Night 9
Upon returning to camp, Iago congratulated the others.
Iago: Well played, all of you. Macduff, I never expected you to be the deceitful type.
Macduff: I'm not.
Iago: Did you not just vote against your alliance?
Macduff: I had no alliance with Witch.
Iago: Oh, good! So you'll be staying with Hamlet and I, then? You haven't made deals with anyone else?
Macduff: No… I have. I made a mistake in aligning with you two. So I found a better alliance.
Iago chuckled.
Iago: So you're the deceitful type.
Macduff: No! I joined an alliance early in the game before I knew you well enough, and that was a mistake. I will not be breaking my word again.
Iago: I don't know. The way I see it, once a liar, always a liar.
Macduff: I don't need to tell any of you that I can be trusted.
He was looking at Portia and the rest of his new alliance.
Macduff: It will be proven by my actions.
Day 10
It had rained all night and Iago was up early. It was a cloudy, grey morning. He got the fire going.
Iago (IC): Nothing is going my way in this game. First Othello's blindside, then Macduff turning on us and Hamlet wasting his idol. Now it's two against five and I've got nowhere to hide. Luckily I've still got my own hidden idol. But I didn't want to have to use it so soon.
Later, when everyone was awake, the whole tribe sat around the fire chatting.
Juliet: It was so cold last night in the rain.
Hamlet: I know… I can't believe I actually managed to fall asleep.
Portia: You should have found someone to share body warmth with.
Bassanio blushed.
Bassanio (IC): It was freezing last night, so Portia and I squeezed close to stay warm. Just to stay warm, nothing else!
Portia (IC): I wanted to bring it up in front of the others so they wouldn't think Bassanio and I were trying to hide a secret relationship or something. Although I really do like Bassanio, and our cuddling last night…
Juliet: I wish Romeo were here… I'd love sharing his warmth.
She giggled.
At the Ink Tribe, things had been even worse since they didn't have the tarp to stay dry. Desdemona was very affected.
Desdemona(IC): The rain and cold are so hard to deal with… it's just completely shutting my body down…
Lady Macbeth kept looking at Desdemona like she was some sort of rat.
Lady Macbeth (IC): I don't understand that girl. It's just a little rain! She needs to toughen up. Otherwise we might have to vote her out even before that dimwit Roderigo.
Mercutio: We should add more layers to the roof of our shelter to keep more of the rain out.
The tribe agreed and while most of them set to work on that, Duncan decided to go fishing with the spear.
Duncan (IC): Desdemona is one of my closest allies in this game. If she keeps looking weak and sick, she may be targeted, and I don't want to lose her. I'm hoping that catching some fish for us will cheer her up.
Duncan had quickly caught three meaty fish. He brought them back and prepared them and cooked them and the tribe happily munched on them. After getting some food in her belly, Desdemona was all smiles and seemed much healthier.
Back at Paper Tribe, the tribe was still around the campfire.
Portia: So… Hamlet?
Hamlet: Yes?
Portia: Where did you find your idol?
Hamlet: Ha. Not telling.
Portia: …You were the one who told everyone that the idol had been found when the tribes were first split up… you never explained how you knew that.
Hamlet: And I never will.
Portia: Either you found it or somebody else found it and told you, or you saw them find it. Either way, keeping secrets isn't going to make us want to keep you any longer.
Portia (IC): Now that Hamlet used the idol, it should have been re-hidden at the tribe where it was originally found. If I can find out where Hamlet found it, I will know which camp the idol is now hidden at.
Hamlet: Then I guess you'll vote me out. Because I'm not telling.
Portia: You haven't looked for the idol at all today… you've just stayed at camp. I guess that means you found it back on the first day, when we were at the other camp.
Hamlet: If the idol is here, I still have plenty of time to look for it. Now stop trying to get information out of me. I'm not giving any up.
The rest of the tribe simply watched and listened.
