A quick review of the Death of King Duncan as observed by those who were there.
[Macduff returns screaming about what he just saw.]
Macduff: O horror, horror, horror!
No tongue can say what happened
and no pounding heart can beat
the necessary syllables to pronounce the words.
Macbeth and Lennox. [together] What? What?
Macduff: I can't say it; you don't want to hear it.
Remember, no words can describe it.
But, I'll tell you anyway.
There is a masterpiece in there.
Are you confused?
Somebody committed a mortal sin.
If the king were a building,
someone broke in a stole everything
that makes him a building, walls, floor,
ceilings, furniture including the fireplace.
Now do you get it?
Macbeth: NO!
Lennox: You mean someone stole everything from the king's castle?
Macduff:. [frustrated by his inability to get the message across to the others]
Well, I told you words could not describe it.
Come, see for yourselves.
Be careful, though.
You could go blind from the sight.
So, keep your eyes closed
when you look at what there is to see.
Don't ask me, again.
See for yourselves
and find your own metaphors to describe it.
[Macbeth and Lennox go into Duncan's room.]
Everybody out here, come out, come out, wherever you are.
Ring the alarms.
Murder! Treason!
Banquo, Donalbain, wake up.
Malcolm, wake up.
Even if you are in a dead sleep,
wake up and look at a really dead sleep.
Up, up, and away!
Everybody, see the body of the man
who was somebody and now is nobody.
Malcolm, Banquo,
come over here like spirits
from the grave and walk like sprites,
seven up-steps to his room
and see the mess.
It was the king, no less.
[Finally, the alarm sounds and Lady Macbeth glides carelessly into the room.]
Lady macbeth:. What's going on here?
Why are all these hideous alarms waking us
from the dead of sleep to the noise of all these voices?
Speak! Tell me why! Somebody, speak to me!
Macduff: Oh, oh, oh, sweet, gentle, kind, lovely lady.
I know the words but I can't say them.
[Lady macbeth: Why not?]
Macduff: Because the words would be the death of you, really.
They could.
[Banquo enters.]
Oh, Banquo, Banquo,
the king is dead,
murdered,
killed in this very house.
Lady macbeth: [You found the word to tell him but not me.]
What? Here? In our house? Alas!
Banquo: Yes, here. But anywhere would have been just as bad.
Oh, dear, Macduff, 'tis enough.
Say it isn't so.
Contradict yourself and tell me,
"No! It isn't so."
Poetry by NotaDeadPoet
Read 862 times
Written on 2007-01-21 at 01:41
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Macbeth, Act II, sc. ii, The Death of Duncan Revisited
[Macduff returns screaming about what he just saw.]
Macduff: O horror, horror, horror!
No tongue can say what happened
and no pounding heart can beat
the necessary syllables to pronounce the words.
Macbeth and Lennox. [together] What? What?
Macduff: I can't say it; you don't want to hear it.
Remember, no words can describe it.
But, I'll tell you anyway.
There is a masterpiece in there.
Are you confused?
Somebody committed a mortal sin.
If the king were a building,
someone broke in a stole everything
that makes him a building, walls, floor,
ceilings, furniture including the fireplace.
Now do you get it?
Macbeth: NO!
Lennox: You mean someone stole everything from the king's castle?
Macduff:. [frustrated by his inability to get the message across to the others]
Well, I told you words could not describe it.
Come, see for yourselves.
Be careful, though.
You could go blind from the sight.
So, keep your eyes closed
when you look at what there is to see.
Don't ask me, again.
See for yourselves
and find your own metaphors to describe it.
[Macbeth and Lennox go into Duncan's room.]
Everybody out here, come out, come out, wherever you are.
Ring the alarms.
Murder! Treason!
Banquo, Donalbain, wake up.
Malcolm, wake up.
Even if you are in a dead sleep,
wake up and look at a really dead sleep.
Up, up, and away!
Everybody, see the body of the man
who was somebody and now is nobody.
Malcolm, Banquo,
come over here like spirits
from the grave and walk like sprites,
seven up-steps to his room
and see the mess.
It was the king, no less.
[Finally, the alarm sounds and Lady Macbeth glides carelessly into the room.]
Lady macbeth:. What's going on here?
Why are all these hideous alarms waking us
from the dead of sleep to the noise of all these voices?
Speak! Tell me why! Somebody, speak to me!
Macduff: Oh, oh, oh, sweet, gentle, kind, lovely lady.
I know the words but I can't say them.
[Lady macbeth: Why not?]
Macduff: Because the words would be the death of you, really.
They could.
[Banquo enters.]
Oh, Banquo, Banquo,
the king is dead,
murdered,
killed in this very house.
Lady macbeth: [You found the word to tell him but not me.]
What? Here? In our house? Alas!
Banquo: Yes, here. But anywhere would have been just as bad.
Oh, dear, Macduff, 'tis enough.
Say it isn't so.
Contradict yourself and tell me,
"No! It isn't so."
Poetry by NotaDeadPoet
Read 862 times
Written on 2007-01-21 at 01:41
Save as a bookmark (requires login) Write a comment (requires login) Send as email (requires login) Print text