ACT 1
[Flourish. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, LENNOX, and Attendants]
DUNCAN
Is execution done on Cawdor? Are not
Is Cawdor's execution done? Have those
Those in commission yet returned?
Who executed him returned yet?
MALCOLM
My liege,
My king,
They are not yet come back. But I have spoke
They have not got back yet, but I have spoken
With one that saw him die: who did report
To one that saw him die. He told me that
That very frankly he confessed his treasons,
He openly confessed his acts of treason
Implored your highness' pardon and set forth
And begged your highness's forgiveness, stating
A deep repentance: nothing in his life
Complete repentance. Nothing in his life
Became him like the leaving it; he died
He did with decency he showed in death.
As one that had been studied in his death
He acted like he'd pondered his own death,
To throw away the dearest thing he owed,
Comparing it to throwing out his valuables
As 'twere a careless trifle.
As though he didn't care.
DUNCAN
There's no art
One is unable
To find the mind's construction in the face:
To know another's thoughts by how they look:
He was a gentleman on whom I built
He was a gentleman in whom I'd built
An absolute trust.
An absolute trust.
[Enter MACBETH, BANQUO, ROSS, and ANGUS]
O worthiest cousin!
Oh, my worthy cousin!
The sin of my ingratitude even now
Just now, the fact I hadn't thanked you yet
Was heavy on me: thou art so far before
Was paining me! You've earned so much respect
That swiftest wing of recompense is slow
That I'm now struggling thanking you enough
To overtake thee. Would thou hadst less deserved,
To pay you back. If only you'd done less,
That the proportion both of thanks and payment
Then I could pay you back in thanks and money
Might have been mine! Only I have left to say,
Within my means to pay! All I can tell you
More is thy due than more than all can pay.
Is you are owed more than we all can pay.
MACBETH
The service and the loyalty I owe,
The chance to do my duty serving you
In doing it, pays itself. Your highness' part
Is all the pay I need. Your only job is
Is to receive our duties; and our duties
Accepting what I've done for you. Our duties,
Are to your throne and state children and servants,
Like child and servant, are for King and country,
Which do but what they should, by doing every thing
Adhering to my obligations to you
Safe toward your love and honour.
To safeguard love and honour.
DUNCAN
Welcome hither:
You're welcome here.
I have begun to plant thee, and will labour
I gave you chance to grow, and now I'll work hard
To make thee full of growing. Noble Banquo,
To see your full potential bloom. Dear Banquo,
That hast no less deserved, nor must be known
You are no less deserving, and must not be
No less to have done so, let me enfold thee
Perceived to have done less, so I'll embrace you
And hold thee to my heart.
And hold you to my heart.
BANQUO
There if I grow,
And if I bloom,
The harvest is your own.
It's you who'll reap the harvest.
DUNCAN
My plenteous joys,
I'm delighted
Wanton in fulness, seek to hide themselves
So much I'm overwhelmed, and my delight
In drops of sorrow. Sons, kinsmen, thanes,
Appears in tears of joy. Family and lords,
And you whose places are the nearest, know
And everyone who's close to me, hear this:
We will establish our estate upon
Succession of my land and crown's bestowed to
Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter
Our eldest son, dear Malcolm, who's now titled
The Prince of Cumberland; which honour must
The Prince of Cumberland. But honours aren't
Not unaccompanied invest him only,
Exclusively for him and him alone,
But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine
But noble honours go, like stars that shine,
On all deservers. From hence to Inverness,
To those deserving. On to Inverness
And bind us further to you.
To strengthen bonds between us.
MACBETH
The rest is labour, which is not used for you:
All work not done for you are merely chores.
I'll be myself the harbinger and make joyful
I'll be the bearer of good news, thus pleasing
The hearing of my wife with your approach;
My wife by telling her you'll soon be with us;
So humbly take my leave.
So, humbly, I'll leave now.
DUNCAN
My worthy Cawdor!
My worthy Cawdor!
MACBETH
[Aside]
The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step
The Prince of Cumberland! That is a challenge
On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap,
To trip me up, unless I overcome it,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;
For it stands in my way. Stars, do not shine,
Let not light see my black and deep desires:
So folk can't see these dark desires of mine;
The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be,
Eyes, do not watch the actions of my hand
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.
Till done, then my scared eyes will understand.
[Exit]
DUNCAN
True, worthy Banquo; he is full so valiant,
Banquo, you're right: he is as full of valour
And in his commendations I am fed;
As all of those endorsements I’ve been told;
It is a banquet to me. Let's after him,
It's such great news to me. Let's follow him,
Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome:
For, kindly, he will now prepare our welcome.
It is a peerless kinsman.
He is a peerless relative.
[Flourish. Exeunt]
