SCENE 3: ENGLAND. BEFORE THE KING'S PALACE.

[Enter MALCOLM and MACDUFF]

MALCOLM

Let us seek out some desolate shade, and there

Let’s find a lonely, shaded spot and there

Weep our sad bosoms empty.

Let’s cry our hearts out.

MACDUFF

Let us rather

Let’s, instead of that,

Hold fast the mortal sword, and like good men

Lift up our swords, and patriotically

Bestride our down-fall'n birthdom: each new morn

Defend our suffering fatherland: each morning

New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows

New widows howl, new orphans cry, more sadness

Strike heaven on the face, that it resounds

Slaps heaven round the face, so that it echoes

As if it felt with Scotland and yelled out

As if the heavens stand with Scotland, yelling

Like syllable of dolour.

In cries of pain.

MALCOLM

What I believe I'll wail,

I’ll cry for what I’ve heard,

What know believe, and what I can redress,

Believe what I know true, and what I can fix,

As I shall find the time to friend, I will.

I shall address when time is on my side.

What you have spoke, it may be so perchance.

What you have spoken of perhaps is true.

This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues,

This thug, whose name alone is hard to say,

Was once thought honest: you have loved him well.

Was once thought honest; you were fond of him.

He hath not touched you yet. I am young; but something

He hasn’t harmed you yet. I’m young, but maybe

You may deserve of him through me, and wisdom

You’ll try to win his favour using me,

To offer up a weak poor innocent lamb

And wisely offer up this naïve lamb

To appease an angry god.

In sacrifice to please him.

MACDUFF

I am not treacherous.

MALCOLM

But Macbeth is.

A good and virtuous nature may recoil

An honest, kind persona may degrade

In an imperial charge. But I shall crave your pardon;

When given royal orders. But, forgive me;

That which you are my thoughts cannot transpose:

My own suspicions cannot turn you bad.

Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell;

The angels shine, though Lucifer turned devil;

Though all things foul would wear the brows of grace,

And though all bad things strive to look like good things,

Yet grace must still look so.

Good things can still look good.

MACDUFF

I have lost my hopes.

Oh, I give up.

MALCOLM

Perchance even there where I did find my doubts.

Perhaps you gave up when my doubts arose.

Why in that rawness left you wife and child,

Why did you leave your wife and child in danger,

Those precious motives, those strong knots of love,

Those people that you love with all your heart,

Without leave-taking? I pray you,

And not take them with you? I beg of you,

Let not my jealousies be your dishonours,

Don’t take my own suspicions as a slander,

But mine own safeties. You may be rightly just,

But my self-preservation. You might be good,

Whatever I shall think.

Whatever I will think.

MACDUFF

Bleed, bleed, poor country!

Great tyranny! Lay thou thy basis sure,

You tyrant! You have built a firm foundation

For goodness dare not cheque thee: wear thou thy wrongs;

That good folk dare not challenge. Wear what you stole;

The title is affeered! Fare thee well, lord:

Your title is assured! Goodbye, my lord:

I would not be the villain that thou think'st

I wouldn’t be the villain you suspect

For the whole space that's in the tyrant's grasp,

If offered all the land that tyrant rules,

And the rich East to boot.

Nor oriental wealth.

MALCOLM

Be not offended:

Don’t be offended:

I speak not as in absolute fear of you.

It’s not that I entirely distrust you.

I think our country sinks beneath the yoke;

I think that Scotland’s head is drooping badly;

It weeps, it bleeds; and each new day a gash

It cries and bleeds each day as each new cut

Is added to her wounds: I think withal

Is added to her wounds. I think as well

There would be hands uplifted in my right;

That many men would join me in my fight,

And here from gracious England have I offer

And here, from gracious England, I’ve been offered

Of goodly thousands: but, for all this,

Thousands of decent men. But, for all this,

When I shall tread upon the tyrant's head,

When I have stamped upon the tyrant’s head

Or wear it on my sword, yet my poor country

Or stuck it on my sword, still my poor country

Shall have more vices than it had before,

Will have more problems than it had before,

More suffer and more sundry ways than ever,

More suffering and more to suffer from

By him that shall succeed.

