Macbeth - Creative Rewrite

Macbeth - Creative Rewrite

Macbeth – Creative Rewrite
Elizabeth Amoroso
LI – 304 - 02
April 4, 2018
In a small dimly lit room, a man sits at a metal table with a single lamp hanging above his head. The door to the room opens and a figure moves into the room wearing a uniform that reads, “SEC” on the front pocket.
“James Mackenzie, you thought you were untouchable. Why don’t we start at the beginning? Now what happened?”
James looks up, feeling defeated, he sighs and begins to explain, “Back when I was a director at Dunsinane Incorporated, I was on my way to my office one morning when I passed a group of three employees around the watercooler. They greeted me and said they believed someday I would become a Chief Officer, and then CEO and run the company better than Duncan Smith was. I was skeptical and happy in my role, but when I finally got to my desk, I found Duncan’s assistant waiting in my office. He told me, ‘Your director, Johnathan Thane was let go this morning. We found out he was sharing trade secrets to our competition. Duncan and the Board of Directors want to offer you his position as Chief Officer.’ At first, I was stunned and thought it was just a coincidence, but that night I told my wife what had occurred.”
---
James sits across from his wife, Mrs. Mackenzie at the dinner table. Stabbing at a piece of steak on his plate, his wife asks, “So what is the good news you have?”
“I was promoted.” James explains, “Jonathan Thane was caught sharing business secrets and I was offered his position as Chief Officer. The crazy thing is, on my way to my office I past some employees at the water cooler who said they believed that someday I would get promoted and eventually become CEO, then shortly after that, I was given the CO promotion. Quite the coincidence!”
Mrs. Mackenzie looks at him as a look of desire came across her face.
James continues, “So maybe in a few years when Duncan retires, I will get the CEO position.”
“No,” Mrs. Mackenzie protests, “We cannot wait that long. I want you running that company now.”
“But Duncan Smith holds that position...” James announces, puzzled.
---
James looks up from the metal table at the SEC agent across from him.
“She convinced me, I needed to kill him. I waited for the right opportunity and when I learned he was allergic to peanuts, I swapped the peanut free cookies at the annual outing, with a different batch that had peanuts. Upon Duncan’s death, the Board of Directors gave me the CEO position, however I was beginning to get nervous that the other Chief Officers were planning to try to take control of the company. At the next board meeting, all I could focus on was the Chief Officer’s and I began panicking, the Board of Directors started to question my leadership as CEO. I sought out the employees at the water cooler again and they assured me I would hold my position until the Security and Exchange Commission investigated Dunsinane Incorporated.”
A tear runs down James’s cheek. “I was confident the SEC would never find out about my insider trading, and when I checked my phone at my desk, there was a voicemail left from my wife.” He grips the sides of his chair and starts violently shaking. Through tears he bursts, “She killed herself. She couldn’t live with the murder and was haunted by the thoughts. My love…gone.” James screams and throws a punch into the table. The metal rings as his bloody knuckles begin to swell.
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James Mackenzie sits on the floor of his office, hysterical, his phone lying on the floor next to him. A member of the Board of Directors walks in the door, unsure how to react to the scene in front of her she announces, “James, there is an SEC agent in the lobby. They say they are starting an investigation for insider trading. Do you know anything about this?”
James looks up at her. “Let them!” He screams, “They will never find anything!” He stands and reaches for a pack of matches on his desk. Striding across the room to his finance filing cabinet, he lights a match.
“The board member yells, “Stop, James what are you doing?” She tries batting the match out of his hand as James drops it into the cabinet. The financial records catch fire as record of his illegal activity begin to burn in front of him. “The SEC will be stopped!” he screams.
---
“That will be all.” The SEC agent interrupts James’s explanation. “Mr. Mackenzie, you are under arrest for the murder of Duncan Smith and financial securities fraud in the form of insider trading. From all of us at the SEC and the FBI, I can assure you, you will never spend another day as a free man.” The agent opens the door to the small room they reside in, yelling down the hall, “We are done here, get him out of here!”

Liz Amoroso