Macbeth: Act 5, Scene 8 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 5, Scene 8 of Macbeth from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Macbeth. MACBETH Why should I play the Roman fool and die On mine own sword? Whiles I see lives, the gashes Do better upon them.	Macbeth enters the stage alone and says he refuses to "play the Roman fool" (someone who would choose noble suicide in the face of defeat, like, ahem, Antony).
Enter Macduff. MACDUFF Turn, hellhound, turn! MACBETH Of all men else I have avoided thee. 5 But get thee back. My soul is too much charged With blood of thine already. MACDUFF I have no words; My voice is in my sword, thou bloodier villain Than terms can give thee out. Fight. Alarum. 10	Macduff rushes in and calls Macbeth a "hell-hound." Macbeth talks a little trash in return, saying he's already got enough Mac-blood on his hands (from having Macduff's entire family killed). Ouch. But Macduff is done talking—he's ready to fight.
MACBETH Thou losest labor. As easy mayst thou the intrenchant air With thy keen sword impress as make me bleed. Let fall thy blade on vulnerable crests; I bear a charmèd life, which must not yield 15 To one of woman born.	They fight, and Macbeth continues to be cocky. He says Macduff hasn't got a chance since he, Macbeth, can't be killed by anyone "of woman born."
MACDUFF Despair thy charm, And let the angel whom thou still hast served Tell thee Macduff was from his mother’s womb Untimely ripped. 20	That's funny, says Macduff, because I wasn't. I was "untimely ripped" from my mom, meaning: Macduff was delivered prematurely via Cesarean section. And apparently that means he wasn't "born." (Don't anyone tell Macduff's mom. Recovering from a medieval C-section was probably no fun. Though the truth is she probably died, like the lady whose son, Robert II, may have been an inspiration for Macduff.)
MACBETH Accursèd be that tongue that tells me so, For it hath cowed my better part of man! And be these juggling fiends no more believed That palter with us in a double sense, That keep the word of promise to our ear 25 And break it to our hope. I’ll not fight with thee.	Aw, nuts. Those tricky witches. They got him again. Now that Macbeth realizes his superpowers won't work against Macduff, he doesn't want to fight him.
MACDUFF Then yield thee, coward, And live to be the show and gaze o’ th’ time. We’ll have thee, as our rarer monsters are, Painted upon a pole, and underwrit 30 “Here may you see the tyrant.”	Fine, Macduff says. You don't want to fight? Surrender. We'll take you out on tour with all of our other strange beasts in the freak show. You can have a sign that lets everyone know you're a tyrant.
MACBETH I will not yield To kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet And to be baited with the rabble’s curse. Though Birnam Wood be come to Dunsinane 35 And thou opposed, being of no woman born, Yet I will try the last. Before my body I throw my warlike shield. Lay on, Macduff, And damned be him that first cries “Hold! Enough!” They exit fighting. Alarums. They enter fighting, and Macbeth is slain. Macduff exits carrying off Macbeth’s body. Retreat and flourish. Enter, with Drum and Colors, Malcolm, Siward, Ross, Thanes, and Soldiers.	Hm, sounds great, when you put it that way, Macduff, but Macbeth isn't really keen on the surrender option either. Since he has to pick one—fight or yield—he decides to keep fighting...right up until Macduff kills him.
MALCOLM I would the friends we miss were safe arrived. 40 SIWARD Some must go off; and yet by these I see So great a day as this is cheaply bought. MALCOLM Macduff is missing, and your noble son. ROSS Your son, my lord, has paid a soldier’s debt. He only lived but till he was a man, 45 The which no sooner had his prowess confirmed In the unshrinking station where he fought, But like a man he died.	Malcolm and Siward enter looking for the friends they're missing, namely Macduff and Young Siward. Ross lets Siward know his son fought Macbeth like a man...but died.
SIWARD Then he is dead? ROSS Ay, and brought off the field. Your cause of sorrow 50 Must not be measured by his worth, for then It hath no end. SIWARD Had he his hurts before? ROSS Ay, on the front. SIWARD Why then, God’s soldier be he! 55 Had I as many sons as I have hairs, I would not wish them to a fairer death; And so his knell is knolled. MALCOLM He’s worth more sorrow, and that I’ll spend for him. 60 SIWARD He’s worth no more. They say he parted well and paid his score, And so, God be with him. Here comes newer comfort.	Siward asks Ross if Young Siward's wounds were on his front, and Ross confirms that they were. Phew. That proves that he stood and fought, and that means he died honorably. Siward says there's no better way to go, so he won't spend too much time crying over his son's death.
Enter Macduff with Macbeth’s head. MACDUFF Hail, King! for so thou art. Behold where stands 65 Th’ usurper’s cursèd head. The time is free. I see thee compassed with thy kingdom’s pearl, That speak my salutation in their minds, Whose voices I desire aloud with mine. Hail, King of Scotland! 70 ALL Hail, King of Scotland! Flourish.	Everyone feels warm and fuzzy when Macduff shows up waving Macbeth's severed head and singing, "Ding dong, the usurper is dead." The sight is apparently quite a comfort to them. They all turn to Malcolm and yell,"Hail, King of Scotland."
MALCOLM We shall not spend a large expense of time Before we reckon with your several loves And make us even with you. My thanes and kinsmen, 75 Henceforth be earls, the first that ever Scotland In such an honor named. What’s more to do, Which would be planted newly with the time, As calling home our exiled friends abroad That fled the snares of watchful tyranny, 80 Producing forth the cruel ministers Of this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen (Who, as ’tis thought, by self and violent hands, Took off her life)—this, and what needful else That calls upon us, by the grace of grace, 85 We will perform in measure, time, and place. So thanks to all at once and to each one, Whom we invite to see us crowned at Scone. Flourish. All exit.	Malcolm just can't wait to be king. When he is, all the Scottish thanes will be made earls, as in the English system, making them the first earls in Scottish history. Together with Malcolm they'll call home everyone who had to flee the country because of Macbeth's tyranny and punish all of the people who helped the Macbeths. In his speech, Malcolm also suggests that Lady MacB took her own life, which we didn't really know till now.) But enough death-talk. It's time to party down at the coronation ceremony at Scone. (Mmm...scones.) The end.