Flourish. Enter KING DUNCAN,
LENNOX, MALCOLM,
DONALBAIN, and attendants
A trumpet fanfare sounds. KING DUNCAN,
LENNOX, MALCOLM,
DONALBAIN, and their attendants
enter.
DUNCAN
Is execution done on Cawdor? Are not
Those in commission yet returned?
DUNCAN
Has the former thane of Cawdor been executed yet? Haven't
the people in charge of that come back?
MALCOLM
My
liege,
They are not yet come back. But I have spoke
With one that saw him die, who did report
5
That very frankly he confessed his treasons,
Implored your highness' pardon, and set forth
A deep repentance. Nothing in his life
Became him like the leaving it. He died
As one that had been studied in his death
10
To throw away the dearest thing he owed
As 'twere a careless trifle.
MALCOLM
My king, they haven't come back yet. But I spoke with
someone who saw Cawdor die, and he said that Cawdor openly confessed
his treasons, begged your highness's forgiveness, and
repented deeply. He never did anything in his whole life that looked
as good as the way he died. He died like someone who had practiced
how to toss away his most cherished possession as if it were a
worthless a piece of garbage.
DUNCAN
There's
no art
To find the mind's construction in the face.
He was a gentleman on whom I built
An absolute trust.
DUNCAN
There's no way to read a man's mind by looking
at his face. I trusted Cawdor completely.
Enter MACBETH,
BANQUO, ROSS, and
ANGUS
MACBETH, BANQUO,
ROSS, and ANGUS
enter.
15
(to MACBETH) O worthiest cousin,
The sin of my ingratitude even now
Was heavy on me. Thou art so far before
That swiftest wing of recompense is slow
To overtake thee. Would thou hadst less deserved,
20
That the proportion both of thanks and payment
Might have been mine! Only I have left to say,
More is thy due than more than all can pay.
(to MACBETH) My worthiest kinsman! Just this moment I was feeling
guilty for not having thanked you enough. You have done so much for
me so fast that it has been impossible to reward you properly. If
you deserved less, then perhaps my payment would have matched your
deeds! All I can say is that I owe you more than I can ever
repay.