Hamlet (IC): I hope the others are noticing how manipulative Portia can be…. Maybe they'll finally realize that she's the biggest threat to all of us. And now she's got me thinking about idols… it's possible that the idol on this island was never found. It might be worth it to look for it.
Later that afternoon, Hamlet snuck off to look.
Hamlet: I'm gonna go gather some firewood.
Bassanio looked at the stack of firewood next to him.
Bassanio: We've got a lot already.
Hamlet: Oh well. I'm bored, and we can always use some more.
And he left into the woods.
Bassanio looked at the others around the fire: Iago, Macduff, and Lady Capulet. Portia and Juliet were in the shelter resting.
Bassanio: Do you think—
Lady Capulet: He's looking for the idol. He has to be. When has he ever gathered firewood because he was "bored" before?
Macduff: Never.
Iago: So are we just going to let him find it? I'm going to go look too.
Iago took off into the woods as well.
Iago (IC): Of course, I know there isn't an idol at this camp. I already have it. But the others might grow suspicious of me if I don't seem eager to find it. So I'm just going to pretend I'm looking for it.
Macduff: We can't let either of them find it. Lady Capulet, get Portia and Juliet. We all need to go look for it.
Within a minute, the entire Paper Tribe was once again looking for the idol. Iago laughed out loud when he looked back and saw the whole tribe racing to look for the idol. After hours with no luck, everyone had reconvened at the campfire.
Juliet: We searched everywhere! Someone must have found it.
Portia: I agree. Last time we had a tribe-wide search, Hamlet must have found it but kept it a secret. Who's to say he hasn't done the same thing again?
Hamlet (IC): So now they're convinced that the idol I found was from this camp. I'll just let them keep thinking that. But they're right about the fact that someone must have found the idol here. We've all spent so much time looking for it. I have no idea who it could be.
Hamlet: I swear I don't have it. But I agree, someone else must have found it. Apparently I'm not the only one who keeps secrets.
Everybody looked at everyone else wearily.
Lady Capulet: Well it's not me!
Iago: Nor I.
Everyone else chimed in with their own denials.
Hamlet: Well obviously one of us is lying. I know Iago would have told me if he'd found it, so it's gotta be one of you five. If you don't know who that is, then there's a snake in your alliance. I'd tread carefully if I were you.
Macduff: Don't think we'd rule you out so easily. It could be any of us, including you or Iago. Since clearly no one is fessing up, we'll just have to wait and see.
That night, it began to pour rain again. The reinforced shelter at Ink Tribe did a better job of keeping the water out, but it still wasn't perfect. Desdemona was once again in a bad way due to the rain. But she tried not to show it.
Desdemona (IC): The rain is affecting me just as bad as ever, but I know I'm walking on thin ice with my tribesmates. I'm not suffering so much that I want to leave, so I have to try not to show my weakness to avoid getting voted out.
At the Paper Tribe, Bassanio and Portia were once again cuddling. The motherly Lady Capulet was holding Juliet close in her arms. Iago, Macduff, and Hamlet, had no interest in snuggling up to one another, so they toughed out the cold by themselves.
Day 11
It was still raining when the Paper Tribe got up and about for the day.
Hamlet (IC): I didn't get a wink of sleep all night. It was freezing, and it's still freezing, and the fire's gone out. I haven't eaten anything but rice for 10 days. The survival aspect of this game is really starting to tear me apart.
At the Ink Tribe, everyone was staying huddled in the shelter except for the two Macbeths. Both were working hard in the rain, occasionally glancing at the others in the shelter with distaste.
Lady Macbeth (IC): Once again, the rain has completely demoralized this entire tribe. Even Duncan is staying in the shelter. It disgusts me how weak they are. On the bright side, seeing how valuable Macbeth and I are for keeping the camp in order, they wouldn't dare vote either of us out.
Occasionally the rain would stop for a few minutes. During one of these breaks they somehow managed to restart the fire. Lady Macbeth used some sticks and the twine they were provided with to create a small shelter for the fire so the rain couldn't put it out again.
