Mind over matter, these apparitions are presented with duplicity.
Macbeth. How now, brown sows, ugly women of the night!
What are you doing here out of sight?
All. A little this, a little that; we haven't even named it yet.
Macbeth. I demand to know,
no matter how you know, what you say you know!
So, though you knock down churches with the wind,
make enormous waves that batter and sink ships,
move even ears of corn from place to place,
knock down trees with just your breeze,
crumble castles on the heads
of masters falling from their beds;
though castles and pyramids flow from tip to base,
and all in Nature dies and falls from grace;
even if we witness this sick world's end,
I command you to my needs attend
-- NOW!
First Witch. All right already. Be still and steady. Ask away.
Second Witch. Hold your bloody shirt on, buddy. Demand away.
Third Witch. Geez! All you had to do was ask her. Then we'd answer. Speak away.
First Witch. Would you rather hear the news from us or one who knows the most?
Macbeth. I really don't care who tells me -- witches, goblins, or ghost.
First Witch. Okay, you asked for it; you got it.
First the blood from cannibal pig we add;
then, chuck in a criminal sweat -- hmm, not bad.
Stir it all a bit. (They hanged the bloke; how sad.)
All. Come high or low, no one will know
From in the pot, see what you got.
Ah, there you go; prepare yourself a royal show.
[The sound of thunder accompanies the image of an Armed Head which represents a decapitated Macbeth.]
Macbeth. There it is. I see it, I think. What IS it?
First Witch. He knows your thoughts. Don't talk; just listen. Hush!
First Apparition. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Watch out for [Lord] Macduff,
you know, the Thane of Fife. There! I'm gone. I've said enough.
[First Apparition disappears.]
Macbeth. Thanks for the warning, whoever you are. I heard you and what you said:
Beware of Macduff! Gotcha! Now, just a minute there, Head . . .
First Witch. Too late. He's gone and wouldn't listen anyway.
But, here's another with more important things to say.
[The sound of thunder accompanies the image of a Bloody Child which represents Macduff who was delivered Caesarean style prior to normal birth, somewhat untimely, to be sure.]
Second Apparition. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!
Macbeth. I heard you the first time. There's no need to repeat yourself.
Second Apparition. Be bloody, bold, daring, ruthless, nasty, mean and bad, Macbeth;
for no man born of woman on this earth can ever cause your death.
[Second Apparition disappears]
Macbeth. Ha! Then I really don't have to worry about Macduff, do I? He can live.
But, just to be sure, not to take any chances, I'll have to give
the same thing I gave to Duncan, Banquo, the guards, and all the rest
who had to die; and his, to be certain, will be the best. Whoa, there! What's this?
[The sound of thunder accompanies an image of a Child with a crown on his head and the branch of a tree in his hand. This represents Malcolm who orders his men to attack Macbeth's castle under cover of camouflage with branches from trees.]
Macbeth. What's this? I say. What's this I see?
It seems: A Child with a tree.
Is that a crown upon his head? What thing?
Perhaps that child is a king.
All. Macbeth, be quiet; listen; hear it. It's just a kid; no need to fear it.
Third Apparition. Macbeth, be proud. Don't worry; be happy.
No one can hurt you till the woods get snappy
and break from the ground to move all the trees
over the walls with leaves to your knees.
[Third Apparition disappears]
Macbeth. Ah, wonderful news you uglies have for me
for no one here can ever move a tree
pulled up from where its roots and all
could ever climb upon my castle's wall;
And, I, Macbeth, shall lead this life on earth
untouched by man who came by normal birth.
But, I am troubled by one thing you say.
Will Banquo's kids be kings, or queens, some day?
All. Don't ask. You really don't want to know.
Macbeth. Oh, yes, I do! I do! Please tell me so,
or else, a curse for all eternity
I wish on you for always leaving me
unanswered by this boiling pot of stew.
What's that? Some noise? Another view?
First Witch. Let's show him, girls.
Second Witch. Yep, let's do it. He's got an inquiring mind.
