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SCENE II
The country near Dunsinane.

Drum and colours. Enter MENTEITH, CAITHNESS, ANGUS, LENNOX, and Soldiers

MENTEITH
The English power is near, led on by Malcolm,
His uncle Siward and the good Macduff:
Revenges burn in them; for their dear causes
Would to the bleeding and the grim alarm
Excite the mortified man.¹

ANGUS
Near Birnam wood
Shall we well meet them; that way are they coming.

CAITHNESS
Who knows if Donalbain be with his brother?

LENNOX
For certain, sir, he is not: I have a file
Of all the gentry: there is Siward's son,
And many unrough youths that even now
Protest their first of manhood.²

MENTEITH
What does the tyrant?

CAITHNESS
Great Dunsinane he strongly fortifies:
Some say he's mad; others that lesser hate him
Do call it valiant fury: but, for certain,
He cannot buckle his distemper'd cause
Within the belt of rule.³

ANGUS
Now does he feel
His secret murders sticking on his hands;
Now minutely revolts upbraid his faith-breach;
Those he commands move only in command,
Nothing in love: now does he feel his title
Hang loose about him, like a giant's robe
Upon a dwarfish thief.⁴

MENTEITH
Who then shall blame
His pester'd senses to recoil and start,
When all that is within him does condemn
Itself for being there?

CAITHNESS
Well, march we on,
To give obedience where 'tis truly owed:
Meet we the medicine of the sickly weal,
And with him pour we in our country's purge
Each drop of us.⁵

LENNOX
Or so much as it needs,
To dew the sovereign flower and drown the weeds.
Make we our march towards Birnam.

Exeunt, marching

FOOTNOTES

¹ Their sufferings would make dead men rise up and fight.
² Siward's son and other boys too young to have bears are joining in this battle and will soon become men.
³ He's out of control.
⁴ He cannot live up to the title of king. He is like a midget trying to wear the robes of a giant.
⁵ The growing forces of evil
⁶ Let's keep marching and give our loyalty to someone who really deserves it. We're going to meet Malcolm, the doctor who will cure our sick country. We'll sacrifice our own blood to help him.

SUMMARY

Outside the castle some Scottish lords discuss the military situation: the English army led by Malcolm is approaching and the Scottish army will meet them near Birnam Wood to join forces. Lennox and the lords call Macbeth a tyrant, saying he has fortified (made castle walls) around Dunsinane Castle and is making military preparations in a mad rage.