THE SCOTTISH PLAY

For hundreds of years, actors have been superstitious about saying the name of the Scottish play. No one knows why this play got a reputation for being cursed. Some blame Shakespeare for including three witches in the play. They think he quoted the spells of real witches when he wrote their lines.

The only exception to this rule is when the Scottish play is being produced onstage. But even appearing in it is considered unlucky. There are countless stories about falling scenery, lopped off thumbs, riots, heart attacks, car accidents, and even deaths that have occurred during the run of this play.

Those who don’t believe in the curse argue that because much of the play is set at night, the darkness of the set—combined with all the knives, sword fights, and battles called for in the script—increases the possibility of injuries. Most actors don’t buy it, and I’m not going to jinx this book by writing the name of the play here. If you haven’t figured it out yet, Zandy has. You can read her solution on page 52.

Beth’s quote from the Scottish play:

By the pricking of my thumbs,

Something wicked this way comes

Second Witch, Shakespeare’s Scottish play, Act IV, scene 1, pages 3, 13, 18, 24, 42, and 74