The Metropolitan Opera HD Live (2006–…): Season 2, Episode 3 - Verdi: Macbeth - full transcript
The witches tell fortunes: Macbeth will be King, Banquo will beget Kings. Macbeth helps the agenda by murdering King Duncan; and, what the heck, Banquo, too. Macbeth takes the crown, Lady Macbeth hosts a dinner; Banquo crashes the event.
Tell us, sisters, where have you been?
We were finding beasts to slaughter!
And you?
We've been (plotting) our (revenge) on a sailor's wife.
She threw curses on us all.
Now we'll make her husband drown.
Wind and wave will steer his ship to disaster.
A drum! Who draws near?
Macbeth comes. He is here!
Sisters weird, forever roaming...
...we will draw a magic circle
to encompass land and sea.
Sisters weird, forever roaming...
...we will draw a magic circle
to encompass land and sea.
We will draw a magic circle
to encompass land and sea.
So foul and fair a day I have not seen.
Nor one so victorious!
Who is that lurking there?
What creatures are you?
Are you of this world or another?
You seem to be women,
but your appearance is strange.
Speak up, I tell you!
Hail, Macbeth! Hail, Thane of Glamis!
Hail, Macbeth! Hail, Thane of Cawdor!
Hail, Macbeth! Hail, Scotland's king!
Why do you tremble at such happy tidings?
You must speak to me, too,
unholy creatures.
Reveal all you know about my future.
Hail! Hail, Banquo!
Lesser than Macbeth, and yet greater.
Not so happy as he, yet much happier.
Not a king, but the sire of kings of Scotland.
Long life to Banquo and Macbeth!
They're gone.
Your sons will reign over Scotland.
And you will reign before them.
What mysterious words!
Brave Macbeth, King Duncan
has just named you Thane of Cawdor.
But how can he?
That thane is living.
No, he paid for his treason with his head!
Hell has spoken!
The witches' words came true!
One prophecy has now proven true.
Another promised the throne.
Then why am I troubled
by feelings of growing dread...
...these thoughts of bloodshed that rise within me?
For though fate proffers the crown I long for...
...I will not seize it in greed or haste.
Ambition and pride consume him
as he aspires to royal power!
One prophecy has now proven true.
Often the devil tells us truths and then betrays us.
Another promised the throne.
He tempts us then sends us to hell.
The prophecy promised me the throne.
Then why am I troubled
by these feelings of growing dread?
Often the devil tells us truths and then betrays us.
Why are thoughts of bloodshed rising within me?
The spirit of hell deceives us.
Although fate proffers the crown I long for,
I will not seize it in greedy haste.
I will not seize the crown in haste.
Away they go!
We'll meet again in thunder,
lightning, or in rain.
Away they go!
Away we fly to the witches' Sabbath.
There, Macbeth will seek us out,
hoping to learn the future.
Away, away, let's fly away!
Macbeth will seek us out, hoping to learn the future.
"I met them on the day of victory
and was stunned by what they said."
"When I was hailed Thane of Cawdor,
their prophecy was fulfilled."
"Then they foretold I would be king."
"Conceal my secret in your heart."
Ah, Macbeth, your spirit swells with ambition!
But in your quest for greatness,
will you dare resort to evil?
The path to power
is strewn with countless crimes.
So woe to him who walks it...
...then lets doubt force him to retreat.
Come, I am waiting to light a blaze
which will fire up your courage.
I will kindle in your spirit a fierce resolve...
...to do whatever bloody deed
ambition thrusts upon you.
The throne shall be yours,
for it was promised...
...when the weird sisters foretold your fate.
Why waver or hesitate? Accept it!
Rise up and rule the land.
Rise up and rule the land.
Why waver or hesitate? Accept it!
Rise up and rule the land!
King Duncan arrives this evening.
The king? Is Macbeth with him?
He will escort the king.
That much is certain, my lady.
Prepare a welcome worthy of a sovereign.
So Duncan will be here...
...here till daybreak!
Arise, all you demons,
you ministers of hell...
...who drive men to murder,
to bloodshed and destruction!
Let night wrap a dark cloak of stillness around us...
...and keep the knife from seeing
the heart it soon will strike!
Arise, all you demons, you ministers of hell...
...who drive men to murder, to bloodshed and destruction!
Let night wrap a dark cloak of stillness around us...
...and keep the knife from seeing
the heart it soon will strike!
My noble lady!
Lord Cawdor!
The king will soon arrive.
And stay till when?
Tomorrow.
Oh, may he never see tomorrow dawning!
�What are you saying?
�You don't understand me?
I understand.
And if the plan fails?
We cannot fail if you are steadfast.
The king!
Now let us meet him with gracious smiles.
Let us greet him as our guest.
Tell my lady to prepare my nightly cup...
...and then sound a bell when it is ready.
Is this a dagger which I see before me?
Unless you are a dream, let me grasp you!
You flee me? But still I see you!
You urge me down a shadowy path...
...along the dark course I have already chosen.
Horrible vision!
Dripping blood, your sharp blade gleams.
And yet, in truth, it's nothing
but a dagger of my own creation.
It's a mere illusion which deceives my eyes.
Now half the earth lies silent,
wrapped in deathly slumber.
Now those intent on murder glide,
ghostlike, through the shadows.
It's the hour when witches consort with demons.
Earth, sure and firm-set, silence my steps!
I will do it!
That bell invites me!
But hear it not, Duncan.
It is a knell that summons you to heaven or to hell.
Slumber reigns all around us.
Oh, sounds of grieving!
The night owl cries a mournful farewell.
Could Duncan have awakened
before the fatal blow?
It is finished.
I heard somebody murmuring.
Good wife, didn't you hear it?
