Macbeth
Act II, Scene 4
Outside Macbeth’s castle.
A traxedia de Macbeth 1972 Shakespeare
1972
- Enter Rosse with an Old Man.
Old Man
1 - 4- Threescore and ten I can remember well,
- Within the volume of which time I have seen
- Hours dreadful and things strange; but this sore night
- Hath trifled former knowings.
Rosse
5 - 11- Ha, good father,
- Thou seest the heavens, as troubled with man’s act,
- Threatens his bloody stage. By th’ clock ’tis day,
- And yet dark night strangles the traveling lamp.
- Is’t night’s predominance, or the day’s shame,
- That darkness does the face of earth entomb,
- When living light should kiss it?
Old Man
12 - 15- ’Tis unnatural,
- Even like the deed that’s done. On Tuesday last,
- A falcon, tow’ring in her pride of place,
- Was by a mousing owl hawk’d at, and kill’d.
Rosse
16 - 20- And Duncan’s horses (a thing most strange and certain),
- Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race,
- Turn’d wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out,
- Contending ’gainst obedience, as they would make
- War with mankind.
Old Man
21- ’Tis said, they eat each other.
Rosse
22 - 25- They did so—to th’ amazement of mine eyes
- That look’d upon’t.
- Enter Macduff.
- Here comes the good Macduff.
- How goes the world, sir, now?
Macduff
26- Why, see you not?
Rosse
27- Is’t known who did this more than bloody deed?
Macduff
28- Those that Macbeth hath slain.
Rosse
29 - 30- Alas the day,
- What good could they pretend?
Macduff
31 - 34- They were suborned.
- Malcolm and Donalbain, the King’s two sons,
- Are stol’n away and fled, which puts upon them
- Suspicion of the deed.
Rosse
35 - 38- ’Gainst nature still!
- Thriftless ambition, that will ravin up
- Thine own live’s means! Then ’tis most like
- The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.
Macduff
39 - 40- He is already nam’d, and gone to Scone
- To be invested.
Rosse
41- Where is Duncan’s body?
Macduff
42 - 44- Carried to Colmekill,
- The sacred store-house of his predecessors
- And guardian of their bones.
Rosse
45- Will you to Scone?
Macduff
46- No, cousin, I’ll to Fife.
Rosse
47- Well, I will thither.
Macduff
48 - 49- Well, may you see things well done there: adieu,
- Lest our old robes sit easier than our new!
Rosse
50- Farewell, father.
Old Man
51 - 52- God’s benison go with you, and with those
- That would make good of bad, and friends of foes!
- Exeunt omnes.
Turn’d wild in nature
Thomas Morris, G. Garrard, Sawrey Gilpin, circa 1807