A trumpet sounds. Fighting is heard offstage. KING DUNCAN enters with his sons MALCOLM and DONALBAIN, LENNOX, and attendants. They meet a wounded CAPTAIN.
DUNCANWho's this bloody man? From the looks of him, it seems likely he can give us the latest news about the revolt.
MALCOLMThis is the sergeant, a good and tough soldier who fought to stop me from getting captured.(to CAPTAIN)Greetings, brave friend! Tell the king what you know about the battle from when you left it.
CAPTAINThe outcome was in doubt. The two armies were like two tired swimmers clinging to each other, making it impossible for either to stay afloat.The armies of the merciless Macdonwald—who has so many villainous qualities that he's a natural rebel—were reinforced by foot soldiers and axe-wielding fighters from Ireland and the Hebrides.Luck was smiling on his damned rebellion as if she were his whore.But it wasn't enough, because brave Macbeth—he deserves that description—defied luck with his sword, which smoked with blood, and carved through Macdonwald's forces until he reached the traitor himself.Without pausing to shake hands or say goodbye, Macbeth split him open from belly to jaw and stuck his head on our battlements.
DUNCANOh, heroic cousin! A worthy gentleman!
CAPTAINBut just as terrible storms come right as the sun rises, new trouble suddenly appeared from what had seemed a moment of comfort.Listen, King of Scotland: as soon as we defeated those Irish soldiers and sent them running, the Norwegian king saw an opportunity and began a new assault with fresh men and polished weapons.
DUNCANDidn't this trouble our captains, Macbeth and Banquo?
CAPTAINAbout as much as sparrows trouble eagles, or rabbits scare a lion.To be honest, they were like cannons overloaded with gunpowder.They fought the new enemy with twice the fury of before.Maybe they wanted to bathe in blood, or to make that battlefield as infamous as Golgotha…But I'm feeling faint. My wounds need help.
DUNCANYour words show your honor—just like your wounds.Get him a doctor.
Attendants help the CAPTAIN out.
ROSS and ANGUS enter.
DUNCANWho's just arrived?
MALCOLMThe worthy Thane of Ross.
LENNOXHis eyes are wild! He looks like a man with an incredible story to tell.
ROSSGod save the king.
DUNCANWhere have you come from, heroic thane?
ROSSGreat King, I've come from Fife, where the Norwegian flag flies, mocking our land and terrifying our people.The King of Norway—with a massive army and the help of the disloyal traitor, the Thane of Cawdor—launched an attack that looked disastrous for us.But then Macbeth—covered in armor like the husband of the war-goddess Bellona—met the traitor in direct combat.Sword against sword, they fought, and Macbeth defeated Cawdor.In the end, we were victorious.
DUNCANWonderful news!
ROSSNow Sweno, the Norwegian king, is begging for a peace treaty.We refused to let him bury his dead until he returned to Saint Colme's Inch and paid us ten thousand dollars for the army.
DUNCANThe Thane of Cawdor will never deceive me again.Go announce his execution, and give Macbeth his former title.
ROSSI'll do that.
DUNCANNoble Macbeth has gained what the Thane of Cawdor has lost.
They all exit.