The Crown of Ashes: What If King Lear Met Macbeth?

Prologue: Two Kings, One Fatal Mistake

Before the curtain rises. Darkness. The sound of rain, first gentle, then fierce. Somewhere a bell tolls once. A solitary light reveals the FOOL, standing before a bare wooden chair. Upon the chair rests a crown. He does not touch it.

FOOL

Come closer, good people. Not too close. Crowns are dangerous things, and this one has not yet decided whom to bite.

You have come to see two kings. One is old enough to know better. The other is young enough to believe that knowing better is the same as doing better. One gave away a kingdom and found himself unwanted. The other took a kingdom and discovered that no door could keep his fear outside.

You may think them opposites. I thought so once.

The first is Lear. He had three daughters and asked them to tell him how much they loved him. An easy question, you say? Not when the answer carries a price. Two daughters dressed their words in silk and received the land. The youngest, Cordelia, spoke plainly and received her father's anger. Lear mistook a truthful heart for an empty one, and sent away the child who loved him without bargaining.

The second is Macbeth. He heard a promise from strange mouths upon a heath. A crown, they said, would come to him. But he could not bear to wait for the future to arrive. With his wife beside him and murder in his thoughts, he made a road through the sleeping king's chamber. He gained Scotland and lost the quiet of his own mind.

Now consider this chair.

He circles it.

It has four legs. A king has two. Yet kings often believe they cannot stand unless a throne holds them up. Take away the chair, and they stagger. Take away the crown, and they ask who they are. Take away the praise, and some grow angry enough to burn the house that sheltered them.

I served Lear. I watched him turn a daughter's honesty into an insult. I made jokes, for a joke can sometimes enter a royal ear when counsel cannot. He laughed at the wrong moments and grew furious at the right ones. Still I followed him, through rain and cold, hoping that somewhere beneath his wounded pride a father might be waiting.

And what of Macbeth? I have not served him, though I have known his kind. He keeps his sword close and his sleep far away. He believes that every danger has a face he can threaten, a throat he can silence, a gate he can bar. Yet the thing he fears most walks beside him wherever he goes.

Tonight their roads meet at Dunsinane.

Lear arrives without a crown, seeking shelter. Macbeth offers him a roof, then turns the roof into a prison. Between them stand daughters, wives, servants, soldiers, and men who still dare to speak truth. There will be bargains made in royal chambers, letters hidden in sleeves, a forest that seems to walk, and a sword that may yet be set upon the ground.

Do not expect the innocent to remain untouched. Nor expect one good deed to wash a hundred cruel ones away. A father's apology cannot return stolen years. A king's surrender cannot raise the dead. The living must decide what to do with the truth after it is spoken.

The FOOL lifts the crown from the chair. He weighs it in his hands.

How small it is. How many lives men have poured into this little circle.

Here is my wager: before the night is done, the man who has lost his crown may discover what a king ought to be. And the man who still wears his may discover what it costs to take it off.

He replaces the crown upon the chair and steps back into the darkness.

Listen. The storm has reached the gate.

Thunder. A heavy knock sounds three times. Blackout.

End of Prologue.

Act I, Scene One: The Stranger at Dunsinane

Scotland. A mountain road beneath the walls of Dunsinane. Night. Wind drives rain across the stones. Far above, torches burn behind the battlements. A bell sounds once, then falls silent.

Enter LEAR, KENT, and the FOOL. Lear's cloak is torn. Kent supports him as they struggle uphill. The Fool carries a small bundle wrapped against the rain.

LEAR

There. A light. I told thee there was light.

KENT

A fortress, my lord. Not necessarily a refuge.

LEAR

Must every stone in Britain learn to turn its face against me? I have crossed a kingdom that was mine, and every gate has asked whose leave I carry.

FOOL

A gate is an honest servant, nuncle. It opens for the man with the key, not the man with the story.

LEAR

Peace, boy.

FOOL

Gladly, if thou canst find me a dry piece of it.

Lear stops to catch his breath. Kent watches the distant torches.

KENT

We should not give our names until we know whose men keep watch. Your daughters have riders on the northern roads.

LEAR

My daughters. Say rather the two strangers who wear my blood like stolen velvet.

KENT

Their orders are no less dangerous for being unjust.

LEAR

I gave them fields, rivers, towns, the very chairs from which they now command my capture. Is this what fathers purchase with generosity?

FOOL

A father who gives away his house should keep one room for himself. Better yet, the door.

LEAR

I did not give away my name.

FOOL

No, nuncle. Only the men who used to answer when it was called.

A gust nearly throws Lear to his knees. Kent catches him.

KENT

We need shelter. The old border track lies behind us. Ahead is Dunsinane, held by Macbeth, King of Scotland.

LEAR

Macbeth. A soldier made king. I have heard his name. They say he defeated traitors and brought order to a divided land.

KENT

They say many things. King Duncan is dead, and his sons have fled. The manner of his death is disputed.

LEAR

Then Scotland too has learned that crowns sit lightly upon the head.

FOOL

Some crowns are light, nuncle. It is the secrets underneath that weigh so much.

From above, a GUARD raises a lantern.

FIRST GUARD

Who approaches Dunsinane after the watch bell?

KENT

Travelers from the south, seeking shelter from the storm.

FIRST GUARD

Names and business.

LEAR

Tell thy master King Lear stands at his gate.

KENT

My lord—

LEAR

I will not creep into a castle as though I were a thief. Tell him Lear of Britain asks the hospitality due to a king.

The guard hesitates. A SECOND GUARD appears beside him.

SECOND GUARD

Lear? The king whose daughters rule in his place?

LEAR

The king whose daughters have forgotten how to be daughters.

FOOL

And whose Fool has forgotten what dry stockings feel like.

FIRST GUARD

Wait where you stand.

The guards withdraw. Lear looks up at the black walls.

LEAR

A soldier king will know the meaning of loyalty.

KENT

I pray he does.

FOOL

I pray he knows the meaning of supper. Loyalty can wait until morning.

The scene shifts to a chamber above the gate. MACBETH stands over a table scattered with maps. A CAPTAIN enters, dripping rain.

CAPTAIN

My liege, three travelers have come from the southern road. One claims to be Lear, the dispossessed king of Britain.

MACBETH

Lear himself?

CAPTAIN

An old man in a torn cloak, with one attendant and a fool. He speaks as though the land still belongs to him.

MACBETH

An interesting habit in a king who owns none of it. Have you searched them?

CAPTAIN

Not yet.

MACBETH

Do so with courtesy. Has word of their coming reached the English border posts?

CAPTAIN

We cannot say. Riders have been seen behind them, though none approached the walls.

Macbeth considers the map. His finger rests upon the road south toward England.

MACBETH

Malcolm shelters in England. Macduff whispers in his ear. And now a king driven out by his daughters comes to my gate. Fortune sends strange guests when a kingdom is troubled.

CAPTAIN

Shall I turn them away?

MACBETH

No. A man with no throne may still possess a name that moves armies. Bring them inside. Feed them. Let no one say Macbeth left an old king to perish in the rain.

CAPTAIN

And afterward?

MACBETH

Afterward, we learn what his enemies fear and what his friends might pay to see him free.

The Captain bows and leaves. LADY MACBETH enters from the shadows.

LADY MACBETH

You speak of guests as though they were pieces on a board.

MACBETH

A king who cannot see the board soon finds himself removed from it.

LADY MACBETH

Then be certain you know whose game you play. The old man may bring a war to our door.