I only heard the owl's cry until you called out.
�I thought I heard you.
�Just now?
Who's sleeping in the other room?
His son, Prince Malcolm.
How horrible, these bloodstains!
Do not look at them.
His men were praying in their sleep.
As one cried, "God save us!"
I tried to answer, "Amen."
But as I did, that word froze on my lips.
Why could I not say that last "Amen?"
Your foolish fears will fade away
as soon as daylight comes.
And then, deep within me, a voice arose, calling:
"A bed made of briars
shall be yours now, Macbeth!"
"In murdering Duncan, you have murdered sleep."
"From now on, great Cawdor,
you shall sleep no more."
But then did you not hear another voice calling?
"Macbeth, you are timid, despite your ambitions."
"Fear makes you falter,
your task yet unfinished..."
"...as if you were merely a vain, boastful boy."
Like angels of vengeance,
men's voices will thunder...
...acclaiming the virtues of the king I have slain.
His noble spirit falters, tormented, deluded.
Could this man be the hero, the warrior of old?
Like angels of vengeance,
men's voices will thunder...
...acclaiming the virtues of the king I have slain.
His noble spirit falters, tormented, deluded.
Could this man be the hero,
the warrior of old?
Go back in with the dagger.
Bloody his men so they seem guilty.
I can't go back!
Let me have it!
Now every sound rouses terror.
My hands are bloody!
All the ocean could not wash away the stain.
See, my hands are bloody, too,
but I will wash them...
...and the deed will be forgotten.
Do you hear?
That knock again!
We cannot invite suspicion.
You must drive every fear away.
How I long to purge my conscience
and rouse you, murdered king!
We cannot invite suspicion.
You must drive every fear away.
I was ordered to waken Duncan early
and it is late already.
Wait for me here, good Banquo.
Oh, what a dreadful night!
There, in the shadows,
I heard mournful voices...
...voices of disaster and death.
An owl was hooting sad auguries of evil...
...until the earth itself seemed to tremble.
Oh, horror!
What has happened?
There! Go inside!
You must see with your own eyes.
I cannot say it!
Awake, everyone! Hurry!
This is treason in the highest!
What is this uproar?
Ah, we are lost!
What is it?
Tell us what happened?
King Duncan has been killed by an assassin!
Let the portals of Hades swing open
and devour the whole of creation!
May the accursed assassin
feel the fire of heaven's wrath.
God almighty, from whom nothing is hidden...
...help us, for we trust only in Thee.
Pierce this darkness, we humbly beseech Thee...
...and let light rend the veil of this unending night.
God almighty, from whom nothing is hidden...
...help us, for we trust only in Thee.
Pierce this darkness, we humbly beseech Thee...
...and let light rend the veil of this unending night.
Unleash Thy all-consuming anger,
Thy just and righteous wrath.
Let it fall upon the sinner,
we implore Thee, almighty God.
Brand him a traitor.
Marked forever as was Cain,
who first took another's life!
May Your wrath fall upon the sinner....
Why do you keep to yourself,
with worries as your only companions?
What's done is done, remember that!
The witches counseled truly,
and now you are king.
Malcolm's flight to England cast
suspicion on him as the murderer.
And his departure left you the throne.
Remember, though, the witches said
Banquo would father monarchs.
Will his descendants rule someday?
And was it for their sake that Duncan died?
He and his son are still alive.
However, neither one is immortal.
Yes, that is true.
More blood must flow to satisfy our purpose!
Where? When?
We must act this very night.
But this time your resolve will not desert you?
Banquo!
Eternity opens its realm to you.
Daylight is waning,
dimming the firmament...
...as heaven's beacon flickers and falters.
Night, long awaited,
shrouds all in shadow...
...hiding the guilty hand that prepares to strike.
Another murder!
Another....
Yet we must do it!
What was begun here must be completed.
The dead have no desire for power.
Sing them a requiem, sleep without end.
Oh, the ecstasy of power!
Now I wield you, royal scepter!
You fulfill every human wish.
Oh, the ecstasy of power!
Now I wield you, royal scepter!
You fulfill every human wish.
He'll fall, and swiftly!
He'll die, this man whose sons,
they said, would reign.
Who has sent you?
Macbeth sent us.
And why?
To kill Banquo.
When? Where?
He'll be coming this way,
and his son will be with him.
Then remain here. All is well.
Honest day must yield to stealthy night.
May its darkness overwhelm all light.
Hidden, silent, we await our prey.
Tremble, Banquo, for soon you will see
death reflected in a gleaming knife!
Honest day must yield to stealthy night.
May its darkness overwhelm all light.
Hidden, silent, we await our prey.
Tremble, Banquo, for soon you will see
death reflected in a gleaming knife!
Tremble, Banquo!
Wrapped in silence, we will wait.
Son, we must be cautious
until we leave this dark place.
My heart is gripped by nameless fears...
...filled with foreboding and dark suspicions.
See how the heavy dusk descends
with its deathly gloom.
On such a somber night as this,
the king was cruelly slain.
Countless fears arise within me
grimly warning of disaster.
Then my mind is overcome
by unbearable visions of terror.
My mind is overcome
by unbearable visions of terror.
My son! Hurry, escape them!
They have betrayed us!
Hail to the king!
I greet you, gracious nobles.
Royal lady!
I thank you for your greetings.
Everyone to the table now.
Take your appointed places.
It is my honor to welcome you to our celebration.
My lady shall be at my side,
as suits a royal consort.
But first, I'll ask a toast of her,
honoring all our guests.
I eagerly obey your royal command.
And we raise a toast in turn, honoring you, our hosts.
Let fine wine overflow every goblet,
offering pleasure, banishing woe.
