Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Act 4 - Scene 2
Fife. Macduff’s castle.
Lady Macduff : What had he done, to make him fly the land?
Ross : You must have patience, madam.
Lady Macduff : He had none:
[p]His flight was madness: when our actions do
not,
[p]Our fears do make us traitors.
Ross : You know not
[p]Whether it was his wisdom or his fear.
Lady Macduff : Wisdom! to leave his wife, to leave his babes,
[p]His mansion and his
titles in a place
[p]From whence himself does fly? He loves us
not;
[p]He wants the natural touch: for the poor wren,
[p]The most
diminutive of birds, will fight,
[p]Her young ones in her nest,
against the owl.
[p]All is the fear and nothing is the love;
[p]As
little is the wisdom, where the flight
[p]So runs against all reason.
Ross : My dearest coz,
[p]I pray you, school yourself: but for your
husband,
[p]He is noble, wise, judicious, and best knows
[p]The fits
o' the season. I dare not speak
[p]much further;
[p]But cruel are the
times, when we are traitors
[p]And do not know ourselves, when we hold
rumour
[p]From what we fear, yet know not what we fear,
[p]But float
upon a wild and violent sea
[p]Each way and move. I take my leave of
you:
[p]Shall not be long but I'll be here again:
[p]Things at the
worst will cease, or else climb upward
[p]To what they were before. My
pretty cousin,
[p]Blessing upon you!
Lady Macduff : Father'd he is, and yet he's fatherless.
Ross : I am so much a fool, should I stay longer,
[p]It would be my disgrace
and your discomfort:
[p]I take my leave at once.
Lady Macduff : Sirrah, your father's dead;
[p]And what will you do now? How will you
live?
Son : As birds do, mother.
Lady Macduff : What, with worms and flies?
Son : With what I get, I mean; and so do they.
Lady Macduff : Poor bird! thou'ldst never fear the net nor lime,
[p]The pitfall nor
the gin.
Son : Why should I, mother? Poor birds they are not set for.
[p]My father is
not dead, for all your saying.
Lady Macduff : Yes, he is dead; how wilt thou do for a father?
Son : Nay, how will you do for a husband?
Lady Macduff : Why, I can buy me twenty at any market.
Son : Then you'll buy 'em to sell again.
Lady Macduff : Thou speak'st with all thy wit: and yet, i' faith,
[p]With wit enough
for thee.
Son : Was my father a traitor, mother?
Lady Macduff : Ay, that he was.
Son : What is a traitor?
Lady Macduff : Why, one that swears and lies.
Son : And be all traitors that do so?
Lady Macduff : Every one that does so is a traitor, and must be hanged.
Son : And must they all be hanged that swear and lie?
Lady Macduff : Every one.
Son : Who must hang them?
Lady Macduff : Why, the honest men.
Son : Then the liars and swearers are fools,
[p]for there are liars and
swearers enow to beat
[p]the honest men and hang up them.
Lady Macduff : Now, God help thee, poor monkey!
[p]But how wilt thou do for a
father?
Son : If he were dead, you'ld weep for
[p]him: if you would not, it were a
good sign
[p]that I should quickly have a new father.
Lady Macduff : Poor prattler, how thou talk'st!
Messenger : Bless you, fair dame! I am not to you known,
[p]Though in your state
of honour I am perfect.
[p]I doubt some danger does approach you
nearly:
[p]If you will take a homely man's advice,
[p]Be not found
here; hence, with your little ones.
[p]To fright you thus, methinks, I
am too savage;
[p]To do worse to you were fell cruelty,
[p]Which is
too nigh your person. Heaven preserve you!
[p]I dare abide no longer.
Lady Macduff : Whither should I fly?
[p]I have done no harm. But I remember now
[p]I
am in this earthly world; where to do harm
[p]Is often laudable, to do
good sometime
[p]Accounted dangerous folly: why then, alas,
[p]Do I
put up that womanly defence,
[p]To say I have done no harm?
[p][Enter
Murderers]
[p]What are these faces?
First Murderer : Where is your husband?
Lady Macduff : I hope, in no place so unsanctified
[p]Where such as thou mayst find
him.
First Murderer : He's a traitor.
Son : Thou liest, thou shag-hair'd villain!
First Murderer : What, you egg!
[p][Stabbing him]
[p]Young fry of treachery!
Son : He has kill'd me, mother:
[p]Run away, I pray you!
[p][Dies]
[p][Exit
LADY MACDUFF, crying 'Murder!' Exeunt]
[p]Murderers, following her]
Previous: Act 4 - Scene 1
Next: Act 4 - Scene 3
