Macbeth: Act 5, Scene 3 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 5, Scene 3 of Macbeth from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Macbeth, the Doctor, and Attendants. MACBETH Bring me no more reports. Let them fly all. Till Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane I cannot taint with fear. What’s the boy Malcolm? Was he not born of woman? The spirits that know All mortal consequences have pronounced me thus: 5 “Fear not, Macbeth. No man that’s born of woman Shall e’er have power upon thee.” Then fly, false thanes, And mingle with the English epicures. The mind I sway by and the heart I bear 10 Shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear. Enter Servant. The devil damn thee black, thou cream-faced loon! Where got’st thou that goose-look?	Macbeth is pumped for battle. Thanks to the sisters' prophecies, he's pretty confident that he can't be beat.
SERVANT There is ten thousand— MACBETH Geese, villain? 15 SERVANT Soldiers, sir. MACBETH Go prick thy face and over-red thy fear, Thou lily-livered boy. What soldiers, patch? Death of thy soul! Those linen cheeks of thine Are counselors to fear. What soldiers, whey-face? 20 SERVANT The English force, so please you. MACBETH Take thy face hence. Servant exits. Seyton!—I am sick at heart When I behold—Seyton, I say!—This push Will cheer me ever or disseat me now. 25 I have lived long enough. My way of life Is fall’n into the sere, the yellow leaf, And that which should accompany old age, As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have, but in their stead 30 Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honor, breath Which the poor heart would fain deny and dare not.— Seyton!	A servant tells Macbeth there are ten thousand...Geese? Macbeth asks. Um, no. Soldiers. Marching toward the castle. They appear to the the English army. Macbeth gets angry at the servant for looking so scared and tells him to go pinch some color back into his face. When the servant leaves, though, Macbeth sounds a little worried. He's had a good run, but it's looking like he won't be relaxing in a peaceful old age.
Enter Seyton. SEYTON What’s your gracious pleasure? 35 MACBETH What news more? SEYTON All is confirmed, my lord, which was reported. MACBETH I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked. Give me my armor. SEYTON ’Tis not needed yet. 40 MACBETH I’ll put it on. Send out more horses. Skirr the country round. Hang those that talk of fear. Give me mine armor.— How does your patient, doctor? 45	Macbeth calls in another servant who confirms what the first one said. Fine. Macbeth asks for his armor, but the servant says he doesn't need it yet. Macbeth doesn't care. He's going to put it on anyway and he'll be ready to fight to the death.
DOCTOR Not so sick, my lord, As she is troubled with thick-coming fancies That keep her from her rest. MACBETH Cure her of that. Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased, 50 Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow, Raze out the written troubles of the brain, And with some sweet oblivious antidote Cleanse the stuffed bosom of that perilous stuff Which weighs upon the heart? 55 DOCTOR Therein the patient Must minister to himself.	The Doctor enters and gives Macbeth more bad news: Lady Macbeth isn't doing too well, either. The Doctor reports she isn't sick so much as she is plagued by bad memories. Macbeth suggests that the doctor cure her, sooner rather than later, but the doctor says this is the kind of situation where the patient has to heal herself.
MACBETH Throw physic to the dogs. I’ll none of it.— Come, put mine armor on. Give me my staff. Attendants begin to arm him.Seyton, send out.—Doctor, the thanes fly from 60 me.— Come, sir, dispatch.—If thou couldst, doctor, cast The water of my land, find her disease, And purge it to a sound and pristine health, I would applaud thee to the very echo 65 That should applaud again.—Pull ’t off, I say.— What rhubarb, senna, or what purgative drug Would scour these English hence? Hear’st thou of them? DOCTOR Ay, my good lord. Your royal preparation 70 Makes us hear something. MACBETH Bring it after me.— I will not be afraid of death and bane Till Birnam Forest come to Dunsinane. DOCTOR, aside Were I from Dunsinane away and clear, 75 Profit again should hardly draw me here. They exit.	Macbeth says he hates medicine—it's for the dogs. Then he asks the doctor if he can a) diagnose Scotland's illness and cure it, or b) find some medicine that will get rid of the English soldiers who are marching toward him. If the doctor can do either of those things, Macbeth would give him a huge round of applause. Finally, Macbeth says, oh well. He knows he's safe until Birnman Forest comes to his castle. "Mm hm," says the doctor, edging away. "Sure. Whatever you say, King."