The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (960 page)

Would you rather hear it from our mouths

or from our master’s mouth?

MACBETH

Call 'em; let me see 'em.

Call them. Let me see them.

First Witch

Pour in sow's blood, that hath eaten

Her nine farrow; grease that's sweaten

From the murderer's gibbet throw

Into the flame.

Pour in the blood of a pig that has eaten

her nine piglets and add fat that has

dripped from a murderer’s gallows

into the fire.

ALL

Come, high or low;

Thyself and office deftly show!

Come, high and low spirits.

Reveal yourself and show who you are.

Thunder. First Apparition: an armed Head

MACBETH

Tell me, thou unknown power,--

Tell me, you unknown power—

First Witch

He knows thy thought:

Hear his speech, but say thou nought.

He can read your thoughts.

Listen to him, but don’t say anything.

First Apparition

Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff;

Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough.

Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff.

Beware the thane of Fife. Let me go now. Enough.

Descends

MACBETH

Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks;

Thou hast harp'd my fear aright: but one

word more,--

Wherever you have gone—thanks for the warning.

You’ve addressed what I feared, but let me ask you

one more thing—

First Witch

He will not be commanded: here's another,

More potent than the first.

He will not be called back. Here’s another

stronger than the first.

Thunder. Second Apparition: A bloody Child

Second Apparition

Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!

Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!

MACBETH

Had I three ears, I'ld hear thee.

If I had three ears, I’d listen with all three.

Second Apparition

Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn

The power of man, for none of woman born

Shall harm Macbeth.

Be bloody, bold and determined. Laugh in scorn

at the power of any man, for no man born of a woman

shall harm Macbeth.

Descends

MACBETH

Then live, Macduff: what need I fear of thee?

But yet I'll make assurance double sure,

And take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live;

That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies,

And sleep in spite of thunder.

Then Macduff may as well live.

Why should I be afraid of him?

But, just to be double sure and to seal my fate,

I will have him killed. That way I can

tell my fear it lies and sleep at night

in spite of everything.

Thunder. Third Apparition: a Child crowned, with a tree in his hand

What is this

That rises like the issue of a king,

And wears upon his baby-brow the round

And top of sovereignty?

What is this that rises like the son of a king

and wears a crown on top of its baby head?

ALL

Listen, but speak not to't.

Listen, but don’t speak to it.

Third Apparition

Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care

Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are:

Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until

Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill

Shall come against him.

Be courageous like a lion, and proud, and don’t

care about who is annoyed by you, or who plans

and plots against you. Macbeth will not be beat

until great Birnam Wood marches to fight

at high Dunsinane Hill.

Descends

MACBETH

That will never be

Who can impress the forest, bid the tree

Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements! good!

Rebellion's head, rise never till the wood

Of Birnam rise, and our high-placed Macbeth

Shall live the lease of nature, pay his breath

To time and mortal custom. Yet my heart

Throbs to know one thing: tell me, if your art

Can tell so much: shall Banquo's issue ever

Reign in this kingdom?

That will never happen. Who can order the forest

and command the tree to pull its roots from the ground?

These are good things to hear! I can not be overtaken

until the woods of Birnam walk, and I shall

be king all of my natural life. Yet my heart pounds

to know one more thing. Tell me, if you can

see so much: will Banquo’s sons ever reign

in this kingdom?

ALL

Seek to know no more.

Do not ask any more questions.

MACBETH

I will be satisfied: deny me this,

And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know.

Why sinks that cauldron? and what noise is this?

No, I must know! If you don’t tell me, an eternal

curse will fall on you! Tell me now.

Why is the cauldron sinking? What is that noise?

Hautboys

First Witch

Show!

Show!

Second Witch

Show!

Show!

Third Witch

Show!

Show!

ALL

Show his eyes, and grieve his heart;

Come like shadows, so depart!

Show him, and make him grieve.

Come like shadows, and depart the same way!

A show of Eight Kings, the last with a glass in his hand; GHOST OF BANQUO following

MACBETH

Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo: down!

Thy crown does sear mine eye-balls. And thy hair,

Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first.

A third is like the former. Filthy hags!

Why do you show me this? A fourth! Start, eyes!

What, will the line stretch out to the crack of doom?

Another yet! A seventh! I'll see no more:

And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass

Which shows me many more; and some I see

That two-fold balls and treble scepters carry:

Horrible sight! Now, I see, 'tis true;

For the blood-bolter'd Banquo smiles upon me,

And points at them for his.

You look too much like the ghost of Banquo! Go away!

Your crown makes my eyes hurt. And your blond

hair is like the hair of the first. The third looks

just like the second. Filthy hags! Why do you

show me this? A fourth! My eyes are bulging!

Will this line stretch out all the way to the end

of time? And another! A seventh! I don’t want

to see anymore. And yet the eighth appears

who carries a mirror that shows me many more.

Some have two parted balls and three scepters!

This is a horrible sight! Now I see that it’s true.

Banquo, with his hair clotted with blood, smiles

at me, and points at them as his sons.

Apparitions vanish

What, is this so?

Is it true?

First Witch

Ay, sir, all this is so: but why

Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?

Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprites,

And show the best of our delights:

I'll charm the air to give a sound,

While you perform your antic round:

That this great king may kindly say,

Our duties did his welcome pay.

Yes, sir, it is all true. But why

are you so confused? Come, sisters,

let’s cheer him up and show him

the best of our magic. I’ll charm the air

to make music while you dance, so that

the great king may kindly say we did

our duty to entertain him.

Music. The witches dance and then vanish, with HECATE

MACBETH

Where are they? Gone? Let this pernicious hour

Stand aye accursed in the calendar!

Come in, without there!

Where are they? Gone? Let this evil hour

be marked as cursed in the calendar.

Whoever is out there, come in!

Enter LENNOX

LENNOX

What's your grace's will?

What would you like?

MACBETH

Saw you the weird sisters?

Did you see the witches?

LENNOX

No, my lord.

No, my lord.

MACBETH

Came they not by you?

They didn’t pass you?

LENNOX

No, indeed, my lord.

Definitely not, my lord.

MACBETH

Infected be the air whereon they ride;

And damn'd all those that trust them! I did hear

The galloping of horse: who was't came by?

The air they ride on is infected, and all who

trust them are damned. I heard the galloping

of horses. Who came by?

LENNOX

'Tis two or three, my lord, that bring you word

Macduff is fled to England.

Two or three men, my lord, who are here

to let you know Macduff has fled to England.

MACBETH

Fled to England!

Fled to England!

LENNOX

Ay, my good lord.

Yes, my good lord.

MACBETH

Time, thou anticipatest my dread exploits:

The flighty purpose never is o'ertook

Unless the deed go with it; from this moment

The very firstlings of my heart shall be

The firstlings of my hand. And even now,

To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done:

The castle of Macduff I will surprise;

Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o' the sword

His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls

That trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool;

This deed I'll do before this purpose cool.

But no more sights!--Where are these gentlemen?

Come, bring me where they are.

Time, you have guessed my terrible plans.

The intent to act is often overtaken by time.

From this moment on, I will act immediately

on every impulse in my heart. I will start now

to put my thoughts into action, and will

surprise Macduff’s castle with an attack.