MACBETH

War already walks toward us. Perhaps this one brings a shield.

LADY MACBETH

Or a witness.

Macbeth turns sharply.

MACBETH

To what?

LADY MACBETH

To the state of our court. To the way men lower their voices when we pass. A stranger may see what those who live here dare not speak.

MACBETH

Then let him see a king who gives shelter. Prepare a chamber and a table. I will receive him myself.

Lady Macbeth studies him, then exits. Macbeth remains alone for a moment.

MACBETH

A fallen king at my gate. What message does the night intend?

Below, the heavy gate opens. The scene returns to the courtyard. Guards hold torches as Lear, Kent, and the Fool enter. Macbeth descends the steps to meet them.

MACBETH

King Lear. Scotland is honored by your presence, though I would wish a kinder road had brought you here.

LEAR

Macbeth. I have walked among men who once bowed to me and found them suddenly blind. Your greeting does you credit.

MACBETH

A crown may change hands. The respect owed to suffering does not.

FOOL

A handsome sentence, nuncle. We must ask whether it comes with blankets.

Macbeth smiles.

MACBETH

Blankets, bread, and a fire. Your wit has traveled farther than your comfort, it seems.

FOOL

Wit travels light, Your Majesty. Comfort has been stolen by better-dressed people.

MACBETH

Then we shall see what Scotland can restore. Captain, take our guests to the western chambers.

KENT

Your generosity is welcome. We hope to depart as soon as the roads are safe.

Macbeth's smile does not change.

MACBETH

There is no haste. The northern roads are treacherous, and the southern roads more so. You will be safer beneath my protection.

LEAR

I have had enough of protection offered by those who would command me. Yet I thank you. I know what honor sounds like, though I have heard little of it lately.

MACBETH

Then rest tonight. Tomorrow we may speak as kings, without the storm between us.

Lear is moved by the invitation. Kent is less reassured. The Fool glances at the armed men above the gate.

FOOL

Two kings beneath one roof. We shall need a very large bed, or a very careful carpenter.

LEAR

Must thou jest at every kindness?

FOOL

Only until I know what it costs.

Lear follows a servant into the castle. Kent pauses beside Macbeth.

KENT

My lord has endured much. I ask only that he be allowed to rest undisturbed.

MACBETH

He shall be treated with every courtesy.

KENT

And when he wishes to leave?

A beat.

MACBETH

Then we shall discuss the safest road.

Kent bows without lowering his eyes and follows Lear. The Fool lingers at the threshold, examining the gate.

MACBETH

Have you lost something, little sir?

FOOL

No, Your Majesty. I am counting hinges.

MACBETH

Hinges?

FOOL

A door may welcome a man with one face and keep him with another. I like to know which way it swings.

The Fool slips inside. Macbeth watches him go. The Captain approaches.

CAPTAIN

Their horses are exhausted. The old king's attendant has asked that they be made ready for morning.

MACBETH

See that they are fed. Keep them in the lower stable.

CAPTAIN

Saddled at dawn?

MACBETH

No. And place trusted men at the western passage. The guests may walk within the castle, but none is to pass beyond its walls without my word.

CAPTAIN

They believe themselves free to depart.

MACBETH

Then do not trouble their sleep with news to the contrary.

The Captain departs. Macbeth looks south, toward the unseen English border. Inside the castle, a door closes. Above the courtyard, guards slide the iron bolts into place.

From somewhere within, the Fool's voice is heard, softly, almost to himself.

FOOL

A warm fire, a full plate, a kindly king. If this be a prison, it has learned good manners.

Blackout.

End of Act I, Scene One.

Act I, Scene Two: The Banquet of Two Kings

Dunsinane. The great hall of Macbeth's castle. Evening.

Long tables shine beneath hundreds of candles. A fire roars in the enormous hearth. Servants carry roasted meats, bread, fruit, and flagons of wine. At the high table stand two chairs of state: one beneath the royal canopy, the other beside it, prepared for LEAR. A third chair, farther down, remains empty.

LADY MACBETH directs the servants. A STEWARD approaches.

STEWARD

The guests are assembled, my lady. The old king's attendants ask whether they may dine beside him.

LADY MACBETH

His gentleman may stand behind his chair. The Fool may sit where he pleases, provided he knows when to hold his tongue.

STEWARD

He has already asked whether our silver is real.

LADY MACBETH

What did you tell him?

STEWARD

That it belongs to the King.

LADY MACBETH

Then you answered a different question.

She straightens a goblet and looks toward the empty chair.

LADY MACBETH

Why is that place laid?

STEWARD

It was reserved for Lord Banquo before word came that he would not attend.

LADY MACBETH

Remove it.

STEWARD

The chair, my lady?

LADY MACBETH

The setting. Leave the chair. A vacant place need not be announced to the room.

The Steward obeys. Trumpets sound. Enter MACBETH, LEAR, KENT, the FOOL, nobles, and guards. Macbeth wears a crown. Lear wears the clean but plain cloak provided to him.

MACBETH

Friends, tonight our house receives a guest whom misfortune has wronged but cannot diminish. I ask you to honor Lear of Britain, whose years of rule deserve more reverence than the storms have shown him.

The company rises. Lear inclines his head, deeply moved despite himself.

LEAR

You have offered a tired man what his own blood denied him: a chair, a fire, and a voice that does not command him to depart. I thank you, Macbeth.

MACBETH

Sit beside me. Let the world see that Scotland remembers what is owed to kings.

FOOL

And what is owed to fools, Your Majesty?

MACBETH

Supper, if they behave.

FOOL

Then I shall behave until the pudding.

Laughter. The company sits. Kent remains behind Lear, watching the doors. Macbeth signals for wine.

MACBETH

You have traveled far, my lord. I am told the roads behind you are watched by men in your daughters' colors.

LEAR

My daughters have grown fond of colors. They dress betrayal in fine cloth and call it government.

MACBETH

An ungrateful child is a crueler enemy than any foreign army.

LEAR

Aye. An enemy in the field declares himself. A daughter may kiss your hand before she takes away the chair beneath you.

MACBETH

Then a father must remind his children whose hand raised them.

KENT

Sometimes the hand that raised them must learn when to unclench.

Lear turns sharply.

LEAR

I did not ask counsel at table.

MACBETH

Your servant speaks boldly.

LEAR

He has always suffered that defect.

KENT

And survived it, my lord, by your mercy.

FOOL

A rare mercy. Nuncle usually prefers a mirror that tells him he is handsome.

LEAR

And what does my mirror say now?

FOOL

That the rain has improved your complexion. It has washed away much of the king and left the man underneath.

Some guests laugh cautiously. Macbeth studies Lear.

MACBETH

The man beneath the king. An interesting distinction. I have never found the two easily separated.

LEAR

Nor did I, until my daughters performed the surgery.

Lady Macbeth gives a small signal. Musicians begin a quiet tune. Servants refill the cups.

MACBETH

Tell me of your youngest daughter. Cordelia, is it not? I hear she is now Queen of France.

Lear's expression changes.

LEAR

She is.

MACBETH

And unlike her sisters, she has not turned her soldiers against you?

LEAR

She turned her words against me first. I asked for love, and she gave me a measure of duty, as though a father's heart were a merchant's scale.

KENT

She spoke plainly, my lord.

LEAR

Plainly enough to wound me.

MACBETH

Yet France commands armies. A daughter's affection may prove useful when the hour comes to reclaim what is yours.

LEAR

I would sooner have her love than her soldiers.