Duncan (IC): I have to give credit to Lady Macbeth. She's tough and a very hard worker, and she's not quite as arrogant about it as Macbeth is.
After that, the two Macbeths went fishing. Lady Macbeth used one of their makeshift fishing rods and Macbeth went out into the ocean with the spear. If he was worried about swimming in a thunderstorm he didn't show it. Luckily, he wasn't electrocuted, and he managed to catch a fish. Lady Macbeth caught one too.
The tribe seemed happy, although Duncan seemed to have a twinge of annoyance in his face. The fish were cooked and eaten, and then the Macbeths went to check tree mail.
Duncan (IC): I don't like that the Macbeths are catching fish. I am supposed to be the leader and provider of this tribe, but now my tribemates know that I'm not the only one who can provide, and that makes me less valuable to them.
The Paper Tribe had no workers during the rain, and so they still didn't have fire and couldn't eat anything except for coconut milk from the store of coconuts they always kept at camp. Macduff was the one who left the shelter to check Tree mail. They had mail telling them of the next reward challenge.
The tribes met at the challenge.
Shakespeare: Ink Tribe, getting your first look at the new Paper Tribe. Witch, voted out at the last tribal council.
The Ink Tribe did not look surprised. Shakespeare explained that it was a memory challenge. One tribe member at a time from each tribe would be shown a series of items and would have to recreate that sequence from memory. Whoever did it fastest earned a point for their tribe. After all seven rounds, whoever had the most points won.
Shakespeare: Wanna know what you're playing for?
Everyone: Yeah!
Shakespeare: Today's reward is comfort! The winning tribe gets blankets and pillows!
Since Ink had two extra members, they had to sit two people out. They chose Roderigo and Cassio.
Despite not having eaten much the whole game, the Paper tribe managed to pull off a 4-3 win.
Shylock (IC): We lost the reward challenge but once again I was one of the point-scorers for my tribe. And we keep sitting Roderigo out. With every challenge, my place in this tribe becomes more stable while he gets closer and closer to having no place in the tribe.
Roderigo (IC): I've had to sit out the last two challenges, but since they can't sit me out for a reward and immunity challenge in a row, I'll be playing in tomorrow's immunity, and that's when I'll have to prove my worth to the tribe.
Macbeth did not like losing, and the challenge loss coupled with his tribes work ethic were driving him crazy. Lady Macbeth decided to fuel the fire.
Lady Macbeth: These people are such wimps.
Macbeth: I know! I can't deal with them.
Lady Macbeth: Maybe we should put them in their place. Have a bit of a word with them.
Macbeth: Yeah! I'll gather everyone.
Lady Macbeth (IC): Even though I'm in an alliance with Macbeth, I want to make sure that he's always a bigger target than I am. Having him yell at everyone will put all of the heat on him and really make it seem like he's the leader between the two of us, even though I have complete control over him.
Macbeth (to the entire tribe): Everything about this tribe today has been pathetic! First you all just sit in the shelter while Lady Macbeth and I work, and then you all blow the challenge! You all need to pick it up!
Cassio: To be fair, I wasn't in the challenge.
Roderigo: Me neither!
Duncan: Macbeth… you didn't even score a point.
Macbeth: Because I was so exhausted from working all day!
Mercutio: Lady Macbeth was working too, and she scored.
Lady Macbeth couldn't help but smile and Macbeth looked at her like she'd betrayed him by scoring in the challenge.
Macbeth: Whatever! Point is, I usually do well, and none of you work!
Duncan: Okay, okay, we'll make an effort to work harder.
Duncan (IC): To be perfectly honest, I think we all work plenty hard. But I just wanted to shut Macbeth up.
It was still raining but Duncan decided to use a fishing rod to go fish for a while. He only caught one fish but it was huge. He brought it back and the tribe happily ate it for dinner.
