The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (949 page)

Macbeth's Castle.

Hautboys and torches. Enter a Sewer, and divers Servants with dishes and service, and pass over the stage. Then enter MACBETH

MACBETH

If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well

It were done quickly: if the assassination

Could trammel up the consequence, and catch

With his surcease success; that but this blow

Might be the be-all and the end-all here,

But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,

We'ld jump the life to come. But in these cases

We still have judgment here; that we but teach

Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return

To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice

Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice

To our own lips. He's here in double trust;

First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,

Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,

Who should against his murderer shut the door,

Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan

Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been

So clear in his great office, that his virtues

Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against

The deep damnation of his taking-off;

And pity, like a naked new-born babe,

Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim, horsed

Upon the sightless couriers of the air,

Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,

That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur

To prick the sides of my intent, but only

Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself

And falls on the other.

If it were over when it is over, then it would be best

if it were done quickly. If the murder could be without

consequence, bringing up only a success, then the blow

would be the be-all and the end-all now. And here,

upon this bank and this place in time, I’d jump

at the chance. But in these sort of situations

there will be judgment, and the bloody instructions

taught by the murderer will come back to haunt the

murderer: this even-handed justice makes for our

own death, and we might as well put a poisoned chalice

to our own lips. Duncan is here in double trust.

First, I am his relative as well as his subject,

and I should not harm him. Also, as his host,

I should be protecting his from a murderer,

not bearing the knife myself. Besides all of this,

Duncan is so meek, and has been so great as king,

that his good points will plead like angels blaring trumpets

against the sin of his killing. And pity, like

a naked new born baby, will stride before the

trumpet’s blast on unseen horses to deliver

the news of his murder to everyone, causing so

many tears that they could drown the wind.

I have no courage to carry out my intent,

I have only great ambition, which can jump over

itself and bring me to a fall.

Enter LADY MACBETH

How now! what news?

Hey there! What’s the news?

LADY MACBETH

He has almost supp'd: why have you left the chamber?

He is almost done with his dinner. Why have you left the dining room?

MACBETH

Hath he ask'd for me?

Has he asked for me?

LADY MACBETH

Know you not he has?

Don’t you know he has?

MACBETH

We will proceed no further in this business:

He hath honour'd me of late; and I have bought

Golden opinions from all sorts of people,

Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,

Not cast aside so soon.

We will go no further in this business.

He has given me great honors recently

and I have won high opinion from all sorts of people.

I should savor this all while it is fresh, and not

cast it aside so soon.

LADY MACBETH

Was the hope drunk

Wherein you dress'd yourself? hath it slept since?

And wakes it now, to look so green and pale

At what it did so freely? From this time

 
Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard

To be the same in thine own act and valour

As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that

Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life,

And live a coward in thine own esteem,

Letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would,'

Like the poor cat i' the adage?

Was the hope that you had drunk,

and has it slept it off since? And now it wakes up

and looks so green and pale, to see what it

did so freely? From this time forward, I will

take account of you. Are you afraid to be

what you truly want to be? Would you have

the crown you want so badly within your reach,

but live like a coward in your own eyes,

allowing ‘I can not’ to be stronger than

‘I will,’ like the cat in the old saying?

MACBETH

Prithee, peace:

I dare do all that may become a man;

Who dares do more is none.

Please, be quiet. I dare to do all a man can.

Who dares to do more than that is not a man.

LADY MACBETH

What beast was't, then,

That made you break this enterprise to me?

When you durst do it, then you were a man;

And, to be more than what you were, you would

Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place

Did then adhere, and yet you would make both:

They have made themselves, and that their fitness now

Does unmake you. I have given suck, and know

How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me:

I would, while it was smiling in my face,

Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,

And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you

Have done to this.

What beast was it, then that made you tell all

of this to me? When you told me, you were a man.

And if you were to follow through, you would

be so much more the man! Neither time or place

were set then, and yet you were ready to make it happen.

Now, time and place have arrived and you are not

ready and willing. I have breast-fed, and I know

how tender it is to love the baby that feeds on me.

I would, however, while it was smiling in my face,

pluck my nipple from its toothless gums

and dash its brains out if I had sworn to do so,

as you have sworn to do this.

MACBETH

If we should fail?

What if we fail?

LADY MACBETH

We fail!

But screw your courage to the sticking-place,

And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep--

Whereto the rather shall his day's hard journey

Soundly invite him--his two chamberlains

Will I with wine and wassail so convince

That memory, the warder of the brain,

Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason

A limbeck only: when in swinish sleep

Their drenched natures lie as in a death,

What cannot you and I perform upon

The unguarded Duncan? what not put upon

His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt

Of our great quell?

Then we fail!

But find your courage and set your mind to it

and we will not fail. When Duncan is asleep,

which he will be soundly after the long journey

he made today, I will wine and woo his two

body guards until they lose their memory

and reason. When they are passed out like pigs—

so out of it they might as well be dead—

there is nothing you and I cannot do

to the unguarded Duncan. And then we

can put the blame on them, as if they did it.

MACBETH

Bring forth men-children only;

For thy undaunted mettle should compose

Nothing but males. Will it not be received,

When we have mark'd with blood those sleepy two

Of his own chamber and used their very daggers,

That they have done't?

You should bear male children, only,

because that unwavering courage should be in

nothing but males. Once we have marked those

two guards with the king’s blood and used their

daggers to kill him, won’t it look like they have done it?

LADY MACBETH

Who dares receive it other,

As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar

Upon his death?

Who could possibly see it any other way,

once we make our cries of grief and alarm

when we hear of his death?

MACBETH

I am settled, and bend up

Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.

Away, and mock the time with fairest show:

False face must hide what the false heart doth know.

I am settled with everything in me to make this

terrible thing happen. Let’s go, and pass the time

by looking calm and putting on a happy face

to hide what we know we are about to do.

Exeunt

Court of Macbeth's Castle.

Enter BANQUO, and FLEANCE bearing a torch before him

BANQUO

How goes the night, boy?

How’s your night going, boy?