He hesitates, surprised by his own words.

MACBETH

Would you? A king without soldiers must trust the kindness of other kings.

FOOL

And a king with soldiers must trust that they will not discover a kinder king.

The laughter is thinner now. Macbeth turns toward the Fool.

MACBETH

Does your tongue never fear its own sharpness?

FOOL

Often. But I have found that a dull tongue can cut its owner just as deeply.

LADY MACBETH

Our guest has traveled through hardship. Let us spare him the quarrels of courts and give him an evening of peace.

LEAR

Peace. There is a word I once thought I could command. My herald spoke it, and men put down their swords. Yet I could not summon it to my own house.

MACBETH

Peace is secured by strength.

LEAR

Is it? Then why does the strongest man in the room keep looking at the doors?

Macbeth's hand stops upon his cup. A pause.

MACBETH

A king watches his house.

LEAR

So I once told myself.

A MESSENGER appears at a side entrance. Macbeth rises and steps away from the table. Their exchange is low but audible in fragments.

MESSENGER

My lord, the riders have returned. The father is dead, but the son—

MACBETH

Speak lower.

MESSENGER

The boy escaped us. Fleance is gone.

Macbeth grips the messenger's arm.

MACBETH

Search the northern roads. Every crossing. Every shepherd's hut. No word of this reaches the hall.

The Messenger bows and disappears. Macbeth remains still for a moment before returning. Lady Macbeth watches his face.

LADY MACBETH

My lord? Your guests await you.

MACBETH

Then let no man say I neglected them.

He lifts his goblet.

MACBETH

To the health of our noble guest, and to friends absent from this table. Would that Banquo were here to share our welcome.

As Macbeth turns to sit, he stops. BANQUO'S GHOST is seated in the vacant chair. His hair and clothing bear the marks of violence. No one else reacts.

MACBETH

Who has done this?

The room falls silent.

LADY MACBETH

Done what, my lord?

MACBETH

Which of you placed him there?

FIRST LORD

Placed whom, Your Majesty?

Macbeth points at the chair.

MACBETH

Do not pretend you cannot see him.

LEAR

Who sits there?

FIRST LORD

No one, my lord.

Macbeth backs away. The ghost looks at him without speaking.

MACBETH

Thou hast no business here. The earth received thee. Keep what it has taken.

LADY MACBETH

My husband suffers from an old affliction. It passes quickly. Pay it no mind.

FOOL

An empty chair has made the King forget his manners. I should like to see what a full one might do.

KENT

Quiet.

MACBETH

Look at me, then! If thou hast a charge, speak it before them all!

Macbeth lunges toward the chair. The ghost vanishes. Macbeth catches the back of it and stands breathing hard. The guests stare.

LEAR

Macbeth. Come away from that place.

MACBETH

You saw him?

LEAR

I saw a man afraid.

MACBETH

That is not what I asked.

LEAR

It is what I can answer.

Lady Macbeth moves between Macbeth and the guests.

LADY MACBETH

The feast is ended. His Majesty has given too much of himself to the affairs of Scotland. You will forgive this sudden leave-taking.

FIRST LORD

We wish the King good rest.

The lords rise. Servants hurry to clear the tables. Macbeth turns to Lear, struggling to regain composure.

MACBETH

A passing fever. Nothing more.

LEAR

I have known nights when the mind sets enemies before us that no sword can reach.

MACBETH

I need no counsel on the workings of my mind.

LEAR

Nor did I, when my mind first began to fail me. That was part of the trouble.

Macbeth looks away. Lear takes a step closer.

LEAR

What hast thou lost, my brother, that thou darest not name?

Macbeth turns back, his face hardening.

MACBETH

Nothing that concerns you.

FOOL

Then it must be a very small nothing, to fill so great a hall.

LADY MACBETH

Your chamber is ready, King Lear. The hour is late.

KENT

Come, my lord.

Lear hesitates, then allows Kent to guide him away. The Fool follows, but pauses beside the empty chair.

FOOL

Good night, whoever thou art. Thou hast eaten less than the rest and frightened them more.

He exits. The hall empties. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth remain. For several moments neither speaks.

LADY MACBETH

You spoke to an empty chair before the whole court.

MACBETH

It was not empty.

LADY MACBETH

Whatever you saw, you gave it a voice by answering.

MACBETH

Banquo is dead. I know that much. Yet his son lives. The witches promised a line of kings from Banquo's blood, and every hour the boy breathes is an hour stolen from my house.

LADY MACBETH

You cannot murder every future you fear.

MACBETH

Then I must learn which threats can be turned against one another. A frightened enemy may serve me better than a dead one.

LADY MACBETH

And when he ceases to be frightened?

MACBETH

I will have made certain he cannot leave.

Macbeth stares at the vacant chair.

MACBETH

The old king watched me as though he knew.

LADY MACBETH

Lear knows grief. That does not make him a prophet.

MACBETH

He has no crown, no army, and scarcely a servant. Yet he asked me a question no lord in Scotland would dare put to my face.

LADY MACBETH

Then do not make an enemy of him for speaking it.

MACBETH

A king without a kingdom can still become a banner. Malcolm has friends in England. Cordelia has France. If Lear stands with them, our enemies may gather beneath one cause.

LADY MACBETH

And if he does not?

MACBETH

Then I must learn how to keep him here.

LADY MACBETH

You have already ordered that.

Macbeth turns toward her. She has understood more than he intended.

MACBETH

You hear much within these walls.

LADY MACBETH

The walls have grown thin since Duncan died.

Macbeth recoils at the name.

MACBETH

Do not speak it here.

LADY MACBETH

Then where may it be spoken? In sleep? In the dark? Must every room in this castle be emptied before we may name the dead?

For a moment Macbeth seems ready to answer. Instead, he moves toward the door.

MACBETH

Tomorrow I shall send for news of Cordelia. If she seeks her father, I would know her road before she finds it.

LADY MACBETH

What do you intend?

MACBETH

To receive her with the same kindness I have shown him.

He exits. Lady Macbeth remains beside the vacant chair. She slowly lifts the untouched goblet from its place, then sets it down again.

Elsewhere in the castle, a narrow passage outside Lear's chamber. KENT checks the latch. LEAR stands by the window, looking toward the dark courtyard. The FOOL sits on the floor, drying his shoes near a small fire.

LEAR

He was frightened. I know that look.

KENT

The court knows it too, I think. None dared speak until his Queen dismissed them.

LEAR

A powerful king, attended by armed men, afraid of a chair that held no one.

FOOL

Perhaps the chair held a truth, nuncle. Truth is invisible to many men until it sits at their table.

LEAR

I have seen things that were not there. In the storm I heard my daughters in the thunder. I heard them laugh when the sky broke open.

KENT

You had suffered hunger and cold. Your mind was overburdened.

LEAR

And his? What burdens a king who has everything?

FOOL

Keeping it.

Lear turns toward the Fool.

LEAR

You think Macbeth wicked?

FOOL

I think a man who locks his pantry may be guarding bread. A man who locks every door may be guarding something else.

KENT

I counted four guards in the western passage. There were two when we arrived.

LEAR

He promised us safety.

KENT

He did not promise us freedom.

Lear sits heavily. For once he has no angry reply.

LEAR

I mistook my daughters' praises for love. I would not make the same mistake with a stranger's courtesy.

FOOL

That is a fine beginning, nuncle. Tomorrow we may teach thee to tell a window from a door.

Lear almost smiles.

LEAR

And what lesson comes after that?

