TEXT:
MALCOLM
I grant him bloody,
Luxurious, avaricious, false, deceitful,
Sudden, malicious, smacking of every sin
That has a name: but there's no bottom, none,
In my voluptuousness: your wives, your daughters,
Your matrons and your maids, could not fill up
The cistern of my lust, and my desire
All continent impediments would o'erbear
That did oppose my will: better Macbeth
Than such an one to reign.
MACDUFF
Boundless intemperance
In nature is a tyranny; it hath been
The untimely emptying of the happy throne
And fall of many kings. But fear not yet
To take upon you what is yours: you may
Convey your pleasures in a spacious plenty,
And yet seem cold, the time you may so hoodwink.
We have willing dames enough: there cannot be
That vulture in you, to devour so many
As will to greatness dedicate themselves,
Finding it so inclined.
MALCOLM
With this there grows
In my most ill-composed affection such
A stanchless avarice that, were I king,
I should cut off the nobles for their lands,
Desire his jewels and this other's house:
And my more-having would be as a sauce
To make me hunger more; that I should forge
Quarrels unjust against the good and loyal,
Destroying them for wealth.
MACDUFF
This avarice
Sticks deeper, grows with more pernicious root
Than summer-seeming lust, and it hath been
The sword of our slain kings: yet do not fear;
Scotland hath foisons to fill up your will.
Of your mere own: all these are portable,
With other graces weighed.
MALCOLM
But I have none: the king-becoming graces,
As justice, verity, temperance, stableness,
Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness,
Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude,
I have no relish of them, but abound
In the division of each several crime,
Acting it many ways. Nay, had I power, I should
Pour the sweet milk of concord into hell,
Uproar the universal peace, confound
All unity on earth.
MACDUFF
O Scotland, Scotland!
NOTES:
The Seven Deadly Sins
Writers as far back as the early Christian cleric Tertullian have codified and listed deadly sins and transgressions in Christianity. They are most frequently listed as pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth. Malcolm here does his best to suggest that he exhibits all these sins as a matter of course. The seven deadly sins are the opposite of the seven cardinal virtues (see below!)
Temperance and Continence
Self-control is a major element of Christian religious observance. This can be displayed in temperance (specifically the avoidance of alcohol, for example) or abstinence (the avoidance of sexual gratification) or, as here, “continence” - a general self-moderation - among many other examples.
Hoodwink
We have had several references to concealment and trickery in the play - hiding desires, tricking opponents, and the like. Macduff now is bold enough to suggest that Malcolm could “hoodwink the time” - by taking the throne and indulging his vices in private.
Holinshed
In Holinshed’s Chronicle, Shakespeare’s source for much of the play, Macduff reminds Malcolm “…for avarice is the root of all mischief, and for that crime the most part of our kings have been slain and brought to their final end.” It’s very similar to what Shakespeare writes, but of course Shakespeare’s version is rather more poetic.
Foisons
A foison is a rich outpouring, or a plentiful harvest.
Seven Cardinal Virtues
Malcolm holds forth about the “King-becoming graces”, listing justice, truthfulness, self-control, stability, generosity, perseverance, mercy, humility, devotion, patience, courage and fortitude. There are over ten items on his list - far outnumbering the traditional seven “cardinal virtues” of chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility. Malcolm’s list does have at least some parallels with the church teachings, as he tries to test Macduff with his catalogue of his own faults.
Milk
The milk of human kindness appears in one of the most memorable scenes and images of the play - here Malcolm, again juxtaposing himself with Macbeth, suggests that he, even worse, would pour “the sweet milk of concord” into hell. What a horrific libation that would be.
Concord
This milk of concord that Malcolm mentions isn’t just an image of peace, but one of harmony in ALL its meanings. It is a musical term, and one that Shakespeare particularly enjoys. As mentioned in the episode, Shakespeare plays with various musical terms (concord, grace, etc) to let Malcolm intimate just how wicked and untrustworthy he can be. The quotation from The Merchant of Venice is Lorenzo’s line that
The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils . . .