Macbeth in 21 Century English

Original Text | Modern Text | | | Enter  BANQUO | BANQUO  enters. | 510 | BANQUO Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all, As the weird women promised, and I fear Thou played’st 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. BANQUO Now you have it all: you’re the king, the thane of Cawdor, and the thane of Glamis, just like the weird women promised you. And I suspect you cheated to win these titles. But it was also prophesied that the crown would not go to your descendants, and that my sons and grandsons would be kings instead. If the witches tell the truth—which they did about you—maybe what they said about me will come true too. But shhh! I’ll shut up now. | | Sennet sounded. Enter  MACBETH, as king,  LADY MACBETH, as queen,  LENNOX,  ROSS,  LORDS,LADIES, and attendants | A trumpet plays.MACBETH  enters dressed as king, and  LADY MACBETH  enters dressed as queen, together with  LENNOX,  ROSS,  LORDS,LADIES, and their attendants | | MACBETH Here’s our chief guest. | MACBETH (indicating BANQUO)  Here’s our most important guest. | | LADY MACBETH If he had been forgotten, It had been as a gap in our great feast, And all-thing unbecoming. | LADY MACBETH If we forgot him, our big celebration wouldn’t be complete, and that wouldn’t be any good. | 15 | MACBETH Tonight we hold a solemn supper, sir, And I’ll request your presence. | MACBETH (to  BANQUO)  Tonight we’re having a ceremonial banquet, and I want you to be there. | BANQUO Let your highness Command upon me, to the which my duties Are with a most indissoluble tie Forever knit. | BANQUO Whatever your hi ghness commands me to do, it is always my duty to do it. | Original Text | Modern Text | | 20 | MACBETH Ride you this afternoon? | MACBETH Are you going riding this afternoon? | | BANQUO Ay, my good lord. | BANQUO Yes, my good lord. | 25 | 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 tomorrow. Is ’t far you ride? MACBETH We would have liked to have heard your good advice, which has always been serious and helpful, at the council today, but we’ll wait until 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. | BANQUO I’m going far enough that I’ll be riding from now until dinner. Unless my horse goes faster than expected, I will be back an hour or two after sunset. | | MACBETH Fail n ot our feast. | MACBETH Don’t miss our feast. 30 | BANQUO My lord, I will not. | BANQUO My lord, I won’t miss it. | 35 | MACBETH We hear our bloody cousins are bestowed In England and in Ireland, not confessing Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers With strange invention. But of that tomorrow, When therewithal we shall have cause of state Craving us jointly. Hie you to horse. Adieu, Till your return at night. Goes Fleance with you? | MACBETH We hear that the princes, those murderers, have hidden in England and Ireland. They haven’t confessed to cruelly murdering their own father, and they’ve been making up strange lies to tell their hosts.But we can talk more about that tomorrow, when we’ll discuss matters of state that concern us both. Hurry up and get to your horse. Good-bye, until you return tonight. Is Fleance going with you? | | BANQUO Ay, my good lord. Our time does call upon ’s. | BANQUO Yes, my good lord. It’s time we h it the road. | 40 | MACBETH I wish your horses swift and sure of foot, And so I do commend you to their backs. Farewell. | MACBETH I hope your horses are fast and surefooted. And with that, I send you to them. Farewell. | | Exit  BANQUO | BANQUO  exits. | 45 | Let every man be master of his time Till seven at night.To make society The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself Till suppertime alone. While then, God be with you! | Everybody may do as they please until seven o'clock tonight. In order to make your company even more enjoyable, I’m going to keep to myself until suppertime. Until then, God be with you! | Original Text | Modern Text | | | Exeunt all except  MACBETH  and a  SERVANT | Everyone exits except  MACBETH  and aSERVANT | | Sirrah, a word with you. Attend those men Our pleasure? | (to the  SERVANT)  You there, let me have a word with you. Are those men waiting for me? | SERVANT They are, my lord, without the palace gate. | SERVANT They’re waiting outside the palace gate, my lord. | | MACBETH Bring them before us. | MACBETH Bring them to me. | | Exit  SERVANT | The  SERVANT  exits. | 5055606570 | 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 feared. ‘Tis much he dares, And to that dauntless temper of his mind He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valor 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, prophetlike, They hailed him father to a line of kings. Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown And put a barren scepter in my grip, Thence to be wrenched 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 murdered; Put rancors 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 th' utterance. Who’s there? | To be the king is nothing if I’m not safe as the king. I’m very afraid of Banquo. There’s something noble about him that makes me fear him. He’s willing to take risks, and his mind never stops working. He has the wisdom to act bravely but also safely. I’m not afraid of anyone but him. Around him, my guardian angel is frightened, just as Mark Antony’s angel supposedly feared Octavius Caesar. Banquo chided the witches when they first called me king, asking them to tell him his own future.Then, like prophets, they named him the father to a line of kings. They gave me a crown and a scepter that I can’t pass on. Someone outside my family will take these things away from me, since no son of mine will tak e my place as king. If this is true, then I’ve tortured my conscience and murdered the gracious Duncan for Banquo’s sons. I’ve ruined my own peace for their benefit. I’ve handed over my everlasting soul to the devil so that they could be kings. Banquo’s sons, kings! Instead of watching that happen, I will challenge fate to battle and fight to the death. Who’s there! | Enter  SERVANT  and two  MURDERERS | The  SERVANT  comes back in with twoMURDERERS | Original Text | Modern Text | | 75 | Now go to the door and stay there till we call. | Now go to the door and stay there until I call for you. | | Exit  SERVANT | The  SERVANT  exits. | | Was it not yesterday we spoke together? | Wasn’t it just yesterday that we spoke to each other? | | FIRST MURDERER It was, so please your highness. | FIRST MURDERER It was yesterday, your highness. | 8085 | MACBETH Well then, now Have you considered of my speeches?Know That it was he, i n 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, passed in probation with you, How you were borne in hand, how crossed, the instruments, Who wrought with them, and all things else that might To half a soul and to a notion crazed Say, â€Å"Thus did Banquo. † | MACBETH Well, did you think about what I said? You should know that it was Banquo who made your lives hell for so long, which you always thought was my fault. But I was innocent. I showed you the proof at our last meeting.I explained how you were deceived, how you were thwarted, the things that were used against you, who was working against you, and a lot of other things that would convince even a half-wit or a crazy person to say, â€Å"Banquo did it! † | | FIRST MURDERER You made it known to us. | FIRST MURDERER You explained it all. | 90 | 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 gospeled To pray for this good man and for his issue, Whose heavy hand hath bowed you to the grave And beggared yours forever? MACBETH I did that and more, which brings me to the point of this second meeting. Are you so patient and forgiving that you’re going to let him off the hook? Are you so pious that you would pray for this man and his children, a man who has pushed you toward an early grave and put your family in poverty forever? | | FIRST MURDERER We are men, my liege. | FIRST MURDERER We are men, my lord. | 95100105110 | MACBETH Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men, As hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs, Shoughs, water-rugs, and demi-wolves are clept All by the name of dogs.The valued file Distinguishes the swift, the slow, the subtle, The housekeeper, the hunter, every one According to the gift which bounteous nature Hath in him closed, whereby he does receive P articular addition, from the bill That writes them all alike. And so of men. Now, if you have a station in the file, Not i' th' worst rank of manhood, say ’t, And I will put that business in your bosoms, Whose execution takes your enemy off, Grapples you to the heart and love of us, Who wear our health but sickly in his life, Which in his death were perfect. | MACBETH Yes, you’re part of the species called men.Just as hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, mutts, shaggy lapdogs, swimming dogs, and wolf-dog crossbreeds are all dogs. But if you list the different kinds of dogs according to their qualities, you can distinguish which breeds are fast or slow, which ones are clever, which ones are watchdogs, and which ones hunters. You can classify each dog according to the natural gifts that separate it from all other dogs. It’s the same with men. Now, if you occupy some place in the list of men that isn’t down at the very bottom, tell me. Because if thatà ¢â‚¬â„¢s the case, I will tell you a plan that will get rid of your enemy and bring you closer to me.As long as Banquo lives, I am sick. I’ll be healthy when he is dead. | Original Text | Modern Text | | | SECOND MURDERER I am one, my