Under the next king’s reign.

MACDUFF

What should he be?

Who will that be?

MALCOLM

It is myself I mean: in whom I know

It will be me. And I know that in me

All the particulars of vice so grafted

I’m so engrained with evil-natured actions,

That, when they shall be opened, black Macbeth

That when I am compared with vile Macbeth,

Will seem as pure as snow, and the poor state

He’ll seem as pure as snow, and all poor Scotland

Esteem him as a lamb, being compared

Will think he is a lamb when he’s compared

With my confineless harms.

With my unbounded harm.

MACDUFF

Not in the legions

Not in the masses

Of horrid hell can come a devil more damned

Of hell is there a devil more demonic

In evils to top Macbeth.

To be worse than Macbeth.

MALCOLM

I grant him bloody,

I know he’s brutal,

Luxurious, avaricious, false, deceitful,

He’s lecherous and greedy, false and two-faced,

Sudden, malicious, smacking of every sin

Hot-headed, spiteful, full of every sin

That has a name: but there's no bottom, none,

That has a name. But you won’t find the edge of

In my voluptuousness: your wives, your daughters,

What I am made of. All your wives and daughters,

Your matrons and your maids, could not fill up

Your matrons and your maids, could not appease

The cistern of my lust, and my desire

The scale of my lust, and my desire

All continent impediments would o'erbear

Would knock down barriers that tried to stop me

That did oppose my will: better Macbeth

From getting what I want. Macbeth is better

Than such an one to reign.

Than having me as king.

MACDUFF

Boundless intemperance

Endless indulgence

In nature is a tyranny; it hath been

Can overwhelm your character; it’s been

The untimely emptying of the happy throne

Why happy reigns have ended prematurely,

And fall of many kings. But fear not yet

And caused the king to fall. Yet do not fear

To take upon you what is yours: you may

To take what’s rightly yours. Then you can play out

Convey your pleasures in a spacious plenty,

Your sexual desires in privacy,

And yet seem cold, the time you may so hoodwink.

Whilst tricking everyone to think you’re moral.

We have willing dames enough: there cannot be

We’ve many willing women: it’s unlikely

That vulture in you, to devour so many

Your sexual desires will surpass

As will to greatness dedicate themselves,

The women who will make love with a king

Finding it so inclined.

When they know that you’re willing.

MALCOLM

With this there grows

But there’s also,

In my most ill-composed affection such

Within my sick, unbalanced disposition,

A stanchless avarice that, were I king,

An overwhelming greed that, were I king,

I should cut off the nobles for their lands,

I’d steal the land belonging to the nobles,

Desire his jewels and this other's house:

Take one man’s jewels, a mansion from another.

And my more-having would be as a sauce

And having more would act much like a sauce

To make me hunger more; that I should forge

That made me hungrier; then I would pick

Quarrels unjust against the good and loyal,

Vindictive fights with decent, loyal people,

Destroying them for wealth.

Destroying them to steal their wealth.

MACDUFF

This avarice

This greed

Sticks deeper, grows with more pernicious root

Is rooted deeper, and is more destructive,

Than summer-seeming lust, and it hath been

Than flowers that bud in summer, and it has been

The sword of our slain kings: yet do not fear;

The sword that killed our former kings. But fear not:

Scotland hath foisons to fill up your will.

Scotland is plentiful enough to serve you;

Of your mere own: all these are portable,

Your own estates suffice. It’s bearable

With other graces weighed.

When offset to your strengths.

MALCOLM

But I have none: the king-becoming graces,

But I have none. The goodwill of a king,

As justice, verity, temperance, stableness,

Like justice, ethics, moderation, peace,

Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness,

Riches, perseverance, mercy, kindness,

Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude,

I have no relish of them, but abound

I’ve none of them, but I am overwhelmed with

In the division of each several crime,

Ability to perpetrate all crimes

Acting it many ways. Nay, had I power, I should

In many ways. No, if in power, I would

Pour the sweet milk of concord into hell,

Take harmony and pour it into hell,

Uproar the universal peace, confound

Destroy the widespread peace, creating ruin

All unity on earth.