Away hostility, disdain, and rancor.
Let us be ruled by love alone.
No better cure exists for any ailment
than wine's renewal of simple joy.
Everyone wants to be carefree,
living for pleasure, banishing woe.
Let's live for pleasure...
...and banish woe.
Everyone wants to be carefree,
living for pleasure, banishing woe.
There's blood on your face.
It's Banquo's.
The deed is done?
�And the child?
�He escaped.
�But Banquo?
�Banquo is dead.
Noble husband, what keeps you
from joining our celebration?
I am waiting for brave Banquo...
...to complete this honored circle
of Scotland's most worthy nobles.
Yet he promised to attend.
I will take his place instead.
Away! Who has done this?
Which of you has done this?
What is he saying?
You cannot accuse me!
Why do you glare so fiercely,
as if to reproach me?
Macbeth is not well.
No, stay here.
He soon will recover.
What sort of man are you?
A man with the courage
to gaze upon something...
...that even the devil
would shrink from in horror.
Look! There!
Don't you see it there?
You walk among us, among the living!
Then answer me...
can the dead truly come back from the grave?
Can murdered men return and haunt us?
You speak like a madman.
My eyes saw him clearly.
Come back to the banquet.
Our guests are uneasy.
They need reassurance.
My friends, please forgive me.
Let's sing and be merry.
And let's toast one another...
...including noble Banquo,
though still absent from our feast.
Let fine wine overflow every goblet.
Away hostility, disdain, and rancor.
No better cure exists for any ailment.
A toast to Banquo, hero of heroes,
prized by his country, honored by all.
Go, hellish spirit! Back into Hades!
Back into your grave!
His bones are on fire.
I see his blood boiling.
His glance is so piercing it cuts to my heart.
How terrifying!
I do not lack daring!
So come as a tiger, a menacing lion!
No matter! I shall never tremble
or give way to cowardly fear.
But leave me!
Begone, you horrible phantom!
My strength is returning.
You shame us, my lord.
Blood will have blood.
His ghost demands it.
And I swear to him, he'll have it.
I must tear through the veil
that hides the future...
...and demand that the witches
tell me everything they know.
What fearful mysteries!
He is tormented by phantoms.
Cowardly husband, your own terror
conjured those dreaded phantoms.
What's done is done.
The dead cannot return.
I must leave this cursed land.
The dead cannot return.
The dead cannot return.
What fearful mysteries!
He is tormented by phantoms.
Banquo's ghost demands my blood!
I must tear through the veil
that hides the future...
..and demand that the witches
tell me everything they know.
What fearful mysteries!
He is tormented by phantoms.
Guilty secrets...I will quit this land.
I must tear through the veil
that hides the future...
..and demand that the witches
tell me everything they know.
Thrice has the cat howled out a mating call.
Thrice has the nightbird shrieked at the sky.
Thrice has the porcupine wailed and whimpered.
This is the moment!
Come stir the cooking pot.
And round and round we'll go.
Sisters, to work now!
The steam is rising higher.
The cauldron foams and hisses.
A toad fed on noxious weeds.
Roots gathered as twilight falls.
They'll mingle all together
and make a broth of hell.
A snake's tongue, a bat's wing.
A wolf's fang, the blood of apes.
They'll boil and simmer inside this broth of hell.
The thumb of a strangled child.
A tartar's ferocious heart.
They'll bubble up and thicken
our loathsome broth of hell.
Boil! Boil!
Come, you evil spirits of every hue,
come and mix it all together!
Come, you evil spirits of every hue,
come and mix it all together!
You alone possess the secret to complete it.
Come, evil sprites of every hue.
Come and mix it all together!
Come and mix it all together!
What are you doing, mysterious women?
A deed without a name.
By that devilish deed,
I ask you to let me know my fate...
...though Satan's army
rises up against high heaven.
Would you learn of the future
from unknowable forces...
...or else from us?
Conjure anyone who has the power
to illuminate my future.
From all regions above and below us...
...errant spirits, we bid you assemble!
Tell me, O spirit....
He knows your question.
Do not ask it, but listen in silence.
O Macbeth!
Beware Macduff!
You confirm my suspicions!
One more question.
He will not be questioned!
Here's another, more powerful spirit.
Keep your counsel and ponder his message.
O Macbeth!
Be ferocious, unfearing and bloody...
...for no man born of woman can harm you.
O Macduff, I fear you no longer,
and so I shall spare you!
No, you'll die and so assure my safety...
...like a second shield that offers sure protection.
Were those portents?
That lightning, that thunder?
It's a child, arrayed like a king,
bearing a branch.
Quiet and listen.
Be bold and courageous,
for you can never be defeated...
...till the day Birnam Wood,
like an army, advances upon you.
O joyous tidings!
Most welcome prediction!
No magic can do that!
No magic exists that can set forests marching.
No, that cannot happen.
No forest can be set marching!
That could never, never be!
But tell me, the children of Banquo,
will they ascend my throne?
Do not ask it.
I must know!
You'll answer me...or die!
Now the vision has vanished.
Ghostly music!
What is it? Speak!
Appear to us!
Then vanish like mists on the glen.
Leave me, royal ghosts.
Cursed descendants of Banquo!
It pains me to look upon your dazzling crowns.
Away, taunting vision, with your golden crowns!
How many more will follow?
A third one?
A fourth?
A fifth one?
Oh, my darkest fears!
The last is carrying a mirror...
...showing me a line of kings,
stretching into the future.
It's Banquo...taunting me with images
of his royal descendants.
Come, cursed offspring, I'll slay you!
Ah! They have not been born yet!
They've not yet been given life!
Seeing his royal offspring fills me with dread.
