The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (956 page)

Then be thou jocund: ere the bat hath flown

His cloister'd 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.

There’s a comforting thought—they can die.

So be lighthearted: before the bat has flown

tonight into the darkness, before night falls

and the scaly-winged beetle has begun his

evening humming to usher out the day,

a terrible thing will happen.

LADY MACBETH

What's to be done?

What’s going to happen?

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 the rooky wood:

Good things of day begin to droop and drowse;

While night's black agents to their preys do rouse.

Thou marvell'st at my words: but hold thee still;

Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill.

So, prithee, go with me.

I am not going to tell you, my sweet little chicken,

until you can applaud it. Come, night, and

cover the eye of day. With your bloody

and invisible hand, cancel and rip to pieces

the bond that keeps me pale! Darkness is falling,

and the crow makes its way home to the woods.

The good things of the daytime are drooping

and falling to sleep, while night’s black agents

rise to hunt. You wonder at my words, but be still.

Once they are started, bad things feed on more bad things.

So, please, come with me.

Exeunt

A Park Near the P
alace

Enter three Murderers

First Murderer

But who did bid thee join with us?

But who told you to join us?

Third Murderer

Macbeth.

Macbeth.

Second Murderer

He needs not our mistrust, since he delivers

Our offices and what we have to do

To the direction just.

There’s no need not to trust him since he

is here to tell us what we are to do.

First Murderer

Then stand with us.

The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day:

Now spurs the lated traveller apace

To gain the timely inn; and near approaches

The subject of our watch.

Then stay with us. The sky still

shows some daylight. Now is the time

a late traveler quickens the pace

to get to the destination on time.

The man we are watching for

is getting closer.

Third Murderer

Hark! I hear horses.

Listen! I hear horses.

BANQUO

[Within] Give us a light there, ho!

[Within] Hello! Give us some light here!

Second Murderer

Then 'tis he: the rest

That are within the note of expectation

Already are i' the court.

This is him. The rest that are expected

tonight are already inside.

First Murderer

His horses go about.

His horses are walking about.

Third Murderer

Almost a mile: but he does usually,

So all men do, from hence to the palace gate

Make it their walk.

It’s almost a mile to the palace gate.

But he, like the other men, will walk

the horses from here.

Second Murderer

A light, a light!

Give me a light! Give me a light!

Enter BANQUO, and FLEANCE with a torch

Third Murderer

'Tis he.

It’s him.

First Murderer

Stand to't.

Let’s go to it.

BANQUO

It will be rain to-night.

It’s going to rain tonight.

First Murderer

Let it come down.

Let it pour!

They set upon BANQUO

BANQUO

O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!

Thou mayst revenge. O slave!

Oh, treachery! Run, good Fleance, run, run, run!

Avenge my death. Oh, you hired hand!

Dies. FLEANCE escapes

Third Murderer

Who did strike out the light?

Who put out the light?

First Murderer

Wast not the way?

Wasn’t that the thing to do?

Third Murderer

There's but one down; the son is fled.

There’s only one dead, here. The son has fled.

Second Murderer

We have lost

Best half of our affair.

We lost the better half of what we were to do.

First Murderer

Well, let's away, and say how much is done.

Well, let’s get out of here, and tell Macbeth how much we did.

Exeunt

The Same. Hall in the P
alace.

A banquet prepared. Enter MACBETH, LADY MACBETH, ROSS, LENNOX, Lords, and Attendants

MACBETH

You know your own degrees; sit down: at first

And last the hearty welcome.

You know your titles so you know where to be seated.

A hearty welcome to all!

Lords

Thanks to your majesty.

Thank you, your majesty.

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.

I will mingle with you and play the humble host.

Our hostess will stay in her seat, but when

the time is right, she will welcome you.

LADY MACBETH

Pronounce it for me, sir, to all our friends;

For my heart speaks they are welcome.

Say it for me, sir, to all of our friends.

In my heart they are welcome.

First Murderer appears at the door

MACBETH

See, they encounter thee with their hearts' thanks.

Both sides are even: here I'll sit i' the midst:

Be large in mirth; anon we'll drink a measure

The table round.

And they respond with thanks from their hearts,

so both sides are even. Here, I’ll sit in the middle:

be full of gladness and gaiety. Soon, we’ll drink

a toast around the table.

Approaching the door

There's blood on thy face.

There’s blood on your face.

First Murderer

'Tis Banquo's then.

It’s Banquo’s then.

MACBETH

'Tis better thee without than he within.

Is he dispatch'd?

It’s better on the outside of you instead of inside him.

Is he dead?

First Murderer

My lord, his throat is cut; that I did for him.

My lord, his throat is slit. I did it.

MACBETH

Thou art the best o' the cut-throats: yet he's good

That did the like for Fleance: if thou didst it,

Thou art the nonpareil.

You are the best of killers. Yet whoever

did the same to Fleance is also good. If you

did both of them, you are without equal.

First Murderer

Most royal sir,

Fleance is 'scaped.

Most royal sir,

Fleance has escaped.

MACBETH

Then comes my fit again: I had else been perfect,

Whole as the marble, founded as the rock,

As broad and general as the casing air:

But now I am cabin'd, cribb'd, confined, bound in

To saucy doubts and fears. But Banquo's safe?

My fears come back again. I had been perfect,

whole as the marble in the rock and as open and

free as the air around it. But now I am bound up

and confined with doubts and fears.

But Banquo’s dead, for sure?

First Murderer

Ay, my good lord: safe in a ditch he bides,

With twenty trenched gashes on his head;

The least a death to nature.

Yes, my good lord. He lies dead in a ditch

with twenty deep gashes on his head,

any which would have killed him.

MACBETH

Thanks for that:

There the grown serpent lies; the worm that's fled

Hath nature that in time will venom breed,

No teeth for the present. Get thee gone: to-morrow

We'll hear, ourselves, again.

Thanks for doing that.

The grown snake is dead, but

the younger snake has fled.

In time he will become a threat,