ACT 3
[Enter LADY MACBETH and a Servant]
LADY MACBETH
Is Banquo gone from court?
Has Banquo left the court?
SERVANT
Ay, madam, but returns again to-night.
Yes, madam, but he’s coming back tonight.
LADY MACBETH
Say to the king, I would attend his leisure
Go tell the king that I would like to see him
For a few words.
To talk a while.
SERVANT
Madam, I will.
Madam, I will.
[Exit]
LADY MACBETH
Nought's had, all's spent,
If nothing’s gained when time’s expired,
Where our desire is got without content:
Unhappy, though you’ve got what you desired,
'Tis safer to be that which we destroy
It’s better for the one whose blood’s been spilt
Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.
Than dwelling in your overwhelming guilt.
[Enter MACBETH]
How now, my lord! Why do you keep alone,
Hello! Why are you keeping to yourself,
Of sorriest fancies your companions making,
Consumed by your abysmal, ghastly thoughts,
Using those thoughts which should indeed have died
When all such thoughts should have been left to die
With them they think on? Things without all remedy
With those you killed? The things we cannot fix
Should be without regard: what's done is done.
Should not be thought about. What’s done is done.
MACBETH
We have scotched the snake, not killed it:
We’ve slashed the snake, not killed it:
She'll close and be herself, whilst our poor malice
Its wounds will heal, recovering, whilst our spite
Remains in danger of her former tooth.
Remains in danger from its former poison.
But let the frame of things disjoint,
But let the universe collapse
both the worlds suffer,
and heaven and earth suffer
Ere we will eat our meal in fear and sleep
Before I’ll eat my meals in fear, and sleep
In the affliction of these terrible dreams
Afflicted by these horrifying nightmares
That shake us nightly: better be with the dead,
That fret. It’s better being with the dead
Whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace,
We killed, to gain our peace, who are now in heaven,
Than on the torture of the mind to lie
Than being tortured by our lying minds
In restless ecstasy. Duncan is in his grave;
In endless madness. Duncan’s in his grave;
After life's fitful fever he sleeps well;
After his restless life, he’s resting now.
Treason has done his worst: nor steel, nor poison,
Betrayals now are done: no sword nor poison,
Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing,
Domestic strife or foreign intervention,
Can touch him further.
Can hurt him further.
LADY MACBETH
Come on;
Come on,
Gentle my lord, sleek o'er your rugged looks;
Relax my lord, disguise your troubled face;
Be bright and jovial among your guests to-night.
Be smart and happy with your guests tonight.
MACBETH
So shall I, love; and so, I pray, be you:
I will, my love; and so, I pray, will you be.
Let your remembrance apply to Banquo;
And don’t forget to do the same to Banquo;
Present him eminence, both with eye and tongue:
Show him respect, in what you say and do:
Unsafe the while, that we
We are not safe whilst we
Must lave our honours in these flattering streams,
Must wash our image with a stream of flattery
And make our faces vizards to our hearts,
And make our faces mask what’s in our hearts,
Disguising what they are.
Disguising truth.
LADY MACBETH
You must leave this.
You must stop talking like this.
MACBETH
O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!
My mind is full of scorpions, dear wife!
Thou know'st that Banquo, and his Fleance, lives.
You know Banquo and his son Fleance live.
LADY MACBETH
But in them nature's copy's not eterne.
Yes, but their lease of life is not eternal.
MACBETH
There's comfort yet; they are assailable;
There’s comfort in that; they are vulnerable.
Then be thou jocund: ere the bat hath flown
So go and smile: before the bats have flown
His cloistered flight, ere to black Hecate's summons
From spires, before witch Hecate has summoned
The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums
The thorn-winged beetle flapping out a hum
Hath rung night's yawning peal, there shall be done
That sounds to mark the start of night, there will be
A deed of dreadful note.
An awful act committed.
LADY MACBETH
What's to be done?
What shall happen?
MACBETH
Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck,
It’s better you don’t know of that, my darling,
Till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling night,
Then you can clap the deed. Come, blinding night,
Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day;
Blindfold the eyes of this pathetic day,
And with thy bloody and invisible hand
And with your bloody and invisible hand,
Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond
Kill Banquo, so I can destroy the thing
Which keeps me pale! Light thickens; and the crow
That keeps me pale! Light’s fading, and the crows
Makes wing to the rooky wood:
Fly to the wood to nest among the rooks.
Good things of day begin to droop and drowse;
Creatures retire, plants droop, that thrive by day,
While night's black agents to their preys do rouse.
And night’s nocturnal beasts start stalking prey.
Thou marvell'st at my words: but hold thee still;
You’re startled by my words, but wait a while
Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill.
Evil consolidates by acting vile.
So, prithee, go with me.
So, please, come with me.
[Exeunt]
