Macbeth — Act 5, Scene 7in modern English, side by side

The same. Another part of the Plain · Macbeth, Young Siward, Macduff, Siward, Malcolm

The battle for Dunsinane is underway. Macbeth, cornered but still trusting the prophecy that no man born of a woman can harm him, cuts down young Siward, while Macduff hunts the field for the man who murdered his family and the castle falls to Malcolm.

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Alarums. Enter Macbeth

Macbeth

They have tied me to a stake.

They've tied me to a stake.

I cannot fly,

But, bear-like I must fight the course.—

I can't run — like a baited bear, I have to stand and fight off the attack.

What’s he

That was not born of woman?

Where is the man who wasn't born of a woman?

Such a one

Am I to fear, or none.

He's the one I'm supposed to fear, and no one else.

Enter young Siward

Young Siward

What is thy name?5

What is your name?

Macbeth

Thou’lt be afraid to hear it.

You'll be afraid to hear it.

Young Siward

No; though thou call’st thyself a hotter name

Than any is in hell.

No — not even if you call yourself a name hotter than any in hell.

Macbeth

My name’s Macbeth.

My name is Macbeth.

Young Siward

The devil himself could not pronounce a title10

More hateful to mine ear.

The devil himself couldn't speak a name I'd hate more to hear.

Macbeth

No, nor more fearful.

No — nor one more terrifying.

Young Siward

Thou liest, abhorred tyrant.

You lie, you loathsome tyrant.

With my sword

I’ll prove the lie thou speak’st.

With my sword I'll prove that you're lying.

_They fight, and young Siward is slain._

Macbeth

Thou wast born of woman.15

You were born of a woman.

But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn,

Brandish’d by man that’s of a woman born.

I smile at swords and laugh weapons to scorn when they're swung by any man born of a woman.

_Exit._

Alarums. Enter Macduff

Macduff

That way the noise is.—

The noise is coming from that direction.

Tyrant, show thy face!

— Tyrant, show your face!

If thou be’st slain and with no stroke of mine,

My wife and children’s ghosts will haunt me still.20

If you've been killed by anyone's blow but mine, my wife's and children's ghosts will haunt me forever.

I cannot strike at wretched kerns, whose arms

Are hired to bear their staves.

I can't waste strokes on miserable hired foot-soldiers, paid to carry their spears.

Either thou, Macbeth,

Or else my sword, with an unbatter’d edge,

I sheathe again undeeded.

It's you, Macbeth — either you, or I'll sheathe my sword again with its edge unblunted, having done nothing.

There thou shouldst be;

By this great clatter, one of greatest note25

Seems bruited.

That's where you should be: judging by all that clatter, someone of the highest rank must be there.

Let me find him, Fortune!

And more I beg not.

I ask for nothing more.

_Exit. Alarums._

Enter Malcolm and old Siward

Siward

This way, my lord;—

This way, my lord.

the castle’s gently render’d:

The castle gave itself up without a fight.

The tyrant’s people on both sides do fight;

The tyrant's own people are fighting on both sides,

The noble thanes do bravely in the war,30

the noble thanes are performing bravely in the battle,

The day almost itself professes yours,

the day is practically declaring itself yours,

And little is to do.

and there's little left to do.

Malcolm

We have met with foes

That strike beside us.

We've met enemies who deliberately strike wide to miss us.

Siward

Enter, sir, the castle.35

Enter the castle, sir.

_Exeunt. Alarums._

Famous lines in this scene

“They have tied me to a stake. I cannot fly, / But, bear-like I must fight the course.” line 1

Macbeth compares himself to a bear in bear-baiting, a popular Elizabethan blood sport in which a chained bear fought off waves of attacking dogs. Escape is impossible; all he can do is fight each assault as it comes. The image admits he is trapped while insisting he remains dangerous.

Confused by a different line? Paste any Shakespeare — any play, any edition — and get it in modern English.

Studying the language itself? Our Shakespearean English course teaches thou/thee, the verbs, and the meter — free through Unit 2. Or try the Shakespearean English translator.