Why do actors avoid the word "Macbeth"?

If you or someone you know is related to art, then you probably know that the word "Macbeth" during the rehearsal in the theater actors can not pronounce. It is believed that if this name is still named aloud, then there will necessarily be some misfortune. To avoid an ominous curse, actors replace this word with various euphemisms. They say, for example: "playing bard", "Scottish play", "all these Scottish affairs". Why? This will be discussed later.

The Bloody Story of Macbeth

It all started back at the very first play, around 1606. Then the actor, who was supposed to play Lady Macbeth (yes, it was a boy!), Died suddenly, and Shakespeare had to hurry to find a replacement for him.

At the end of the XVII century, another misfortune happened. The actor, who played the role of King Duncan, was killed right during the performance, in front of the audience. Then it happened because instead of the stage props, a real dagger was used.

In 1947, promising young actor Harold Norman played Macbeth. He was wounded by the sword during the final scene. The actor was taken to the hospital, but he passed away. It is said that his ghost visits the theater on Thursdays, in which a fatal event took place.

Astor Place

This is perhaps the most convincing evidence of the Macbeth curse. In 1849, the Astor Place Theater (New York) encountered two groups of people supporting actors who played the main role in the production that day on different stages. It was not without the National Guard. People were shelled, and 22 people died on the spot, and wounded were more than a hundred.

What is Shakespeare's fault?

According to one version, the maestro used real spells of witches, which you can hear at the beginning of the fourth act of the play. It is also said that Shakespeare's modern witches heard a mockery of their ancient craft in poetic lines, and therefore cursed everyone who would sooner or later be associated with the production.

Indeed, many actors who played in "Macbeth" at different times, fell into various troubles, fell ill, died, and died. But the skeptics have their own opinion. They believe that similar stories should be associated with the play, which has been staged on the stage for more than four hundred years. It just does not always go smoothly, that's all.