But will they live?
They will live!
Then I am lost!
Come, healing spirits.
Help the unhappy king regain his senses.
Where am I?
They've vanished.
May this hour be cursed, reviled forever!
The queen!
At last I find you.
What happened?
I questioned the witches again.
Their answer?
"Beware Macduff."
And then?
"Fear none born of woman."
"Until Birnam Wood marches,
you'll be undefeated."
But then came Banquo's progeny before me,
wearing crowns!
Delusion and falsehood!
We'll wreak destruction on his offspring!
Destruction! On Macduff, too,
and all his family!
We'll find the son of Banquo
and slaughter him!
All who oppose us will perish.
Here at last is the fearless man I cherished!
�Day of destruction and vengeance!
�Dawn on the world in thunder!
�Drown every thought but of murder!
�Stun every heart into silence.
Banish every feeling but vengeance!
Vengeance!
Day of destruction, arise!
Fate has decreed it,
and nothing can stop it.
What we have started will be completed...
...as it began� in blood!
Vengeance, ruthless vengeance.
Now, in this hour of death...vengeance!
Oppressed homeland!
We can no longer call you our mother.
Your cradle has become an empty, silent tomb.
Homeless orphans, weeping widows
are fleeing from the tyrant's forces.
With the dawn of each new morning,
heaven hears our tearful cry.
And it seems to echo in condolence...
...with an infinite compassion
for our sorrows, oppressed homeland.
Let the bell toll our mourning...
...though we dare not cry for the dying and the dead.
Oppressed homeland.
Country we hold dear.
Our homeland!
O my children! My precious children!
Left to that tyrant,
you were viciously slaughtered.
And as you perished,
you saw your mother murdered.
Why did I leave my wife and children
to the mercy of the tiger's claws?
There was no loving father there,
no one who could protect you...
...when those remorseless killers
came to do the monster's will.
I am far away, in exile.
I never heard you calling.
I never heard you cry in pain
or take your last breath.
Let me confront my enemy!
Then, Lord, if he escapes me...
...if You must grant him mercy,
then pardon what I cannot!
If You must grant him mercy,
then pardon what I cannot.
Over there, what forest is that?
That is Birnam Wood, Your Highness.
Have our soldiers cut down branches
to conceal us as we march.
Very soon you'll have your vengeance.
I cannot have it.
He has no children.
If you truly love your country,
take up arms and follow me.
Our enslaved land calls to you to free her.
So brothers, come!
Rise up to rescue the oppressed.
Our native land, in bondage,
implores you to free her.
So brothers, come!
Rise up to rescue our people.
Heaven's anger will destroy the villain.
For God himself is weary of so many crimes!
So brothers, come!
Rise up to rescue our people.
Rise up to rescue our people.
Two nights we've waited in vain.
Tonight she will appear.
What was she saying in her sleep?
I don't dare repeat it to any living soul.
What light is that?
A light she keeps always by her bedside.
Her eyes are open and staring.
And yet they see nothing.
Why does she rub her hands?
She thinks she's washing them.
There's a stain here.
I can still see it.
Out, damned spot!
Begone, I curse you!
One...two....
The hour has sounded.
You're afraid?
You won't go in?
Are you brave or a coward?
How shameful!
Go in, and quickly!
Who would imagine that the old man...
...would have so much blood in him?
Did you hear?
The Thane of Fife...
...did he not have a wife and children?
But where are they?
Why can't I clean them...
...clean these hands, these hands of mine?
God above!
There's blood on them.
I still smell it!
No balm or fragrance,
nor the perfumes of Arabia...
...could make this little hand
smell sweet and clean again.
Go in and put on your nightgown.
Banquo's gone. He's dead and buried.
And the dead cannot return.
Do you hear?
To bed, to bed now!
What's done cannot be undone.
Someone's knocking!
Macbeth, away now,
lest they see you pale with guilt.
Someone's knocking!
Macbeth, away now!
Do not let them see your guilty face.
Traitors! With England,
you conspire against me!
But the oracle's words assure me.
"Be ferocious, unfearing and bloody,
for no man born of woman can harm you."
I've no cause to fear you,
or the son who is your leader.
This assault decides it.
It will bolster my power...
...or destroy me completely.
And yet I feel the very life within me
beginning to wither away.
No pity, respect, or honor,
the comforts of age men hope for...
...none will be yours in days to come,
when time takes its final toll.
Nor shall men mark your passing
with gentle words of mourning.
No, only curses will echo over your barren grave.
Your grave will be barren.
Only curses will echo there!
Only curses will echo over your barren grave.
What is that crying?
The queen is dead.
What does life matter?
It is a tale told by an idiot
full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Sire! Ah, Sire!
Speak up! What is it?
Birnam Wood marches against us!
So demons conspired to trick me!
Give me a weapon!
On to battle!
To death!
To death or to victory!
Cast down those branches!
Raise your weapons!
I'll lead you!
You, the murderer who killed my family!
Man born of woman, I do not fear you!
But you're wrong!
I was cut from my mother's womb!
O day of horror!
Heaven save our children!
Peace is restored.
We've triumphed!
Where has the tyrant fled?
He lies there, where I killed him.
God save the king!
Macbeth...where is Macbeth?
Where is the tyrant now?
Laid low by heaven's wrath,
by God victorious.
A hero led us here and cut the traitor down.
We honor him who saved
our homeland and our monarch.
A hero led us here and cut the traitor down.
We honor him who saved
our homeland and our monarch.
Macbeth...where is Macbeth?
Where is the tyrant now?
Laid low by heaven's wrath,
by God victorious.
May our hymn rise up to Thee,
O just, avenging God...
...as we affirm our fealty
to the man who set us free.
