Fair Is Foul And Foul Is Fair (1978)

[Music] me here [Music] if were done when is done and wether were done quickly if the assassination could tremble up the consequence and catch with his s CE success that but this blow might be the be all and the end all here but here upon this bank and Sh of time we jump the life to come but in these cases we still have judgment here that we but teach bloody instruction which being taught return to plague the inventor this evenhanded Justice commends the ingredients of our poison chalice to our own [Music] lips he's here in double trust first as I am his Kinsman and his subject strong both against the deed then as his host who show against his murderer shut the door not bear the knife myself I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent but only vaulting ambition Shakespeare's tragedy of MC Beth deals with a recurring theme in human nature the destructive power of uncontrolled ambition mbth was a man of ability courage patriotism and Imagination but his lust for power induced him to forsake good for evil and bring Calamity upon himself and his country it was here at Hampton Court Palace on August the 7th 166 that Shakespeare's company of players gave a Command Performance to entertain King James I and his guest King Christian IV of Denmark evidence indicates that the play was MC Beth after James succeeded Queen Elizabeth in 16003 the king King took Shakespeare's company into his service thereafter they were known as the King's Men eager to please the new Sovereign Shakespeare turned to Scottish history to find a suitable topic for a play he found the story of MC Beth in Raphael holling shed's Chronicles holling shed's account of this 11th century Scottish King supplied themes of known interest to both James and the general public which is and apparitions the struggle of Good and Evil for the soul of man the iniquity of rebellion the divine right of kings belief in witchcraft was widespread in Shakespeare's Britain King James himself had published a treaties on the subject called demonology reprinted in London in 1603 Scottish witches were considered more frightening than Engish Eng witches Thrice the brinded cat hath mued Thrice and once the Hedge Pig wine round about The Cauldron goes in the poison entrails throw Double Double Toil and Trouble fire burn and cauldron bubbles fillet of a fenny snake in The Cauldron boil and bake eye of N and toe of frog wool of bat and tongue of dog for a charm of powerful trouble fire burn and cauldron bubble cool it with a baboon's blood then the charm is firm firm and good after James's betral to an of Denmark the ship bringing her to Scotland was turned back by contrary winds believed to have been raised by witches a few old women confessed as much in James's presence Shakespeare evoked this memory in some of the witch's dialogue in McBeth what inner Civ I fither sail and like a rat without a tail I'll do I'll do and I'll do I'll give thee a wind thou kind and I another I myself have all the other and the Very ports they blow though his b cannot be lost yet it shall be Tempest to King James often interviewed witches himself he boasted of his ability to distinguish between real and imaginary witches jaila what's she accused of of having a familiar spirit this cat when she and her husband fell a quarreling she caused the cat to rub his legs so that he did go lame woman what say you my Lord I know not what made me husband go lame me cat I raced from a kitten there ain't no arm in her thou canst not cast spells stir the winds and bring on tempests not as I know of my lord your majesty when me husband that's Gregory beat me with a cudle for knocking over his pot ale I threw a turnup at him ain't no out come of that well then how came he to go lay in his leg in the name of Jesus I know not un Les he wanted to the squir he sent for him to dig a drain at the man house but Gregory had a mind to rest so that he blamed his lameness on M here lame he is sir I'm begging your pardon sir I felt this shank in much SWR it is Sir as thou been examined for Witch's marks oh yes my Lord the Bale he took me off to jail two old women tore me clothes off and look for marks all they found was that cud mark on me backside where Gregory hit me when I said the devil take Gregory begging your pardon sir the old women called me a witch for wish an Neil to a good husband he ain't a good sir but husbands they hard to come by these days what is your cat called why called a lovey sir Gregory calls her Satan says the devil's in her of course she other harm than your husband's lameness no your grace just robbed his leg was all and then he kicked her in damn you Satan taking your grace his pardon and then he sent word by we Samy to The Squire that he was Bewitched and lamed and the legged could do no work woman can you hold your cat in your lap and call on Holy Trinity to strike you both dead if you are a witch and the cat you're familiar come lovey city of wi swear by Holy Trinity I swear by Holy Trinity