liege, Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world Have so incensed that I am reckless what I do to spite the world. | SECOND MURDERER My lord, I’ve been so kicked around by the world, and I’m so angry, that I don’t even care what I do. | 115 | FIRST MURDERER And I another So weary with disasters, tugged with fortune, That I would set my life on any chance, To mend it or be rid on ’t. FIRST MURDERER I’m the same. I’m so sick of bad luck and trouble that I’d risk my life on any bet, as long as it would either fix my life or end it once and for all. | | MACBETH Both of you Know Banquo was your enemy. | MACBETH You both know Banquo was your enemy. | | BOTH MURDERERS True, my lord. | BOTH MURDERER S It’s true, my lord. | 120125 | MACBETH So is he mine; and in such bloody distance That every minute of his being thrusts Against my near’st of life.And though I could With barefaced power sweep him from my sight And bid my will avouch it, yet I must not, For certain friends that are both his and mine, Whose loves I may not drop, but wail his fall Who I myself struck down. And thence it is, That I to your assistance do make love, Masking the business from the common eye For sundry weighty reasons. | MACBETH He’s my enemy too, and I hate him so much that every minute he’s alive it eats away at my heart. Since I’m king, I could simply use my power to get rid of him.But I can’t do that, because he and I have friends in common whom I need, so I have to be able to moan and cry over his death in public even though I’ll be the one who had him killed. That’s why I need your help right now. I have to hide my real plans from the public eye for many important reasons. | | Original Text | Modern Text | 130 | SECOND MURDERER We shall, my lord, Perform what you command us. | SECOND MURDERER We’ll do what you want us to, my lord. | | FIRST MURDERER Though our lives— | FIRST MURDERER Though our lives— | 135140 | MACBETH Your spirits shine through you.Within this hour at most I will advise you where to plant yourselves, Acquaint you with the perfect spy o' th' time, The moment on ’t; for ’t must be done tonight, And something from the palace; always thought That I require a clearness. And with him— To leave no rubs nor botches in the work— Fleance, his son, that keeps him company, Whose absence is no less material to me Than is his father’s, must embrace the fate Of that dark hour. Resolve yourselves apart. I’ll come to you anon. | MACBETH (interrupts him)  I can see the determination in your eyes. Within the next hour I’ll tell you where to go and exactly when to strike.It must be done tonight, away from the palace. Always remember that I must be free from suspicion. For the plan to work perfectly, you must kill both Banquo and his son, Fleance, who keeps him company. Getting rid of Fleance is as important to me as knocking off Banquo. Each of you should make up your own mind about whether you’re going to do this. I’ll come to you soon. | | BOTH MURDERERS We are resolved, my lord. | BOTH MURDERERS We have decided, my lord. We’re in. | 145 | MACBETH I’ll call upon you straight. Abide within. | MACBETH I’ll call for you soon. Stay inside. | | Exeunt  MURDERERS | The  MURDERERS  exit. | It is concluded. Banquo, thy soul’s flight, If it find heaven, must find it out tonight. | The deal is closed. Banquo, if your soul is going to make it to heaven, tonight’s the night. | | Exit | He exits. | ACT 3 SCEN 2 Original Text | Modern Text | | | Enter  LADY MACBETH  and a  SERVA NT | LADY MACBETH  and a  SERVANT  enter. | | LADY MACBETH Is Banquo gone from court? | LADY MACBETH Has Banquo left the court? | | SERVANT Ay, madam, but returns again tonight. | SERVANT Yes, madam, but he’ll be back tonight. | | LADY MACBETH Say to the king I would attend his leisure For a few words. LADY MACBETH Go tell the king I want to talk to him for a few minutes. | 5 | SERVANT Madam, I will. | SERVANT No problem, madam. | | Exit  SERVANT | The  SERVANT  exits. | | LADY MACBETH Naught’s had, all’s spent, Where our desire is got without content. ‘Tis safer to be that which we destroy Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy. | LADY MACBETH If you get what you want and you’re still not happy, you’ve spent everything and gained nothing. It’s better to be the person who gets murdered than to be the killer and be tormented with anxiety. | | Enter  MACBETH | MACBETH  enters. | 10 | How now, my lord!Why do you keep al one, Of sorriest fancies your companions making, Using those thoughts which should indeed have died With them they think on? Things without all remedy Should be without regard. What’s done is done. | What’s going on, my lord? Why are you keeping to yourself, with only your sad thoughts to keep you company? Those thoughts should have died when you killed the men you’re thinking