Duncan (IC): I couldn't have anyone thinking that the Macbeths could be just as good providers as me!
Macbeth (IC): Duncan just didn't want us stealing his thunder. But now it's war! I'll show how much better of a fisherman I am, and then I'll get him out of this game!
The rain lasted all day and night, never stopping for more than a half hour before picking up again. The blankets and pillows won by the Paper Tribe were all wet from the trip back to camp after the Reward Challenge. Nobody could talk strategy because everyone was huddled in the shelter. Portia and Bassanio mostly chatted with each other. They seemed to grow closer as they learned more about each other and exchanged stories. Nobody ate anything the whole day at Paper tribe because they never got the fire going. Their sleeping arrangements ended up the same as the night before, except with blankets thrown in the mix. Portia whispered something in Bassanio's ear.
Portia: I'm really happy you're here, Bassanio.
Bassanio: Me too. I mean, I'm happy we're both here.
Portia giggled: I really like you.
Bassanio: And I really like you…
At Ink Tribe, Desdemona was having even more trouble hiding her suffering, but she managed to keep up the act.
Day 12
The next morning the rain had finally stopped. Paper Tribe was finally able to relight both their fire and their spirits. They ate a breakfast of rice and received tree mail notifying them of the day's immunity challenge.
The tribes gathered at the challenge beach. Shakespeare explained that one person would be the caller for the tribe and everyone else would be blindfolded. The caller would direct the others to big puzzle pieces from their high perch where they could see everything. The first tribe to get all of their pieces and complete the puzzle would win immunity.
Ink had to sit out two people and couldn't sit out Roderigo and Cassio in back to back challenges, so they sat Desdemona and Romeo. Macbeth insisted on being their caller. Macduff was the caller for Paper.
Roderigo (IC): This challenge is so important for me. We need to win, but more importantly I need to perform well so that my tribe will keep me if we lose.
After plenty of people had bumped into each other and knocked people over with puzzle pieces while blindly navigating the terrain, the Paper tribe got all of their puzzle pieces first. Macbeth was not doing a good job as a caller. By the time they finally got all of their puzzle pieces, the Paper tribe had almost finished their puzzle. Shylock and his puzzle skills started to gain on Paper, but it wasn't enough.
Shakespeare: Paper wins their first immunity!
The Paper tribe celebrated.
Hamlet (IC): Thank God we won immunity. I still haven't removed the target from my back and I would have been in a lot of trouble tonight if we lost.
Roderigo (IC): We lost, but it was Macbeth who blew the challenge, not me. Hopefully we either stick to the original plan to vote out Shylock, or everyone else has grown so tired of Macbeth that they'll want to vote him out.
When they returned to camp, Duncan tried to cheer everyone up.
Duncan: We fell short today, but we're just going to grow stronger as a tribe tonight, and we'll be back to winning tomorrow.
When Roderigo left to go to the well, Duncan gathered the rest of the tribe.
Duncan: It should just be a real easy vote tonight. We'll all vote Roderigo, it'll be unanimous, and we'll be a stronger tribe because of it.
Everyone agreed to the plan.
Shylock (IC): Another challenge loss, but another strong performance from me! And now it looks like I'm safe and Roderigo will be leaving tonight. My plan was a success!
Later, the alliance of Duncan, Desdemona, Cassio, Mercutio, and Romeo gathered in the woods.
Duncan: I was thinking… I think we should stick to voting Roderigo today. But if we lose again, we should consider voting out Macbeth.
Mercutio (IC): I was afraid that Duncan would want to target Macbeth tonight. Luckily, he wants to wait one more round.
Mercutio: Yeah, it's definitely something to consider. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I just want an easy, non-stressful night with Roderigo going home.
Duncan: Yeah. We'll just keep it simple tonight. I just wanted to keep you up to date with our thoughts.