FOOL

How to leave through the door before someone remembers to lock it.

Footsteps sound beyond the chamber. Kent moves toward the entrance and listens. The heavy tread of guards passes, then stops.

FIRST GUARD (from outside)

By order of the King, no guest leaves the western wing tonight.

SECOND GUARD (from outside)

And at dawn?

FIRST GUARD (from outside)

The order stands until His Majesty changes it.

Kent looks at Lear. The Fool slowly sets down his shoe.

LEAR

So. We are honored guests.

FOOL

Indeed, nuncle. So honored that the King cannot bear to part with us.

The fire sinks. Beyond the window, Dunsinane's gate is shut and barred. Lear watches it in silence.

Blackout.

End of Act I, Scene Two.

Act I, Scene Three: The Bastard's Bargain

Dunsinane. The eastern courtyard. Morning.

The storm has passed, leaving the castle walls wet and black beneath a pale sky. Soldiers unload provisions from a wagon. Beyond the gates, the mountains stand under low clouds.

KENT enters, carrying a folded cloak. He approaches a CAPTAIN who is inspecting the guards.

KENT

Good morning, Captain. I would have our horses brought from the stables. King Lear wishes to travel when the weather clears.

CAPTAIN

The horses are being cared for.

KENT

I did not question their comfort. I asked that they be made ready.

CAPTAIN

No horses leave Dunsinane without the King's permission.

KENT

Your king or mine?

CAPTAIN

There is only one king within these walls whose orders I am sworn to obey.

Kent studies him.

KENT

Then your master's hospitality has acquired an unusual condition.

CAPTAIN

You may speak with His Majesty.

KENT

I intend to.

The Captain turns away. The FOOL emerges from behind a wagon, eating an apple.

FOOL

Well, Kent? Have the horses been crowned, that they too must await the King's pleasure?

KENT

They are held in the stables.

FOOL

A wise precaution. Horses have been known to carry men away from places where they are not wanted.

KENT

Speak quietly.

FOOL

Then I must become a courtier. They speak softly enough that no one hears the truth.

He takes another bite.

KENT

There are more guards than yesterday. The southern gate has been closed since dawn. We must learn what Macbeth intends before Lear confronts him.

FOOL

Nuncle will confront him before breakfast if he discovers a door has dared to disobey him.

KENT

Then keep him occupied.

FOOL

With what?

KENT

Anything.

FOOL

I have spent half my life keeping a king occupied with foolishness. Look where it has brought us.

A trumpet sounds beyond the walls. A mounted party approaches. The guards move to open the gate.

Enter EDMUND, accompanied by two attendants. He is elegantly dressed for travel, his cloak bearing the colors of neither Goneril nor Regan. He dismounts and surveys the fortress with an expression of practiced admiration.

EDMUND

A formidable house. Its master must sleep soundly.

FOOL

Then you have not dined with him.

Edmund turns.

EDMUND

And who are you?

FOOL

A man of little importance. That makes me safer than most.

EDMUND

I have heard that King Lear travels with a Fool.

FOOL

And I have heard that men who ask too many questions often know the answers already.

Kent steps forward.

KENT

State your business.

EDMUND

Edmund, son of Gloucester. I carry correspondence for Macbeth, King of Scotland.

KENT

From whom?

EDMUND

Those presently entrusted with the government of Britain.

KENT

You mean Goneril and Regan.

EDMUND

I mean those whose seals give authority to the letters I bear.

KENT

You have come a long road to avoid saying two names.

EDMUND

And you have spoken very boldly for a servant whose master has no kingdom.

Kent takes a step toward him.

KENT

Mind how you speak of Lear.

EDMUND

I spoke of his circumstances, not his worth.

FOOL

A clever difference. If a man steals my coat, he may say he has only changed my circumstances.

The Captain approaches.

CAPTAIN

Lord Edmund, His Majesty has been informed of your arrival. You are expected in the council chamber.

EDMUND

Then I shall not keep him waiting.

Edmund walks toward the castle. As he passes Kent, he pauses.

EDMUND

Give King Lear my respects. Tell him his daughters have not forgotten him.

KENT

That is precisely what troubles me.

Edmund exits with the Captain.

FOOL

A smooth gentleman.

KENT

Smooth as a knife newly sharpened.

FOOL

And twice as eager to find a pocket.

They exchange a troubled glance.

The scene shifts to Macbeth's private council chamber. Maps of Scotland, England, and the northern territories cover a long table. A fire burns beneath the royal arms.

MACBETH stands beside the table. LADY MACBETH is near the window. Enter EDMUND, escorted by the CAPTAIN.

MACBETH

Lord Edmund. Scotland welcomes an emissary from its neighbors.

EDMUND

I thank Your Majesty. I bring assurances of friendship from those who govern the southern kingdom.

MACBETH

Friendship travels strangely these days. It arrives with armed escorts and sealed letters.

EDMUND

In troubled times, even affection must protect itself.

Edmund presents two letters. Macbeth examines their seals.

MACBETH

Goneril. And Regan. Each writes separately?

EDMUND

Their interests are united, though their households remain distinct.

LADY MACBETH

A delicate answer.

EDMUND

The truth is often delicate when kingdoms are divided.

MACBETH

And what do these united sisters desire?

EDMUND

Peace along the border. Recognition of Scotland's rightful king. And an assurance that certain persons will not be permitted to disturb the settlement of Britain.

MACBETH

Certain persons?

EDMUND

Their father, chiefly.

Macbeth sets down the letters.

MACBETH

Lear is my guest.

EDMUND

So I have learned. Your generosity is already admired in the south.

MACBETH

Yet they send a messenger to discover whether I mean to continue it.

EDMUND

They fear that their father may be persuaded to reclaim authority he has freely surrendered.

LADY MACBETH

Freely? I have heard a different account of his treatment.

EDMUND

Families seldom agree upon the history of their quarrels.

MACBETH

What would the sisters have me do?

EDMUND

Keep him safe. Keep him comfortable. Above all, keep him from becoming a banner beneath which their enemies may gather.

MACBETH

You ask me to imprison a king.

EDMUND

I ask you to protect a father from the dangers of his own condition.

LADY MACBETH

And who protects him from his daughters?

Edmund meets her gaze.

EDMUND

Your Majesty, I would not presume to judge the private affections of a royal family.

LADY MACBETH

You presume a great deal for a man who has scarcely entered the room.

Macbeth gestures toward the map.

MACBETH

Leave us, Captain.

The Captain exits.

MACBETH

Let us dispense with the language of family affection. What do Goneril and Regan offer Scotland?

EDMUND

Assistance in preventing English supplies from reaching Malcolm's supporters through their territories. Information concerning the movements of hostile nobles. And recognition of Your Majesty's sovereignty.

MACBETH

Malcolm has English friends who do not depend upon your mistresses' roads.

EDMUND

True. But an army that cannot trust its rear must look backward as often as forward.

MACBETH

And in return?

EDMUND

Lear remains here until the political situation is settled. His youngest daughter is prevented from gathering support in his name.

MACBETH

Cordelia.

EDMUND

The Queen of France has been making inquiries about her father. Her agents have reached the northern ports. There are reports that she intends to cross into Scotland herself.

Lady Macbeth turns from the window.

LADY MACBETH

She would enter a foreign kingdom to find the father who rejected her?

EDMUND

So it appears.

LADY MACBETH

Then perhaps she possesses more affection than her sisters.

EDMUND

Or more ambition.

MACBETH

You see ambition in every act of loyalty.

