What had he done, to make him fly the land?
What had he done to make him flee the country?
What did he do that made him run away from home?
what'd he do to run?
You must have patience, madam.
You must be patient, madam.
You need to be patient, madam.
be patient
He had none:
His flight was madness: when our actions do not,
Our fears do make us traitors.
He had no patience: his fleeing was madness: when our actions do not betray us, our fears do make us traitors.
He had none: running away was insane: when we don't actually do something wrong, our fear makes us look guilty.
no patience running was crazy fear makes us traitors
You know not
Whether it was his wisdom or his fear.
You cannot tell if it was wisdom driving him or fear.
You can't tell if he was being smart or just scared.
you dont know if wise or scared
Wisdom! to leave his wife, to leave his babes,
His mansion, and his titles, in a place
From whence himself does fly? He loves us not:
He wants the natural touch; for the poor wren,
The most diminutive of birds, will fight,
Her young ones in her nest, against the owl.
All is the fear, and nothing is the love;
As little is the wisdom, where the flight
So runs against all reason.
Wisdom! to abandon his wife, to abandon his babies, his home and his titles, in a place from which he himself flees? He does not love us: he lacks the natural instinct; because the tiny wren, the smallest of birds, will fight her young ones in her nest against the owl. Everything here is fear and nothing is love; wisdom is as scarce as the love, when the fleeing runs so completely against reason.
Wisdom! to desert his wife and kids, his home and his titles, in a place he's running away from? He doesn't love us: he's missing that natural instinct; even tiny wrens, the smallest birds, will fight to protect their babies in the nest from owls. It's all fear and no love here; wisdom is just as missing when fleeing makes no sense at all.
wisdom? leave wife kids abandoned home no love even wrens fight for babies all fear no wisdom
My dearest coz,
I pray you, school yourself: but, for your husband,
He is noble, wise, judicious, and best knows
The fits o’ th’ season. I dare not speak much further:
But cruel are the times, when we are traitors,
And do not know ourselves; when we hold rumour
From what we fear, yet know not what we fear,
But float upon a wild and violent sea
Each way and move—I take my leave of you:
Shall not be long but I’ll be here again.
Things at the worst will cease, or else climb upward
To what they were before.—My pretty cousin,
Blessing upon you!
My dearest cousin, I ask you to control yourself: but regarding your husband, he is noble, wise, judicious, and knows best what the times demand. I dare not speak further: but cruel are these times, when we become traitors and don't even know it ourselves; when we believe rumors based on what we fear, yet don't know what we're actually fearing, but are swept along on a wild and violent sea in every direction—I say goodbye to you: it won't be long before I come back here again. Things at their worst will stop getting worse, or climb back up to what they were before.—My pretty cousin, blessing on you!
My dearest cousin, I need you to pull yourself together: but your husband, he's noble, wise, and smart, and he knows what the times demand. I can't say more: but these are cruel times, when we turn into traitors without even knowing it; when we believe gossip that comes from what we fear, but don't actually know what we're afraid of, and we're just swept along on a wild and violent ocean in every direction—I'm leaving now: but I'll be back soon. Things can't get worse forever, or they'll get better like they used to be.—My pretty cousin, blessing on you!
cousin control yourself your husband noble wise knows what times need cruel times we traitors without knowing believe rumors sweep wild seas im leaving ill be back things get better blessing
Father’d he is, and yet he’s fatherless.
He is a father, and yet he is without a father.
He's a father, but he's also left without one.
hes father but fatherless
I am so much a fool, should I stay longer,
It would be my disgrace and your discomfort:
I take my leave at once.
I would be such a fool if I stayed longer, it would be shameful for me and uncomfortable for you: I'm leaving right now.
If I stay any longer I'd be a fool, it would embarrass me and bother you: I'm going right now.
stay longer im fool im leaving now
Sirrah, your father’s dead.
And what will you do now? How will you live?
Young man, your father is dead. And what will you do now? How will you survive?
Listen, your father's dead. So what are you going to do? How will you get by?
your dads dead what now? how you live?
As birds do, mother.
The way birds do, mother.
Like birds do, mom.
like birds do
What, with worms and flies?
What, eating worms and flies?
You eat worms and bugs to survive?
worms and flies?
With what I get, I mean; and so do they.
