Page "Macbeth" Paragraph 69

Several methods exist to dispel the curse, depending on the actor.

One, attributed to Michael York, is to immediately leave the building the stage is in with the person who uttered the name, walk around it three times, spit over their left shoulders, say an obscenity then wait to be invited back into the building.

A related practice is to spin around three times as fast as possible on the spot, sometimes accompanied by spitting over their shoulder, and uttering an obscenity.

Another popular " ritual " is to leave the room, knock three times, be invited in, and then quote a line from Hamlet.

Yet another is to recite lines from The Merchant of Venice, thought to be a lucky play.