EDMUND

I have found it prudent to examine what loyalty expects in return.

MACBETH

And what do you expect?

A pause. Edmund smiles faintly.

EDMUND

The recognition of service. My father possesses lands and titles. My brother Edgar stands before me in the order of inheritance, though I have never found him my superior in judgment or ability.

LADY MACBETH

So this mission concerns your father's estate.

EDMUND

It concerns the future. My father has chosen his heir according to custom. I intend to prove that merit deserves a place beside birth.

MACBETH

And your brother?

EDMUND

Has fled after giving our father reason to fear for his life.

LADY MACBETH

Is that what happened?

EDMUND

It is what my father believes.

Lady Macbeth watches him carefully.

MACBETH

You speak like a man who understands how a throne may be won by one whose birth gives him no promise of it.

EDMUND

I understand that the world praises courage after it has succeeded and calls it treason when it fails.

Macbeth looks at him with new interest.

MACBETH

You have come to the right court.

LADY MACBETH

Or the wrong one.

Macbeth ignores her.

MACBETH

Suppose I keep Lear within my walls. Suppose Cordelia enters Scotland. What then?

EDMUND

Her presence gives Your Majesty a choice. You may negotiate with France through her, or persuade her to support a settlement favorable to Scotland and my mistresses.

MACBETH

And if she refuses?

EDMUND

Then her freedom becomes a matter of negotiation.

LADY MACBETH

You would make a daughter pay for the privilege of seeing her father.

EDMUND

I would prevent a war in which thousands of fathers and daughters might perish.

LADY MACBETH

You have learned to make cruelty sound like mercy.

EDMUND

A useful skill in government, my lady.

Macbeth raises a hand before she can answer.

MACBETH

Enough. I shall consider the letters. You will remain at Dunsinane as my guest until I have decided.

EDMUND

I am honored.

MACBETH

One warning. You may have the confidence of Lear's daughters, but within Scotland you serve my purposes. Do not mistake my interest for trust.

EDMUND

I would never ask a king to trust a stranger merely upon his word.

Edmund bows and exits.

Lady Macbeth waits until his footsteps have faded.

LADY MACBETH

That man would sell his own father if he could persuade himself the price was just.

MACBETH

He may be useful.

LADY MACBETH

So was the dagger.

Macbeth turns sharply.

MACBETH

Must you return to that night whenever we speak of danger?

LADY MACBETH

No. The night returns without my invitation.

MACBETH

Lear's daughter may bring French soldiers to our border. Malcolm gathers men in England. If I refuse the sisters' offer, I may face enemies on every road.

LADY MACBETH

Then speak with Cordelia when she arrives. Do not begin by making her your prisoner.

MACBETH

You heard Edmund. She may become the instrument by which Lear regains his kingdom.

LADY MACBETH

And is a father restored to his daughter such a threat to Scotland?

MACBETH

A king restored to his throne is a threat to every man who stands between him and it.

Lady Macbeth looks toward the door through which Edmund departed.

LADY MACBETH

Then I fear we have invited another hungry man to our table.

She exits. Macbeth remains over the map, studying the roads between Scotland and France.

The scene shifts to a small garden enclosed by the castle walls. LEAR walks beneath a covered passage. KENT and the FOOL follow.

LEAR

This place is fair enough. Its stones are strong, its servants respectful. Macbeth knows how a king should be received.

KENT

He knows how to receive you. Whether he knows how to release you remains uncertain.

LEAR

Again thy suspicions.

KENT

Our horses are held. The gates are guarded. And a messenger from Goneril and Regan has arrived.

Lear stops.

LEAR

From my daughters?

KENT

Edmund, Gloucester's younger son.

LEAR

I remember the boy. A clever face. Gloucester spoke of him with a father's pride and embarrassment mingled together.

KENT

He carries letters for Macbeth.

LEAR

Then my daughters have followed me even here.

FOOL

A father may travel a thousand miles and still find his children waiting in his purse.

LEAR

What do they want now? Have I not surrendered enough?

KENT

We do not yet know.

LEAR

I will speak with Macbeth. He has given me his hand. He will not betray a guest for the favor of two ungrateful women.

KENT

I hope you are right.

LEAR

You doubt every man who offers me kindness.

KENT

I doubt the kindness that cannot bear examination.

Lear begins to answer, then looks away.

LEAR

There was a time when I thought Cordelia unkind. She would not praise me as her sisters did. I mistook the absence of sweet words for the absence of love.

FOOL

And now?

LEAR

Now I know sweet words may hide a bitter heart.

FOOL

A good lesson, nuncle. But thou hast learned only half.

LEAR

What is the other half?

FOOL

That a bitter word may sometimes come from a loving one.

Lear studies him.

LEAR

Thou art speaking of Cordelia.

FOOL

I am speaking of anyone who has ever told thee something thou didst not wish to hear.

Kent approaches Lear carefully.

KENT

There is news of her.

Lear's face changes at once.

LEAR

What news?

KENT

Edmund says she has sent agents north. She may be coming to Scotland herself.

LEAR

Here?

KENT

So he claims.

LEAR

After all that passed between us?

KENT

She has not forgotten you.

Lear looks beyond the walls, toward the distant hills.

LEAR

I forbade her my house. I took from her the portion that should have been hers. I sent her away with nothing but the love she would not put into words.

FOOL

And it seems she has carried that love farther than her sisters carried their promises.

Lear turns sharply, struggling between longing and pride.

LEAR

If she comes, I shall hear what she has to say.

KENT

And what will you say to her?

Lear is silent.

FOOL

There is the difficulty. A king may command a thousand men, but he cannot order one honest apology to leave his mouth.

LEAR

I have not said that I owe her an apology.

FOOL

No, nuncle. That is why I am still waiting.

Lear walks away from them, troubled.

Elsewhere, Edmund stands alone in a narrow chamber assigned to visiting nobles. He opens a small leather case containing two letters.

He reads the first, bearing Goneril's seal.

EDMUND

"Let our father remain beyond our borders. His return would unsettle every settlement we have made."

He unfolds the second, bearing Regan's seal.

EDMUND

"If the old man cannot be restrained, see that he is rendered incapable of troubling us further."

Edmund lowers the letters and smiles without pleasure.

EDMUND

Two sisters. One kingdom. Two instructions for the same father.

He takes a third letter from inside his cloak, this one addressed to him privately.

EDMUND

"And when the matter is settled, remember whose affection first recognized your worth."

He folds it away.

EDMUND

Affection. There is the most expensive word in any court.

A knock sounds.

EDMUND

Enter.

The CAPTAIN appears.

CAPTAIN

His Majesty requests that you remain available. No word of your mission is to reach Lear.

EDMUND

Naturally.

CAPTAIN

And the Queen of France?

EDMUND

What of her?

CAPTAIN

Our scouts report a small party traveling north from the coastal road. They bear French colors, though they have no army with them.

Edmund steps closer.

EDMUND

How far?

CAPTAIN

Two days, perhaps less.

EDMUND

Does Macbeth know?

CAPTAIN

He has been informed.

EDMUND

Then tell him I can identify those who travel in Cordelia's service. My mistresses have kept careful accounts of her friends.

CAPTAIN

I shall deliver the message.

The Captain exits. Edmund turns to the window.

EDMUND

Come then, Cordelia. A daughter who loves her father is a useful thing to men who know what fathers are worth.

He extinguishes the candle.

The scene returns to Macbeth's council chamber. Night is approaching. Macbeth stands before the map. The CAPTAIN waits beside him.

