A camp near Forres. Duncan and
Malcolm enter and find a wounded sergeant.
DUNCAN Who is that wounded man? He is losing too
much blood.
MALCOLM He is one of our sergeants. (To
the sergeant.) Tell
the king what you know about the battle.
SERGEANT The fight was terrible. The rebel Macdonwald was being helped by
Irish soldiers, they had a large army; but we had the brave Macbeth and he cut
Macdonwald’s head off.
DUNCAN Oh, valiant Macbeth!
SERGEANT Then, when peace seemed to come, the king of Norway began a new
attack.
DUNCAN What did our captains Macbeth and Banquo
do?
SERGEANT They fought bravely, just like lions.
MALCOLM And...?
SERGEANT I’m too weak, I can’t tell you more news.
DUNCAN Take him to the doctor.
Two soldiers enter and carry the sergeant. Ross enter.
ROSS God save the King!
DUNCAN Where are you coming from?
ROSS From
Fife, great King; where Norwegian soldiers helped by the biggest traitor, the
thane of Cawdor, began a terrible fight; but our great Macbeth appeared and we
got a great victory.
DUNCAN Ross, I want you to return. The thane of Cawdor must be
executed immediately. And tell Macbeth he is the new thane of Cawdor.
Macbeth
and Banquo are walking through the forest.
MACBETH I have never seen such a horrible and
beautiful day.
A witch enters.
BANQUO Look at that woman!
WITCH Hail Macbeth! Hail Banquo!
BANQUO Who are you?
WITCH Someone who knows a lot about your
future.
MACBETH Tell us.
WITCH You, Macbeth, you will be thane of
Cawdor and king of Scotland.
BANQUO Good news for my friend, what about me?
WITCH Your children will be kings. Goodbye,
Macbeth and Banquo!
MACBETH Stay, tell me more...
The witch leaves.
MACBETH Did you hear that?
BANQUO You will be thane of Cawdor and king.
MACBETH And your children will be kings too.
BANQUO Perhaps, we are dreaming.
MACBETH Who is coming?
Ross enters.
ROSS Macbeth,
the king has happily received the news of your victory, and asked me to tell
you that you are the new thane of Cawdor.
BANQUO (To himself.) What?, was the woman right?
MACBETH But the thane of Cawdor is alive.
ROSS He’s going to be executed. He was a
traitor.
MACBETH Thank you, Ross, you can go. (He leaves.)
MACBETH Have you heard, Banquo?
BANQUO Thane of Cawdor...
MACBETH That’s what the woman said.
BANQUO If her words come true, you will be king.
MACBETH And your children will be kings too.
BANQUO I’m confused.
MACBETH We will talk later.
Macbeth’s
castle in Inverness. Lady Macbeth welcomes her husband.
LADY MAC My dear husband.
MACBETH My love, I have something very important to
tell you.
LADY MAC Tell me.
MACBETH I met a woman, I think she was a witch. She told me I would
become thane of Cawdor and now I’m the new thane of Cawdor.
LADY MAC That’s great!
MACBETH But..., she also told me I would become king
of Scotland.
LADY MAC That's better!
MACBETH But the king lives and his son, Malcolm, is supposed to be the
king after him.
LADY MAC That's only if you want.
MACBETH What do you mean?
LADY MAC The king is coming tonight... Kill him!
MACBETH Killing him?
LADY MAC The witch told you that you would be king of Scotland. You don’t
have to wait.
MACBETH And what will happen if we fail?
LADY MAC We won’t fail. We will kill him while he sleeps.
MACBETH But he is a good king.
A
messenger enters.
MESSENGER My lord, the king is coming.
LADY MAC Thank you, I’ll welcome him.
Macbeth and the messenger leave. Duncan, Malcolm, Ross, Banquo and Macduff enter.
DUNCAN My honourable lady! We thank for your kindness.
LADY MAC It’s a great honour for this house, my King.
DUNCAN Please, show me my room; I need a rest.
LADY MAC Follow me, please.
Everybody leaves. Macbeth enters.
MACBETH (To himself.) I can’t do it. I can’t kill Duncan.
He is very good to me.
Lady Macbeth enters.
LADY MAC This is the right moment, he’s sleeping. Take this knife and kill
him.
MACBETH No, I can’t. We must forget it.
LADY MAC Oh, I’m married to a coward!
MACBETH I’m not a coward! Give me that knife!