Of unity on earth.

MACDUFF

O Scotland, Scotland!

Oh Scotland, Scotland!

MALCOLM

If such a one be fit to govern, speak:

If there is someone fit to rule, speak up:

I am as I have spoken.

I am as I’ve described.

MACDUFF

Fit to govern!

Fit to rule!

No, not to live. O nation miserable,

You are unfit to live. Oh, wretched nation,

With an untitled tyrant bloody-sceptred,

Whose unelected king is a bloody tyrant,

When shalt thou see thy wholesome days again,

When will you witness decent days again,

Since that the truest issue of thy throne

When now the rightful heir to the throne

By his own interdiction stands accursed,

Is, by his own admission, banned and cursed,

And does blaspheme his breed? Thy royal father

And contravenes his royal blood? Your father

Was a most sainted king: the queen that bore thee,

Was a most saintly king. The queen, your mother,

Oftener upon her knees than on her feet,

Spent more time praying than spent standing up,

Died every day she lived. Fare thee well!

And lived a pious life. And so, goodbye!

These evils thou repeat'st upon thyself

Your evil traits you’ve stated many times means

Have banished me from Scotland. O my breast,

I can’t return to Scotland. Oh, my heart,

Thy hope ends here!

Here ends what you desire!

MALCOLM

Macduff, this noble passion,

Macduff, your passion,

Child of integrity, hath from my soul

Full of integrity, has made my soul

Wiped the black scruples, reconciled my thoughts

Remove my doubts about you, and confirmed

To thy good truth and honour. Devilish Macbeth

You’re truthful to your word. Evil Macbeth

By many of these trains hath sought to win me

Has sent me many spies to win me over

Into his power, and modest wisdom plucks me

And lead me to his grasp, but wisdom stops me

From over-credulous haste: but God above

From making rash decisions: but now, God

Deal between thee and me! For even now

Help me and you to reach agreement! From now,

I put myself to thy direction, and

I’ll do as you direct me, and I’ll also

Unspeak mine own detraction, here abjure

Retract my self-lambasting, here rejecting

The taints and blames I laid upon myself,

The evil traits I claimed were part of me,

For strangers to my nature. I am yet

For they are nothing like me. I am still

Unknown to woman, never was forsworn,

A virgin; I’ve not lied or broken a promise,

Scarcely have coveted what was mine own,

And barely cherish anything I own;

At no time broke my faith, would not betray

I’m always faithful; I would not betray

The devil to his fellow and delight

The devil to his friend; I take delight in

No less in truth than life: my first false speaking

The truth as much as life. The first lies I’ve told

Was this upon myself: what I am truly,

Were now, about myself. The real me

Is thine and my poor country's to command:

Will serve at your command for my poor country.

Whither indeed, before thy here-approach,

It’s where, in fact, before you first arrived here,

Old Siward, with ten thousand warlike men,

Old Siward, with ten thousand fighting men,

Already at a point, was setting forth.

All set to fight, was readying to leave.

Now we'll together; and the chance of goodness

Together now, our chances of success

Be like our warranted quarrel! Why are you silent?

Are great, just like our fight! Why are you silent?

MACDUFF

Such welcome and unwelcome things at once

To hear such good and bad news all together

'Tis hard to reconcile.

Is hard to comprehend.

[Enter a Doctor]

MALCOLM

Well; more anon.--Comes the king forth, I pray you?

We’ll talk more later.— Is King Edward coming?

DOCTOR

Ay, sir; there are a crew of wretched souls

Yes, sir. There is a group of wretched people

That stay his cure: their malady convinces

That wait for him to cure them; for their illness

The great assay of art; but at his touch--

Cannot be cured by doctors, but with his touch—

Such sanctity hath heaven given his hand--

Anointed with the healing powers of heaven—

They presently amend.

At once will make them well.

MALCOLM

I thank you, doctor.

[Exit Doctor]

MACDUFF

What's the disease he means?

What disease does he mean?

