Macduff Monologue

Macduff

Many thanks to the King of England! Let us stand here and strip Macbeth of his confidence. But, before that let us grieve the death of our fallen comrade, Banquo, who lost his life during Macbeth’s rise to the throne.  And THEN we must march to Dunsinane Hill and free this country from Macbeth’s reign.

(Sitting in a chair in his tent)

Macbeth…Macbeth...Macbeth

you were like a brother to us. I cannot believe I fell for your tricks. I cannot believe we fell for your tricks. When you came to power nobody suspected that you had played foully for it, but now that you have shown your true self our paths are destined to meet and your death is unavoidable. You betrayed us; why? WHY MACBETH? WHY? How could you… How could you murder Duncan, your cousin? He gave you everything, he even made you the thane of Cawdor. He TRUSTED YOU. WE TRUSTED YOU. Well I guess, there is not art to find the minds construction in the face!!

What crimes did I commit that resulted in the killing of my family? My wife, children, servants and all. Why did my wife and children have to pay for the crimes that I supposedly committed? Why did they have to be slaughtered, INSIDE their OWN HOMES.

What crimes did I even commit? All I did was think for the future of my country for the future of Scotland. My children, they were my only hope, my only hope to carry on my bloodline, and YOU cut it OFF.

I still remember the times when you gained fame, when Duncan ruled the lands as far as the eye could see, when the times were peaceful, and killing others was not to gain power or lands. When the people were happy and not ruled by a tyrant like you.

Many still hope to see the Macbeth, that we have known. Many still hope that the Macbeth we have known is still in there and hasn’t died with the birth of the new one. The courageous and brave Macbeth, who killed the traitor MacDonwald in the battlefield, the Macbeth that fought for his king and not for selfish means. The loyal and faithful Macbeth who held a banquet to honour his king…or was it to murder him? What triggered the switch, the change of ambition for the kingship in you? What made you a stranger to me, to us? I doubt this was all your doing. The Macbeth that I knew was loyal and not a traitor, he would never do this. Never! What was the spur that made you go down this path of destruction? Was it Lady Macbeth or your own vaulting ambition that emerged from nowhere and nobody had any idea about? It could not have been Lady Macbeth, I still remember the day of the banquet - I still remember how kind a hostess she was. But, your foul and treacherous actions have made me suspect anyone I thought I knew. They have made me a distrustful person. I suspect that both Lady Macbeth and your ambition led you down this path. But any of these things do not matter anymore, the only thing waiting for you at the end of this path is death. Death will soon march with Birnam Wood to take back everything you have stolen and to give Scotland its rightful heir. The only thing you have left me wanting is nothing but your death, nothing but to see your face when everything you worked for is snatched away from you.

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