ACT 4
[Enter LADY MACDUFF, her Son, and ROSS]
LADY MACDUFF
What had he done, to make him fly the land?
What has he done that made him flee this land?
ROSS
You must have patience, madam.
You must be patient, madam.
LADY MACDUFF
He had none:
He had none:
His flight was madness: when our actions do not,
It’s mad to run, for even when we’re guiltless,
Our fears do make us traitors.
Our fear makes us look guilty.
ROSS
You know not
You don’t know
Whether it was his wisdom or his fear.
If he ran out of wisdom or from fear.
LADY MACDUFF
Wisdom! To leave his wife, to leave his babes,
Wisdom! To leave his wife and leave his children,
His mansion and his titles in a place
His mansion and his titles in a place
From whence himself does fly? He loves us not;
So unsafe, he runs off? He doesn’t love us;
He wants the natural touch: for the poor wren,
He’s lacking basic instinct: even weak wrens,
The most diminutive of birds, will fight,
The smallest of all birds, know they must fight
Her young ones in her nest, against the owl.
Against an owl that tries to steal her chicks.
All is the fear and nothing is the love;
He’s run from fear; it’s not to do with love.
As little is the wisdom, where the flight
It’s not to do with wisdom either, running
So runs against all reason.
When there’s no reason for it.
ROSS
My dearest coz,
Dearest cousin,
I pray you, school yourself: but for your husband,
Please, listen to yourself! We know your husband
He is noble, wise, judicious, and best knows
Is noble, wise, and smart, and knows what’s best
The fits o' the season. I dare not speak much further;
For every situation. I daren’t say more.
But cruel are the times, when we are traitors
They’re damning days, when we’re accused as traitors
And do not know ourselves, when we hold rumour
But don’t know what we’ve done, believing rumours
From what we fear, yet know not what we fear,
Based out of fear, but don’t know what we’re scared of,
But float upon a wild and violent sea
Like floating on a wild and raging sea
Each way and move. I take my leave of you:
Tossed to and fro. I’m going to leave you now:
Shall not be long but I'll be here again:
It won’t be long until I’m back again.
Things at the worst will cease, or else climb upward
Bad times cannot get worse, but might improve
To what they were before. My pretty cousin,
To where they were before. — My little cousin,
Blessing upon you!
My blessings on you!
LADY MACDUFF
Fathered he is, and yet he's fatherless.
He has a father, but his father’s left him.
ROSS
I am so much a fool, should I stay longer,
I’m so weak-hearted, if I stay here longer,
It would be my disgrace and your discomfort:
I’ll get upset and that will then be awkward;
I take my leave at once.
I’ll set off now.
[Exit]
LADY MACDUFF
Sirrah, your father's dead;
Young man, your father’s dead.
And what will you do now? How will you live?
So what will you do now? How will you live?
SON
As birds do, mother.
Like birds live, mother.
LADY MACDUFF
What, with worms and flies?
Eating worms and flies?
SON
With what I get, I mean; and so do they.
Whatever comes my way, I mean; like birds do.
LADY MACDUFF
Poor bird! Thou'ldst never fear the net nor lime,
Poor bird! You do not fear the things that trap you,
The pitfall nor the gin.
The decoy nor the snare.
SON
Why should I, mother? Poor birds they are not set for.
Why should I? Hunters do not hunt for ‘poor birds’.
My father is not dead, for all your saying.
My father isn’t dead, despite what you say.
LADY MACDUFF
Yes, he is dead; how wilt thou do for a father?
Yes, he is dead: who’ll be your father now?
SON
Nay, how will you do for a husband?
No, who will be your husband now?
LADY MACDUFF
Why, I can buy me twenty at any market.
Well, I can get me twenty at a market.
SON
Then you'll buy 'em to sell again.
You’ll buy them, then you’ll sell them on again.
LADY MACDUFF
Thou speak'st with all thy wit: and yet, i' faith,
You muster all your wit, but yet, in truth,
With wit enough for thee.
You’ve just a child’s wit.
SON
Was my father a traitor, mother?
Was my father a traitor, mother?
LADY MACDUFF
Ay, that he was.
Yes, he was.
SON
What is a traitor?
What is a traitor?
LADY MACDUFF
Why, one that swears and lies.
Well, one who swears an oath then breaks the oath.
SON
And be all traitors that do so?
And do all traitors do that?
LADY MACDUFF
Every one that does so is a traitor, and must be hanged.
Everyone that does that is a traitor, and must be hanged.
SON
And must they all be hanged that swear and lie?
So everyone that breaks an oath must hang?
LADY MACDUFF
Every one.
Everyone.
SON
Who must hang them?
Who will hang them?
LADY MACDUFF
Why, the honest men.
Well, the honest men.
SON
Then the liars and swearers are fools,
Then those that break their oaths are fools,
for there are liars and swearers enow to beat
for there are more oath-breakers to outnumber
the honest men and hang up them.
the honest men and hang them up.
LADY MACDUFF
Now, God help thee, poor monkey!
God help you, cheeky monkey!
But how wilt thou do for a father?
But how will you now have a father?
SON
If he were dead, you'ld weep for him:
If he were dead, you’d weep for him;
if you would not, it were a good sign
but if you didn’t cry, it is a sign
that I should quickly have a new father.
I’d quickly have another father.
LADY MACDUFF
Poor prattler, how thou talk'st!
You’re talking twaddle, listen to yourself!
[Enter a Messenger]
MESSENGER
Bless you, fair dame! I am not to you known,
Bless you, fair lady! You do not know me,
Though in your state of honour I am perfect.
Though I know your high ranking perfectly.
I doubt some danger does approach you nearly:
I do suspect that danger is approaching:
If you will take a homely man's advice,
If you will take a humble man’s advice,
Be not found here; hence, with your little ones.
Get out of here, and take your children with you.
To fright you thus, methinks, I am too savage;
To frighten you like this is cruel of me,
To do worse to you were fell cruelty,
But doing less to you would be more cruel,
Which is too nigh your person. Heaven preserve you!
For danger’s close to you now. Heaven, help you!
I dare abide no longer.
I daren’t stay any longer.
[Exit]
LADY MACDUFF
Whither should I fly?
Where should I flee?
I have done no harm. But I remember now
I have done nothing wrong. But I remember
I am in this earthly world; where to do harm
I’m living in this world, where doing harm
Is often laudable, to do good sometime
Is often praised, but when someone does good
Accounted dangerous folly: why then, alas,
It’s deemed a dangerous, silly act. So why
Do I put up that womanly defence,
Do I put up a woman’s weak defence
To say I have done no harm?
And say I’ve done no harm?
[Enter Murderers]
What are these faces?
Who are these people?
FIRST MURDERER
Where is your husband?
Where is your husband?
LADY MACDUFF
I hope, in no place so unsanctified
I hope in nowhere that is so god-awful
Where such as thou mayst find him.
That he may meet some people such as you.
FIRST MURDERER
He's a traitor.
He’s a traitor.
SON
Thou liest, thou shag-haired villain!
You’re lying, you shaggy-haired villain!
FIRST MURDERER
What, you egg!
Hey, you little pipsqueak!
[Stabbing him]
Young fry of treachery!
You offspring of a traitor!
SON
He has killed me, mother:
He has killed me, mother:
Run away, I pray you!
Run away, I beg you!
[Dies]
[Exit LADY MACDUFF, crying 'Murder!' Exeunt Murderers, following her]
