Learning English

Mariam
Hello, I'm Mariam. Today's story was written as a play hundreds of years ago and is sometimes known as the Scottish play. It involves fighting, witches and a man called… Macbeth!

We begin with three cackling witches who are meeting Macbeth, a Scottish nobleman who's been out fighting in a great battle. The witches predict that he will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland and that the descendants of his friend Banquo, will become kings – what a prediction!

Banquo thinks this a joke but Macbeth is excited by the idea and guess what? Macbeth is actually made Thane of Cawdor by King Duncan, as a reward for his bravery. Macbeth's wife, Lady Macbeth, who's back at home, hears of the news and decides to set out to help him become King too by any means she can. Firstly, she persuades him to kill King Duncan. Macbeth does this by stabbing him in his sleep. Nobody else knows who committed this murder and so Macbeth is crowned King of Scotland.

So two out of the three witches' predictions have come true – but he's worried that the third prediction, about Banquo's descendants becoming kings, will also become true. So, cruelly, he attempts to kill his friend Banquo’s son. However, Banquo's son escapes.

Then Macbeth is haunted by Banquo's ghost and receives worrying predictions from the witches. Everything swirls around in his head and he is out of his mind with worry and fear that the truth about what he has done will get out.

Well I'd go mad if all that happened to me. Well things go from bad to worse for Macbeth, as you'll find out if you join me again for part two of the story. See you again soon.