Now Scotland and its king salute
the dawning day of peace.
A hero led us here and cut the traitor down.
We honor him who saved
our homeland and our monarch.
May our hymn rise up to Thee,
O just, avenging God.
We were finding beasts to slaughter!
And you?
We've been (plotting) our (revenge) on a sailor's wife.
She threw curses on us all.
Now we'll make her husband drown.
Wind and wave will steer his ship to disaster.
A drum! Who draws near?
Macbeth comes. He is here!
Sisters weird, forever roaming...
...we will draw a magic circle
to encompass land and sea.
Sisters weird, forever roaming...
...we will draw a magic circle
to encompass land and sea.
We will draw a magic circle
to encompass land and sea.
So foul and fair a day I have not seen.
Nor one so victorious!
Who is that lurking there?
What creatures are you?
Are you of this world or another?
You seem to be women,
but your appearance is strange.
Speak up, I tell you!
Hail, Macbeth! Hail, Thane of Glamis!
Hail, Macbeth! Hail, Thane of Cawdor!
Hail, Macbeth! Hail, Scotland's king!
Why do you tremble at such happy tidings?
You must speak to me, too,
unholy creatures.
Reveal all you know about my future.
Hail! Hail, Banquo!
Lesser than Macbeth, and yet greater.
Not so happy as he, yet much happier.
Not a king, but the sire of kings of Scotland.
Long life to Banquo and Macbeth!
They're gone.
Your sons will reign over Scotland.
And you will reign before them.
What mysterious words!
Brave Macbeth, King Duncan
has just named you Thane of Cawdor.
But how can he?
That thane is living.
No, he paid for his treason with his head!
Hell has spoken!
The witches' words came true!
One prophecy has now proven true.
Another promised the throne.
Then why am I troubled
by feelings of growing dread...
...these thoughts of bloodshed that rise within me?
For though fate proffers the crown I long for...
...I will not seize it in greed or haste.
Ambition and pride consume him
as he aspires to royal power!
One prophecy has now proven true.
Often the devil tells us truths and then betrays us.
Another promised the throne.
He tempts us then sends us to hell.
The prophecy promised me the throne.
Then why am I troubled
by these feelings of growing dread?
Often the devil tells us truths and then betrays us.
Why are thoughts of bloodshed rising within me?
The spirit of hell deceives us.
Although fate proffers the crown I long for,
I will not seize it in greedy haste.
I will not seize the crown in haste.
Away they go!
We'll meet again in thunder,
lightning, or in rain.
Away they go!
Away we fly to the witches' Sabbath.
There, Macbeth will seek us out,
hoping to learn the future.
Away, away, let's fly away!
Macbeth will seek us out, hoping to learn the future.
"I met them on the day of victory
and was stunned by what they said."
"When I was hailed Thane of Cawdor,
their prophecy was fulfilled."
"Then they foretold I would be king."
"Conceal my secret in your heart."
Ah, Macbeth, your spirit swells with ambition!
But in your quest for greatness,
will you dare resort to evil?
The path to power
is strewn with countless crimes.
So woe to him who walks it...
...then lets doubt force him to retreat.
Come, I am waiting to light a blaze
which will fire up your courage.
I will kindle in your spirit a fierce resolve...
...to do whatever bloody deed
ambition thrusts upon you.
The throne shall be yours,
for it was promised...
...when the weird sisters foretold your fate.
Why waver or hesitate? Accept it!
Rise up and rule the land.
Rise up and rule the land.
Why waver or hesitate? Accept it!
Rise up and rule the land!
King Duncan arrives this evening.
The king? Is Macbeth with him?
He will escort the king.
That much is certain, my lady.
Prepare a welcome worthy of a sovereign.
So Duncan will be here...
...here till daybreak!
Arise, all you demons,
you ministers of hell...
...who drive men to murder,
to bloodshed and destruction!
Let night wrap a dark cloak of stillness around us...
...and keep the knife from seeing
the heart it soon will strike!
Arise, all you demons, you ministers of hell...
...who drive men to murder, to bloodshed and destruction!
Let night wrap a dark cloak of stillness around us...
...and keep the knife from seeing
the heart it soon will strike!
My noble lady!
Lord Cawdor!
The king will soon arrive.
And stay till when?
Tomorrow.
Oh, may he never see tomorrow dawning!
�What are you saying?
�You don't understand me?
I understand.
And if the plan fails?
We cannot fail if you are steadfast.
The king!
Now let us meet him with gracious smiles.
Let us greet him as our guest.
Tell my lady to prepare my nightly cup...
...and then sound a bell when it is ready.
Is this a dagger which I see before me?
Unless you are a dream, let me grasp you!
You flee me? But still I see you!
You urge me down a shadowy path...
...along the dark course I have already chosen.
Horrible vision!
Dripping blood, your sharp blade gleams.
And yet, in truth, it's nothing
but a dagger of my own creation.
It's a mere illusion which deceives my eyes.
Now half the earth lies silent,
wrapped in deathly slumber.
Now those intent on murder glide,
ghostlike, through the shadows.
It's the hour when witches consort with demons.
Earth, sure and firm-set, silence my steps!
I will do it!
That bell invites me!
But hear it not, Duncan.
It is a knell that summons you to heaven or to hell.
Slumber reigns all around us.
Oh, sounds of grieving!
The night owl cries a mournful farewell.
Could Duncan have awakened
before the fatal blow?
It is finished.
I heard somebody murmuring.
Good wife, didn't you hear it?
I only heard the owl's cry until you called out.
�I thought I heard you.
�Just now?
Who's sleeping in the other room?
His son, Prince Malcolm.
How horrible, these bloodstains!
Do not look at them.