Romeo (IC): Mercutio, Cassio, and I are in the middle of two alliances. One with Duncan and Desdemona, and one with the Macbeths. As long as we can keep the target on Roderigo tonight, we won't have to pick a side until later.
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth also pulled the three men aside to talk strategy.
Macbeth (IC): I've made it my personal mission to get Duncan out of this game. I can't have him trying to show me up in everything.
Macbeth: We have to get Duncan out tonight!
Mercutio: What!?
Macbeth: He's a huge threat! Everybody likes him. If we don't vote him out now, he'll make it to the end just because no one wants to vote out someone they like. We have to get rid of him before everybody likes him too much to vote him out.
Mercutio: I agree that he will have to go soon… but I don't think we have to do it now. He's a hard worker around camp and he does well in the challenges.
Macbeth: Exactly! That's why he's such a big threat.
Romeo: But we still have so much time to get him out…
Cassio: Yeah, I agree. Roderigo is a much bigger problem right now. He only holds the tribe back.
Macbeth: I'm telling you, Duncan needs to go!
Romeo (IC): I thought there was a good chance that Duncan might want to target Macbeth tonight, but I definitely didn't expect it to be the other way around. It's imperative that we convince Macbeth to vote out Roderigo tonight so that we don't have to pick a side.
Meanwhile, Duncan was breaking some bad news to Roderigo.
Duncan: I'm sorry, but there's a good chance it'll be you tonight.
Roderigo: Really? But what about Shylock? And Macbeth? He lost us the challenge.
Duncan: Shylock is very good in challenges, and Macbeth usually is too, plus he's probably the hardest worker around camp.
Roderigo: What about Desdemona? She's seemed really miserable.
Duncan: Not lately. She was doing fine the past two night even with all the rain. Look, it's either you or Macbeth. So I'd vote for Macbeth if I were you. I just wanted to give you a heads up.
Roderigo: Okay… Thanks.
Roderigo (IC): I thought Mercutio would protect me, but it looks like I'm going home tonight. The only other person I'm friends with is Desdemona, but she is nowhere to be found and we have to leave for tribal council in a minute.
Desdemona (IC): I actually do like Roderigo. It's hard for me to face him knowing that I'll probably be voting him out… So I'm just avoiding him.
Soon after, the tribe left for tribal council.
Shakespeare: Welcome, Ink Tribe, to your first tribal council.
Among the topics of discussion were Roderigo's and Macbeth's bad challenge performances. Both tried to brush it off. Roderigo made a small plea to his tribe.
Roderigo: I know I messed up that one challenge. But we still won. And now we know to sit me out of any balancing challenges. I'm good at everything else.
Macbeth: You are not good at everything else. You're average, if that. And you don't do anything around camp.
Roderigo: I'll work harder if that's what I have to do for you to keep me. Just please don't vote me out.
Macbeth smirked. Everybody else stayed silent.
Shakespeare: And with that, it's time to vote. Lady Macbeth, you're up first.
Voting Confessionals
Roderigo: Macbeth, it looks like it's either you or me tonight. Good luck.
Duncan: Roderigo, you're a nice guy but you hold this tribe back in more ways than one. You've got to go.
Desdemona: Sorry Roderigo, but the tribe wants you out and I'm in no position to go against the tribe.
Shakespeare: I'll go tally the votes… if anybody has the hidden immunity idol and wants to play it, now would be the time to do so.
No one did.
Shakespeare: Once the votes are read the decision is final, the person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately. I'll read the votes.
First vote: Roderigo
Macbeth
Roderigo
Roderigo
Roderigo
Fifth person voted out of Shakespeare Survivor: Roderigo. You need to bring me your torch… your tribe has spoken.
Shakespeare snuffed Roderigo's torch.
The votes
Macbeth- Roderigo
Roderigo- Cassio, Desdemona, Duncan, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, Mercutio, Romeo, Shylock
Next time on Shakespeare Survivor: Shylock makes a deal, and a twist in the game changes everything.