Macbeth vs Macbeth

Macbeth vs Macbeth

 

NOTE TO NOEL: I am sure that over the course of your teaching career you have read (and quite possibly written) quite a few “Real Macbeth compared to Shakespeare's Macbeth” essays. If you want, I will write one of those. However, in an effort to create something a little more interesting (and a little bit easier to publish on my booksie account) this will be a play, wherein the Macbeth described in Shakespeare's Macbeth will be having a debate with the real Macbeth as described by his contemporaries. The subject of their debate will be “Who of us would have made a better King?”. Presiding over the debate will be the Banquo of the play. He will be there to keep order and ensure the debate progresses. There will be eye witness accounts provided. After the debate, Banquo will give an unbiased opinion of which Macbeth would have made a better King. Hope you enjoy.

 

NOTE: Macbeth of the play will be identified as Mock-Macbeth, while the real Macbeth will simply be identified by Macbeth.

 

NOTE: This entire play was written in strict iambic pantameter.

 

Enter BANQUO and LADY MACBETH, BANQUO taking a seat in the middle of stage, LADY MACBETH sitting next to him.

 

Banquo:

I ask, is all in place? Lady Macbeth,

I pray that thee record carefully so that

This creates a fair debate of both the

Macbeths, are thousts here?

 

Enter MACBETHS from both sides of the room. Take seats at opposite ends of the room.

 

Mock-Macbeth:

I am here

 

Macbeth: I too

Am here, in this worstest of places, to

prove thy existence, though real I am, this

thou cannot deny.

 

Mock-Macbeth:

Not so! Reality,

as I will show, comes of being known by

the masses, and of remembrance past death.

 

Banquo:

Hark! Listen! I will not have disorder

in this room, we will proceed with order

this is not the room for opinion, tis

for facts and truth, we will take turns and keep

the bickering to a minimum.

 

Macbeth:

I

will try, though He hath proved stubborn and rude,

a killer, for pleasure, and a heathen.

 

Mock-Macbeth:

Ha! I did nothing you would not have done

had thee been given thy chances I took.

 

Macbeth:

I will prove thee wrong, with a witness, so

I call forward the Three Witches, whom you

spoke and listened to with longing, and who

thee allowed to spin thoust fate

 

Mock-Macbeth:

We will see.

 

Enter THREE WITCHES.

 

Macbeth:

Witches, do not, I command, speak with your

riddles, or prophesies, I beg, speak only

truth.

 

First Witch:

We promise the words we chose to say

will satisfy thy desired way.

 

Second Witch:

We know the truth that thou would seek

and so in honesty we vow to speak

 

Third Witch:

However, the truth we will prophesy

If the power arises, away we won't shy.

 

Macbeth:

Understood, though honestly you scare me

but that the truth be found, I agree to you

I ask, do you feel that a King so lost

in your potions and prophesies and such

could be a stable King, to rule this land?

 

First Witch:

I know not the future you ask

but I know from times past

 

Second Witch:

A king that feels that a future foretold

Cannot go awry, should surely by told

 

Third Witch:

No King should rely his whole world

On the things that the cauldron ex-poled.

 

Macbeth:

Thank you, I will ask thoust no more

 

Mock-Macbeth:

Well I

have but one question I'd ask of you three

Was not to trick your sole attempt in your

prophesies to which thou spoke of to me?

 

First Witch:

As it happens, he speaks truth

Hecate our queen will provide the proof

 

Enter HECATE.

 

Second Witch:

When with Macbeth are goals we kept

Pray tell, now Queen, was our attempt?

 

Hecate:

Thee all know, yet I will say,

That we intended trouble that day

 

Third Witch:

Be it known, that had we not spoken

Macbeth's sanity would not have broken.

 

Mock-Macbeth:

Thank you.

 

Exit THREE WITCHES and HECATE.

 

Macbeth:

All this proves is that matter not

The witches, for the matter of whether

your fit or not has not been answered yet.

 

Banquo:

Next please.

 

Enter MALCOLM.

 

Mock-Macbeth:

Thank you for coming, I know that we have

had our differences, but now I ask

Do you feel, that with my power and my

charisma that, if given the chance and

the opportunity I could have been

a fit king for my kingdoms?

 

Malcolm:

Oh! I feel

That thou are not a liar, for thoust own

lies in regard to Banquo, were as clear

as a spring in the field, however thou

art a murderer and insane.

 

Macbeth:

Are thou,

or are thou not, of the opinion that

thy stable and kind rule, was better than

that of troubled Mock-Macbeth?

 

Malcolm:

I know not

Though I feared Mock-Macbeth, he did have a

Kingly manor about him, which I feel

you were lacking, I don't like either of

you but he was a better King than you.

 

Exit MALCOLM.

 

Mock-Macbeth:

Hark! That makes one neutral and one for me

Your last witness against me, had better

pull through, or I will be sure to win this!

 

Banquo:

I will have no acquisitions as such

spoken in thy debate, last witness called.

 

Macbeth:

I ask, please, bring in the Porter.

 

Enter PORTER.

 

Porter:

I'm here

as requested, by my lords, as I lived

in both their rules, in one form or other.

 

Macbeth:

As a porter, in my rule, I ask you

how did you find my traditions and rules?

 

Porter:

During thoust rule, good king, I found easy

the life I chose to live. Drinks were cheap, and

I enjoyed the Celtic customs.

 

Macbeth:

I see

 

Mock-Macbeth:

But is it not true, that in my short rule

thou were able to drink, and laugh, and make

marry the audience? I allowed fun,

and thou can imagine, if thoust one scene

was so fun, how life under thy rule could

have been better?

 

Porter:

True, thoust has a point, sir

but I do not care for witchcraft, I would

have been afeard of dark possibilities

under your rule.

 

Macbeth:

Thank you, you may go now

 

Exit PORTER.

 

Banquo:

Given the evidence, all things heard I

will now retire and make my choice.

 

Exit BANQUO.

 

Mock-Macbeth:

I will win.

 

Macbeth:

We will see.

 

Enter BANQUO.

 

Banquo:

My choice is made.

I have found Mock-Macbeth.... the lesser one!

I see he ruled, with fear and cruelty.

 

Mock-Macbeth:

What? Thoust must still by angry I killed thee.

 

Banquo:

I have not finished! However, I think

Shakespeare was correct in that the story

tells a tale of thoust evil plight. May thoust

both be satisfied with this.

 

Macbeth:

I suppose,

thy rule while good, was boring, eventful not,

and the play has lasted longer then my

fame.

 

Mock-Macbeth:

And though I was not the best of kings

my story lives on, with this I can be

satisfied.

 

Banquo:

I now consider this done.

The witches were wrong, I did get to rule

over something, so I too feel I won.

 

Exit MACBETHS and BANQUO.

 

Lady Macbeth:

Why does no one ever ask me? Oh well...