What is Macbeth curse? Netizens back superstition in Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscar 2022 feud

After taking an exception to comedian Chris Rock's joke on Jada Pinkett Smith, King Richard actor Will Smith smacked the comedian across his face at the 94th Academy award ceremony. The entire episode was streamed live across the world while some of the biggest Hollywood stars witnessed it in front of them at the Dolby theatre. The joke that prompted Smith's outburst was about Pinkett Smith's bald head as she suffers from an auto-immune condition called Alopecia which results in excessive hair loss. 

Since the event, Will Smith has publicly apologized to the comedian and to the Academy for his actions. On the other hand, fans and celebrities shared their honest opinion on the matter as they appeared divided between lauding Will Smith for taking a stand for his wife and defending Chris Rock's impromptu joke in his monologue. 

Meanwhile, some netizens on Twitter, especially those with a theatre background, claim that there is more than what meets the eye that triggered the controversial moment at the Oscars 2022 stage. 

Chris Rock said 'Macbeth' before Will Smith slapped him

From the moment Chris Rock took to the stage to present an award to the time Will Smith shouted, ''Keep my wife's name out your f***king mouth,'' after smacking Rock, the entire video of the event has been making rounds on the internet. Netizens on Twitter pointed out that the shocking moment happened seconds after Rock mentioned the word 'Macbeth' in his monologue. 

Netizens with theatre backgrounds claimed that they had learned to never say the word 'Macbeth' in the theatre and instead use 'The Scottish Play' as it is believed to bring bad luck. One user tweeted, ''You know how you're not supposed to say "Macbeth" in a theater and instead call it 'The Scottish Play' Chris Rock said these words in the Dolby Theatre about 55 seconds before getting slapped by Mr Smith: "Denzel - Macbeth - loved it." Another user wrote, ''To be fair, Chris Rock put a hex on himself by saying 'Macbeth' in a theater.''

What is the Macbeth Curse?

Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare that is notorious for bringing bad luck after being mentioned in a theatre. Due to past tragic events, the name is often avoided by people in order to avoid bad incidents and 'The Scottish Play' is used instead. Macbeth is only said when it is necessary during rehearsals.

It is pertinent to note that the word is a common superstition amongst people with a theatre background.

Image: AP