Third Witch. And he wants to know; so, on with the show.
All. We'll show you all from one through eight;
then we show ourselves the gate.
While you watch, we'll dance and sing;
we told you more (or less) than everything.
[Eight kings appear as apparitions one at a time, the last one holding a mirror. Banquo follows this last one as Macbeth watches aghast as each one passes before him.]
Macbeth.
An image there I see that looks like Banquo's twin. Go away!
I say begone; your crown is blinding me, and golden hair like hay
upon the second looks so very much like, too much, the first,
and still another comes. Oh, horrid hags, you've done the worst
to show me this. Some more? Four? No, five! Arrrgh! That's six
I see, no seven stretching farther than --Oh, gee, what a fix
this is I've made for me stretching to the day of doom.
Oh, no! An eighth with a mirror to show my gloom
around the room with hundreds, thousands, millions more
lined up along the walls, door to door, ceiling, floor
and still beyond carrying staves with royal balls --
Oh, god! What a nightmare! Banquo points and claims they're his.
He smiles with his bloody mouth stuffed with clumps of gore!
This is horrible! Is all this true? Please! Tell me more.
First Witch. Yep! Sure is. But why act like it's such a shock?
Come on, girls. We've done enough tonight to show
Macbeth what he had asked for him to know.
We cheered him up with so much fun and games
with lots of pictures, ghosts, and absurd names
that finally, at the end, it can't be said
that he did not get for what he dearly paid.
Come, you two, sweet sisters, dear.
It's getting late. We're outta here.
[The witches finish their dance and slowly disappear.]
Macbeth. Where are you three? Damned! Left me again, alone.
This day has been the worst and it's not done. [Macbeth hears someone.]
Come out, come out, wherever you are? [Lennox comes out.]
Poetry by NotaDeadPoet
Read 891 times
Written on 2007-01-21 at 05:00
Save as a bookmark (requires login)
Write a comment (requires login)
Send as email (requires login)
Print text
Macbeth, Act IV, sc. i, To See or Not to See
[Macbeth approaches.]Macbeth. How now, brown sows, ugly women of the night!
What are you doing here out of sight?
All. A little this, a little that; we haven't even named it yet.
Macbeth. I demand to know,
no matter how you know, what you say you know!
So, though you knock down churches with the wind,
make enormous waves that batter and sink ships,
move even ears of corn from place to place,
knock down trees with just your breeze,
crumble castles on the heads
of masters falling from their beds;
though castles and pyramids flow from tip to base,
and all in Nature dies and falls from grace;
even if we witness this sick world's end,
I command you to my needs attend
-- NOW!
First Witch. All right already. Be still and steady. Ask away.
Second Witch. Hold your bloody shirt on, buddy. Demand away.
Third Witch. Geez! All you had to do was ask her. Then we'd answer. Speak away.
First Witch. Would you rather hear the news from us or one who knows the most?
Macbeth. I really don't care who tells me -- witches, goblins, or ghost.
First Witch. Okay, you asked for it; you got it.
First the blood from cannibal pig we add;
then, chuck in a criminal sweat -- hmm, not bad.
Stir it all a bit. (They hanged the bloke; how sad.)
All. Come high or low, no one will know
From in the pot, see what you got.
Ah, there you go; prepare yourself a royal show.
[The sound of thunder accompanies the image of an Armed Head which represents a decapitated Macbeth.]
Macbeth. There it is. I see it, I think. What IS it?
First Witch. He knows your thoughts. Don't talk; just listen. Hush!
First Apparition. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Watch out for [Lord] Macduff,
you know, the Thane of Fife. There! I'm gone. I've said enough.
[First Apparition disappears.]
Macbeth. Thanks for the warning, whoever you are. I heard you and what you said:
Beware of Macduff! Gotcha! Now, just a minute there, Head . . .
First Witch. Too late. He's gone and wouldn't listen anyway.
But, here's another with more important things to say.