By eating what I can find, I mean; and that's how birds survive too.
By finding food wherever I can; and that's what birds do too.
find food that's what birds do
Poor bird! thou’dst never fear the net nor lime,
The pit-fall nor the gin.
Poor bird! You would never fear the net or birdlime, the pitfall or the trap.
Poor baby! You'd never fear nets or sticky traps, pits or snares.
poor bird dont fear nets traps
Why should I, mother? Poor birds they are not set for.
My father is not dead, for all your saying.
Why should I, mother? Poor birds don't have traps set for them. My father is not dead, no matter what you're saying.
Why should I, mom? Poor birds don't get trapped. My dad's not dead, no matter what you say.
birds dont get trapped dads not dead
The Macduff Boy has no name in the text — he is simply 'Son' in the stage directions. This is unusual for a character given so much dialogue. The namelessness may be deliberate: he is not a specific historical or legendary figure but a universal. Any child. The scene is constructed around his wit and vitality precisely to make his murder a moral argument rather than simply a plot point. Shakespeare has been careful throughout Macbeth to keep the murders offstage or at a distance: we see the aftermath of Duncan's murder, we hear about the grooms, we see Banquo killed but mostly in darkness. The murder of the Boy happens in full view, mid-conversation. It is the only moment in the play when the violence is completely unmediated. That choice forces the audience to hold the cost directly. Macduff's grief in 4-3 — 'all my pretty ones' — lands harder because we have seen this one.
Yes, he is dead: how wilt thou do for a father?
Yes, he is dead: what will you do without a father?
Yes, he is dead: how will you get along without a father?
hes dead how get father?
Nay, how will you do for a husband?
Well, how will you do without a husband?
Wait, how will you do without a husband?
how get husband?
Why, I can buy me twenty at any market.
Well, I can buy myself twenty at any marketplace.
Well, I can pick up twenty at any market.
i can buy 20 at market
Then you’ll buy ’em to sell again.
Then you'll buy them to sell again.
So you're buying husbands just to turn around and sell them?
youll buy to resell
Thou speak’st with all thy wit;
And yet, i’ faith, with wit enough for thee.
You speak with all your cleverness; and yet, in truth, with enough cleverness for a child like you.
You're using all the wit you've got; and honestly, that's just about enough for you.
youre clever clever enough for you
Was my father a traitor, mother?
Is my father counted a traitor?
Was my dad a traitor, mom?
was dad a traitor?
Ay, that he was.
Yes, he was.
I'm afraid so.
yes
What is a traitor?
What exactly makes someone a traitor?
What's a traitor?
whats traitor?
Why, one that swears and lies.
Well, someone who makes promises and then lies.
Someone who makes promises and then breaks them.
swears then lies
And be all traitors that do so?
And are all people who do that traitors?
So everyone who does that is a traitor?
all swear and lie traitors?
Every one that does so is a traitor, and must be hanged.
Every single person who does that is a traitor, and must be hanged.
Every single person who swears and lies is a traitor, and should be hanged.
all who do traitors must hang
And must they all be hanged that swear and lie?
And must everyone who swears and lies be hanged?
So everyone who swears and lies should be hanged?
all swear lie hang?
Every one.
Every one.
every one.
every one.
Who must hang them?
And who does the hanging?
So who's supposed to do the hanging?
who hangs them?
Why, the honest men.
Well, honest men.
Honest people, of course.
honest men
Then the liars and swearers are fools: for there are liars and swearers
enow to beat the honest men and hang up them.
Then liars and oath-breakers are fools: because there are enough liars and oath-breakers now to beat the honest men and hang them up.
Then liars and oath-breakers are fools: because there are so many liars and oath-breakers now they can beat the honest men and hang them.
liars are fools too many liars they beat honest men hang them
Scene 4-2 is quietly critical of Macduff in a way critics sometimes overlook. Lady Macduff is not simply lamenting — she is angry, and her anger has point. Macduff left without explanation. He didn't arrange protection for his family. He chose the political cause over their safety. Her line 'When our actions do not, our fears do make us traitors' is about the political situation, but it is also about him: his fear made him run, and his running — however principled — left his family exposed. In 4-3 Malcolm will ask Macduff why he left his family, and Macduff will have no satisfying answer. Shakespeare builds in this critique: the hero of the play's ending is not unambiguously heroic. He had duties to people he abandoned. The play does not resolve this tension — it holds it.
