Macbeth Makes His Move

Listening to women can get you into a heap of trouble.

Macbeth Makes His Move

 

By Elton Camp

 

Because I am called a Thane,

I let it come to make me vain.

King Duncan was not only my friend,

But to him, I am also of very close kin.

 

When he needed me to help fight

It was to me such a pure delight.

Will not have to do it ever again

After we made a spectacular win.

 

But on that very same victorious day

Another Thane did the king betray

Duncan knew the thing to do

Give me that Thaneship too

 

How could that be a promotion?

Perhaps an old king’s idle notion.

Possibly it will be nice

To have same title twice

 

In advance, three witches knew.

Told it as they stirred their brew.

“And there’s another thing,

You also will become king.”

 

I was not the only one to know.

Hearing it was my friend, Banquo.

Him to be king?  No indeed,

But king will become his seed.

 

Idea they had planted as to my fate,

To share with wife, I couldn’t wait

She knew just what we could do.

We have a chance to make it true.

 

“King is coming to spend the night with us.

So easy for us to kill him without any fuss.

Wait until he falls asleep.

Dagger plunge very deep.”

 

“No, that would not be fair play.

Will not become king that way!”

But she would not let it drop

Duncan’s reign she would stop

 

“Biggest coward I’ve ever seen,

Won’t help me become queen.

If you are not man to use the knife,

Then just leave it to your little wife.”

 

But in the air I did find

Cruel dagger of the mind

Decided it would be dumb

To worry about life to come

 

While the king lay asleep in bed

Our hands became scarlet red.

When others learned of the deed,

I then reacted with great speed

 

Loudly did I weep and wail.

King’s attendants did assail.

“Those knaves their lord did slay

So I killed them all, right away.”

 

The kingship on me then fell

As the three hags did foretell.

Banquo suspected my evil plot

To let him live, I could not

 

Though the king’s ghost did not appear

To me, one of Banquo then drew near

It was such a horrible surprise

Wild with fear became my eyes.

 

I was not sorry to have killed the king

But others must not hear about the thing.

If they learn about my acts that day,

The kingship will surely take away.

 

My wife, through guilt, lost her mind

Hallucinations then put her in a bind

“Out damned spot, out I say.”

Nothing blood could wash away.

 

That became the reason why

Very soon, she came to die

Witches, though, comfort brought

With the most welcome thought

 

Evil three then said with voices shrill,

“None born of woman can you kill.”

To me did complete protection give.

Except that way, none come to live.

 

But Macduff gave me a shocking tip.

“From my mother, doctor did me rip.”

So born from woman he was not

That fact put me in a terrible spot.

 

With his sword, he gave me a whack

Left me bleeding, dying on my back.

If witch or wife you should address,

It may get you into a terrible mess.