His men were praying in their sleep.
As one cried, "God save us!"
I tried to answer, "Amen."
But as I did, that word froze on my lips.
Why could I not say that last "Amen?"
Your foolish fears will fade away
as soon as daylight comes.
And then, deep within me, a voice arose, calling:
"A bed made of briars
shall be yours now, Macbeth!"
"In murdering Duncan, you have murdered sleep."
"From now on, great Cawdor,
you shall sleep no more."
But then did you not hear another voice calling?
"Macbeth, you are timid, despite your ambitions."
"Fear makes you falter,
your task yet unfinished..."
"...as if you were merely a vain, boastful boy."
Like angels of vengeance,
men's voices will thunder...
...acclaiming the virtues of the king I have slain.
His noble spirit falters, tormented, deluded.
Could this man be the hero, the warrior of old?
Like angels of vengeance,
men's voices will thunder...
...acclaiming the virtues of the king I have slain.
His noble spirit falters, tormented, deluded.
Could this man be the hero,
the warrior of old?
Go back in with the dagger.
Bloody his men so they seem guilty.
I can't go back!
Let me have it!
Now every sound rouses terror.
My hands are bloody!
All the ocean could not wash away the stain.
See, my hands are bloody, too,
but I will wash them...
...and the deed will be forgotten.
Do you hear?
That knock again!
We cannot invite suspicion.
You must drive every fear away.
How I long to purge my conscience
and rouse you, murdered king!
We cannot invite suspicion.
You must drive every fear away.
I was ordered to waken Duncan early
and it is late already.
Wait for me here, good Banquo.
Oh, what a dreadful night!
There, in the shadows,
I heard mournful voices...
...voices of disaster and death.
An owl was hooting sad auguries of evil...
...until the earth itself seemed to tremble.
Oh, horror!
What has happened?
There! Go inside!
You must see with your own eyes.
I cannot say it!
Awake, everyone! Hurry!
This is treason in the highest!
What is this uproar?
Ah, we are lost!
What is it?
Tell us what happened?
King Duncan has been killed by an assassin!
Let the portals of Hades swing open
and devour the whole of creation!
May the accursed assassin
feel the fire of heaven's wrath.
God almighty, from whom nothing is hidden...
...help us, for we trust only in Thee.
Pierce this darkness, we humbly beseech Thee...
...and let light rend the veil of this unending night.
God almighty, from whom nothing is hidden...
...help us, for we trust only in Thee.
Pierce this darkness, we humbly beseech Thee...
...and let light rend the veil of this unending night.
Unleash Thy all-consuming anger,
Thy just and righteous wrath.
Let it fall upon the sinner,
we implore Thee, almighty God.
Brand him a traitor.
Marked forever as was Cain,
who first took another's life!
May Your wrath fall upon the sinner....
Why do you keep to yourself,
with worries as your only companions?
What's done is done, remember that!
The witches counseled truly,
and now you are king.
Malcolm's flight to England cast
suspicion on him as the murderer.
And his departure left you the throne.
Remember, though, the witches said
Banquo would father monarchs.
Will his descendants rule someday?
And was it for their sake that Duncan died?
He and his son are still alive.
However, neither one is immortal.
Yes, that is true.
More blood must flow to satisfy our purpose!
Where? When?
We must act this very night.
But this time your resolve will not desert you?
Banquo!
Eternity opens its realm to you.
Daylight is waning,
dimming the firmament...
...as heaven's beacon flickers and falters.
Night, long awaited,
shrouds all in shadow...
...hiding the guilty hand that prepares to strike.
Another murder!
Another....
Yet we must do it!
What was begun here must be completed.
The dead have no desire for power.
Sing them a requiem, sleep without end.
Oh, the ecstasy of power!
Now I wield you, royal scepter!
You fulfill every human wish.
Oh, the ecstasy of power!
Now I wield you, royal scepter!
You fulfill every human wish.
He'll fall, and swiftly!
He'll die, this man whose sons,
they said, would reign.
Who has sent you?
Macbeth sent us.
And why?
To kill Banquo.
When? Where?
He'll be coming this way,
and his son will be with him.
Then remain here. All is well.
Honest day must yield to stealthy night.
May its darkness overwhelm all light.
Hidden, silent, we await our prey.
Tremble, Banquo, for soon you will see
death reflected in a gleaming knife!
Honest day must yield to stealthy night.
May its darkness overwhelm all light.
Hidden, silent, we await our prey.
Tremble, Banquo, for soon you will see
death reflected in a gleaming knife!
Tremble, Banquo!
Wrapped in silence, we will wait.
Son, we must be cautious
until we leave this dark place.
My heart is gripped by nameless fears...
...filled with foreboding and dark suspicions.
See how the heavy dusk descends
with its deathly gloom.
On such a somber night as this,
the king was cruelly slain.
Countless fears arise within me
grimly warning of disaster.
Then my mind is overcome
by unbearable visions of terror.
My mind is overcome
by unbearable visions of terror.
My son! Hurry, escape them!
They have betrayed us!
Hail to the king!
I greet you, gracious nobles.
Royal lady!
I thank you for your greetings.
Everyone to the table now.
Take your appointed places.
It is my honor to welcome you to our celebration.
My lady shall be at my side,
as suits a royal consort.
But first, I'll ask a toast of her,
honoring all our guests.
I eagerly obey your royal command.
And we raise a toast in turn, honoring you, our hosts.
Let fine wine overflow every goblet,
offering pleasure, banishing woe.
Away hostility, disdain, and rancor.
Let us be ruled by love alone.
No better cure exists for any ailment
than wine's renewal of simple joy.
Everyone wants to be carefree,
living for pleasure, banishing woe.