see my lord your grace she just sleeps easy like Dr had long used the theme of a struggle between good and evil for the soul of man Shakespeare's contemporary Christopher Marlo had dramatized this conflict in a popular play Dr Faus to secure the power that would come from the attainment of all knowledge Fus sells his soul to the devil like Fus McBeth sacrifices good for evil as he succumbs to The Temptations urged by Lady McBeth come you spirits that tend on Mortal Thoughts unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe top full of direst Cruelty come to my woman's breasts and take my milk for gall you murdering ministers come thick Knight that my Keen knife see not the wound it makes great clums worthy cord greater than both by the all hail hereafter my dearest love Duncan comes here tonight and when goes hence tomorrow as he purposes oh never shall Sun that marrow SE bear wellcome in your eye your hand your tongue look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it he that's coming must be provided for we will speak further leave all the rest to me King James would have been profoundly moved by another thief in the play MC Beth a usurper raising profane hands against royalty anointed of God James believed that he was divinely appointed to rule by hereditary right he was therefore interested in his genealogy which showed dissent from murdered Banquo Shakespeare dramatized James's heredity in act four of Beth with a show of Kings descended from Bano the doctrine of Divine Right was a repeated theme in many of Shakespeare's plays Richard II deposed by another usurper asserts his divinity not all the water in the rough rude sea can wash the B off from an anointed king the breath of worldly men cannot depose the deputy elected by the Lord no tyranny could justify violence against a lawful ruler Shakespeare and his contemporaries heard repeated warnings against the sin of rebellion preachers frequently delivered official sermons on the subject from the book of homilies compiled by the church how horrible a sin against God and man Rebellion is cannot possibly be expressed according unto the greatness thereof for he that nameth Rebellion nameth not a singular or one only sin as is theft robbery murder and such like but he nameth the whole puddle and sink of all sins against God and man against his Prince his country his countrymen his parents his children his kin his friends and against all men universally all sins I say against God and all men he together nameth he that nameth Rebellion at the Royal performance of Shakespeare's MC Beth a plot against James's own life was fresh in the king's memory during the year just past would be usurpers had conspired to destroy him and his line a day or two before the opening of parliament in November 165 his principal secretary the Earl of soulsbury brought him a letter your majesty a letter of Grievous import on what matter SS they shall receive a terrible blow this Parliament and yet they shall not see who hurts them a plot I fear it s but cannot construe it knowing well your Royal wisdom in solving Mysteries we thought it meat to seek your learning to unravel this riddling letter terrible blow and yet they shall not see who hurts them powder I mind me my father died at Kirker field by gunpowder it his conspiracy here to to blow up the king with gunpowder this this blasphemy search The Cellar of the meeting place your servant we see it done sir the plot revealed by the intercepted letter involved more than a dozen conspirators they hope to precipitate an uprising and restore to the throne a monarch of the Catholic faith 36 kegs of gunpowder were placed in the cellers of the House of Lords to blow up the Protestant King his Heir and all members of parliament one of the conspirators an ex- soldier named guy Forks was to light the fuse immediately after Parliament gathered on November the 5th 165 strike theat [Music] Fox was caught in the cellar holding a slow match others were rounded up in London and in warshire where the headquarters was a house neighboring Shakespeare's property some were killed resisting arrest eight were tried and convicted in late January 1606 they were executed publicly in the manner prescribed for traitors by hanging drawing and quartering discovery of the plot and the trial and execution of the conspirators created an atmosphere of tension and forboding that permeates McBeth good things of Day begin to droop and drowse whil nights black agents to their praise do Rouse as King James his Royal guest and the court settled into their chairs in the Great Hall of Hampton Court to watch the King's Men perform Shakespeare's new play they were disposed to applaud the fate of McBeth a usurper and Assassin of an anointed king later times have seen in McBeth the recurring tragedy of able men ruined by unbridled lust for power through the centuries this players held the stage because audiences have seen in it a dramatic and poetic portrayal of a theme of universal interest pertinent in every age