MACBETH

The French party must be watched from the moment it crosses our border. No violence unless I command it.

CAPTAIN

And if the Queen herself is among them?

MACBETH

Escort her here with every mark of honor.

CAPTAIN

Will she be free to depart?

Macbeth looks at the two letters from Goneril and Regan lying upon the table.

MACBETH

Not until I have spoken with her father.

CAPTAIN

And Lear?

MACBETH

He may walk the gardens. He may dine at my table. He may receive every courtesy a king deserves.

Macbeth folds the letters together.

MACBETH

But no messenger leaves Dunsinane in his name, and no horse is saddled for his departure.

CAPTAIN

It shall be done.

The Captain bows and withdraws.

Macbeth stands alone. A gust rattles the shutters. He looks toward the vacant chair at the far end of the chamber.

MACBETH

One king without a crown. One daughter with an army beyond the sea. One bastard who would sell them both.

He places his hand upon his own crown.

MACBETH

And all of them come to Scotland seeking something.

From the darkened corner, the sound of a faint footstep. Macbeth turns. No one is there.

MACBETH

Who goes?

Silence.

He moves to the door and calls for the guards. Outside, the castle bells begin marking the night watch.

High upon the battlements, soldiers close the outer gate. Far below, on the southern road, a solitary rider passes a torchlit border marker and continues toward Dunsinane.

Blackout.

End of Act I, Scene Three.

End of Act I.

Act II, Scene One: The Daughter Who Would Not Lie

Scotland. A forest road south of Dunsinane. Late afternoon.

The trees stand dark beneath a cold autumn sky. A narrow road winds between ancient oaks, their branches nearly touching overhead. In the distance, the mountains rise like broken walls.

Enter CORDELIA, accompanied by SIR ALAIN, a French knight, and two ATTENDANTS. Their horses are weary from travel. Cordelia wears a dark blue traveling cloak, with a small golden clasp bearing the lilies of France.

A distant raven cries.

SIR ALAIN

We should rest before the light fails, Your Majesty. The horses have climbed since dawn, and these roads are unfamiliar.

CORDELIA

How far to Dunsinane?

SIR ALAIN

Perhaps two hours. Less, if the road remains clear.

CORDELIA

Then we have two hours of daylight to spend.

SIR ALAIN

And a night of danger if we misjudge the road.

CORDELIA

My father has spent more than one night without shelter. I will not complain of another.

SIR ALAIN

You are Queen of France. Your safety concerns more than your own heart.

CORDELIA

I know what crown I wear, Alain. Yet before I wore it, I was a daughter.

She looks toward the distant hills.

CORDELIA

When I was a child, my father would walk with me through the orchard after supper. He knew the names of every tree. He would point to the oldest and tell me that a kingdom should grow like an oak, slowly, with roots deeper than its branches.

SIR ALAIN

He was a wise king, then.

CORDELIA

Sometimes. He was a man who could speak beautifully of roots and still cut away the branch that loved him.

SIR ALAIN

You speak without bitterness.

CORDELIA

I have had bitterness enough to know its taste. I do not wish to carry it across another border.

SIR ALAIN

He cast you out before the court. He denied your inheritance. There are those in France who say you owe him nothing.

CORDELIA

They are mistaken.

SIR ALAIN

What do you owe a father who rejected you?

CORDELIA

The truth. I owed it to him when he was king, and I owe it to him now.

SIR ALAIN

And love?

CORDELIA

That was never a debt.

She touches the small clasp at her throat.

CORDELIA

He asked how much I loved him. My sisters gave him words enough to fill a kingdom. I gave him what I could speak honestly, and he called it nothing.

SIR ALAIN

Perhaps he will ask forgiveness when he sees you.

CORDELIA

Perhaps he will ask why I have come without an army.

SIR ALAIN

You could have brought one.

CORDELIA

And made my father's rescue the beginning of another war? Scotland has troubles of its own. I came to ask for a man, not to conquer a country.

SIR ALAIN

Macbeth may not see the distinction.

CORDELIA

Then we must make him see it.

An ATTENDANT rides forward from the trees.

FIRST ATTENDANT

My lady, armed men ahead.

SIR ALAIN

How many?

FIRST ATTENDANT

Six that I could see. More may be concealed.

Sir Alain reaches for his sword.

CORDELIA

Do not draw.

SIR ALAIN

Your Majesty—

CORDELIA

We have crossed this border openly, bearing the colors of France. Let them see that we have nothing to hide.

Enter the SCOTTISH CAPTAIN with six SOLDIERS. They spread across the road, blocking the passage.

CAPTAIN

Travelers, halt. State your names and your purpose in Scotland.

SIR ALAIN

You stand before Cordelia, Queen of France, traveling under diplomatic protection. I am Sir Alain de Vienne, charged with her safety.

The Captain bows, but his soldiers do not move.

CAPTAIN

Your Majesty. We were instructed to expect you.

CORDELIA

Then your king has received my message?

CAPTAIN

His Majesty Macbeth has been informed of your approach.

CORDELIA

Good. We seek an audience concerning my father, Lear of Britain.

CAPTAIN

King Lear is presently enjoying the hospitality of Dunsinane.

CORDELIA

Is he well?

CAPTAIN

He is housed and attended.

CORDELIA

That was not my question.

The Captain hesitates.

CAPTAIN

I have not spoken with him myself, my lady.

CORDELIA

Then I shall ask him when we arrive.

CAPTAIN

His Majesty has commanded that you be escorted to the castle.

SIR ALAIN

We are grateful for the escort. Our horses require water, and we would appreciate safe passage.

CAPTAIN

Your escort may accompany you as far as the outer courtyard. Their weapons must then be surrendered.

SIR ALAIN

That is not customary treatment for a visiting queen.

CAPTAIN

It is a precaution required by the present troubles.

CORDELIA

And if I decline? Are we free to turn back?

The Captain looks at the soldiers. None moves aside.

CAPTAIN

My orders are to bring you safely to Dunsinane.

CORDELIA

Then I see that your protection is not ours to refuse.

Sir Alain moves closer to her.

SIR ALAIN

Your Majesty, we should return to the border and send word to France.

CORDELIA

If we return, my father remains here. If we resist, blood may be shed for nothing.

She looks directly at the Captain.

CORDELIA

We will accompany you. But understand this: I come as a queen seeking peaceful conversation, not as a prisoner submitting to arrest.

CAPTAIN

You will be treated with honor.

CORDELIA

Then honor your words.

The Captain bows. His soldiers turn toward Dunsinane. Cordelia and her attendants follow, surrounded by armed men.

As they disappear among the trees, a raven rises from the branches.

The scene shifts to Dunsinane. A chamber overlooking the inner courtyard.

LADY MACBETH stands before a mirror. A SERVANT fastens a dark jeweled clasp upon her gown. On a nearby table rests a silver basin filled with water.

SERVANT

The French Queen has reached the southern road, my lady. She should arrive before nightfall.

LADY MACBETH

Has the King prepared a reception?

SERVANT

He has ordered the great chamber opened. Lord Edmund is with him.

Lady Macbeth turns sharply.

LADY MACBETH

Edmund again.

SERVANT

He has scarcely left His Majesty's side since morning.

LADY MACBETH

Men who arrive bearing secrets are often reluctant to leave before they have sold them all.

The Servant lowers her eyes.

SERVANT

Will you require anything else?

LADY MACBETH

No. Leave me.

The Servant exits.

