Macbeth and Son Read Free Page A

he’d answered them all before. He’d discussed and practised every essay…
    The paper on the desk in front of him looked just like the last exam paper he’d done back home, didn’t it? The one Sam had insisted he complete totally, answering every question. ‘Just to rehearse, you know.’
    Luke tried to remember. It couldn’t be just the same!
    But it was.
    There must have been a mix-up! They must have handed out last year’s paper by mistake. He should put his hand up and tell them…
    Luke hesitated. Maybe they always repeated some of the questions each year. Or maybe…maybe the mistake was the other way around. Maybe they’d sent him this year’s exam instead of last year’s.
    Which meant he’d pass, he realised. It wouldn’t be ‘Dumb old Luke, pity he’s not as bright as his stepdad.’ He could really kill it…
    Luke picked up his pen. He was wasting time! He couldn’t think about this now, he told himself. He’d do the exam, and then…and then…
    And then there’d be time to work out what he should do…

Chapter 2
Luke
Thunder. Enter the three Witches.
    First Witch: Where hast thou been, Sister?
Second Witch: Killing swine.
    ( Macbeth , Act I, Scene 3, lines 1–2)
    ‘The big question is,’ said Mrs Easson, perching on the edge of her desk in front of the blackboard, ‘what should Macbeth do? Should he believe the witches when they tell him he’s going to be king?’
    Luke yawned. How dumb was that? Witches. Who believed in witches these days?
    Megan put up her hand. Luke grinned. This’d be good. Megan always had something to say.
    ‘Witches are supposed to be wise women, aren’t they? So Macbeth would be right to believe them.’
    ‘Not in Shakespeare’s time,’ said Mrs Easson. ‘Remember those were the days when women were hung for witchcraft. And James I, Shakespeare’s king, hated witches. Which is probably why Shakespeare put them in his play—to make them so evil that the King would be pleased. Witches would have been a real crowd pleaser, too.’
    ‘Shakespeare wanted to suck up to the King, then?’ asked Megan.
    ‘I wouldn’t put it quite like that, but yes, to seek his favour,’ said Mrs Easson. ‘Shakespeare needed a licence from the King to put his plays on.’
    ‘But that’s what he was doing, wasn’t he? Sucking up?’ argued Megan.
    Jingo put up his hand.
    ‘Yes, James?’ asked Mrs Easson, looking slightly startled. It was the first time Luke could remember Jingo putting up his hand in English. Showing off for Megan, thought Luke. He’d caught Jingo staring at Megan lately. He wondered if Megan had noticed.
    ‘How come there aren’t any vampires in Macbeth ?’
    Mrs Easson was taken aback. ‘Why should there be?’
    ‘Because they’re heaps cooler than witches,’ said Jingo. ‘Vampires are hot!’
    The class laughed.
    Mrs Easson shook her head. ‘English people didn’t really think about vampires much till Bram Stoker wrote Dracula , in the late 1800s.’ She grinned. ‘Witches were the coolest topic around back then.’ She looked around the class again. ‘Any more questions before we move on?’
    Jingo put up his hand again. ‘How come Macbeth thought the women he met were witches? I mean, this guy’s a real bright dude. How come he believes in witches?’
    ‘Everybody did,’ explained Mrs Easson. ‘If someone thought you were a witch you were tortured till you confessed and then you were hanged.’
    ‘Cool!’ said someone.
    Jingo’s hand shot up again. ‘What sort of tortures? I mean, did they pull out their fingernails…’
    Mrs Easson’s smile grew a bit more fixed. ‘Maybe you’d like to look that up tonight then, James?’
    ‘Sure. Can I change my talk to “Torturing Witches”?’
    ‘No,’ said Mrs Easson.
    ‘Is this a thumbscrew that I see before me?’ whispered Megan, not quite loudly enough for Mrs Easson to hear. A few people sniggered.
    ‘But it doesn’t make sense!’ Jingo went on, glancing round to check that