The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 579
Contending 'gainst obedience, as they would make
War with mankind.
Did you hear that Duncan’s horses, beautiful and swift—the best
of their kind—broke out of their stalls and went wild, refusing
to obey anyone, as if they were are war with mankind.
Isn’t that strange?
Old Man
'Tis said they eat each other.
People say they ate each other.
ROSS
They did so, to the amazement of mine eyes
That look'd upon't. Here comes the good Macduff.
They did. I saw it and it amazed me.
Here comes the good Macduff.
Enter MACDUFF
How goes the world, sir, now?
How are things going, sir?
MACDUFF
Why, see you not?
Can’t you see for yourself?
ROSS
Is't known who did this more than bloody deed?
Do they know who committed the murder?
MACDUFF
Those that Macbeth hath slain.
The men who Macbeth killed did it.
ROSS
Alas, the day!
What good could they pretend?
It’s sad he killed them. Why would they have done it?
MACDUFF
They were suborn'd:
Malcolm and Donalbain, the king's two sons,
Are stol'n away and fled; which puts upon them
Suspicion of the deed.
They were paid to do it.
Malcolm and Donalbain, the king’s sons, have snuck away
and fled. That puts the suspicion on them.
ROSS
'Gainst nature still!
Thriftless ambition, that wilt ravin up
Thine own life's means! Then 'tis most like
The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.
That’s so against nature!
What sort of extravagant ambition would cause them
to do away with the one who provides for them.
So, it looks like Macbeth will become king.
MACDUFF
He is already named, and gone to Scone
To be invested.
He has already been named, and has gone to Scone
to be crowned.
ROSS
Where is Duncan's body?
Where is Duncan’s body?
MACDUFF
Carried to Colmekill,
The sacred storehouse of his predecessors,
And guardian of their bones.
It’s been taken to Colmekill to the tomb
of his predecessors. Their bones are safe there.
ROSS
Will you to Scone?
Will you go to Scone?
MACDUFF
No, cousin, I'll to Fife.
No, cousin, I’m going to Fife.
ROSS
Well, I will thither.
Well, I’ll go to Scone.
MACDUFF
Well, may you see things well done there: adieu!
Lest our old robes sit easier than our new!
Well, I hope you will see that things are well done there.
Goodbye! I fear that the old ways are easier than the new!
ROSS
Farewell, father.
Goodbye, father.
Old Man
God's benison go with you; and with those
That would make good of bad, and friends of foes!
May God’s blessings go with you, and also with those
who would make good of bad, and friends of enemies!
Exeunt
Forres. The Palace.
Enter BANQUO
BANQUO
Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
As the weird women promised, and, I fear,
Thou play'dst most foully for't: yet it was said
It should not stand in thy posterity,
But that myself should be the root and father
Of many kings. If there come truth from them--
As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine--
Why, by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my oracles as well,
And set me up in hope? But hush! no more.
You have it all now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all.
Just like the witches promised. I’m afraid
you engaged in foul play for it. Still, it was said
that the line would not be passed down to your children,
but that I will be the father of many kings.
If the witches tell the truth—as they seemed to have done
with you—well, perhaps what they said about me
will come true, as well. Perhaps they can see my future,
too, and give me hope? But, shhhh. I should say no more.
Sennet sounded. Enter MACBETH, as king, LADY MACBETH, as queen, LENNOX, ROSS, Lords, Ladies, and Attendants
MACBETH
Here's our chief guest.
Here’s our main guest.
LADY MACBETH
If he had been forgotten,
It had been as a gap in our great feast,
And all-thing unbecoming.
If he had been forgotten,
it would have made a gap in our big celebration
and would not be in line with our standards.
MACBETH
To-night we hold a solemn supper sir,
And I'll request your presence.
Tonight we hold a solemn celebration, sir,
and I request your presence.
BANQUO
Let your highness
Command upon me; to the which my duties
Are with a most indissoluble tie
For ever knit.
Anything you command, my highness,
I am bound to do.
MACBETH
Ride you this afternoon?
Are you going riding this afternoon?
BANQUO
Ay, my good lord.
Yes, my good lord.
MACBETH
We should have else desired your good advice,
Which still hath been both grave and prosperous,
In this day's council; but we'll take to-morrow.
Is't far you ride?
We would have liked to hear your advice,
which has always been both serious and successful,
in today’s council, but we can hear it tomorrow.
Are you riding far?
BANQUO
As far, my lord, as will fill up the time
'Twixt this and supper: go not my horse the better,
I must become a borrower of the night
For a dark hour or twain.
I’m going to ride as far as it will take between now and supper.
Unless my horse goes faster than I expect, I will be back an hour
or two after dark.
MACBETH
Fail not our feast.
Don’t miss our feast.
BANQUO
My lord, I will not.
My lord, I will not miss it.
MACBETH
We hear, our bloody cousins are bestow'd
In England and in Ireland, not confessing
Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers
With strange invention: but of that to-morrow,
When therewithal we shall have cause of state
Craving us jointly. Hie you to horse: adieu,
Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you?
We hear our murderous cousins are stowed away
in England and in Ireland, not confessing
to cruelly killing their father. They tell all who listen
terrible lies. But we’ll talk more about that tomorrow,
when we talk about matters of the state that concern
us both. Go to your horse: goodbye until you return
tonight. Is Fleance going with you?
> BANQUO
Ay, my good lord: our time does call upon 's.
Yes, my good lord. It’s time we leave.
MACBETH
I wish your horses swift and sure of foot;
And so I do commend you to their backs. Farewell.
I hope your horses are swift and sure of foot.
And with that, you should go to them. Farewell.
Exit BANQUO
Let every man be master of his time
Till seven at night: to make society
The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself
Till supper-time alone: while then, God be with you!
