Witches

This is a short play I wrote to perform in drama class at
school.
I'm playing witch 2 *evil grin*.
This would be a lot clearer to read if the stage directions were in
italics, but unfortunately I can't do that on this site, so just follow
it as best you can.

Since we performed it in Drama, I liked it so much that I've now made
it longer, into a complete story.

Scene 1
A village in the Scottish hills. A sunny day. Birds singing in the
trees. A cobbled street.

Enter Rose, whistling the witch theme tune from the Wizard of Oz
slowly, not menacing at all. She walks around the stage aimlessly, and
then stops whistling and comes to a halt, scuffing her foot on the
ground in a bored, relaxed sort of way.

Enter mother Heslop, running and sobbing,.

Rose (concerned): Why, good mother Heslop, whatever be the
matter?

Mother Heslop (sobbing and wringing her hands):
Help us! Help us, for mercy's sake,
For 'tis my life they wish to take.
Oh Lord, oh Lord.

In the distance, growing louder, there is the sound of shouting
voices.

Rose: Hark, What say these harsh voices on the air?

Shouting: Burn the witch! Burn the witch! Burn her! Burn her!

Mother Heslop: Help us!

A group of villagers burst onto the stage, they see Mother Heslop,
cowering behind Rose and cheer.

Villagers: Hurrah! Burn the witch!

They advance towards Mother Heslop but Rose bars their way.

Rose: Stop! I pray you! What foul injustice is this?

Villagers stop, their leader looks at Rose coldly.

Leader: Mother Heslop be a witch, sorceress, sister to the devil, and
harm-doer, and, as thou know'st well, 'tis by word of God that she
should burn in hell.

Rose (equally cold): And what made thou come to these rash and terrible
conclusions. I challenge thee! for good Mother Heslop, a witch? I
can'st not believe it! Proof! I demand it of you.

Villagers gasp.

V 1: I spied her walking in the forest!

V 2: As did I!

V 3: One of my best chickens died of one evening, and Mother Heslop? I
did see her smiling on the morn, smiling at my misfortune.

Mother Heslop: I knew nothing of chickens!

Leader: Silence, foul witch.

Villager 2: And that very same morning, she did arrive late for
church!

Leader: Disrespectful to our Lord in heaven! None other than a
worshipper of Satan in our very midst!

V 4 (shouting excitedly): And her shoes are always clean!

V 2 (even more excitedly): She must be a witch!

Villagers: Burn the witch! Burn the witch! Burn her! Burn her!

Rose: But that is not evidence! Good people, hear me speak when I say
that this is not justice!

Leader: What is't thou, to speak to us of justice!

Leader turns to the others.

Leader: She is twisting our minds, speaking to us of justice, of all
things, when we know the truth in our own minds! (turns to Rose) Thou
art a witch as well!

Rose: No!

All Villagers except V 1: Burn the witch! Burn the witch!

V 1: Aww, surely now that be a little harsh!

Other Villagers (turning on V 1, pointing at her): A secret witch in
our midst! A worshipper of Satan! Against the word of God! She art a
witch! Burn the witch! Burn the witch!

V 1 (desperately): No, no! I am not a witch, I swear it!

Villagers carry V1 off the stage, chanting: Burn the witch! Burn the
witch!
Leader stays behind.

Leader (to Rose and Mother Heslop): We shall not forget, thou sisters
of darkness. The flames do wait for thee yet.

Leader exits.

Rose (to Mother Heslop): Come, quickly, we must make haste, together
you and I shall escape from this place!

Mother Heslop looks at her mistrustfully.

Mother Heslop: I would'st not go with thou for all that thou foul
breath speaks of friendship. I would'st never trust one such as
you.

Rose: But, good Mother Heslop-

Mother Heslop: Leave me be, witch, I want nowt to do with thee.

She exits hurriedly, casting fearful glances behind her at Rose.

