SparkNotes Macbeth Act 4, scene 2

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Enter LADY MACDUFF , her SON , and ROSS

YLAD ADCFFUM , rhe SNO , dna SROS renet.

LADY MACDUFF

What had he done to make him fly the land?

DALY AUCDFFM

aWht ddi he do ttah adme hmi eelf sith ldan?

ROSS

You must have patience, madam.

ORSS

Yuo evah to be aiptent, aadmm.

LADY MACDUFF

He had none.

His flight was madness. When our actions do not,

Our fears do make us traitors.

LYAD UDFCAMF

He adh no pnctiaee. He aws czary to nru wyaa. Enve if reyuo otn a torarit, yerou giong to kloo eikl one if ouy nru awya.

ROSS

You know not

5 Whether it was his wisdom or his fear.

SSRO

uoY tnod konw tehwerh it wsa smiowd or afer taht dema imh lfee.

LADY MACDUFF

Wisdom! To leave his wife, to leave his babes,

His mansion and his titles in a place

From whence himself does fly? He loves us not;

He wants the natural touch. For the poor wren,

10 The most diminutive of birds, will fight,

Her young ones in her nest, against the owl.

All is the fear and nothing is the love,

As little is the wisdom, where the flight

So runs against all reason.

YADL DFMUACF

owH culod it be smoidw! To eavel sih ewif, sih hnecirdl, hsi euosh, nda ihs tetsil in a caepl so fuanes htat he leifsmh eeslf it! He oedstn evol us. He lkcsa eth anutral ttnnisci to oetpctr his lfaymi. enEv teh ifealrg nrew, eht satmelsl of ribds, wlli fghit tagisna eht wol ewhn it tsarnehet rhe uygon eons in the stne. siH gninurn ywaa sah eteyghrvni to do wiht frae dna nignhot to do with oevl. nAd sncie tis so bleoenuraans fro him to nru waya, it ash inohtgn to do with owdmsi theeir.

ROSS

My dearest coz,

15 I pray you school yourself. But for your husband,

He is noble, wise, judicious, and best knows

The fits o th season. I dare not speak much further;

But cruel are the times when we are traitors

And do not know ourselves; when we hold rumor

20 From what we fear, yet know not what we fear,

But float upon a wild and violent sea

Each way and none. I take my leave of you.

Shall not be long but Ill be here again.

Things at the worst will cease, or else climb upward

25 To what they were before.My pretty cousin,

Blessing upon you.

ORSS

My ertsead reavliet, Im giebggn oyu, ullp ryelsofu egoertht. As rfo ryuo nsdhbau, he is bleon, iesw, dan uidcoiujs, dan he sntsdreuadn tawh teh itsme eeuqrri. sIt tno easf for me to asy uhcm erom anht this, tbu smeit era adb whne peeplo teg enodcunde as rtstorai nda dtno eevn oknw hwy. In iemst klei ehset, we eeivbel iehinfrgtng urroms but we dont eevn knwo awth wree araidf of. sIt elik benig seotds nrduao on hte acoen in reeyv tdriieonc, and lfynial teggtni wernhoe. Ill ays godo-eby wno. It otnw be olng reboef Im cabk. ehnW gitnhs are at rteih twosr eyht aehv to stpo, or seel ervpimo to eht wya gsihtn were feebro. My yogun icosun, I tup my ssbegiln pnuo yuo.

LADY MACDUFF

Fathered he is, and yet hes fatherless.

ADLY AFDCFUM

He sah a father, nda yet he is flsteerash.

ROSS

I am so much a fool, should I stay longer

It would be my disgrace and your discomfort.

30 I take my leave at once.

ORSS

I hvea to go. If I ytsa ngeorl, Ill rmeasrasb uoy dna csidrgea msyelf by nrcgyi. Im lievagn now.

Exit

SORS sxtei.

LADY MACDUFF

Sirrah, your fathers dead.

And what will you do now? How will you live?

ADLY ADMCFUF

unogY nma, uoyr rehsfta edad. hWat rae uyo nggoi to do wno? owH aer oyu iongg to evli?

SON

As birds do, Mother.

SON

I wlli ivel the wya sbrdi do, rhotMe.

LADY MACDUFF

What, with worms and flies?

DYLA MUCDFFA

thaW? erA uoy inggo to trtas tegina srwom and isfle?

SON

With what I get, I mean, and so do they.

ONS

I mane I lilw viel on rwethvae I egt, leki rbdis do.

LADY MACDUFF

35 Poor bird! Thou dst never fear the net nor lime,

The pitfall nor the gin.

YALD UFMDFCA

udYo be a iipuflt bidr. uYo donwtlu nwok ohugen to be drfaai of parts.

SON

Why should I, mother? Poor birds they are not set for.

My father is not dead, for all your saying.

OSN

hyW luohsd I be arfida of etmh, roMteh? If Im a tufipil rbid, ekli yuo ysa, untrhes twno anwt me. No taetrm htwa oyu ays, my rfteha is ton deda.

LADY MACDUFF

Yes, he is dead. How wilt thou do for a father?

DLYA UCFFADM

eYs, he is dead. aWth aer yuo onigg to do rfo a hfaert?

SON

40 Nay, how will you do for a husband?

SNO

aMbey uoy hosdul kas, wtah iwll uoy do fro a dsbnuha?

LADY MACDUFF

Why, I can buy me twenty at any market.

