TEXT:
Enter MACDUFF
ROSS (continued)
How goes the world, sir, now?
MACDUFF
Why, see you not?
ROSS
Is't known who did this more than bloody deed?
MACDUFF
Those that Macbeth hath slain.
ROSS
Alas, the day!
What good could they pretend?
MACDUFF
They were suborned:
Malcolm and Donalbain, the king's two sons,
Are stolen away and fled; which puts upon them
Suspicion of the deed.
ROSS
'Gainst nature still!
Thriftless ambition, that wilt ravin up
Thine own life's means! Then 'tis most like
The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.
MACDUFF
He is already named, and gone to Scone
To be invested.
ROSS
Where is Duncan's body?
MACDUFF
Carried to Colmekill,
The sacred storehouse of his predecessors,
And guardian of their bones.
ROSS
Will you to Scone?
MACDUFF
No, cousin, I'll to Fife.
ROSS
Well, I will thither.
MACDUFF
Well, may you see things well done there: adieu!
Lest our old robes sit easier than our new!
ROSS
Farewell, father.
Old Man
God's benison go with you; and with those
That would make good of bad, and friends of foes!
Exeunt
NOTES:
Hyperbole
A hyperbole is a huge exaggeration for dramatic or literary effect. From Greek roots that combine to mean something like “throwing beyond”, the implication is like a javelin thrown far beyond its target.
Succession
In Scotland’s distant past, kings were named by acclamation rather than by automatic succession. It was very common for a king’s son to take the throne on the death of his father, but it wasn’t absolutely guaranteed. Thus Malcolm is not automatically crowned king; after the murder and the flight of the princes, Macbeth is chosen instead.
Raven
Earlier in the play Lady Macbeth felt as though the ravens circling her castle were announcing Duncan’s arrival - a very grim omen indeed. Here the word is converted to a noun - a horribly aggressive image.
Scone
Scone was the ancient capital of Scotland. It was traditionally the site where Scottish kings were crowned, which is why our characters discuss going there to see it happen for Macbeth. The Stone of Scone is an integral part of the coronation ceremony, and indeed it is now almost equally central to the coronation of an English monarch. The British government, after many centuries, sent the stone back to Scotland - when not in use - and it now lives in Edinburgh castle. You may have spotted that the Stone of Scone is the logo image for this whole series of the podcast.
Colmkill
Colmkill, also known as Columba or Colmcille, is one of the three major patron saints of Ireland. He is also very much associated with Scotland, and with his monastery on the island of Iona. Colmkill and Iona are virtually synonymous - but for clarity’s sake, Iona is the island and Columba is its founding father.
Iona
Iona is a small island in the inner Hebrides in western Scotland. It is the site of Iona Abbey, founded by St. Columba (aka Colmcille), a major Christian saint responsible for spreading the faith in early Scotland. Iona is also the traditional resting place of Scottish kings. Both Duncan and Macbeth were buried there.
Fife
Fife has for many centuries been an important administrative county, fiefdom and earldom in eastern Scotland. Its importance is reflected in the historical fact that the Earl (or Thane) of Fife was usually accorded the honour of crowning Scotland’s kings. It’s therefore quite significant to the drama of our play that Macduff - the Thane of Fife - refuses to go to Macbeth’s coronation!
Benison
This is a very old word for a blessing. It’s comparable to benediction. It comes from the Latin benedicere - to speak well of - but has the religious context of being blessed.