Now, God help thee, poor monkey! But how wilt thou do for a father?
Now, may God help you, poor little one! But how will you manage without a father?
God help you, poor little thing! But how will you survive without a father?
god help you without dad?
If he were dead, you’ld weep for him: if you would not, it were a good
sign that I should quickly have a new father.
If he were dead, you would weep for him: if you would not do that, it would be a sign that I should quickly get a new father.
If he died, you'd cry for him: if you didn't cry, it would mean I'd get a new father pretty fast.
if died youd cry if not ill get new dad fast
Poor prattler, how thou talk’st!
Poor little talker, how you speak!
You clever little chatterbox!
clever chatterbox
Bless you, fair dame! I am not to you known,
Though in your state of honour I am perfect.
I doubt some danger does approach you nearly:
If you will take a homely man’s advice,
Be not found here; hence, with your little ones.
To fright you thus, methinks, I am too savage;
To do worse to you were fell cruelty,
Which is too nigh your person. Heaven preserve you!
I dare abide no longer.
May you be blessed, fair lady! I am unknown to you, although I know your honorable position well. I suspect that some danger is coming close to you: if you will take an ordinary man's advice, do not be found here; leave with your small children. To frighten you like this seems too harsh of me; to do something worse to you would be terrible cruelty, which is already too close to you. Heaven protect you! I cannot stay any longer.
Bless you, fair lady! You don't know me, but I know your good reputation well. I think some danger is heading your way: if you'll listen to a simple man's advice, don't let them find you here; get out with your kids. Scaring you like this seems too harsh; doing something worse would be awful cruelty, and that's already too close. May heaven protect you! I can't stay here.
bless fair lady i don't know you danger coming leave with kids heaven protect you i must go
Whither should I fly?
I have done no harm. But I remember now
I am in this earthly world, where to do harm
Is often laudable; to do good sometime
Accounted dangerous folly: why then, alas,
Do I put up that womanly defence,
To say I have done no harm? What are these faces?
Where should I flee? I have done no harm. But I remember now that I am in this earthly world, where doing harm is often praised; doing good is sometimes considered dangerous foolishness: so why then, sadly, do I bother with that womanly defense, to say I have done no harm? Who are these men?
Where would I run to? I haven't done anything wrong. But now I remember I'm in this world, where doing harm is often applauded; doing good is sometimes seen as dangerous stupidity: so why, sadly, am I bothering with that weak defense, saying I've done no harm? Who are these people?
where run? i did no harm but this world harm gets praised good is foolish why defend? who are you?
Where is your husband?
Where have you left your husband?
So where's your husband then?
where husband?
I hope, in no place so unsanctified
Where such as thou mayst find him.
I hope he is in no place so unholy where someone like you might find him.
I hope he's nowhere so unholy that someone like you could find him.
nowhere unholy youd find him
He’s a traitor.
He’s a traitor.
he’s a traitor.
he’s a traitor.
Thou liest, thou shag-ear’d villain!
You lie, you rough-haired villain!
You're lying, you hairy brute!
you lie villain!
What, you egg!
What, you egg!
what, you egg!
what, you egg!
Young fry of treachery!
Young spawn of treachery!
You little traitor!
traitor kid
He has kill’d me, mother:
Run away, I pray you!
He has killed me, mother: run away, I beg you!
He's killed me, mother: run away, please!
hes killed me run away!
The Reckoning
The most devastating scene in Macbeth. Shakespeare places it immediately after the witches' cauldron to create a maximal contrast: from supernatural evil and prophecy, we cut to a kitchen — a mother and her child, talking. The Boy is one of Shakespeare's most memorable minor characters: witty, quick, fearless, wholly alive. He parries every one of his mother's statements with cheerful intelligence. He dies moments later, defending her, calling the murderer a liar. The scene's purpose is to make the moral cost of Macbeth's tyranny absolutely concrete. Not 'the nobility suffers' or 'the nation is harmed' — but this child, this mother, this conversation interrupted by killing.
If this happened today…
A woman whose husband has quietly left the country for political reasons — without telling her why. She's alone with their kid in the house. A neighbor comes by and says something vague about danger, doesn't explain, leaves. Then someone knocks on the door.