't leave me here like this
Can't hear me scream from the abyss
And now I wish for you my desire

Don't leave me alone
Cause I barely see at all
Don't leave me alone, I'm

[Chorus:]