1Stephen Nardi III Nardi-

Mrs. Bailey

English Literature

12 December 2007

Cambeth, a retelling of William Shakespear’s Macbeth

The rain fell hard upon the trees and the faces of three figures that hung on the branches.

Their red eyes peered at two men that walked far underneath them. The figures looked at each

other and their lips cracked and curled into a smirk signifying the time had come.

Down below the trees, the two men stopped for a short breath. Cambeth, the shorter of

the two men, looked up at the sky, and after a moment, he spoke to the other man.

“Ouqban, you would think that even the Amazon would stop raining and show the

brilliant sun on such a day as this.”

“Yes, General, I couldn’t agree more. Your victory was the noblest of them all. I have

never seen such an amazing and intriguing draw before. How far to the helicopter?” said

Ouqban, wiping mud from his tainted skin.

Before the conversation could go any further, three figures fell from the branches high

above their heads. The figures’ bones popped as they stood. The two men looked in wonder. The

red eyes of the figures shifted between the two men.

“What are these creatures? They appear to be women, but their shape and hair forbid me

to believe that this assumption is so,” questioned Ouqban.

Then Cambeth walked forward and asked, “Can you speak? What are you?”

The first witch hissed, “All hail, Cambeth! Hail to you, General.”
 Then the second, “All hail, Cambeth! Hail to you, Vice President.”

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“All hail, Cambeth,” screamed the third, “Hail to you, President.”

Cambeth was shocked. He could tell by Ouqban’s face that Ouqban questioned this fear.

Cambeth watched as Ouqban stepped closer to the witches whom had begun to laugh. Ouqban

also wanted to know his fortune.

“If it is true that you can, in fact, see into the future. Then speak to me, I don’t fear what

you say!” shouted Ouqban over the rain.

“Hail! Lesser then Cambeth but greater still. You shall father many Presidents to rule

your country! Ouqban and Cambeth, all hail!” the witches screeched in unison and with the

jingle of the bones around their necks, they vanished.

“They’ve vanished,” said Cambeth his green eyes puzzled, “and your children will be

Presidents.”

“And you shall be Vice President and President, General. We should get going to the

helicopter and speak of this later.”

The witches hung from the branches far above and watched the two men as they ran off

into the distance. A few moments later, they cackled as they saw a helicopter fly off in the

distance which was something they wouldn’t see again for a little while.

Months later, President Candun pulled many strings to give Cambeth the Vice Presidency

after Candun heard of the victory and the treason committed by the last Vice President. Cambeth,

now close to Candun, was troubled after talking to his wife. Lady Cambeth had heard of the

witches from her husband and wanted more for her husband and herself. She devised a plan to

kill the President and win Cambeth the presidency. Eventually she convinced him to follow her
plan which was a success, and by the process of presidential succession he became

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Lady Cambeth’s plan was to frame the Ambassador of Africa of assassinating the

President. This worked perfectly because Lady Cambeth was easily able to steal a sharp bone the

Ambassador carried with him, for personal reasons, as a weapon. Not to mention the

Ambassador was there for a treaty to officially end the war. Lady Cambeth was able to get

Candun’s guards tranquilized and the cameras disabled. Cambeth then used the bone to kill

Candun and placed it back into the drugged Ambassador’s hand.

However, Cambeth and his wife weren’t as fool proof as they had planned. An FBI agent,

Duffmac, found traces of their hair and skin flakes in Candun’s room. This evidence lead him

straight to them. Duffmac made sure this was kept between him and a few others and became a

closer guard to Cambeth.

Ouqban was furious at Cambeth, even though he did not show it, because he knew what

Cambeth had done. His death came quickly and unexpectedly when he was invited to a dinner at

the White House. Cambeth hired three hitmen to take out Ouqban and his son, Falence, because

Cambeth was aware of that Ouqban knew the truth behind Candun’s death. However, the hit was

not completely successful for Falence escaped.

Duffmac, who attended the dinner saw three men whisper to the President. He thought

nothing of it at first but, later, after being rushed out of the dinner due to the President’s shouting

“leave my sight!” over and over again, he came across more evidence. He was able to piece

together the death of Ouqban, who was not at the dinner, with the three men and finally knew the

truth.

Cambeth realized his power was not working out for him. His heart darker then his wife’s
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heart, and he was making mistakes in his presidency. Cambeth took a helicopter back to

the Amazon were the witches live.The witches danced around a hallow stump in the ground.

Their voices clicked and sung songs of a mystic language. Their celebration was halted,

however, as they sensed a great evil coming their way. They quivered a little as the sight of

Cambeth, who was unaware of their plan to over build his confidence, came before them.

“Speak...Demand....We’ll answer...be it from us or our masters,” hissed the witches.

Macbeth stepped toward the stump and said, “Call them; let me see them. Tell me, with

your unknown power.”

Three apparitions appeared in the hallow stump. The first one warned Cambeth to beware

of Duffmac. The second one told him to fear none of women born. Lastly, the third one told him

not to worry until the White House itself quivered with fear. The witches smiled as they saw a

new Cambeth, full of confidence, leave. Cambeth was a success and terror the witches would

never see again.

Cambeth, after hearing Duffmac quit his job a guard, he became suspicious and decided

to hire hitmen to take out Duffmac’s family. The hitmen returned and revealed that their mission

was a success. Cambeth found great joy in this news.

Duffmac was enraged at the death of his family and finally unleashed the evidence of

Cambeth’s guilt to the FBI. The FBI found the evidence to be true and set out to get Cambeth.

Duffmac specialized in plans to enter high security buildings and suggested a plan of

underground and aerial entry. He proposed that half of the squad would enter the White House

from the roof, and the other half form underneath the floor. They then set out to fulfill the

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mission.

A doctor appeared before Cambeth and informed him that his wife’s sanity had finally

failed. The doctor told him that she was left unguarded and had taken her own life. Cambeth said

he would have cared if it was any other situation; however, at the moment he was surrounded by

the FBI outside the white house.

Cambeth’s eyes opened wide when he realized that the floor was moving. All around him,

men appeared dressed in black with guns and the men crashed through the windows and the

doors. He pulled out his pistol and shot at all he could and retreated into another room. Duffmac

ran after him telling the others to care for the wounded.

“Out brief candle! Life is nothing but a song that is sung and heard no more! What have I

done,” Cambeth said as he stood alone, “It appears it is my time. I have caused my own death.”

Duffmac found Cambeth in the blue room of the White House. They stood and stared into

each other’s eyes. The two walked toward each other and stood back to back. Preparing for a

draw.

“I have avoided you among all else. Yet here you are...But I fear not for none of women

born can harm me.” said Cambeth with his pistol at his side.

“Well, then let the fallen angel tell you himself that I was c-sectioned from my dying

mother. In other words, I’m not of women born!” informed Duffmac, clutching his pistol.

“Curse be the soul who tells me that! I refuse to be made a fool. Even if what you say is

true I will not give up. Let the outcome be what we make it at the end of this draw.”

The two paced three steps and whirled around. A thump was heard throughout the White

House. The FBI ran to investigate and saw a victorious Duffmac standing above a fallen
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Cambeth. This was the death of Cambeth.

Time passed, and Malcolm, who was Cambeth’s Vice President, became president until

the re-election. Cambeth’s tyranny did much damage to many. In time, things resumed their

normal pace and deep within the jungle there were three figures, eyes glowing red, with smiles

that would stay for eternity.