Let's live for pleasure...
...and banish woe.
Everyone wants to be carefree,
living for pleasure, banishing woe.
There's blood on your face.
It's Banquo's.
The deed is done?
�And the child?
�He escaped.
�But Banquo?
�Banquo is dead.
Noble husband, what keeps you
from joining our celebration?
I am waiting for brave Banquo...
...to complete this honored circle
of Scotland's most worthy nobles.
Yet he promised to attend.
I will take his place instead.
Away! Who has done this?
Which of you has done this?
What is he saying?
You cannot accuse me!
Why do you glare so fiercely,
as if to reproach me?
Macbeth is not well.
No, stay here.
He soon will recover.
What sort of man are you?
A man with the courage
to gaze upon something...
...that even the devil
would shrink from in horror.
Look! There!
Don't you see it there?
You walk among us, among the living!
Then answer me...
can the dead truly come back from the grave?
Can murdered men return and haunt us?
You speak like a madman.
My eyes saw him clearly.
Come back to the banquet.
Our guests are uneasy.
They need reassurance.
My friends, please forgive me.
Let's sing and be merry.
And let's toast one another...
...including noble Banquo,
though still absent from our feast.
Let fine wine overflow every goblet.
Away hostility, disdain, and rancor.
No better cure exists for any ailment.
A toast to Banquo, hero of heroes,
prized by his country, honored by all.
Go, hellish spirit! Back into Hades!
Back into your grave!
His bones are on fire.
I see his blood boiling.
His glance is so piercing it cuts to my heart.
How terrifying!
I do not lack daring!
So come as a tiger, a menacing lion!
No matter! I shall never tremble
or give way to cowardly fear.
But leave me!
Begone, you horrible phantom!
My strength is returning.
You shame us, my lord.
Blood will have blood.
His ghost demands it.
And I swear to him, he'll have it.
I must tear through the veil
that hides the future...
...and demand that the witches
tell me everything they know.
What fearful mysteries!
He is tormented by phantoms.
Cowardly husband, your own terror
conjured those dreaded phantoms.
What's done is done.
The dead cannot return.
I must leave this cursed land.
The dead cannot return.
The dead cannot return.
What fearful mysteries!
He is tormented by phantoms.
Banquo's ghost demands my blood!
I must tear through the veil
that hides the future...
..and demand that the witches
tell me everything they know.
What fearful mysteries!
He is tormented by phantoms.
Guilty secrets...I will quit this land.
I must tear through the veil
that hides the future...
..and demand that the witches
tell me everything they know.
Thrice has the cat howled out a mating call.
Thrice has the nightbird shrieked at the sky.
Thrice has the porcupine wailed and whimpered.
This is the moment!
Come stir the cooking pot.
And round and round we'll go.
Sisters, to work now!
The steam is rising higher.
The cauldron foams and hisses.
A toad fed on noxious weeds.
Roots gathered as twilight falls.
They'll mingle all together
and make a broth of hell.
A snake's tongue, a bat's wing.
A wolf's fang, the blood of apes.
They'll boil and simmer inside this broth of hell.
The thumb of a strangled child.
A tartar's ferocious heart.
They'll bubble up and thicken
our loathsome broth of hell.
Boil! Boil!
Come, you evil spirits of every hue,
come and mix it all together!
Come, you evil spirits of every hue,
come and mix it all together!
You alone possess the secret to complete it.
Come, evil sprites of every hue.
Come and mix it all together!
Come and mix it all together!
What are you doing, mysterious women?
A deed without a name.
By that devilish deed,
I ask you to let me know my fate...
...though Satan's army
rises up against high heaven.
Would you learn of the future
from unknowable forces...
...or else from us?
Conjure anyone who has the power
to illuminate my future.
From all regions above and below us...
...errant spirits, we bid you assemble!
Tell me, O spirit....
He knows your question.
Do not ask it, but listen in silence.
O Macbeth!
Beware Macduff!
You confirm my suspicions!
One more question.
He will not be questioned!
Here's another, more powerful spirit.
Keep your counsel and ponder his message.
O Macbeth!
Be ferocious, unfearing and bloody...
...for no man born of woman can harm you.
O Macduff, I fear you no longer,
and so I shall spare you!
No, you'll die and so assure my safety...
...like a second shield that offers sure protection.
Were those portents?
That lightning, that thunder?
It's a child, arrayed like a king,
bearing a branch.
Quiet and listen.
Be bold and courageous,
for you can never be defeated...
...till the day Birnam Wood,
like an army, advances upon you.
O joyous tidings!
Most welcome prediction!
No magic can do that!
No magic exists that can set forests marching.
No, that cannot happen.
No forest can be set marching!
That could never, never be!
But tell me, the children of Banquo,
will they ascend my throne?
Do not ask it.
I must know!
You'll answer me...or die!
Now the vision has vanished.
Ghostly music!
What is it? Speak!
Appear to us!
Then vanish like mists on the glen.
Leave me, royal ghosts.
Cursed descendants of Banquo!
It pains me to look upon your dazzling crowns.
Away, taunting vision, with your golden crowns!
How many more will follow?
A third one?
A fourth?
A fifth one?
Oh, my darkest fears!
The last is carrying a mirror...
...showing me a line of kings,
stretching into the future.
It's Banquo...taunting me with images
of his royal descendants.
Come, cursed offspring, I'll slay you!
Ah! They have not been born yet!
They've not yet been given life!
Seeing his royal offspring fills me with dread.
But will they live?
They will live!
Then I am lost!
Come, healing spirits.
Help the unhappy king regain his senses.
Where am I?
They've vanished.
May this hour be cursed, reviled forever!
The queen!
At last I find you.
