The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (961 page)

I will seize all of Fife, and have his wife, his babies,

and all those unfortunate enough to be related to him

killed. I will not boast about doing this; I will simply

do it before my intention cools. But no more visions!—

Where are these men? Take me to where they are.

Exeunt

Fife. Macduff's Castle.

Enter LADY MACDUFF, her Son, and ROSS

LADY MACDUFF

What had he done, to make him fly the land?

What did he do, to make him flee the country?

ROSS

You must have patience, madam.

You must have patience, madam.

LADY MACDUFF

He had none:

His flight was madness: when our actions do not,

Our fears do make us traitors.

He had no patience. His flight was crazy.

Even if we aren’t traitors, we are going to look

like traitors if we run away.

ROSS

You know not

Whether it was his wisdom or his fear.

You don’t know whether he did it out of wisdom or fear.

LADY MACDUFF

Wisdom! to leave his wife, to leave his babes,

His mansion and his titles in a place

From whence himself does fly? He loves us not;

He wants the natural touch: for the poor wren,

The most diminutive of birds, will fight,

Her young ones in her nest, against the owl.

All is the fear and nothing is the love;

As little is the wisdom, where the flight

So runs against all reason.

Wisdom! To leave his wife and his babies,

his home and his titles in a place he himself

runs away from? He doesn’t love us.

He lacks the natural instinct to protect.

Even the skinny little wren—the smallest

of birds—will fight to protect her nest

against the owl. He is full of fear

and is showing no love. There’s nothing wise

about such an unreasonable flight.

ROSS

My dearest coz,

I pray you, school yourself: but for your husband,

He is noble, wise, judicious, and best knows

The fits o' the season. I dare not speak

much further;

But cruel are the times, when we are traitors

And do not know ourselves, when we hold rumour

From what we fear, yet know not what we fear,

But float upon a wild and violent sea

Each way and move. I take my leave of you:

Shall not be long but I'll be here again:

Things at the worst will cease, or else climb upward

To what they were before. My pretty cousin,

Blessing upon you!

My dearest cousin, I beg you, have patience.

As far as your husband goes, he in noble, wise,

judicious and knows the ways of the times.

I shouldn’t say much more. But these are cruel times

when we are called traitors and do not know why.

We hear rumors that make us afraid, but we do not

know what we fear. We float on a wild and violent

sea and move back and forth. I must leave,

but it won’t be long before I come back.

Things at their worse will either stop or

return to what they were before.

My pretty cousin, I give you my blessing.

LADY MACDUFF

Father'd he is, and yet he's fatherless.

He is a father and yet he is fatherless.

ROSS

I am so much a fool, should I stay longer,

It would be my disgrace and your discomfort:

I take my leave at once.

I am feeling so foolish. If I stay longer

I might disgrace myself and make you feel

uncomfortable. I will leave at once.

Exit

LADY MACDUFF

Sirrah, your father's dead;

And what will you do now? How will you live?

Sir, your father’s dead. What will you do now?

How will you live?

Son

As birds do, mother.

As birds do, mother.

LADY MACDUFF

What, with worms and flies?

What do you mean, that you’ll eat worms and flies?

Son

With what I get, I mean; and so do they.

I mean by what I find. They get by on what they find.

LADY MACDUFF

Poor bird! thou'ldst never fear the net nor lime,

The pitfall nor the gin.

Pathetic bird! You don’t know enough to fear the nets

and glue boards and other traps.

Son

Why should I, mother? Poor birds they are not set for.

My father is not dead, for all your saying.

Why should I know that stuff, mother?

No one hunts for pathetic birds.

My father is not dead, even though you say he is.

LADY MACDUFF

Yes, he is dead; how wilt thou do for a father?

Yes, he is dead. What will you do without a father?

Son

Nay, how will you do for a husband?

No, the question is—what will you do without a husband?

LADY MACDUFF

Why, I can buy me twenty at any market.

I can buy twenty of them at any market.

Son

Then you'll buy 'em to sell again.

Then you’ll buy them to sell again.

LADY MACDUFF

Thou speak'st with all thy wit: and yet, i' faith,

With wit enough for thee.

You speak with all of your intelligence, which,

to be fair, is enough intelligence for you.

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.

It’s one who swears to do something but lies.

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 who does that is a traitor, and must be hanged.

Son

And must they all be hanged that swear and lie?

Everyone who swears and lies must be hanged?

LADY MACDUFF

Every one.

Every one.

Son

Who must hang them?

Who hangs them?

LADY MACDUFF

Why, the honest men.

The honest men do.

Son

Then the liars and swearers are fools,

for there are liars and swearers enow to beat

the honest men and hang up them.

Then the liars and swearers are fools,

because there are enough liars and swearers

to beat the honest men and hang them.

LADY MACDUFF

Now, God help thee, poor monkey!

But how wilt thou do for a father?

God help you, my poor monkey!

But what will you do without a father?

Son

If he were dead, you'ld weep for

him: if you would not, it were a good sign

that I should quickly have a new father.

If he were dead, you’d be crying for him

If you don’t cry, it is a good sign that I will

soon have a new father.

LADY MACDUFF

Poor prattler, how thou talk'st!

Silly boy, how you talk!

Enter a Messenger

Messenger

Bless you, fair dame! I am not to you known,

Though in your state of honour I am perfect.

I doubt some danger does approach you nearly:

If you will take a homely man's advice,

Be not found here; hence, with your little ones.

To fright you thus, methinks, I am too savage;

To do worse to you were fell cruelty,

Which is too nigh your person. Heaven preserve you!

I dare abide no longer.

Bless you, lovely lady. You do not know me, but

I know who you are and of your state of honor.

I know that danger is heading your way.

If you want to take a common man’s advice—

don’t allow yourself to be found here with your

children. You must think I am awful to frighten

you like this, but I think it would be worse

if I said nothing and you were cruelly harmed.

Harm is nearby. Heaven help you! I can not stay

here any longer.

Exit

LADY MACDUFF

Whither should I fly?

I have done no harm. But I remember now

I am in this earthly world; where to do harm

Is often laudable, to do good sometime

Accounted dangerous folly: why then, alas,

Do I put up that womanly defence,

To say I have done no harm?

Where should I go?

I’ve done no wrong. But I remember now

I am in this earthly world, where doing harm

is often praised, and to do good is seen

as silly and dangerous. Why do I even bother

to put up a womanly defense by saying

I have 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

Where such as thou mayst find him.

I hope he’s not in an unholy place

where people like you can find him.

First Murderer

He's a traitor.

He’s a traitor.