Lady Macbeth looks into the mirror. She raises her hands, examining them. Slowly, she dips them into the basin and rubs them together.

The water is clear.

LADY MACBETH

Still.

She rubs harder.

LADY MACBETH

Still there.

Footsteps sound. She quickly withdraws her hands and dries them.

Enter MACBETH.

MACBETH

The French Queen approaches.

LADY MACBETH

I have heard.

MACBETH

She travels with four attendants and a knight. No army. No great display of royal dignity.

LADY MACBETH

Perhaps she has come to see her father rather than impress yours.

MACBETH

You have grown fond of this woman before meeting her.

LADY MACBETH

I have grown curious. There is a difference.

MACBETH

Edmund says she is stubborn. She refused to flatter Lear even when her inheritance depended upon it.

LADY MACBETH

Then she possesses a quality uncommon at courts.

MACBETH

Pride?

LADY MACBETH

Honesty.

MACBETH

Honesty is often the name given to pride by those who refuse to yield.

LADY MACBETH

And loyalty is often the name given to obedience by those who demand it.

Macbeth studies her.

MACBETH

You speak as though you know this daughter better than her father does.

LADY MACBETH

Her father is a man who has lost a kingdom and has not yet learned why.

MACBETH

Lear may regain his throne if he listens to me.

LADY MACBETH

And what will you ask in return?

MACBETH

His public support. His daughter's cooperation. France must be persuaded to withhold assistance from Malcolm.

LADY MACBETH

Cordelia cannot command every decision of France alone.

MACBETH

She can influence them. Her husband will listen.

LADY MACBETH

And if she refuses?

MACBETH

Then she will remain until she understands the necessity.

LADY MACBETH

You intend to hold her.

MACBETH

I intend to negotiate from strength.

LADY MACBETH

A guest becomes a hostage when the door is locked.

MACBETH

Must you name every precaution a crime?

LADY MACBETH

No. I would prefer that fewer precautions required such names.

Macbeth approaches the window.

MACBETH

Malcolm gathers soldiers in England. Macduff calls me murderer. Lear's daughters bargain for his silence. And now a French queen enters my country to claim a father whose name could unite my enemies.

LADY MACBETH

Then give her father back.

MACBETH

And let them depart together? Lear might return with French soldiers at his back. His daughters would blame me. Malcolm would gain another ally.

LADY MACBETH

Perhaps there is a danger in every act of mercy. That does not make cruelty wise.

Macbeth turns.

MACBETH

You once told me that a man must seize the moment when fortune places a crown within reach.

Lady Macbeth stiffens.

LADY MACBETH

I know what I told you.

MACBETH

Have you forgotten?

LADY MACBETH

There are words I would give half my life to take back.

A bell sounds from the courtyard.

MACBETH

Our guest has arrived.

He offers his arm. Lady Macbeth looks at it for a moment, then takes it.

The scene shifts to the great chamber of Dunsinane.

Two rows of guards stand beneath banners bearing Macbeth's royal emblem. EDMUND waits beside the throne. Several SCOTTISH LORDS are present.

Enter MACBETH and LADY MACBETH. Trumpets sound.

Enter CORDELIA, SIR ALAIN, and their attendants, escorted by the Captain.

Cordelia walks with quiet dignity. Her clothing bears the dust of travel, but she makes no apology for her appearance.

MACBETH

Cordelia, Queen of France. Scotland receives you with honor.

CORDELIA

I thank Your Majesty for granting me an audience.

MACBETH

Your arrival brings distinction to our court. I regret that the roads have been difficult.

CORDELIA

The roads were passable. The soldiers upon them were less willing to let us choose our direction.

Several courtiers exchange glances.

MACBETH

My men were instructed to protect you.

CORDELIA

Then I trust their instructions will be clearer when I depart.

MACBETH

We need not speak of departure before you have rested.

CORDELIA

I have come for my father. Rest can wait.

Macbeth smiles.

MACBETH

A devoted daughter. Your father is fortunate.

CORDELIA

I hope he is well.

MACBETH

He has been given every comfort my castle can provide.

CORDELIA

May I see him?

MACBETH

In due course.

CORDELIA

I have crossed the sea and the border to find him. I would prefer that course begin today.

EDMUND

Your Majesty, perhaps the King might first explain the delicate situation in which your father has placed himself.

Cordelia turns toward Edmund.

CORDELIA

I know you.

EDMUND

Edmund, son of Gloucester, at your service.

CORDELIA

My father's court knew your family well. How fares Lord Gloucester?

EDMUND

He has endured difficulties.

CORDELIA

What difficulties?

EDMUND

Matters of domestic sorrow. I would not burden you with them at such a moment.

CORDELIA

You have brought my sisters' letters to Scotland, have you not?

EDMUND

I have undertaken certain duties on behalf of the government.

CORDELIA

Then I suspect your presence concerns my father more than your own household.

Edmund bows slightly.

EDMUND

You have always been perceptive.

CORDELIA

I have always preferred a plain answer.

Macbeth steps forward.

MACBETH

Then let us speak plainly. Your father is in a dangerous position. His daughters govern Britain. His former supporters are divided. Malcolm, the son of Duncan, gathers an army in England and threatens Scotland's peace.

CORDELIA

I know of Malcolm. I know his father is dead and that questions remain concerning the manner of his death.

Macbeth's expression hardens.

MACBETH

Those questions have been answered in Scotland.

CORDELIA

Then Scotland should have no fear of their being asked elsewhere.

Lady Macbeth lowers her eyes. Macbeth pauses before answering.

MACBETH

You are direct, my lady.

CORDELIA

My father once found that quality intolerable.

MACBETH

Yet you have come to rescue him.

CORDELIA

Yes.

MACBETH

After he cast you out?

CORDELIA

Yes.

MACBETH

After he denied you your inheritance and declared you no daughter of his?

CORDELIA

Yes.

MACBETH

Then your devotion is remarkable.

CORDELIA

It is ordinary. A father does not cease to be a father when he acts unjustly.

Lady Macbeth looks up at Cordelia.

MACBETH

And a king does not cease to be a king when his subjects refuse him obedience?

CORDELIA

That depends upon what you mean by a king.

MACBETH

A man appointed to govern, to command, and to preserve his realm.

CORDELIA

Then he must govern justly, command wisely, and preserve the people entrusted to him.

MACBETH

You speak as though a crown were a burden.

CORDELIA

Is it not?

MACBETH

It is an honor won by courage.

CORDELIA

Then courage must continue after the crown is won.

Silence falls over the court.

EDMUND

Your Majesty, the Queen's concern for her father is admirable. Yet the safety of nations cannot depend upon affection alone.

CORDELIA

Nor should it depend upon the ambition of men who have none.

Edmund's smile fades.

MACBETH

I have a proposal. Your father may regain his influence in Britain. I am prepared to support a settlement restoring him to a position of dignity and authority.

CORDELIA

At what price?

MACBETH

France must recognize my sovereignty and refrain from supporting Malcolm's rebellion. Your father must publicly affirm the legitimacy of my rule. You must persuade your husband that Scotland seeks peace.

CORDELIA

I cannot promise what the King of France has not authorized.

MACBETH

You possess his confidence.

CORDELIA

I possess his love. I will not misuse it.

MACBETH

You would refuse an opportunity to restore your father's honor?

CORDELIA

My father's honor is not a piece of land to be returned by treaty.

MACBETH

You speak of honor as though it were independent of authority.

CORDELIA

It must be. Otherwise every successful thief would become an honorable man the moment he wore what he had stolen.

