Act 5. sc 5

Scene 5

Enter Lady Macbeth with a taper.

LADY MACBETH

Oh life! Disease hath spread to my whole self. 

My arms, my legs, my hands. They wreak of blood!

Oh life! Be gone you spots! Oh spots be gone! 

The spots remain, the blood remains on me.

My skin hath worn away.  For I cannot

stop itching at these damnèd spots.  Oh God!

But God hath null to do with demons though. 

Medusa must be beat and slain anon.

Things I touched hath been turned to rock-hard stone.

“Go wash and scrub contaminated hands”

I said before.  It worked for cruel Macbeth.

Go wash thy hands fair lady.

But I am neither lovely, nor a queen.

Though I hath been unsexed, I feel much pain.

I can no longer rip my baby from

my breast, as I can’t nurse a baby boy.

The babies die from evil flowing from

my heart to theirs.  I am no lady now.

I look so haggard, pale, tired, ill.

Oh woe is me! Oh fie! Oh fie! Oh fie!

 

Thou damned doctor, leave my side anon!

He wants me dead! He knows my darkness now

for I hath spilled my secrets in my sleep.

Malicious gentlewoman, I hate thee!

She spreads foul tales of my wicked deeds.

She made the servants turn against the queen!

 

Thine damnèd Duncan haunts my grave stone. Ha!

I’ll go to murky hell; my soul is bound!

A demon killed an angel, a holy man,

a worker of God. Duncan was so good.

Most kings are good, but all we did was kill.

Old Duncan had ten pints of blood in him!

I called Macbeth unmanly. Duncan croaked.

 

The Ghost of Banquo haunts our mansion still!

He takes his place upon the table fain.

For I cannot attend the royal feasts.

Now I can only hide away anon.

No longer can I see Macbeth without

me seeing gouts of Banquo’s spilled red blood.

 

And what about the wife of good Macduff?

For she will never take a breath again.

Imagine watching when thy son was slain.

For he was killed.  T’was right before her eyes!

O, he was slain and she was cruelly killed.

How dare thee kill an innocent young boy!

 

Oh King Macbeth, a demon you became.

Remember when we fell in deepest love?

Oh fie upon it! Go thee hence Macbeth!

You are a monster, lurking in the night.

Now who is thy next victim cruel Macbeth?

Oh murder me! Oh slit my damnèd throat!

Thou art a killer, not the man I loved.

Where art thou King Macbeth? Macbeth? Macbeth?

The darkness covers and protects Macbeth.

Oh dost thou feel the creeping guilt and shame?

Macbeth cannot permit himself to look

me in the eyes.  Avoid me now thou dost!

Hath I become unworthy of your gaze?

Thou worship thy disgusting witches. Fe!

The witches planted evil in thy head.

In the foretelling thou became absorbed.

I knew thee ere, I dost not now.

Thou shall be conquered very soon Macbeth.

And once thou art, shall we walk together in hell?                                                     

 

The question still remains: what shall I do?

Can I continue living with this guilt?

To bed! To bed! But no! I wish for sleep.

This ruthless guilt hath taken over me.

My bones dost ache of carting guilt around.

I am a worthless human being. Wait! 

No longer can I call myself a queen.

That was a lie. I am no human now.

Oh I cannot permit myself to live!

Oh no! Of course not! But I search for light.

Lady Macbeth admires the taper.

 

To the taper. Thou little taper, sweetness to my life.

But I could never take enough of thee.

What are you doing here my tiny light?

Thy forceful power overwhelms my soul.

Lady Macbeth throws the taper forcefully into the fireplace.

Bright sun! Conceal, protect this monster now!

Oh nothing can redeem my evil deeds.

The guilt hath spread: a wild, burning fire.

Oh woe is me! Oh fie! Oh fie! Oh fie!

I know what I must do – my duty now.

Lady Macbeth approaches the fire.

 

What would my servants think finding me dead?

All people hate malicious Queen Macbeth:

In Glamis, Britain, Fife, they will rejoice!

The fire burns so cruelly, it invites

me into raging, blazing, violent death!

Lady Macbeth places her hand into the fire.

 

Thou damnèd world, thou givst no other choice!

Lady Macbeth steps into the fire and lets out a piercing cry.

 

Oh light! Please take me! I deserve to die!

Now take me light! Now cover my darkness!

Oh woe is me! Oh fie! My life! My life!

Lady Macbeth dies.