The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (954 page)

Forres. The Palace.

Enter BANQUO

BANQUO

Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all,

As the weird women promised, and, I fear,

Thou play'dst most foully for't: yet it was said

It should not stand in thy posterity,

But that myself should be the root and father

Of many kings. If there come truth from them--

As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine--

Why, by the verities on thee made good,

May they not be my oracles as well,

And set me up in hope? But hush! no more.

You have it all now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all.

Just like the witches promised. I’m afraid

you engaged in foul play for it. Still, it was said

that the line would not be passed down to your children,

but that I will be the father of many kings.

If the witches tell the truth—as they seemed to have done

with you—well, perhaps what they said about me

will come true, as well. Perhaps they can see my future,

too, and give me hope? But, shhhh. I should say no more.

Sennet sounded. Enter MACBETH, as king, LADY MACBETH, as queen, LENNOX, ROSS, Lords, Ladies, and Attendants

MACBETH

Here's our chief guest.

Here’s our main guest.

LADY MACBETH

If he had been forgotten,

It had been as a gap in our great feast,

And all-thing unbecoming.

If he had been forgotten,

it would have made a gap in our big celebration

and would not be in line with our standards.

MACBETH

To-night we hold a solemn supper sir,

And I'll request your presence.

Tonight we hold a solemn celebration, sir,

and I request your presence.

BANQUO

Let your highness

Command upon me; to the which my duties

Are with a most indissoluble tie

For ever knit.

Anything you command, my highness,

I am bound to do.

MACBETH

Ride you this afternoon?

Are you going riding this afternoon?

BANQUO

Ay, my good lord.

Yes, my good lord.

MACBETH

We should have else desired your good advice,

Which still hath been both grave and prosperous,

In this day's council; but we'll take to-morrow.

Is't far you ride?

We would have liked to hear your advice,

which has always been both serious and successful,

in today’s council, but we can hear it tomorrow.

Are you riding far?

BANQUO

As far, my lord, as will fill up the time

'Twixt this and supper: go not my horse the better,

I must become a borrower of the night

For a dark hour or twain.

I’m going to ride as far as it will take between now and supper.

Unless my horse goes faster than I expect, I will be back an hour

or two after dark.

MACBETH

Fail not our feast.

Don’t miss our feast.

BANQUO

My lord, I will not.

My lord, I will not miss it.

MACBETH

We hear, our bloody cousins are bestow'd

In England and in Ireland, not confessing

Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers

With strange invention: but of that to-morrow,

 
When therewithal we shall have cause of state

Craving us jointly. Hie you to horse: adieu,

Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you?

We hear our murderous cousins are stowed away

in England and in Ireland, not confessing

to cruelly killing their father. They tell all who listen

terrible lies. But we’ll talk more about that tomorrow,

when we talk about matters of the state that concern

us both. Go to your horse: goodbye until you return

tonight. Is Fleance going with you?

BANQUO

Ay, my good lord: our time does call upon 's.

Yes, my good lord. It’s time we leave.

MACBETH

I wish your horses swift and sure of foot;

And so I do commend you to their backs. Farewell.

I hope your horses are swift and sure of foot.

And with that, you should go to them. Farewell.

Exit BANQUO

Let every man be master of his time

Till seven at night: to make society

The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself

Till supper-time alone: while then, God be with you!

Let every man do want he wants to do

until seven tonight: to make your company

all the better, I will keep to myself

until supper time. So, then, God be with you!

Exeunt all but MACBETH, and an attendant

Sirrah, a word with you: attend those men

Our pleasure?

You, there, can you tell me: are those men waiting

for me?

ATTENDANT

They are, my lord, without the palace gate.

They are, my lord, outside the palace gate.

MACBETH

Bring them before us.

Bring them to me.

Exit Attendant

To be thus is nothing;

But to be safely thus.--Our fears in Banquo

Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature

Reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much he dares;

And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,

He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour

To act in safety. There is none but he

Whose being I do fear: and, under him,

My Genius is rebuked; as, it is said,

Mark Antony's was by Caesar. He chid the sisters

When first they put the name of king upon me,

And bade them speak to him: then prophet-like

They hail'd him father to a line of kings:

Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown,

And put a barren sceptre in my gripe,

Thence to be wrench'd with an unlineal hand,

No son of mine succeeding. If 't be so,

For Banquo's issue have I filed my mind;

For them the gracious Duncan have I murder'd;

Put rancours in the vessel of my peace

Only for them; and mine eternal jewel

Given to the common enemy of man,

To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings!

Rather than so, come fate into the list.

And champion me to the utterance! Who's there!

To be king is nothing if I am not safe.

I fear Banquo deeply; there’s something regal in his nature

that should be feared. He is bold, and his mind is fearless

and active. He has the wisdom to guide his bravery.

There is no one but him that I fear, and under him,

my guardian spirit is rebuked, as they say Mark Anthony’s

was by Caesar. He scolded the witches when they first said

that I would be king, and asked them to speak to him

Then, like prophets, they said he would be father

to a line of kings: on my head they placed a fruitless

crown and put a scepter in my hand I can’t pass down.

These will be taken by someone outside the family

since I will not have a son. If this is how it is,

then it’s for Banquo’s sons I’ve worried my mind

and murdered the gracious Duncan.

I’ve disturbed my own peace for them,

and have given my eternal life to the devil

to make them kings, the seed of Banquo, kings!

Instead of watching this happen, I will enlist fate

to battle, and will fight until my last breath.

Who’s there!

Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers

Now go to the door, and stay there till we call.

Now go to the door and stay there until I call you.

Exit Attendant

Was it not yesterday we spoke together?

Wasn’t it just yesterday we talked?

First Murderer

It was, so please your highness.

It was, you are right, your highness.

MACBETH

Well then, now

Have you consider'd of my speeches? Know

That it was he in the times past which held you

So under fortune, which you thought had been

Our innocent self: this I made good to you

In our last conference, pass'd in probation with you,

How you were borne in hand, how cross'd,

the instruments,

Who wrought with them, and all things else that might

To half a soul and to a notion crazed

Say 'Thus did Banquo.'

Well, have you thought about what I said?

You know that it was him who held you back

and brought you bad luck, even though you thought

it was me, but I was innocent. I made this clear to you

during our last meeting and proved it to you.

I showed you how you were deluded and crossed.

I showed you the papers he used to do these things,

and all sorts of other things that would convince

even someone with half a soul and who is crazy

to say ‘It was Banquo who did this.’

First Murderer

You made it known to us.

You made it clear to us.

MACBETH

I did so, and went further, which is now

Our point of second meeting. Do you find

Your patience so predominant in your nature

That you can let this go? Are you so gospell'd

To pray for this good man and for his issue,

Whose heavy hand hath bow'd you to the grave

And beggar'd yours for ever?

I did, and I went even further, which is the point

of this second meeting. Are you such patient men

that you can let this go? Are you so forgiving

that you will pray for this good man and his sons,

whose heavy hand has pointed you toward the grave

and made beggars of you and your family forever?

First Murderer