Rose (to audience):
To be treated by friends in such a way,
Is pain upon my heart.
But I may harm more than my heart today.
The dread flames of corrupted men,
They speak of the devil,
And the devil speaketh through them,
Crying 'witch!' where there is nowt but good?
When real witches pass their days?
In places where no good man strays.
In the heart of the forest,
A cave of death and despair,
Look and there wilt thou find their lair.
And there, plotting, together they stay,
For wicked keeps with wicked,
Or so they say?
(pauses thoughtfully)
But amongst the wicked,
There may be shelter for the good.
Amongst mountains of wolves
Amongst whispering dark forests,
Would anybody dare,
When faced with such peril,
To follow me there?
(pauses again, and straightens up decisively)
I will walk in dark places where cowards dare not go,
There to seek witches, to hide me from my foe.

scene 2

Thunder and lightning, enter three witches, Witch 1 carries a cauldron,
sets it down in the centre of the stage, they gather around it.
Witch 1 gives an evil cackle.
Witch 2 looks at her, looks at the audience menacingly, and then gives
an even more evil cackle.
They look expectantly at Rose.
Rose has a pathetic attempt at a cackle. It doesn't sound evil at
all.
The other two turn and look at her, severely unimpressed.
Rose looks down at her feet, embarrassed.

Witch 1 sighs and clears her throat.

W 1: Thrice the brinded cat hath mewed.

W 2: Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined

Rose: Um, Harpier cries, 'tis time, 'tis time.

3 Witches: Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn, and cauldron
bubble.

W 2 (very evilly): Fillet of a fenny snake, in the cauldron boil and
bake (throws in a snake).

W 1: Eye of newt and toe of frog (eye of newt and toe of frog are
thrown in).

Rose: Tail of rat, (Throws in a liquorice boot lace).

W 1: Stop!

W 2: What be that, that you cast into our cauldron?

Rose: Um, Tail of rat?

W 2: She lies!

W 1 (echoing witch 2 closely): She lies!

W 2: It be a liquorice boot lace! All coated in sugar and full of
sweetness within!

W 1: Thou dost dishonour the brew with thy weak and meagre substances!
What hast thou to say?

Rose: I do most humbly beg your forgiveness.

W 2 (mockingly): She most humbly begs our forgiveness.

Rose: And I confess, that I could find no tail of rat, for I had no rat
to get it whereof.

W 2 (shrieking): She lies!

W 1 (echoing 2 closely): She lies!

W 2 (accusing): Thou found a rat, thou found a rat and thou could'st
not kill it.

Rose (sobbing): No!

W 2: It is truth I speak!

W 1: She speaks the truth! But dost thou confess it?

Rose (still sobbing): Aye, I do confess it, though I be-est very much
ashamed!

Both other witches gasp in horror.

W 1: Thou hast no right to be around this cauldron with us, thou
weak-minded wretch!

W2: (venomously): Why, th'art no better than a Fairy Godmother!

At this Rose collapses in tears.

W 1 (disgusted): Thou art pathetic. What art thou?

Rose (in a heap on the floor): Pathetic!

W 1: That be right, and-

W 2 nudges her urgently.
W 2: By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way
comes.

W 1 (rubbing hands with glee): Open locks, whoever knocks!

Macbeth enters.

W 1 (wailing): Macbeth!

W 2 (wailing): Macbeth!

Macbeth looks at Rose expectantly.

Rose (snivelling): Macbeth.

Macbeth looks unimpressed.

Macbeth: How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags! What is't you
do?

W 1 and W 2 (mysteriously): A deed without a name.

Rose: Witchcraft.

W 2 kicks her surreptitiously.

W 1 (through gritted teeth): A deed without a name.

Rose (hurriedly, nervously trying to make up for her mistake): Aye,
aye? for it hath no name.

W 1 rolls her eyes.

Macbeth: Ahem,
I conjure you by that which you profess-
Howe'er you come to know it- answer me
Even till destruction sicken-
Answer me to what I ask you.

W1: Speak

W 2: Demand.

Rose: We'll answer.

W 1 (mysteriously): Say if thou'dst rather hear it from our our
mouths,
Or from our masters?

Macbeth is about to speak when W 2 interrupts.

W 2 (in surprise): Hark! Somebody be on the threshold!

Enter a furious Lady Macbeth.

W 1 (wailing): Lady Macbeth!

W 2 (wailing): Lady Macbeth!

Macbeth (shocked and obviously terrified of his furious wife): Lady
Macbeth! What, what be you doing here, oh my sweet, oh sweet wife, oh
beautiful? angry? How did'st thou follow me so far? I did'st not
see-

Lady Macbeth (angrily): I disguised myself.

Macbeth looks at her questioningly.

Lady Macbeth: As a tree!

All else on stage look at each other in puzzlement, there are whispers
of 'a tree?' as if thinking 'a tree? that would never work!'

Macbeth: But, wife, why did'st thou follow me here? I am doing nothing
wrong.

Lady Macbeth: Do not play the innocent with me, fool!
How long hast thou been coming here?

