The English power is near, led on by Malcolm,
His uncle Siward, and the good Macduff.
Revenges burn in them; for their dear causes
Would to the bleeding and the grim alarm
Excite the mortified man.
The English army is near, led by Malcolm, his uncle Siward, and the good Macduff. Revenge burns inside them; their important causes would drive even a broken man to fight and answer the call to battle.
The English army's coming, led by Malcolm, his uncle Siward, and Macduff. They're out for revenge, and they want justice so badly it would wake up even someone who's already defeated.
english army coming led by malcolm, siward, macduff they're burning for revenge would get even dead men to fight
Near Birnam wood
Shall we well meet them. That way are they coming.
We'll meet them well near Birnam wood. That's the direction they're coming from.
We can catch them right near Birnam wood. That's where they're headed.
we'll meet them near birnam wood that's where they're coming from
Who knows if Donalbain be with his brother?
Who knows if Donalbain is with his brother?
I wonder if Donalbain is with Malcolm.
is donalbain with his brother?
For certain, sir, he is not. I have a file
Of all the gentry: there is Siward’s son
And many unrough youths, that even now
Protest their first of manhood.
For certain, he's not. I have a list of all the nobles: there's Siward's son and many inexperienced young men who are just now declaring their first act of manhood.
No, definitely not with him. I've got a complete list of everyone. Siward's son is there, plus a bunch of young guys who are basically proving themselves as men for the first time.
nope he's not there i got the whole list siward's son and tons of young guys first time proving they're men
Acts 5-2 through 5-8 are structured like modern intercutting: quick, short scenes alternating between the two sides, building pace and inevitability. Shakespeare wrote before cinematic editing existed, but the technique is the same — cut from Macbeth's fortress to the approaching army, back to Macbeth, back to the army, each scene shorter than the last as the two forces converge. The effect is compression: we feel the walls closing. Scene 5-2 is largely functional — it gives us a 'status update' on the resistance — but its language is rich enough that it does more than mere plot work. Angus's 'giant's robe upon a dwarfish thief' is one of the play's great images. Even the connective tissue of Act 5 contains Shakespeare's best writing.
What does the tyrant?
What's the tyrant doing?
What's he up to, that tyrant?
what's macbeth doing rn?
Great Dunsinane he strongly fortifies.
Some say he’s mad; others, that lesser hate him,
Do call it valiant fury: but, for certain,
He cannot buckle his distemper’d cause
Within the belt of rule.
He's strongly fortifying the castle of Dunsinane. Some say he's mad; others who hate him less call it brave rage; but certainly he can't hold together his broken cause within any order.
He's locked himself in Dunsinane castle with tons of fortifications. Some think he's lost his mind; others, the ones who don't hate him quite so much, say it's fierce determination. But honestly, he can't hold it all together anymore.
he's fortifying dunsinane some say he's mad others say it's brave fury but he can't control it anymore
Now does he feel
His secret murders sticking on his hands;
Now minutely revolts upbraid his faith-breach;
Those he commands move only in command,
Nothing in love: now does he feel his title
Hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe
Upon a dwarfish thief.
Now he feels his secret murders clinging to his hands; every moment, rebellions reproach him for breaking faith; those he commands move only because they're ordered, nothing from love: now he feels his title hang loose around him like a giant's robe on a tiny thief.
Now the murders he committed are sticking with him, weighing on him. Every day, people are rebelling and calling him out for his betrayals. The people who work for him only do it because he told them to, not because they care about him. His whole title feels like it's falling off him—like a huge cape on a little shoplifter.
murders sticking to his hands people constantly turning against him they only obey cuz they have to not for love his title's like a giant's robe on a thief
Who, then, shall blame
His pester’d senses to recoil and start,
When all that is within him does condemn
Itself for being there?
So who could blame his troubled mind for breaking down and startling, when everything inside him condemns itself for being there?
So really, who could blame him for being a mess and jumping at every sound? His own conscience is tearing him apart.
who'd blame him for losing it when everything inside him turns against itself?
Well, march we on,
To give obedience where ’tis truly ow’d:
Meet we the med’cine of the sickly weal;
And with him pour we, in our country’s purge,
Each drop of us.
Well, let's march forward to show loyalty where it's truly deserved: let's meet the cure for this sick country; and with him let's pour ourselves out completely in our country's cleansing, every bit of us.
Alright, let's get moving and give our support to the rightful king. Let's go meet the one who can heal this broken country. And we'll all sacrifice everything we need to for our country's healing.
let's march find the one who can heal this give everything we got every drop of ourselves
Or so much as it needs
To dew the sovereign flower, and drown the weeds.
Make we our march towards Birnam.
Or whatever is needed to water the rightful king and drown the weeds of this kingdom. Let's head for Birnam.
Whatever it takes to save the kingdom and get rid of the poison. Let's head toward Birnam.
whatever it takes to save the kingdom let's go to birnam
The Reckoning
A short connective scene, military in tone, functioning as a chorus. It updates us on the political situation (the resistance is organized, the armies are converging) and on the social reality: Macbeth is now called 'the tyrant' openly by Scottish lords, no longer even a contested king. The language these lords use about him — 'his pestered senses recoil and start'; 'those he commands move only in command, nothing in love' — contrasts with their own voluntary march. They serve Malcolm because they want to; Macbeth's men serve because they must. The distinction between legitimate and illegitimate authority runs through every line of the scene.
If this happened today…
Officers in an army that has turned against its own general. They're marching to join the coalition forces. One says: 'I hear he's barricaded himself in the compound.' Another: 'His own men are only there because they have to be — not one of them would stay if they could leave.'