about. If you can’t fix it, you shouldn’t give it a second thought. What’s done is done. | 152025 | MACBETH We have scorched the snake, not killed it. She’ll close and be herself whilst our poor malice Remains in danger of her former tooth.But let the frame of things disjoint, both the worlds suffer, Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep In the affliction of these terrible dreams That shake us nightly. Better be with the dead, Whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace, Than on the torture of the mind to lie In restless ecstasy. Duncan is in his grave. After life’s fitful fever he sleeps well. Treason has done his worst; nor steel nor poison, Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing Can touch him further. | MACBETH We have slashed the snake but not killed it. It will heal and be as good as new, and we’ll be threatened by its fangs once again.But the universe can fall apart, and heaven and earth crumble, before I’ll eat my meals in fear and spend my nights tossing and turning with these nightmares I’ve been having. I’d rather be dead than endure this endless mental torture and harrowing sleep deprivation. We killed those men and sent them to rest in peace so that we could gain our own peace. Duncan lies in his grave, through with life’s troubles, and he’s sleeping well. We have already done the worst we can do to him with our treason. After that, nothing can hurt him further—not weapons, poison, rebellion, invasion, or anything else. Original Text | Modern Text | | 30 | LADY MA CBETH Come on, gentle my lord, Sleek o'er your rugged looks. Be bright and jovial Among your guests tonight. | LADY MACBETH Come on, relax, dear. Put on a happy face and look cheerful and agreeable for your guests tonight. | 35 | MACBETH So shall I, love, And so, I pray, be you. Let your remembrance Apply to Banquo; present him eminence, Both with eye and tongue: unsafe the while that we Must lave our honors in these flattering streams, And make our faces vizards to our hearts, Disguising what they are. MACBETH That’s exactly what I’ll do, my love, and I hope you’ll do the same. Give Banquo your special attention. Talk to him and look at him in a way that will make him feel important. We’re in a dangerous situation, where we have to flatter him and hide our true feelings. | | LADY MACBETH You must leave this. | LADY MACBETH You have to stop talking like this. | | MACBETH Oh, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife! Thou know’st that Banquo, and h is Fleance, lives. | MACBETH Argh! I feel like my mind is full of scorpions, my dear wife. You know that Banquo and his son Fleance are still alive. 40 | LADY MACBETH But in them nature’s copy’s not eterne. | LADY MACBETH But they can’t live forever. | 45 | MACBETH There’s comfort yet; they are assailable. Then be thou jocund. Ere the bat hath flown His cloistered flight, ere to black Hecate’s summons The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums Hath rung night’s yawning peal, there shall be done A deed of dreadful note. | MACBETH That’s comforting. They can be killed, it’s true. So be cheerful. Before the bat flies through the castle, and before the dung beetle makes his little humming noise to tell us it’s nighttime, a dreadful deed will be done. | LADY MACBETH What’s to be done? | LADY MACBETH What are you going to do? | Original Text | Modern Text | | 5055 | MACBETH Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, Till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling night, Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day And with thy bloody and invisible hand Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond Which keeps me pale. Light thickens, and the crow Makes wing to th' rooky wood. Good things of day begin to droop and drowse; Whiles night’s black agents to their preys do rouse. Thou marvel’st at my words: but hold thee still.Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill. So, prithee, go with me. | MACBETH It’s better you don’t know about it until after it’s done, when you can applaud it. (to the night)Come, night, and blindfold the kindhearted day. Use your bloody and invisible hand to tear up Banquo’s lease on life, which keeps me in fear. (to himself)  The sky’s getting dark, and the crow is returning home to the woods. The gentle creatures of the day are falling asleep, while night’s predators are waking up to look for their prey. (toLADY MACBETH)  Yo u seem surprised at my words, but don’t question me yet.Bad deeds force you to commit more bad deeds. So please, come with me. | | Exeunt | They exit | Original Text | Modern Text | | | Enter three  MURDERERS | The two  MURDERERS  enter with a thirdMURDERER. | | FIRST MURDERER But who did bid thee join with us? | FIRST MURDERER But who told you to come here and