| TEXT | EXPLANATION |
|---|---|
| Forres. The palace. Flourish. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, LENNOX, and Attendants DUNCAN Is execution done on Cawdor? Are not Those in commission yet return’d? | Forres. The palace. Flourish. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, LENNOX, and Attendants DUNCAN Has the previous thane of Cawdor been executed? Are not Those who were given the task to carry it out, have they returned? |
| MALCOLM My liege, They are not yet come back. But I have spoke With one that saw him die: who did report That very frankly he confess’d his treasons, Implored your highness’ pardon and set forth A deep repentance: nothing in his life Became him like the leaving it; he died As one that had been studied in his death To throw away the dearest thing he owed, As ’twere a careless trifle. | MALCOLM My lord, They have not yet come back. But I have spoken With someone who had seen him die: who reported that very frankly Cawdor had confess’d his treachery, begged your highness’ pardon and showed A deep repentance: nothing in his life graced him more than how he accepted his death; he died As one who had rehearsed his death so that he could easily throw away the dearest thing he owed, (his life) As if it was nothing/insignificant. |
| DUNCAN There’s no art To find the mind’s construction(composition) in the face: He was a gentleman on whom I built An absolute trust. Enter MACBETH, BANQUO, ROSS, and ANGUS O worthiest cousin! The sin of my ingratitude even now Was heavy on me: thou art so far before That swiftest wing of recompense is slow To overtake thee. Would thou hadst less deserved, That the proportion both of thanks and payment Might have been mine! only I have left to say, More is thy due than more than all can pay. | DUNCAN There is no way of telling what is in a man’s mind just by looking on his face. I completely trusted the Thane of Cawdor. Enter MACBETH, BANQUO, ROSS, and ANGUS O worthiest cousin! I suffer deeply because of my inability to thank you enough for what you have done: you were so far away that even the swiftest repayment would be too slow to catch up with all that Macbeth deserves. I wish you had done less, So that I could repay you easily which thanks and payment. Only thing I have left to say, Macbeth owes more than anyone can pay. |
| MACBETH The service and the loyalty I owe, In doing it, pays itself. Your highness’ part Is to receive our duties; and our duties Are to your throne and state children and servants, Which do but what they should, by doing every thing Safe toward your love and honour. | MACBETH The service and loyalty I owe to you, pays for itself by being done. The King’s role is to receive the duties of his subjects and their duties are to serve the throne and state as children and servants. We do what we should do by doing everything we can to protect the King’s love and honor. |
| DUNCAN Welcome hither: I have begun to plant thee, and will labour To make thee full of growing. Noble Banquo, That hast no less deserved, nor must be known No less to have done so, let me enfold thee And hold thee to my heart. | DUNCAN Welcome here: I have begun to plant Macbeth and will work to make him grow. You are like the seed that I had sown. It will be my duty to help you grow further. Banquo, you also deserve no less and must also be recognized to have deserved as much. (Banquo’s actions and service to the King are just as deserving of recognition and reward as Macbeth’s.) Let me embrace you Banquo and hold you to my heart. |
| BANQUO There if I grow, The harvest is your own. | BANQUO If I grow like a plant, all the fruit or flower that I bear will be for you. |
| DUNCAN My plenteous joys, Wanton in fulness, seek to hide themselves In drops of sorrow. Sons, kinsmen, thanes, And you whose places are the nearest, know We will establish our estate upon Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter The Prince of Cumberland; which honour must Not unaccompanied invest him only, But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine On all deservers. From hence to Inverness, And bind us further to you. | DUNCAN Even though I am experiencing great happiness, it is so overwhelming that it seeks to hide itself in sadness. Addressing his sons, kinsmen, thanes, and those closest to him I announce that I nominate my eldest son, Malcolm, as the Prince of Cumberland, the Crown Prince. Honor must not only be given to Malcolm but also be given to those who deserve it, that will shine like stars. All of us, let us visit Macbeth’s castle, Inverness to shower more honors on him. |
| MACBETH The rest is labour, which is not used for you: I’ll be myself the harbinger(an officer of the royal household sent ahead to procure accommodation for the king) and make joyful The hearing of my wife with your approach; So humbly take my leave. | MACBETH Everything is labour unless it is done for you: (working for you can never be tedious) I will myself be the Messenger and inform my wife about your approach. So I humbly request you to let me go. |
| DUNCAN My worthy Cawdor! | DUNCAN My worthy Cawdor! |
| MACBETH [Aside] The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires: The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be, Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see. Exit | MACBETH (Macbeth is speaking to himself in an aside after hearing that Malcolm has been named the Prince of Cumberland. This news is significant because it means that Malcolm is now the heir to the throne and stands in the way of Macbeth’s own ambitions. ) This is a step where I must either fall down on or overcome. Stars, hide your lights as I want to hide my true intentions and desires from others and keep it in the dark. I want to turn a blind eye to my own actions and let my hand do what I fear to see when it is done. (This passage reveals Macbeth’s inner turmoil and shows that he is beginning to have thoughts of betrayal and ambition.) |
| DUNCAN True, worthy Banquo; he is full so valiant, And in his commendations I am fed; It is a banquet to me. Let’s after him, Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome: It is a peerless kinsman. Flourish. Exeunt | DUNCAN Banquo seems to have been praising Macbeth to Duncan while the audience was listening to Macbeth’s thoughts: King Duncan feels nourished listening to Banquo’s praise of Macbeth. It is like a feast/banquet for Duncan. Let us follow Macbeth, Who has gone before us to welcome us: He is a matchless relative of mine. Flourish. Exit |
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