ACT 1
[Alarum within. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, LENNOX, with Attendants, meeting a bleeding Sergeant]
DUNCAN
What bloody man is that? He can report,
Who is this bleeding man? He can explain,
As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt
I guess by how he looks, about the battle
The newest state.
And all the latest news.
MALCOLM
This is the sergeant
This is the sergeant,
Who like a good and hardy soldier fought
Who fought, like any tough and decent soldier,
'Gainst my captivity. Hail, brave friend!
To keep my freedom. I salute you, brave friend!
Say to the king the knowledge of the broil
Now tell the king what you know of the battle
As thou didst leave it.
That you just left.
SERGEANT
Doubtful it stood;
It seemed precarious,
As two spent swimmers, that do cling together
Like two exhausted swimmers clung together
And choke their art. The merciless Macdonwald--
So neither swimmer swims. Ruthless Macdonwald
Worthy to be a rebel, for to that
– He earns the title ‘ruthless’ for himself
The multiplying villanies of nature
For every evil, nasty trait of man
Do swarm upon him--from the western isles
Appears in him – came from the Hebrides
Of kerns and gallowglasses is supplied;
With battle-axed armed warriors and soldiers;
And fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling,
And lady-luck smiled on his wretched battle
Showed like a rebel's whore: but all's too weak:
Like whores grant vile requests. But they were no match
For brave Macbeth--well he deserves that name--
For brave Macbeth – he well deserves that title –
Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel,
Despite the odds against him, raised his sword,
Which smoked with bloody execution,
Dripping with blood from those he’d killed before,
Like valour's minion carved out his passage
And like a gallant son, carved out a path
Till he faced the slave;
Until he faced the enemy;
Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,
He didn’t shake his hand nor say goodbye
Till he unseamed him from the nave to the chaps,
Until he’d gutted him from neck to belly
And fixed his head upon our battlements.
And stuck his chopped-off head upon our fort.
DUNCAN
O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!
A fearless son, a gentleman indeed!
SERGEANT
As whence the sun 'gins his reflection
But, like when, on a sunny summer’s day,
Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders break,
A thunderous storm erupts that might sink ships,
So from that spring whence comfort seemed to come
From that same place of warm complacency
Discomfort swells. Mark, king of Scotland, mark:
A problem stirred. Now, King of Scotland, listen:
No sooner justice had with valour armed
No sooner had we fought our way to victory
Compelled these skipping kerns to trust their heels,
And sent those soldiers running in defeat,
But the Norweyan lord surveying vantage,
The lord of Norway, spotting an advantage,
With furbished arms and new supplies of men
Lined up new fit and fully armoured men
Began a fresh assault.
And launched a fresh attack.
DUNCAN
Dismayed not this
Weren’t they concerned,
Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo?
Our captains, Banquo and Macbeth?
SERGEANT
Yes;
Oh yes,
As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion.
As birds fear eagles, and as hares fear lions.
If I say sooth, I must report they were
If I speak truthfully, I tell you they
As cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they
Were fired up like double-loaded cannons
Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe:
And doubled-down their sword strokes on their foe.
Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds,
If they were striving for their rival’s bloodbath
Or memorise another Golgotha,
Or recreating where Jesus had died,
I cannot tell.
I cannot say.
But I am faint, my gashes cry for help.
But I am feeling faint; my wounds need treating.
DUNCAN
So well thy words become thee as thy wounds;
Your words are creditworthy, like your wounds:
They smack of honour both. Go get him surgeons.
They both bring honour to you. Get him surgeons.
[Exit Sergeant, attended]
Who comes here?
Who’s coming here?
[Enter ROSS]
MALCOLM
The worthy thane of Ross.
The worthy Thane of Ross.
LENNOX
What a haste looks through his eyes! So should he look
He has a look of panic in his eyes!
That seems to speak things strange.
His face suggests strange news.
ROSS
God save the king!
God save the king!
DUNCAN
Whence camest thou, worthy thane?
Where have you come from, Thane?
ROSS
From Fife, great king;
From Fife, great king,
Where the Norweyan banners flout the sky
Where, mockingly, the flag of Norway flies
And fan our people cold.
And terrifies our people.
Norway himself, with terrible numbers,
The King of Norway, backed by massive numbers,
Assisted by that most disloyal traitor
Assisted by that most disloyal traitor
The thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict;
The thane of Cawdor, fought to overwhelm us;
Till that Bellona's bridegroom, lapped in proof,
But armed, liked he’d just wed the goddess of war,
Confronted him with self-comparisons,
Confronted Norway’s King with equal force,
Point against point rebellious, arm 'gainst arm.
Repelling, stab-for-stab and arm-for-arm,
Curbing his lavish spirit: and, to conclude,
To break his cocky ego; and, when done,
The victory fell on us.
The victory was ours.
DUNCAN
Great happiness!
What happy news!
ROSS
That now
So now,
Sweno, the Norways' king, craves composition:
Sweno, the King of Norway, wants a truce.
Nor would we deign him burial of his men
We wouldn’t even let his men be buried
Till he disbursed at Saint Colme's inch
Until he had withdrawn to Inchcolm island,
Ten thousand dollars to our general use.
And paid us, without clause, ten thousand dollars.
DUNCAN
No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive
The thane of Cawdor will not cheat and harm
Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death,
What we hold dear again; go, execute him,
And with his former title greet Macbeth.
And grant his former title to Macbeth.
ROSS
I'll see it done.
I’ll get it done.
DUNCAN
What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won.
What he has lost, noble Macbeth has won.
[Exeunt]
