Macbeth

What did he do that made him flee this land?

You have to be patient, madam.

He had no patience. He was crazy to run away. Even if you’re not a traitor, you’re going to look like one if you run away.

You don’t know whether it was wisdom or fear that made him flee.

How could it be wisdom! To leave his wife, his children, his house, and his titles in a place so unsafe that he himself flees it! He doesn’t love us. He lacks the natural instinct to protect his family. Even the fragile wren, the smallest of birds, will fight against the owl when it threatens her young ones in the nest. His running away has everything to do with fear and nothing to do with love. And since it’s so unreasonable for him to run away, it has nothing to do with wisdom either.

My dearest relative, I’m begging you, pull yourself together. As for your husband, he is noble, wise, and judicious, and he understands what the times require. It’s not safe for me to say much more than this, but times are bad when people get denounced as traitors and don’t even know why. In times like these, we believe frightening rumors but we don’t even know what we’re afraid of. It’s like being tossed around on the ocean in every direction, and finally getting nowhere. I’ll say good-bye now. It won’t be long before I’m back. When things are at their worst they have to stop, or else improve to the way things were before. My young cousin, I put my blessing upon you.

He has a father, and yet he is fatherless.

I have to go. If I stay longer, I’ll embarrass you and disgrace myself by crying. I’m leaving now.

Young man, your father’s dead. What are you going to do now? How are you going to live?

I will live the way birds do, Mother.

What? Are you going to start eating worms and flies?

I mean I will live on whatever I get, like birds do.

You’d be a pitiful bird. You wouldn’t know enough to be afraid of traps.

Why should I be afraid of them, Mother? If I’m a pitiful bird, like you say, hunters won’t want me. No matter what you say, my father is not dead.

Yes, he is dead. What are you going to do for a father?

Maybe you should ask, what will you do for a husband?

Oh, I can buy twenty husbands at any market.

If so, you’d be buying them to sell again.

You talk like a child, but you’re very smart anyway.

Was my father a traitor, Mother?

Yes, he was.

What is a traitor?

Someone who makes a promise and breaks it.

And is everyone who swears and lies a traitor?

Everyone who does so is a traitor and should be hanged.

And should everyone who makes promises and breaks them be hanged?

Everyone.

Who should hang them?

The honest men.

Then the liars are fools, for there are enough liars in the world to beat up the honest men and hang them.

(laughing) Heaven help you for saying that, boy! (sad again) But what will you do without a father?

If he were dead, you’d be weeping for him. If you aren’t weeping, it’s a good sign that I’ll soon have a new father.

Silly babbler, how you talk!

Bless you, fair lady! You don’t know me, but I know you’re an important person. I’m afraid something dangerous is coming toward you. If you’ll take a simple man’s advice, don’t be here when it arrives. Go away and take your children. I feel bad for scaring you like this, but it would be much worse for me to let you come to harm. And harm is getting close! Heaven keep you safe!

Where should I go? I haven’t done anything wrong. But I have to remember that I’m here on Earth, where doing evil is often praised, and doing good is sometimes a stupid and dangerous mistake. So then why should I offer this womanish defense that I’m innocent?

Who are these men?

Where is your husband?

I hope he’s not anywhere so disreputable that thugs like you can find him.

He’s a traitor.

You’re lying, you shaggy-haired villain!

What’s that, you runt? (stabbing him) Young son of a traitor!

He has killed me, Mother. Run away, I beg you!