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

by William Shakespeare

  breath. There is no place in the castle

  the bird has not nested and bred. The

  house martin tends to favor, by my observation,

  places where the air is delicate and nice.

  Enter LADY MACBETH

  DUNCAN

  See, see, our honour'd hostess!

  The love that follows us sometime is our trouble,

  Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you

  How you shall bid God 'ild us for your pains,

  And thank us for your trouble.

  Look, here comes our honored hostess!

  Sometimes the love that follows us

  is trouble, but we still are grateful

  of the love. Here, I will teach you

  how to ask God to yield to your pains,

  and thank us for your trouble.

  LADY MACBETH

  All our service

  In every point twice done and then done double

  Were poor and single business to contend

  Against those honours deep and broad wherewith

  Your majesty loads our house: for those of old,

  And the late dignities heap'd up to them,

  We rest your hermits.

  All of our service, in every way, if it were to be done

  and done again could not match the deep honor

  you have brought to us by being here. For the past

  and new dignities you’ve heaped on us, we intend

  to pray for you so much that your almsmen

  can take a break from their praying.

  DUNCAN

  Where's the thane of Cawdor?

  We coursed him at the heels, and had a purpose

  To be his purveyor: but he rides well;

  And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath holp him

  To his home before us. Fair and noble hostess,

  We are your guest to-night.

  Where is Macbeth? We rode right at his heels,

  but he had purpose to get here first, and he

  rides well. His great love, sharp as his spur,

  helped him to get to his castle before us.

  Fair and noble hostess, we are your guests tonight.

  LADY MACBETH

  Your servants ever

  Have theirs, themselves and what is theirs, in compt,

  To make their audit at your highness' pleasure,

  Still to return your own.

  Your servants may help themselves to whatever

  they need to make you comfortable. We are glad

  to be able to give back to you what is yours.

  DUNCAN

  Give me your hand;

  Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly,

  And shall continue our graces towards him.

  By your leave, hostess.

  Give me your hand.

  Take me to my host. We love him dearly,

  and shall continue to offer him good things.

  After you, Lady Macbeth.

  Exeunt

  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?

  FLEANCE

  The moon is down; I have not heard the clock.

  The moon has gone down. I have not heard the clock chime.

  BANQUO

  And she goes down at twelve.

  The moon goes down at midnight.

  FLEANCE

  I take't, 'tis later, sir.

  I think it is later than that, sir.

  BANQUO

  Hold, take my sword. There's husbandry in heaven;

  Their candles are all out. Take thee that too.

  A heavy summons lies like lead upon me,

  And yet I would not sleep: merciful powers,

  Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature

  Gives way to in repose!

  Here, take my sword. They are being frugal tonight in heaven;

  the candles are all out. Take this, too.

  I have such a need for sleep, it weighs heavy on me,

  but I can’t sleep. God help me, and keep me

  from the nightmares that come with sleep!

  Enter MACBETH, and a Servant with a torch

  Give me my sword.

  Who's there?

  Give me back my sword.

  Who’s there!

  MACBETH

  A friend.

  A friend.

  BANQUO

  What, sir, not yet at rest? The king's a-bed:

  He hath been in unusual pleasure, and

  Sent forth great largess to your offices.

  This diamond he greets your wife withal,

  By the name of most kind hostess; and shut up

  In measureless content.

  You haven’t gone to bed yet, sir? The king

  is asleep. He has been in great spirits and

  has given so much to your home. He greeted

  your wife with a diamond, calling her the most

  kind hostess, and went to bed immeasurably happy.

  MACBETH

  Being unprepared,

  Our will became the servant to defect;

  Which else should free have wrought.

  We were not prepared for the visit,

  but tried our best to overcome what lacked

  and would have been freely available otherwise.

  BANQUO

  All's well.

  I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters:

  To you they have show'd some truth.

  All is well.

  I dreamt last night of the three witches.

  What they said to you proved to be true.

  MACBETH

  I think not of them:

  Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve,

  We would spend it in some words upon that business,

  If you would grant the time.
<
br />   I don’t think about them.

  But when we can find an hour to do so,

  we should talk some more about all of that,

  if you can find the time.

  BANQUO

  At your kind'st leisure.

  Whenever you get a chance.

  MACBETH

  If you shall cleave to my consent, when 'tis,

  It shall make honour for you.

  If you stick to me, I will honor you in time.

  BANQUO

  So I lose none

  In seeking to augment it, but still keep

  My bosom franchised and allegiance clear,

  I shall be counsell'd.

  As long as I lose nothing in seeking

  more honor, and can still keep

  my heart and conscious clean,

  I’ll do whatever you say.

  MACBETH

  Good repose the while!

  Rest well in the meantime!

  BANQUO

  Thanks, sir: the like to you!

  Thanks, sir—the same to you!

  Exeunt BANQUO and FLEANCE

  MACBETH

  Go bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready,

  She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed.

  Go tell your mistress that when my drink is ready,

  she should ring the bell. Then go to bed.

  Exit Servant

  Is this a dagger which I see before me,

  The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.

  I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.

  Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible

  To feeling as to sight? or art thou but

  A dagger of the mind, a false creation,

  Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?

  I see thee yet, in form as palpable