Group Screenplay

Becca Scheurich

Ben Smith

Ben Sax

Sidney Tan

Tristan Weitkamp

Act 2 Scenes 1 and 2 Screenplay

Scene 1

(Long, low angle shot of Banquo and Fleance.)

Banquo: How goes the night, boy?

Fleance: The moon is down; I have not heard the clock.

Banquo: And she goes down at twelve.

Fleance: I take’t, ‘tis later, sir.

(Camera cut to a shot where camera is mostly focused on Banquo.)

Banquo: Hold, take my sword. (Camera zooms in on Banquo.) There’s husbandry in heaven. Their candles are all out. Take thee that too. A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, and yet I would not sleep. Merciful powers, restrain in me the cursèd thoughts that nature gives way to in repose!

(Cut to scene where camera is shooting the back of Fleance’s back and Banquo’s front.)

Banquo: Give me my sword! Who’s there?

(Cut to shot of Macbeth and Servant and pans as they walk.)

Macbeth: A friend.

(Cut to shot of Banquo.)

Banquo: What, sit, not yet at rest? The king’s a-bed: He hath been in unusual pleasure, and sent forth great largess to your offices: This diamond he greets your wife withal, by the name of most kind hostess; and shut up in measureless content.

(Cut to long shot of Macbeth, Banquo, Servant and Fleance. Macbeth and Banquo closest to the camera. Fleance at Banquo’s side and servant at Macbeth’s side.)

Macbeth: Being unprepared, our will became the servant to defect, which else should free have wrought.

Banquo: All’s well. I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters: to you they have showed some truth.

Macbeth: I think not of them. Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve, we would spend it in some words upon that business, if you would grant the time.

Banquo: At your kind’st leisure.

Macbeth: If you shall cleave to my consent, when ’tis, it shall make honor for you.

Banquo: So I lose none in seeking to augment it, but still keep my bosom franchised and allegiance clear, I shall be counseled.

Macbeth: Good repose the while!

Banquo: Thanks, sir. The like to you!

(Camera pans to follow Banquo leaving with Fleance and stops at a long shot of Macbeth while still seeing Banquo exiting.)

Macbeth: Go bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready, she strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed.

(Cuts to a low shot as servant leaves and Macbeth turns his back to camera as he watches servant leave. Macbeth then turns around again and faces the camera and cuts to a split second shot of the dagger and immediately cuts to a reaction shot of Macbeth.)

Macbeth: Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.

(Camera starts dolly panning around Macbeth.)

I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feeling as to sight, or art though but a dagger of the mind, a false creation, proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain? 

(Cut to a long shot of Macbeth, turned slightly to his right side and at a slight high angle.)

I see thee yet, in form as palpable as this which now I draw.

(Cut to shot of dagger with Macbeth voiceover.)

Thou marshal’st me the way that I was going; and such an instrument I was to use.

(Same angle of the “I see thee yet” shot.)

Mine eyes are made the fools o’ th’ other senses, or else worth all the rest. I see thee still; and on thy blade and dudgeon

(Cut to shot of dagger with voiceover.)

Gouts of blood, which was not so before.

(High angle shot of Macbeth from behind and a slow pan around.)

There’s not such thing. It is the bloody business which informs thus to mine eyes. Now o’er the one half-world nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse pale Hecate’s offerings; and withered murder, alarmed by his sentinel, the wolf, whose howl’s his watch, thus with his stealthy pace, moves like a ghost.

(Cut to a front and slight high angle and follows Macbeth as he walks.)

Thou sure and firm-set earth, hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear thy very stones prate of my whereabout, and take the present horror from the time, which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives: words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.

(Cut to a shot where camera is behind Macbeth looking into the darkness when bell rings. Then Macbeth turns to the camera, but does not look directly at it.)

I go, and it is done: the bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven, or to hell.

(Lights fade.)

Scene 2

(Shot straight on Lady Macbeth.)

Lady Macbeth: That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold; what hath quenched them hath given me fire. Hark! Peace! It was the owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman, which gives the stern’st good-night. He is about it. The doors are open, and the surfeited grooms do mock their charge with snores. I have drugged their possets, that death and nature do contend about them, whether they live or die.

Macbeth: Who’s there? What, ho?

(Keep same angle shot but Lady Macbeth looks surprised and camera begins to zoom out slowly.)

Lady Macbeth: Alack, I am afraid they have awaked and ’tis not done! Th’ attempt and not the deed confounds us. Hark! I laid their daggers ready; he could not miss ’em. Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had don’t.

(Camera stays the same as Macbeth enters.)

My husband!

(Camera cuts to a close up of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth at a low angle.)

Macbeth: I have done the deed. Didst though not hear a noise?

Lady Macbeth: I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. Did not you speak?

Macbeth: When?

Lady Macbeth: Now.

Macbeth: As I descended?

Lady Macbeth: Ay.

Macbeth: Hark! Who lies i’ th’ second chamber?

Lady Macbeth: Donalbain.

Macbeth: This is a sorry sight.

Lady Macbeth: A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight.

Macbeth: There’s one did laugh in’s sleep, and one cried “Murder!” that they did wake each other. I stood and heard them. But they did say their prayers, and addressed them again to sleep.

Lady Macbeth: There are two lodged together.

Macbeth: One cried “God bless us!” and “Amen” the other, as they had seen me with these hangman’s hands: list’ning their fear, I could not say “Amen,” when they did say “God bless us!”

Lady Macbeth: Consider it not so deeply.

Macbeth: But wherefore could not I pronounce “Amen”? I had most need of blessing, and “Amen” stuck in my throat.

Lady Macbeth: These deeds must not be thought after these ways; so, it will make us mad.

Macbeth: Methought I heard a voice cry “Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep”-the innocent sleep, sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care, the death of each day’s life, sore labor’s bath, balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, chief nourisher in life’s feast-

Lady Macbeth: What do you mean?

Macbeth: Still it cried “Sleep no more!” to all the house: “Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more: Macbeth shall sleep no more.”

Lady Macbeth: Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy thane, you do unbend your noble strength, to think so brainsickly of things. Go get some water, and wash this filthy witness from your hand. Why did you bring these daggers from the place? They must lie there: go carry them, and smear the sleepy grooms with blood.

Macbeth: I’ll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done; look on’t again I dare not.

(Camera starts to zoom out.)

Lady Macbeth: Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers. (Keep camera at zoomed out angle.) The sleeping and the dead are but as pictures. ’Tis the eye of childhood that fears a painted devil. If he do bleed, I’ll gild the faces of the grooms withal, for it must seem their guilt. (Exit. Cut to high angle shot. Knock within.)

Macbeth: Whence is that knocking? How isn’t with me, when every noise appalls me? What hands are here? Ha! They pluck out mine eyes! Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red. (Cut back to long shot as Lady Macbeth enters.)

Lady Macbeth: My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white. (Knock.) I hear a knocking at the south entry. Retire we to our chamber. A little water clears us of this deed: How easy is it then! Your constancy hath left you unattended. (Knock.) Hark! More knocking. Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us and show us to be watchers. Be not lost so poorly in your thoughts.

(Cut to close up of Macbeth.)

Macbeth: To know my deed, ’twere best not know myself. (Knock.) Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst! (Exit.)