join us? | | THIRD MURDERER Macbeth. | THIRD MURDERER Macbeth. | 5 | SECOND MURDERER He needs not our mistrust, since he delivers Our offices and what we have to do To the direction just. | SECOND MURDERER We can trust this guy.He was given exactly the same orders we were. | 10 | FIRST MURDERER Then stand with us. The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day. Now spurs the lated traveler apace To gain the timely inn, and near approaches The subject of our watch. | FIRST MURDERER Then stay with us. There’s still a bit of daylight in the sky. Now all the late travellers are hurrying to reach their inns. Ba nquo is almost here. | | THIRD MURDERER Hark, I hear horses. | THIRD MURDERER Listen! I hear horses. | | BANQUO (within)  Give us a light there, ho! | BANQUO (from offstage)  Hey, give us some light here! | SECOND MURDERER Then ’tis he: the rest That are within the note of expectation Already are i' th' court. | SECOND MURDERER That must be him. The rest of the king’s guests are already inside. | | FIRST MURDERER His horses go about. | FIRST MURDERER You can hear his horses moving around as the servants take them to the stables. | 15 | THIRD MURDERER Almost a mile; but he does usually— So all men do—from hence to the palace gate Make it their walk. | THIRD MURDERER It’s almost a mile to the palace gate, but Banquo, like everybody else, usually walks from here to the palace. | Enter  BANQUO  and  FLEANCE  with a torch | BANQUO  and  FLEANCE  enter with a torch. | Act 3, Scene 3, Page 2 | Original Text | Modern Text | | SECOND MU RDERER A light, a light! | SECOND MURDERER Here comes a light! Here comes a light! | | THIRD MURDERER ‘Tis he. | THIRD MURDERER That’s him. | | FIRST MURDERER Stand to ’t. | FIRST MURDERER Prepare yourselves. | | BANQUO It will be rain tonight. | BANQUO It will rain tonight. | | FIRST MURDERER Let it come down. | FIRST MURDERER Then let the rain come down. | The  MURDERERS  attack  BANQUO | The  MURDERERS  attack  BANQUO. | 20 | BANQUO O treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly! Thou may ’st revenge —O slave! | BANQUO Oh, this is treachery! Get out of here, good Fleance, run, run, run! Someday you can get revenge. —Oh, you bastard! | | BANQUO  dies. Exit  FLEANCE | BANQUO  dies. FLEANCE  escapes. | | THIRD MURDERER Who did strike out the light? | THIRD MURDERER Who put out the light? | | FIRSTMURDERER Was ’t not the way? | FIRST MURDERER Wasn’t that the best thing to do? | | THIRD MURDERER Thereâ€℠¢s but one down.The son is fled. | THIRD MURDERER There’s only one body here. The son ran away. | | SECOND MURDERER We have lost best half of our affair. | SECOND MURDERER We failed in half of our mission. | | FIRST MURDERER Well, let’s away and say how much is done. | FIRST MURDERER Well, let’s get out of here and tell Macbeth what we did accomplish. | | Exeunt | They exit. | Original Text | Modern Text | | | Banquet prepared. Enter  MACBETH,  LADY MACBETH,  ROSS,  LENNOX,  LORDS, and attendants. | The stage is set for a banquet. MACBETH  enters with  LADY MACBETH,  ROSS,  LENNOX,LORDS, and their attendants. | MACBETH You know your own degrees; sit down. At first And last, the hearty welcome. | MACBETH You know your own ranks, so you know where to sit. Sit down. From the highest to the lowest of you, I bid you a hearty welcome. | | The  LORDS  sit | The  LORDS  sit down. | | LORDS Thanks to your majesty. | LORDS Thanks to your majesty . | 5 | MACBETH Ourself will mingle with society And play the humble host. Our hostess keeps her state, but in best time We will require her welcome. | MACBETH I will walk around and mingle with all of you, playing the humble host.My wife will stay in her royal chair, but at the appropriate time I will have her welcome you all. | | LADY MACBETH Pronounce it for me, sir, to all our friends, For my heart speaks they are welcome. | LADY MACBETH Say welcome to all of our friends for me, sir, for in my heart they are all welcome. | | Enter  FIRST MURDERER  at the door | The  FIRST MURDERER  appears at the door. | 10 | MACBETH See, they encounter thee with their hearts' thanks. Both sides are even. Here I’ll sit i' th' midst. Be large in mirth. Anon we’ll drink a measure The table round. MACBETH And they respond to you with their hearts as well. The table is full on both sides. I will sit here in the middle. Be free and happy. Soon we will toast around the table. | | (aside to  FIRST MURDERER)  There’s blood upon thy face. | (approaching the door and speaking to theMURDERER)  There’s blood on your face. | | FIRST MURDERER ‘Tis Banquo’s then. | FIRST MURDERER Then it must be Banquo’s. | 15 | MACBETH ‘Tis better thee without than he within. Is he dispatched? | MACBETH I’d rather see his blood splattered on your face than flowing through his veins. Did you finish him off? |