Macbeth Soundtrack

Act 1, Scene 1

Oct 22, 1040

"As it Seems" by Lily Kershaw
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair" (1.1.10). This is one of the most famous lines from the play, Macbeth. It sets the tone of the play by explaining how reality is muddled and nothing is ever really what it seems. Lily Kershaw's song speaks to that idea. The chorus states: "This life is as fragile as a dream, and nothing's ever really as it seems." The fragility and mystery of life is explored in the play

Act 1, Scene 3

Oct 22, 1040

"Just Can't Wait to be King" from The Lion King
After the witches tell Macbeth his prophecy, he cannot get it out of his mind. He is distant from his conversation with Banquo and muses to himself, "If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me,/without my stir" (1.3.142-3)

Act 1, Scene 7

Oct 22, 1040

"I'll Make a Man Out of You""I'll Make a Man Out of You" from Disney's Mulan.
Macbeth decides not to go through with killing Duncan. But, this decision angers Lady Macbeth and she questions his manhood ("When you durst do it, then you were a man" (1.7. 49)). This song from Mulan connects to this idea, and the clip from the film shows the characters doing hard physical activities. So, manhood in the film means physical strength, and manhood in Macbeth means strenght, power, and murder.

Act 2, Scene 2

Oct 22, 1100

"Spoonful of Sugar" from Mary Poppins
Macbeth murders Duncan, and of the literal blood they have on their hands, Lady M says, "A little water clears us of this deed: How easy is it then!" (2.2.66-8). She has a carefree, matter of fact attitude toward this awful deed, similar to the matter of face attitude of Mary Poppins trying to convinve children that chores are fun and sugar is an easy fix to awful tasting medicine.

Act 3, Scene 1

Oct 22, 1200

"Riding to Vanity Fair" by Paul McCartney
This scene marks the change in Banquo's and Macbeth's friendship due to his new kingship.The song states, "the definition of friendship apparently ought to be showing support for the one that you love, and I was open to [it] but you didn't seem to have any to spare, while you were riding to Vanity Fair." Thus, Banquo is seen in a more positive light, while Macbeth loses sight of their friendship

Act 3, Scene 6

Oct 22, 1200

"We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister
Here, Lennox and a Lord speak of the happenings in the palace after Banquo's murder. Lord explains that Macduff goes to England to meet with Malcolm in hopes of getting King Edward's support in fighting against Macbeth, to release Scotland from being a "suffering country/ Under a hand accursed" (3.6.48-9). This song seems fitting to that notion.

Act 4, Scene 1

Oct 22, 1300

"Double Double Toil and Trouble" by John Williams
This scene opens with the three witches creating a grotesque brew, and this song matches the ominous, supernatural feeling in that action. Furthermore, cerain lines from this scene are stated in this song such as, "Double, double, toil, and trouble; Fire burn and caldron bubble" (4.1.20-1), and "something wicked this way comes" (45).

Act 4, Scene 2

Oct 22, 1300

"Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen
At the end of this scene, Macduff's wife and son are killed, and Banquo was murdered in the previous act. Wiith the continuous murders, "Another one Bites the Dust" seems appropriate, since the killings at this point almost seem systematic and unemotional.

Act 4, Scene 3

Oct 22, 1300

"Tonight I Wanna Cry" by Keith Urban
Originally, masculinity meant unemotional and aggressive. In this scene, after Macduff is told about his wife and son being murdered, Malcolm tells him to "dispute it like a man" (221), to which Macduff says, "I shall do so. But I must also feel as a man" (223).The definition of masculinity shifts at this point in the play, and this song connects to that with a man being unafraid of emotions.

Act 5, Scene 1

Oct 22, 1400

"Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne
This scene marks the beginning of Lady M's downfall, where she starts to go mad due to the weight of the guilt and paranoia. With hallucinating and sleep walking, one can say she has boarded the metaphorical crazy train.

Act 5, Scene 8

Oct 22, 1400

"Hero Takes a Fall" by The Bangles
In the final scene of the play, Macduff emerges in the palace from battle, with Macbeth's head in his hands. The song states, "The hero is exposed when his crimes are brought to the light of day. Won't be feeling sorry on judgment day." With Malcolm calling Macbeth and Lady M a "dead butcher and..fiendlike queen" (69), no one seems apologetic of their deaths.

Act 5, Scene 5

Oct 22, 1400

"Yesterday" by The Beatles
Lady M commits suicide in this scene and it leads Macbeth to state widely known lines from the play. He says,"There would have a time for such a word. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace...and all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death" (18-23). The song deals with losing a woman and wanting to fight and reverse the passing of time, just like Macbeth.