They leave the room and a cry of pain is heard.
MACDUFF Oh, horror, horror, horror!
Macbeth enters running.
MACBETH What's the matter?
MACDUFF The king has been killed!
MACBETH My king! I want to die!
Lady Macbeth and Banquo enter.
BANQUO What's the matter?
MACDUFF Our royal master has been killed.
LADY MAC What?, in my house?
BANQUO How?
Malcolm and Ross enter.
MALCOLM What's up?
MACDUFF Your royal father has been murdered.
MALCOLM Oh, no! Who killed him?
MACDUFF We don’t know.
Lady Macbeth faints.
BANQUO Let’s help the lady!
Macbeth and Banquo carry Lady Macbeth out.
MALCOLM (To Macduff.) Someone has killed my father and
might try to kill me too. I should run away. I’ll go to England.
MACDUFF But if you go, Macbeth will become king of
Scotland!
MALCOLM I’m sorry, Macduff. I don’t want to be a
dead king. (He leaves.)
ROSS Who may have killed Duncan?
MACDUFF I’m sure Macbeth killed him.
ROSS Traitor! And the new king?
MACDUFF Malcolm is frightened, he is leaving Scotland. I’m afraid
Macbeth will become king.
ROSS That’s
terrible! Scotland is in danger!
A
castle in Forres. Macbeth and Banquo are talking.
BANQUO You are king and Cawdor as the witch
promised.
MACBETH Yes, my friend, and tonight we are having a great banquet to
celebrate. I want you to be there.
BANQUO I'll be there.
MACBETH Are you going for a walk this afternoon?
BANQUO Yes, I am.
MACBETH Don't forget the banquet.
BANQUO I won't, my lord.
Banquo leaves.
MACBETH I'm afraid of Banquo. I'm sure he thinks I killed Duncan. I'll
kill him too.
A murderer enters.
MURDERER My lord.
MACBETH I'm your king and your king is in danger. This danger is called
Banquo, and I want you to kill him.
MURDERER I'll do what you say, my lord.
MACBETH That's good! Kill him this afternoon.
MURDERER My lord,
Banquo is already dead.
The murderer leaves and the witch enters.
WITCH Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!
MACBETH The witch...!
WITCH Beware of Macduff! Beware of Macduff!
MACBETH Thanks for your advice.
The witch leaves. Lennox enters.
LENNOX My lord, what do you need?
MACBETH Tell me news about Macduff.
LENNOX He has gone to England, my good lord. He's going to meet
Malcolm there.
MACBETH Traitors! These are my orders: go to Macduff's castle and kill
his wife and children.
LENNOX Yes, my good lord.
England.
MACDUFF Malcolm, Scotland needs you.
MALCOLM Maybe.
MACDUFF You are Duncan's son, you should be the
king.
MALCOLM And Macbeth...?
MACDUFF He is a traitor, he is the most terrible evil. I'm sure he
killed your father.
MALCOLM OK, we will fight together. The king of
England is going to help us.
Ross enters.
MACDUFF How is Scotland, noble Ross?
ROSS Poor
Scotland! Everything is wrong. Malcolm, if you come to Scotland, everyone will
fight against Macbeth.
MALCOLM We will go to Scotland. The king of England has lent us ten
thousand men.
ROSS I also bring terrible news.
MACDUFF Tell us.
ROSS Banquo is dead.
MALCOLM Banquo? How?
ROSS He was killed.
MACDUFF Macbeth...?
ROSS Sure.
MALCOLM Poor Banquo! He was a great man!
ROSS Some news are even worse.
MALCOLM Tell us.
ROSS Macduff, your wife and children have
been killed.
MACDUFF My children too?
ROSS Wife, children, servants,... all.
MACDUFF (Crying.) My God!
MALCOLM We will take revenge!
MACDUFF (Pulling out his
sword.) I’ll kill
Macbeth with my own sword!
Country near Birnam
Wood in Scotland. Two soldiers are fighting against Macbeth but he kills them.
Macduff enters.
MACDUFF Turn, traitor, turn!
MACBETH I have already killed your wife and children, do you want to be
the next one?
MACDUFF My answer is in my sword.
They fight and Macduff kills Macbeth. Malcolm and Ross
enter.
MACDUFF Scotland is free and you are the king,
Malcolm. Hail, king of Scotland!
ALL Hail, king of Scotland!