Shakespeare Portal

Act 4, Scene 2

Fife. A Room in Macduff's Castle.

  1. [Enter Lady Macduff, her Son, and Ross.]
  2. Lady Macduff
  3. 1589 What had he done, to make him fly the land?
  4. Ross
  5. 1590 You must have patience, madam.
  6. Lady Macduff
  7. 1591 He had none:
  8. 1592 His flight was madness: when our actions do not,
  9. 1593 Our fears do make us traitors.
  10. Ross
  11. 1594 You know not
  12. 1595 Whether it was his wisdom or his fear.
  13. Lady Macduff
  14. 1596 Wisdom! to leave his wife, to leave his babes,
  15. 1597 His mansion, and his titles, in a place
  16. 1598 From whence himself does fly? He loves us not:
  17. 1599 He wants the natural touch; for the poor wren,
  18. 1600 The most diminutive of birds, will fight,
  19. 1601 Her young ones in her nest, against the owl.
  20. 1602 All is the fear, and nothing is the love;
  21. 1603 As little is the wisdom, where the flight
  22. 1604 So runs against all reason.
  23. Ross
  24. 1605 My dearest coz,
  25. 1606 I pray you, school yourself: but, for your husband,
  26. 1607 He is noble, wise, Judicious, and best knows
  27. 1608 The fits o' the season. I dare not speak much further:
  28. 1609 But cruel are the times, when we are traitors,
  29. 1610 And do not know ourselves; when we hold rumour
  30. 1611 From what we fear, yet know not what we fear,
  31. 1612 But float upon a wild and violent sea
  32. 1613 Each way and move.—I take my leave of you:
  33. 1614 Shall not be long but I'll be here again:
  34. 1615 Things at the worst will cease, or else climb upward
  35. 1616 To what they were before.—My pretty cousin,
  36. 1617 Blessing upon you!
  37. Lady Macduff
  38. 1618 Father'd he is, and yet he's fatherless.
  39. Ross
  40. 1619 I am so much a fool, should I stay longer,
  41. 1620 It would be my disgrace and your discomfort:
  42. 1621 I take my leave at once.
  43. [Exit.]
  44. Lady Macduff
  45. 1622 Sirrah, your father's dead;
  46. 1623 And what will you do now? How will you live?
  47. Macduff's Son
  48. 1624 As birds do, mother.
  49. Lady Macduff
  50. 1625 What, with worms and flies?
  51. Macduff's Son
  52. 1626 With what I get, I mean; and so do they.
  53. Lady Macduff
  54. 1627 Poor bird! thou'dst never fear the net nor lime,
  55. 1628 The pit-fall nor the gin.
  56. Macduff's Son
  57. 1629 Why should I, mother? Poor birds they are not set for.
  58. 1630 My father is not dead, for all your saying.
  59. Lady Macduff
  60. 1631 Yes, he is dead: how wilt thou do for father?
  61. Macduff's Son
  62. 1632 Nay, how will you do for a husband?
  63. Lady Macduff
  64. 1633 Why, I can buy me twenty at any market.
  65. Macduff's Son
  66. 1634 Then you'll buy 'em to sell again.
  67. Lady Macduff
  68. 1635 Thou speak'st with all thy wit; and yet, i' faith,
  69. 1636 With wit enough for thee.
  70. Macduff's Son
  71. 1637 Was my father a traitor, mother?
  72. Lady Macduff
  73. 1638 Ay, that he was.
  74. Macduff's Son
  75. 1639 What is a traitor?
  76. Lady Macduff
  77. 1640 Why, one that swears and lies.
  78. Macduff's Son
  79. 1641 And be all traitors that do so?
  80. Lady Macduff
  81. 1642 Everyone that does so is a traitor, and must be hanged.
  82. Macduff's Son
  83. 1643 And must they all be hanged that swear and lie?
  84. Lady Macduff
  85. 1644 Every one.
  86. Macduff's Son
  87. 1645 Who must hang them?
  88. Lady Macduff
  89. 1646 Why, the honest men.
  90. Macduff's Son
  91. 1647 Then the liars and swearers are fools: for there are liars
  92. 1648 and swearers enow to beat the honest men and hang up them.
  93. Lady Macduff
  94. 1649 Now, God help thee, poor monkey! But how wilt
  95. 1650 thou do for a father?
  96. Macduff's Son
  97. 1651 If he were dead, you'ld weep for him: if you would not, it
  98. 1652 were a good sign that I should quickly have a new father.
  99. Lady Macduff
  100. 1653 Poor prattler, how thou talk'st!
  101. [Enter a Messenger.]
  102. Messenger
  103. 1654 Bless you, fair dame! I am not to you known,
  104. 1655 Though in your state of honor I am perfect.
  105. 1656 I doubt some danger does approach you nearly:
  106. 1657 If you will take a homely man's advice,
  107. 1658 Be not found here; hence, with your little ones.
  108. 1659 To fright you thus, methinks, I am too savage;
  109. 1660 To do worse to you were fell cruelty,
  110. 1661 Which is too nigh your person. Heaven preserve you!
  111. 1662 I dare abide no longer.
  112. [Exit.]
  113. Lady Macduff
  114. 1663 Whither should I fly?
  115. 1664 I have done no harm. But I remember now
  116. 1665 I am in this earthly world; where to do harm
  117. 1666 Is often laudable; to do good sometime
  118. 1667 Accounted dangerous folly: why then, alas,
  119. 1668 Do I put up that womanly defence,
  120. 1669 To say I have done no harm?—What are these faces?
  121. [Enter Murderers.]
  122. First Murderer
  123. 1670 Where is your husband?
  124. Lady Macduff
  125. 1671 I hope, in no place so unsanctified
  126. 1672 Where such as thou mayst find him.
  127. First Murderer
  128. 1673 He's a traitor.
  129. Macduff's Son
  130. 1674 Thou liest, thou shag-haar'd villain!
  131. First Murderer
  132. 1675 What, you egg!
  133. [Stabbing him.]
  134. First Murderer
  135. 1676 Young fry of treachery!
  136. Macduff's Son
  137. 1677 He has kill'd me, mother:
  138. 1678 Run away, I pray you!
  139. [Dies. Exit Lady Macduff, crying Murder, and pursued by the Murderers.]