Macbeth: But, my lady, I do not understand.

Lady Macbeth: Meeting these- other women!
A long time thou hast been behaving strangely
Guiltily, almost, and now I know why!
Dost thou not love me any more?

Macbeth: But, my lady, you do not understand-

Lady Macbeth: How could'st thou do this to me?
After all we've been through together!
We killed together, Macbeth,
Your ambition was my ambition,
Your dream was my dream,
And thou turnest me away,
Turning instead to these (looks at witches in disgust)
Hags, common prostitutes!

W 1 (offended and angry): Prostitutes?

W 2 (venomously): Oh, thou hast such a tongue on thee!

Macbeth: What is wrong with you? Art thou mad?

Lady Macbeth (pulls out dagger): Yes!

Macbeth: Is this a dagger I see before me?

Lady Macbeth laughs madly

Lady Macbeth: See! I am as mad as thee, with thy visions and haunting
guilt! I was always stronger than thou, I was the power behind the
throne! This is my crown, my kingdom! It was never yours!

Macbeth: Was to.

Lady Macbeth: Was not!

She stabs him, he collapses on the floor. W 1 and W 2 look
horrified.

Lady Macbeth (quietly): Thou betrayed me, Macbeth, I trusted
thee?
Now, I shall rule alone? (proud toss of the head) As Queen Lady
Macbeth!

She laughs madly.

W 2: You fool! How could'st thou do this? He was essential to our
plans, the whole play is supposed to be about him! Now thou hast ruined
it all!

Lady Macbeth: Silence thy yellowed lips, whore.

W 2: I am no whore!

Lady Macbeth: What?

Shouting in the distance: Burn the witch! Burn the witch! Burn her!
Burn her!

Rose: Oh spite! Oh hell! What now?

Villagers burst onto the stage. See Rose and cheer.

Villagers: Burn the witch!

W 2: Hmmph!

Leader stops in horror when he/she sees the dead Macbeth.

Leader (pointing at Rose): The witch! The witch hast murdered a
man!

Rose (points at Lady Macbeth): No, it was her, I swear it.

They all stare at Lady Macbeth on the floor, clutching the dagger to
her and giggling.

Lady Macbeth: Yes! It was all me! All me I tell you! I murdered him, I
murdered them all!

Leader: This woman has been possessed by the devil. (points at Rose)
This is all the witch's doing.

Lady Macbeth: They can'st not hang me! I am the Queen!

W 2 (stepping forward): Silence.

Everybody falls quiet.

W 2: This woman be'est not a witch. She know'st nothing of Black Magic,
she could'st not cast a spell to save her of her life.

Leader: She is a witch! How dare'st thou say otherwise?

W 2 (wailing): Thou lie-est!

W 1 (wailing): Thou lie-est!

W 2: She be not a witch. It is truth I speak!

Leader (looks first at Rose): Well, if she be'est not a witch, then
somebody must be!

V 2 (to W 1): Dost thou know of any witches, in these parts?

W 1 shakes her head.

Villagers look disappointed

V 3: But what about the burning?

Leader: We can have no burning without a witch?

Turns to W 2

Leader: Is't thou sure thou hast seen no witches in these parts?

W 2 shakes her head.

Villagers (disappointed): Aaaooow.

They stand there, shaking their heads and muttering disappointedly for
some time.

W 2: Ahem.

Leader: Ah, er, yes, well, sorry to trouble thee, ladies. Erm, We had
better be leaving?

Villagers traipse out, still muttering angrily.

The witches and Rose watch them leave, and then turn to look at Lady
Macbeth, who is crouching by her husband.

Lady Macbeth (scratching her hands): Out, damn spot. Out, I say! Oh,
woe on me, I have killed him. (looks at dagger) Oh happy dagger!

She picks up her dagger and stabs herself, then collapses on her
husband.
Others on stage all look at her in shock.

Rose (brushing away a tear): How sad, yet oh, so touching!

W 1 (extremely annoyed): This be not how fate was meant to run.

W 2 (gloomily): This really be a tragedy. Our wicked plans
undone.

They all look at the pair on the floor. After a moment, Rose reaches
into her pocket, brings out a paper bag full of liquorice boot laces
and starts eating them. The other two stare at her.

Rose (notices their gaze): Would'st thou like a liquorice boot
lace?

There is tension for a moment.

W 2 (shrugging): Oh, yes, alright then.

The three exit, sharing out liquorice boot laces as they leave.
Only the bodies of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are left. The lights
dim.