MALCOLM

'Tis called the evil:

It’s called evil:

A most miraculous work in this good king;

This good king can perform some miracles,

Which often, since my here-remain in England,

And many times, since I’ve been here in England,

I have seen him do. How he solicits heaven,

I’ve seen him do it. How he uses heaven,

Himself best knows: but strangely-visited people,

Only he knows. But folk with strange conditions,

All swoln and ulcerous, pitiful to the eye,

All swollen, ulcerous, awful to look at,

The mere despair of surgery, he cures,

Which surgeons do despair at, he can cure,

Hanging a golden stamp about their necks,

By hanging, round their necks, a golden coin,

Put on with holy prayers: and 'tis spoken,

That he puts on with prayers. And it’s been said,

To the succeeding royalty he leaves

That all the royalty succeeding him

The healing benediction. With this strange virtue,

Retain this healing power. As well as this strength,

He hath a heavenly gift of prophecy,

He has the gift of prophecy from heaven

And sundry blessings hang about his throne,

As well as other blessings as a monarch;

That speak him full of grace.

He has the grace of God.

[Enter ROSS]

MACDUFF

See, who comes here?

Who’s coming here?

MALCOLM

My countryman; but yet I know him not.

My countryman, but I can’t recognise him.

MACDUFF

My ever-gentle cousin, welcome hither.

My ever-gentle cousin, welcome here.

MALCOLM

I know him now. Good God, betimes remove

I recognise him now. Good God, remove

The means that makes us strangers!

What keeps us both apart!

ROSS

Sir, amen.

Amen to that, sir.

MACDUFF

Stands Scotland where it did?

Is Scotland as it was?

ROSS

Alas, poor country!

Oh, our poor country!

Almost afraid to know itself. It cannot

It seems too scared to know itself. It cannot

Be called our mother, but our grave; where nothing,

Be called our home, but just our grave; where no one,

But who knows nothing, is once seen to smile;

Except those ill-informed, are seen to smile;

Where sighs and groans and shrieks that rend the air

Where sighs and groans and shrieks that fill the air

Are made, not marked; where violent sorrow seems

Are made, but unremarked upon; where grief

A modern ecstasy; the dead man's knell

Is commonplace; where, hearing funeral bells,

Is there scarce asked for who; and good men's lives

The people barely ask who’s died; and good men

Expire before the flowers in their caps,

All die before the flowers in their caps,

Dying or ere they sicken.

Before they’re even sick.

MACDUFF

O, relation

Oh no, dear cousin,

Too nice, and yet too true!

You’ve told it well; I know it’s true.

MALCOLM

What's the newest grief?

What’s news?

ROSS

That of an hour's age doth hiss the speaker:

It is an hour old, so it’s outdated;

Each minute teems a new one.

Each minute brings new news.

MACDUFF

How does my wife?

How is my wife?

ROSS

Why, well.

She’s well.

MACDUFF

And all my children?

ROSS

Well too.

They’re well, too.

MACDUFF

The tyrant has not battered at their peace?

So, Macbeth has not attacked them?

ROSS

No; they were well at peace when I did leave 'em.

No, they were safe and well when last I left them.

MACDUFF

But not a niggard of your speech: how goes't?

Do not withhold the truth: what’s going on?

ROSS

When I came hither to transport the tidings,

When I came here to bring you all the news,

Which I have heavily borne, there ran a rumour

Which, sorrowfully, I’ve carried, rumour spread

Of many worthy fellows that were out;

Of decent men embarking out in battle,

Which was to my belief witnessed the rather,

Which I began to find believable

For that I saw the tyrant's power a-foot:

Because I saw the tyrant’s soldiers marching.

Now is the time of help; your eye in Scotland

It’s time to intervene; with you in Scotland,

Would create soldiers, make our women fight,

You’d make men soldiers, get our women fighting,

To doff their dire distresses.

To rid themselves of pain.

MALCOLM

Be't their comfort

We’ll bring them comfort,

We are coming thither: gracious England hath

For we are coming. Gracious king of England

Lent us good Siward and ten thousand men;

Has lent us Siward and ten thousand men;

An older and a better soldier none

No soldier with more experience

That Christendom gives out.

Exists in Christendom.

ROSS

Would I could answer

If but my answer

This comfort with the like! But I have words

Could be as comforting as this! For I’ve words

That would be howled out in the desert air,

That should be yelled out in a barren desert

Where hearing should not latch them.