Let every man do want he wants to do
until seven tonight: to make your company
all the better, I will keep to myself
until supper time. So, then, God be with you!
Exeunt all but MACBETH, and an attendant
Sirrah, a word with you: attend those men
Our pleasure?
You, there, can you tell me: are those men waiting
for me?
ATTENDANT
They are, my lord, without the palace gate.
They are, my lord, outside the palace gate.
MACBETH
Bring them before us.
Bring them to me.
Exit Attendant
To be thus is nothing;
But to be safely thus.--Our fears in Banquo
Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature
Reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much he dares;
And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,
He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour
To act in safety. There is none but he
Whose being I do fear: and, under him,
My Genius is rebuked; as, it is said,
Mark Antony's was by Caesar. He chid the sisters
When first they put the name of king upon me,
And bade them speak to him: then prophet-like
They hail'd him father to a line of kings:
Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown,
And put a barren sceptre in my gripe,
Thence to be wrench'd with an unlineal hand,
No son of mine succeeding. If 't be so,
For Banquo's issue have I filed my mind;
For them the gracious Duncan have I murder'd;
Put rancours in the vessel of my peace
Only for them; and mine eternal jewel
Given to the common enemy of man,
To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings!
Rather than so, come fate into the list.
And champion me to the utterance! Who's there!
To be king is nothing if I am not safe.
I fear Banquo deeply; there’s something regal in his nature
that should be feared. He is bold, and his mind is fearless
and active. He has the wisdom to guide his bravery.
There is no one but him that I fear, and under him,
my guardian spirit is rebuked, as they say Mark Anthony’s
was by Caesar. He scolded the witches when they first said
that I would be king, and asked them to speak to him
Then, like prophets, they said he would be father
to a line of kings: on my head they placed a fruitless
crown and put a scepter in my hand I can’t pass down.
These will be taken by someone outside the family
since I will not have a son. If this is how it is,
then it’s for Banquo’s sons I’ve worried my mind
and murdered the gracious Duncan.
I’ve disturbed my own peace for them,
and have given my eternal life to the devil
to make them kings, the seed of Banquo, kings!
Instead of watching this happen, I will enlist fate
to battle, and will fight until my last breath.
Who’s there!
Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers
Now go to the door, and stay there till we call.
Now go to the door and stay there until I call you.
Exit Attendant
Was it not yesterday we spoke together?
Wasn’t it just yesterday we talked?
First Murderer
It was, so please your highness.
It was, you are right, your highness.
MACBETH
Well then, now
Have you consider'd of my speeches? Know
That it was he in the times past which held you
So under fortune, which you thought had been
Our innocent self: this I made good to you
In our last conference, pass'd in probation with you,
How you were borne in hand, how cross'd,
the instruments,
Who wrought with them, and all things else that might
To half a soul and to a notion crazed
Say 'Thus did Banquo.'
Well, have you thought about what I said?
You know that it was him who held you back
and brought you bad luck, even though you thought
it was me, but I was innocent. I made this clear to you
during our last meeting and proved it to you.
I showed you how you were deluded and crossed.
I showed you the papers he used to do these things,
and all sorts of other things that would convince
even someone with half a soul and who is crazy
to say ‘It was Banquo who did this.’
First Murderer
You made it known to us.
You made it clear to us.
MACBETH
I did so, and went further, which is now
Our point of second meeting. Do you find
Your patience so predominant in your nature
That you can let this go? Are you so gospell'd
To pray for this good man and for his issue,
Whose heavy hand hath bow'd you to the grave
And beggar'd yours for ever?
I did, and I went even further, which is the point
of this second meeting. Are you such patient men
that you can let this go? Are you so forgiving
that you will pray for this good man and his sons,
whose heavy hand has pointed you toward the grave
and made beggars of you and your family forever?
First Murderer
We are men, my liege.
We are, my lord.
MACBETH
Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men;
As hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs,
Shoughs, water-rugs and demi-wolves, are clept
All by the name of dogs: the valued file
Distinguishes the swift, the slow, the subtle,
The housekeeper, the hunter, every one
According to the gift which bounteous nature
Hath in him closed; whereby he does receive
Particular addition. from the bill
That writes them all alike: and so of men.
Now, if you have a station in the file,
Not i' the worst rank of manhood, say 't;
And I will put that business in your bosoms,
Whose execution takes your enemy off,
Grapples you to the heart and love of us,
Who wear our health but sickly in his life,
Which in his death were perfect.
Yes, you are part of the species known as man,
just like hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, mutts,
shaggy dogs, English rough water dogs and wolf-dog hybrids
are all known as dogs. But a list of dogs will distinguish
which ones are fast, or slow, or clever, or watchdogs,
which are hunters—every dog is classified according
to the gift nature has given him, and he receives
particular distinction from the rest of the lis
t that only
describes the ways they are alike. It’s the same with men.
So, if you have a place among men that isn’t
in the worst rank, tell me. I will assign you the business
that, carried out, will rid you of your enemy.
It will bring you closer to me, and to special attention from me.
If Banquo were dead, my health would be perfect.
Second Murderer
I am one, my liege,
Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world
Have so incensed that I am reckless what
I do to spite the world.
My lord, I’m so angry at the way the world has
beaten me that I would do anything to get back.
First Murderer
And I another
So weary with disasters, tugg'd with fortune,
That I would set my lie on any chance,
To mend it, or be rid on't.
Me, too. I’m so tired of the bad luck and disasters,
that I would jump on any chance to be rid of it, or die.
MACBETH
Both of you
Know Banquo was your enemy.
Both of you know that Banquo was your enemy.
Both Murderers
True, my lord.
Yes, my lord.
MACBETH
So is he mine; and in such bloody distance,
That every minute of his being thrusts