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The Collation

“What manner o’thing is your crocodile?”: May 2022

Rachel May 2022 Croc post
Rachel May 2022 Croc post

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Crocodile Mystery for May. This month, take a moment to examine this image from a 19th century printed text of Macbeth published as a promptbook for performance. What is odd about the disposition of characters in the book’s suggestion for the play’s final staging? Lock in your guesses in the comments below. See you next week for the big reveal!

Rachel May 2022 Croc post

Comments

Where’s Lady MacBeth? Where’s Banquo?

Deborah J. Leslie — April 26, 2022

Well, they’re not in the final scene because they’re dead, surely.

I’m curious about “Macbeth on the ground” instead of Macduff bringing in his head from offstage.

Rebecca Maxfield — April 26, 2022

This isn’t about the final scene, it’s about the curtain call (unless I’m sorely mistaken). MacBeth dead on the ground, not taking a bow, would be unusual but edgy. The absence of at least two of the major characters? In any case, I’m all anticipation for the reveal.

Deborah J. Leslie — April 28, 2022

‘Duff left him head and with his head,
He came galumphing back.

Philip — April 26, 2022

Well, prompt and off- prompt are correctly identified as RH and LH as seen from the stage so presumably it isn’t that.

Angela Cockburn — April 26, 2022

No stage exit to the courtyard of Dunsinane?

Asta — April 27, 2022