Review: The Tragedy of Macbeth Part II: The Seed of Banquo by Noah Lukeman
The Tragedy of Macbeth Part II: The Seed of Banquo
by Noah Lukeman
Shakespeare's infamous play Macbeth ends with Malcolm being crowned King of Scotland after Macduff has murdered ambitious, ill-fated Macbeth. Fine and dandy it seems at first, but wait...didn't the witches predict that Banquo would father an endless line of kings? Malcolm is the son of Duncan, not Banquo! Were the witches wrong?
When Noah Lukeman was confronted with this unresolved plot thread, he began to wonder if Shakespeare had planned to continue the tale of Scotland's monarchy in another play. It would make sense; two of Shakespeare's historical plays came in multiple parts. Henry IV had Parts 1 and 2 while Henry VI was split into three. Scouring the original play, Lukeman found lines that indicated Lady Macbeth had a child, yet it never makes an appearance in the original play. Surely the heir to Macbeth's throne would have warranted some mention! Where was the child? Finally, what happened to Malcolm's brother, Donalbain? At the close of the play he is still in Ireland, which seems odd - why has he not returned to his brother's side?
Intrigued by these lingering plot holes, Lukeman decided to finish the play and wrote The Tragedy of Macbeth Part II. In tribute to Shakespeare, Macbeth II is written as a five-act play in measured blank verse. It picks up ten years after the events of Macbeth, with Malcolm still wearing the Scottish crown. But he is an uneasy ruler, haunted by the prophecy that Banquo's sons will take the throne. Fleance, child of Banquo, is gathering men to his side, but that would be a minor threat were Donalbain not building an armada in Ireland. Malcolm wants to trust his brother, but his advisors insist Donalbain means him ill. In desperation Malcolm seeks the witches to dispel the rumors and advise him. Naturally, they answer in riddles, and in attempting to unravel their meaning Malcolm sets himself upon the same course of misinterpretation and disaster that led to his predecessor's demise...
I wasn't sure what to expect from Macbeth II, but I am pleased to report that Lukeman did a top-notch job creating a fresh play in the style of Shakespeare. The story moves quite briskly, and takes quite a few intriguing twists. My biggest concern was that the book would be written in such a way that it would not translate well to stage, but reading through the play I quickly dismissed these concerns. The rhythm of the words and the drama of the story would make for quite a suspenseful and entertaining show. In fact, I really hope Lukeman is in the process of negotiating a production somewhere.
But until the happy day we can see Macbeth II at a local Shakespeare in the Park, check out the book and find out just how the witches' prophecies were finally fulfilled.
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