Where nobody should hear them.

MACDUFF

What concern they?

What are they of?

The general cause? Or is it a fee-grief

Are they for everyone? Or is this grief for

Due to some single breast?

A single person?

ROSS

No mind that's honest

Everyone who’s decent

But in it shares some woe; though the main part

Will feel this pain, although the main part of this

Pertains to you alone.

MACDUFF

If it be mine,

If it affects me,

Keep it not from me, quickly let me have it.

Don’t keep it from me; quickly, tell my news.

ROSS

Let not your ears despise my tongue for ever,

Don’t hate me for the words I have to tell you,

Which shall possess them with the heaviest sound

For they contain the most horrendous sound

That ever yet they heard.

You’re ever going to hear.

MACDUFF

Hum! I guess at it.

Oh, I can guess them.

ROSS

Your castle is surprised; your wife and babes

Your castle was attacked; your wife and children

Savagely slaughtered: to relate the manner,

Were slaughtered savagely. To tell you how,

Were, on the quarry of these murdered deer,

On top of all those dearest to you murdered,

To add the death of you.

Would make you die as well.

MALCOLM

Merciful heaven!

What, man! Ne'er pull your hat upon your brows;

Come on, man! Don’t hold back the grief you’re feeling;

Give sorrow words: the grief that does not speak

Express your pain, for grief that’s left unspoken

Whispers the o'er-fraught heart and bids it break.

Will whisper to your aching heart and break it.

MACDUFF

My children too?

ROSS

Wife, children, servants, all

That could be found.

MACDUFF

And I must be from thence!

And I opted to leave them!

My wife killed too?

My wife killed, too?

ROSS

I have said.

I’ve told you that.

MALCOLM

Be comforted:

Take comfort:

Let's make us medicines of our great revenge,

Let’s ease the pain inflicting our revenge,

To cure this deadly grief.

And thereby ease the grief.

MACDUFF

He has no children. All my pretty ones?

Macbeth does not have children. All my sweet ones?

Did you say all? O hell-kite! All?

Did you say all? Oh, vulture! All?

What, all my pretty chickens and their dam

What, all my pretty children and their mother,

At one fell swoop?

All killed in one fell swoop?

MALCOLM

Dispute it like a man.

Now, take it like a man.

MACDUFF

I shall do so;

I will do so;

But I must also feel it as a man:

But I must also feel it like a man.

I cannot but remember such things were,

I cannot help but think about the things

That were most precious to me. Did heaven look on,

That were most precious to me. Was God watching,

And would not take their part? Sinful Macduff,

But wouldn’t intervene? I am a sinner,

They were all struck for thee! Naught that I am,

For they all died for me! It’s for I’m wicked,

Not for their own demerits, but for mine,

Not due to their mistakes, but due to mine

Fell slaughter on their souls. Heaven rest them now!

That they have all been slaughtered. Rest in peace!

MALCOLM

Be this the whetstone of your sword: let grief

Sharpen your sword upon this stone; let grief

Convert to anger; blunt not the heart, enrage it.

Convert to wrath. Your heart must rage, not break.

MACDUFF

O, I could play the woman with mine eyes

Oh, I could either cry just like a woman,

And braggart with my tongue! But, gentle heavens,

Or boast of what I’ll do! But now then, heaven,

Cut short all intermission; front to front

Without delay, and standing face-to-face,

Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself;

Put me and Scotland’s tyrant both together;

Within my sword's length set him; if he 'scape,

Have him a sword-length off; if he escapes,

Heaven forgive him too!

MALCOLM

This tune goes manly.

That’s manly talk.

Come, go we to the king; our power is ready;

Let’s go and see the king; the army’s ready;

Our lack is nothing but our leave; Macbeth

Our task is just to seek his leave. Macbeth

Is ripe for shaking, and the powers above

Is ripe for picking, and the power of heaven

Put on their instruments. Receive what cheer you may:

Has armed us. Seek relief from persecution,

The night is long that never finds the day.

For pain endures till you’ve got retribution.

[Exeunt]