[The sound of thunder accompanies the image of a Bloody Child which represents Macduff who was delivered Caesarean style prior to normal birth, somewhat untimely, to be sure.]
Second Apparition. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!
Macbeth. I heard you the first time. There's no need to repeat yourself.
Second Apparition. Be bloody, bold, daring, ruthless, nasty, mean and bad, Macbeth;
for no man born of woman on this earth can ever cause your death.
[Second Apparition disappears]
Macbeth. Ha! Then I really don't have to worry about Macduff, do I? He can live.
But, just to be sure, not to take any chances, I'll have to give
the same thing I gave to Duncan, Banquo, the guards, and all the rest
who had to die; and his, to be certain, will be the best. Whoa, there! What's this?
[The sound of thunder accompanies an image of a Child with a crown on his head and the branch of a tree in his hand. This represents Malcolm who orders his men to attack Macbeth's castle under cover of camouflage with branches from trees.]
Macbeth. What's this? I say. What's this I see?
It seems: A Child with a tree.
Is that a crown upon his head? What thing?
Perhaps that child is a king.
All. Macbeth, be quiet; listen; hear it. It's just a kid; no need to fear it.
Third Apparition. Macbeth, be proud. Don't worry; be happy.
No one can hurt you till the woods get snappy
and break from the ground to move all the trees
over the walls with leaves to your knees.
[Third Apparition disappears]
Macbeth. Ah, wonderful news you uglies have for me
for no one here can ever move a tree
pulled up from where its roots and all
could ever climb upon my castle's wall;
And, I, Macbeth, shall lead this life on earth
untouched by man who came by normal birth.
But, I am troubled by one thing you say.
Will Banquo's kids be kings, or queens, some day?
All. Don't ask. You really don't want to know.
Macbeth. Oh, yes, I do! I do! Please tell me so,
or else, a curse for all eternity
I wish on you for always leaving me
unanswered by this boiling pot of stew.
What's that? Some noise? Another view?
First Witch. Let's show him, girls.
Second Witch. Yep, let's do it. He's got an inquiring mind.
Third Witch. And he wants to know; so, on with the show.
All. We'll show you all from one through eight;
then we show ourselves the gate.
While you watch, we'll dance and sing;
we told you more (or less) than everything.
[Eight kings appear as apparitions one at a time, the last one holding a mirror. Banquo follows this last one as Macbeth watches aghast as each one passes before him.]
Macbeth.
An image there I see that looks like Banquo's twin. Go away!
I say begone; your crown is blinding me, and golden hair like hay
upon the second looks so very much like, too much, the first,
and still another comes. Oh, horrid hags, you've done the worst
to show me this. Some more? Four? No, five! Arrrgh! That's six
I see, no seven stretching farther than --Oh, gee, what a fix
this is I've made for me stretching to the day of doom.
Oh, no! An eighth with a mirror to show my gloom
around the room with hundreds, thousands, millions more
lined up along the walls, door to door, ceiling, floor
and still beyond carrying staves with royal balls --
Oh, god! What a nightmare! Banquo points and claims they're his.
He smiles with his bloody mouth stuffed with clumps of gore!
This is horrible! Is all this true? Please! Tell me more.
First Witch. Yep! Sure is. But why act like it's such a shock?
Come on, girls. We've done enough tonight to show
Macbeth what he had asked for him to know.
We cheered him up with so much fun and games
with lots of pictures, ghosts, and absurd names
that finally, at the end, it can't be said
that he did not get for what he dearly paid.
Come, you two, sweet sisters, dear.
It's getting late. We're outta here.
[The witches finish their dance and slowly disappear.]
Macbeth. Where are you three? Damned! Left me again, alone.
This day has been the worst and it's not done. [Macbeth hears someone.]
Come out, come out, wherever you are? [Lennox comes out.]
Poetry by NotaDeadPoet
Read 891 times
Written on 2007-01-21 at 05:00
Save as a bookmark (requires login) Write a comment (requires login) Send as email (requires login) Print text