Defying the Curse of Macbeth

Theatre has always been riddled with superstitions and curses throughout history. Be it the last lantern lit to ward off ghosts, to saying “break a leg”, to prohibiting whistling in the theatre. ( ) However one of the most popular superstitions is about Shakespeare’s Macbeth. This superstition states, that if the name “Macbeth” is spoken outside the lines of the play, disaster will strike the theatre. Performers, stagehands, producers and essentially all who interact with the play can bypass this “Scottish Curse” by referring to the play as “the Scottish play.” Macbeth is full of violence, disorder and blood, it's got ghoulish ghosts, manipulation, deceit, assassination, and witchcraft and provides bountiful ground for dark musings. This “Curse” has run rampant throughout the ages. The cause of this is most likely its mild hazing aspect. Veteran actors spin a tale of woe and tragedy that they witnessed due to someone invoking the curse, lending credibility to the “Curse” Then when accidents occur around Macbeth, those that believe in the superstition mention and mutter about the “Curse”. Thus the “Curse of Macbeth” has grown into one of the most infamous theatre superstitions because of the many legends behind its origin, the numerous rituals to “cleanse” the evil the “Curse” invokes, and the multiple tragic accidents and events the “Curse” supposedly caused.

There are multiple legends and theories on the origin of the “Scottish Curse”. Some of the biggest legends are based on witchcraft. One idea is that the spell the Witches Three cast “Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble” in Act IV, Scene 1 (), is actually a real magical spell. Another idea is that the cauldron used in the first performance of Macbeth...

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...g accidents because of the “Curse”, waiting for them, any accident or mishap will be remembered. Then, that incident will be told to others, who will retell, and thus it will achieve relative immortality through the “Curse. Every old actor has his or her own Macbeth story that gets reverently passed on to the younger ones. And so the curse persists, feeding upon its own reputation. Because of numerous accidents and misfortune accredited to the “Curse”, the multiple stories that the actors and crew tell about the origins of the “Curse”, and the many rituals actors pass down the generations, to defeat the “Curse”, give this superstition such a rich history that will last for the rest of time. It is best describe in Lady Macbeth’s line, “What’s done cannot be undone.” From Act V, Scene 1. ( ) The “Curse” is now a forever part of Macbeth, and it will never be forgotten.