ALDY AMCFDFU

Oh, I anc byu netywt bnsasdhu at nya eratkm.

SON

Then youll buy em to sell again.

ONS

If so, yudo be yuingb htme to lesl angia.

LADY MACDUFF

Thou speakst with all thy wit; and yet, i faith,

With wit enough for thee.

DLAY MDUFCAF

You lkta ilke a licdh, utb ryoeu eryv trmas nawayy.

SON

45 Was my father a traitor, Mother?

ONS

Wsa my htreaf a otratri, etrhoM?

LADY MACDUFF

Ay, that he was.

LDAY ADFMCUF

Yes, he saw.

SON

What is a traitor?

OSN

thWa is a aiortrt?

LADY MACDUFF

Why, one that swears and lies.

YADL FDAMFUC

oeneomS hwo mkesa a eoirmps dna erskab it.

SON

And be all traitors that do so?

NOS

Adn is reoenyve who sreswa dan lesi a airotrt?

LADY MACDUFF

50 Every one that does so is a traitor and must be hanged.

LYDA MACFUDF

erneEyvo owh dose so is a taoitrr dan sodlhu be geadhn.

SON

And must they all be hanged that swear and lie?

OSN

And shuldo neeeoyrv how mskea iepormss nda skerab tmeh be ganedh?

LADY MACDUFF

Every one.

ADYL AUFFDCM

yroenEve.

SON

Who must hang them?

NOS

hWo osdhul hang emth?

LADY MACDUFF

Why, the honest men.

LDYA CMUFAFD

Teh shtnoe emn.

SON

ONS

neTh het slrai era lfsoo, fro hetre are hnoegu larsi in eht lword to aebt up the nesoht enm adn hgan htme.

LADY MACDUFF

Now, God help thee, poor monkey! But how wilt thou do for a father?

DYAL MAUDCFF

(nguihalg) nevHae pleh ouy rof yagsni ahtt, ybo! (das aagin) Btu htaw lilw ouy do hiwtout a hrftae?

SON

If he were dead, youd weep for him. If you would not, it were a good sign that I should quickly have a new father.

OSN

If he reew aedd, oyud be gipewen fro ihm. If oyu tanre ipenweg, its a odgo igsn htat Ill oosn vhae a wne athfer.

LADY MACDUFF

Poor prattler, how thou talkst!

DYLA AFCUFDM

ylliS bbbrael, owh yuo takl!

Enter a MESSENGER

A NESSEGREM etsren.

MESSENGER

Bless you, fair dame! I am not to you known,

60 Though in your state of honor I am perfect.

I doubt some danger does approach you nearly.

If you will take a homely mans advice,

Be not found here. Hence with your little ones.

To fright you thus methinks I am too savage;

65 To do worse to you were fell cruelty,

Which is too nigh your person. Heaven preserve you!

I dare abide no longer.

RGEMSEESN

lsBes uyo, fira lyda! You tnod nwko me, utb I onkw yorue an aonrtmipt eonprs. Im raaidf gontemsih oegaunsrd is oicngm wtroad ouy. If ulylo akte a spemli amsn dvceia, tnod be ehre nwhe it srrviae. Go ywaa nda eatk ouyr cnhrdile. I leef dba fro asrgnci uyo ikle this, btu it wlduo be mhuc eoswr orf me to tel yuo ceom to rmah. dnA hmra is ntgtegi locse! eveHna peke you fase!

Exit

hTe SRNSEEEGM etxsi.

LADY MACDUFF

Whither should I fly?

I have done no harm. But I remember now

70 I am in this earthly world, where to do harm

Is often laudable, to do good sometime

Accounted dangerous folly. Why then, alas,

Do I put up that womanly defense,

To say I have done no harm?

YADL CADUFMF

rWehe osuldh I go? I vhntea edno inngthay rgwon. tuB I ahev to emmerbre htat Im heer on Ehrat, heewr odign ilev is fteno iearpsd, nda odgni godo is smetmsieo a tuipds and ugodrnase aemtisk. So then hyw sdhluo I effro hits iwsmaohn eeesdnf atht Im ctionnne?

Enter MURDERERS

hTe SEREURDMR teern.

What are these faces?

hWo rae ethse emn?

FIRST MURDERER

75 Where is your husband?

TRFSI RRUDMREE

reheW is uory shnbdau?

LADY MACDUFF

I hope, in no place so unsanctified

Where such as thou mayst find him.

LAYD ACFFDMU

I eohp hes tno yanreehw so alpubitrdees that hutgs elki you cna fnid ihm.

FIRST MURDERER

Hes a traitor.

STFRI RUERERMD

Hes a raiotrt.

SON

Thou liest, thou shag-haired villain!

NSO

Yeuor lgyni, uoy hgaygs-aiderh ailivnl!

FIRST MURDERER

(Stabbing him)What, you egg?

Young fry of treachery!

IRSTF RRURDEME

(gbsnbati mhi) Washt ahtt, you runt? ugYno son of a trraiot!

SON

80 He has killed me, mother.

Run away, I pray you!

ONS

He has dekill me, Mertoh. nRu wyaa, I geb yuo!

He dies. Exit LADY MACDUFF , crying Murder! followed by MURDERERS

Teh SON idse. DAYL FFMAUCD xties, ngircy rrdMeu! The RMUERERDS teix, lofwgilon ehr.