What happened?
I questioned the witches again.
Their answer?
"Beware Macduff."
And then?
"Fear none born of woman."
"Until Birnam Wood marches,
you'll be undefeated."
But then came Banquo's progeny before me,
wearing crowns!
Delusion and falsehood!
We'll wreak destruction on his offspring!
Destruction! On Macduff, too,
and all his family!
We'll find the son of Banquo
and slaughter him!
All who oppose us will perish.
Here at last is the fearless man I cherished!
�Day of destruction and vengeance!
�Dawn on the world in thunder!
�Drown every thought but of murder!
�Stun every heart into silence.
Banish every feeling but vengeance!
Vengeance!
Day of destruction, arise!
Fate has decreed it,
and nothing can stop it.
What we have started will be completed...
...as it began� in blood!
Vengeance, ruthless vengeance.
Now, in this hour of death...vengeance!
Oppressed homeland!
We can no longer call you our mother.
Your cradle has become an empty, silent tomb.
Homeless orphans, weeping widows
are fleeing from the tyrant's forces.
With the dawn of each new morning,
heaven hears our tearful cry.
And it seems to echo in condolence...
...with an infinite compassion
for our sorrows, oppressed homeland.
Let the bell toll our mourning...
...though we dare not cry for the dying and the dead.
Oppressed homeland.
Country we hold dear.
Our homeland!
O my children! My precious children!
Left to that tyrant,
you were viciously slaughtered.
And as you perished,
you saw your mother murdered.
Why did I leave my wife and children
to the mercy of the tiger's claws?
There was no loving father there,
no one who could protect you...
...when those remorseless killers
came to do the monster's will.
I am far away, in exile.
I never heard you calling.
I never heard you cry in pain
or take your last breath.
Let me confront my enemy!
Then, Lord, if he escapes me...
...if You must grant him mercy,
then pardon what I cannot!
If You must grant him mercy,
then pardon what I cannot.
Over there, what forest is that?
That is Birnam Wood, Your Highness.
Have our soldiers cut down branches
to conceal us as we march.
Very soon you'll have your vengeance.
I cannot have it.
He has no children.
If you truly love your country,
take up arms and follow me.
Our enslaved land calls to you to free her.
So brothers, come!
Rise up to rescue the oppressed.
Our native land, in bondage,
implores you to free her.
So brothers, come!
Rise up to rescue our people.
Heaven's anger will destroy the villain.
For God himself is weary of so many crimes!
So brothers, come!
Rise up to rescue our people.
Rise up to rescue our people.
Two nights we've waited in vain.
Tonight she will appear.
What was she saying in her sleep?
I don't dare repeat it to any living soul.
What light is that?
A light she keeps always by her bedside.
Her eyes are open and staring.
And yet they see nothing.
Why does she rub her hands?
She thinks she's washing them.
There's a stain here.
I can still see it.
Out, damned spot!
Begone, I curse you!
One...two....
The hour has sounded.
You're afraid?
You won't go in?
Are you brave or a coward?
How shameful!
Go in, and quickly!
Who would imagine that the old man...
...would have so much blood in him?
Did you hear?
The Thane of Fife...
...did he not have a wife and children?
But where are they?
Why can't I clean them...
...clean these hands, these hands of mine?
God above!
There's blood on them.
I still smell it!
No balm or fragrance,
nor the perfumes of Arabia...
...could make this little hand
smell sweet and clean again.
Go in and put on your nightgown.
Banquo's gone. He's dead and buried.
And the dead cannot return.
Do you hear?
To bed, to bed now!
What's done cannot be undone.
Someone's knocking!
Macbeth, away now,
lest they see you pale with guilt.
Someone's knocking!
Macbeth, away now!
Do not let them see your guilty face.
Traitors! With England,
you conspire against me!
But the oracle's words assure me.
"Be ferocious, unfearing and bloody,
for no man born of woman can harm you."
I've no cause to fear you,
or the son who is your leader.
This assault decides it.
It will bolster my power...
...or destroy me completely.
And yet I feel the very life within me
beginning to wither away.
No pity, respect, or honor,
the comforts of age men hope for...
...none will be yours in days to come,
when time takes its final toll.
Nor shall men mark your passing
with gentle words of mourning.
No, only curses will echo over your barren grave.
Your grave will be barren.
Only curses will echo there!
Only curses will echo over your barren grave.
What is that crying?
The queen is dead.
What does life matter?
It is a tale told by an idiot
full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Sire! Ah, Sire!
Speak up! What is it?
Birnam Wood marches against us!
So demons conspired to trick me!
Give me a weapon!
On to battle!
To death!
To death or to victory!
Cast down those branches!
Raise your weapons!
I'll lead you!
You, the murderer who killed my family!
Man born of woman, I do not fear you!
But you're wrong!
I was cut from my mother's womb!
O day of horror!
Heaven save our children!
Peace is restored.
We've triumphed!
Where has the tyrant fled?
He lies there, where I killed him.
God save the king!
Macbeth...where is Macbeth?
Where is the tyrant now?
Laid low by heaven's wrath,
by God victorious.
A hero led us here and cut the traitor down.
We honor him who saved
our homeland and our monarch.
A hero led us here and cut the traitor down.
We honor him who saved
our homeland and our monarch.
Macbeth...where is Macbeth?
Where is the tyrant now?
Laid low by heaven's wrath,
by God victorious.
May our hymn rise up to Thee,
O just, avenging God...
...as we affirm our fealty
to the man who set us free.
Now Scotland and its king salute
the dawning day of peace.
A hero led us here and cut the traitor down.
We honor him who saved
our homeland and our monarch.
May our hymn rise up to Thee,
O just, avenging God.