The court falls utterly still.

Macbeth slowly rises from his chair.

MACBETH

Take care, Queen Cordelia.

CORDELIA

I have spoken of no man here.

MACBETH

You speak in riddles.

CORDELIA

No. I speak plainly. That has always been my difficulty.

Lady Macbeth intervenes.

LADY MACBETH

Our guest has traveled far. Let us offer her refreshment before matters of state are pursued further.

MACBETH

The Queen is right. We need not settle every question tonight.

He turns back to Cordelia.

MACBETH

You may see your father when I have received assurances concerning your intentions.

CORDELIA

My intentions are before you. I wish to see him, speak with him, and, if he consents, accompany him to safety.

MACBETH

And if I require his presence here?

CORDELIA

Then I must ask by what right you hold him.

MACBETH

By the right of a king protecting a guest.

CORDELIA

A guest may leave.

MACBETH

A guest may place himself in danger.

CORDELIA

And a king may decide that another person's freedom is dangerous to himself.

Macbeth steps closer.

MACBETH

You are in Scotland now, my lady.

CORDELIA

I have not forgotten.

MACBETH

Here, my word governs.

CORDELIA

Then let your word be worthy of obedience.

Macbeth stares at her. For a moment, his hand tightens upon the arm of his throne.

MACBETH

You will be shown to your chamber. My wife will attend to your comfort.

CORDELIA

And my father?

MACBETH

Tomorrow.

CORDELIA

You have said that twice.

MACBETH

Then you know my answer.

He signals to the Captain.

MACBETH

Escort the Queen to the eastern apartments. Her attendants may remain with her. No one is to enter or leave that wing without the permission of the royal household.

SIR ALAIN

Your Majesty, I must protest. The Queen of France cannot be detained under the appearance of hospitality.

MACBETH

Your protest is heard.

SIR ALAIN

Will you release her?

MACBETH

When our business is concluded.

Cordelia raises her hand, restraining Sir Alain.

CORDELIA

I will not give you the quarrel you seek, Macbeth.

MACBETH

I seek no quarrel.

CORDELIA

Then you may still choose peace.

She turns to Lady Macbeth.

CORDELIA

My lady, I thank you for your courtesy.

LADY MACBETH

I shall see that you are properly attended.

CORDELIA

I ask only one kindness.

LADY MACBETH

Name it.

CORDELIA

Tell my father I have come.

Lady Macbeth meets her eyes.

LADY MACBETH

I will tell him.

Cordelia bows with dignity and leaves under guard. Sir Alain and the attendants follow.

Macbeth waits until the doors close.

MACBETH

A stubborn woman.

EDMUND

A dangerous one, my lord. She possesses the certainty of those who have never needed to compromise.

LADY MACBETH

She has compromised much already. She came without an army and placed herself in our hands.

EDMUND

And now expects us to surrender our advantage out of admiration.

MACBETH

Enough. I have heard what she wishes. I must decide what Scotland requires.

He turns to Lady Macbeth.

MACBETH

You will supervise her confinement. She is to be treated with every courtesy, but she is not to communicate with France.

LADY MACBETH

You have made her a prisoner.

MACBETH

I have made her a guest whose departure requires my consent.

LADY MACBETH

You may change the word. You have not changed the deed.

Macbeth looks at her coldly.

MACBETH

See that my orders are obeyed.

He exits with Edmund and the guards.

Lady Macbeth remains alone beneath the royal banners.

The scene shifts to a narrow passage outside the eastern apartments. Night has fallen.

Cordelia stands beside a tall window. Beyond it lies an enclosed courtyard. Sir Alain is near the chamber door, where two Scottish guards have taken their posts.

SIR ALAIN

I should have insisted we turn back at the forest.

CORDELIA

They would not have allowed it.

SIR ALAIN

Then we should have fought.

CORDELIA

Six soldiers on the road, more hidden in the trees, and an army within these walls. What would your sword have accomplished?

SIR ALAIN

It might have preserved our honor.

CORDELIA

Your honor is not diminished by remaining alive.

SIR ALAIN

The King of France will not tolerate this insult.

CORDELIA

Then we must find a way to tell him without bringing war upon everyone who lives between here and the sea.

SIR ALAIN

The guards have taken our letters.

CORDELIA

They cannot take every road forever.

She looks toward the courtyard.

CORDELIA

My father is somewhere within these walls.

SIR ALAIN

If Macbeth has spoken truth.

CORDELIA

He has spoken enough truth to make his falsehoods more dangerous.

A distant door opens. Voices echo across the courtyard below.

Cordelia moves closer to the window.

LEAR (from below, unseen)

I will not be kept from the garden like a child! Tell your master that I am Lear!

KENT (from below)

My lord, the hour is late. Come away from the door.

LEAR

I have crossed storms and kingdoms, and now a servant tells me where I may walk!

Cordelia grips the stone window ledge.

CORDELIA

Father.

She leans forward.

CORDELIA

Father! It is Cordelia!

The courtyard voices continue, but the wind carries her words away.

CORDELIA

Father, I am here!

Sir Alain approaches.

SIR ALAIN

He cannot hear you.

Below, Lear's voice grows faint.

LEAR (from below)

I was a king once. Do they think I have forgotten?

Footsteps recede.

Cordelia remains at the window, trembling.

CORDELIA

No, Father. I fear you remember it too well.

She lowers her head.

CORDELIA

If only you knew how little I care for the crown they took from you.

Behind her, the chamber door opens.

Enter LADY MACBETH, carrying a small lamp. The guards remain outside.

LADY MACBETH

I thought you might wish for light.

CORDELIA

I have heard my father's voice.

LADY MACBETH

He walks in the western courtyard at this hour.

CORDELIA

Then you know where he is.

LADY MACBETH

Yes.

CORDELIA

Will you take me to him?

Lady Macbeth looks toward the guarded door.

LADY MACBETH

I have been instructed to keep you here.

CORDELIA

Do you believe the instruction is just?

Lady Macbeth sets the lamp upon the table.

LADY MACBETH

Justice is seldom simple in a kingdom threatened by war.

CORDELIA

It is simple enough to know that a daughter should be allowed to embrace her father.

LADY MACBETH

And if that embrace brings armies to our gates?

CORDELIA

Then your king has mistaken love for a weapon.

Lady Macbeth looks away.

CORDELIA

My lady, you have shown me kindness in a court where kindness seems to require permission. I thank you.

LADY MACBETH

Do not thank me yet.

CORDELIA

Why?

LADY MACBETH

I have done nothing.

CORDELIA

You have listened.

LADY MACBETH

Listening may be the easiest virtue of a coward.

CORDELIA

Then perhaps it is where courage begins.

Lady Macbeth studies her, unsettled.

LADY MACBETH

You speak as though courage were always gentle.

CORDELIA

No. I have seen courage take a sword into battle. I have seen it stand before an angry king and refuse to lie. I believe it may take many forms.

LADY MACBETH

And which is hardest?

CORDELIA

The one we have spent our lives refusing to practice.

A long silence.

Lady Macbeth turns her hands beneath the lamplight. She rubs one thumb against the palm of the other.

CORDELIA

Are you unwell?

LADY MACBETH

No.

CORDELIA

Your hands are trembling.

LADY MACBETH

It is the cold.

Cordelia looks toward the fire.

CORDELIA

The room is warm.

Lady Macbeth closes her hands.

LADY MACBETH

Rest tonight. I will speak with the King concerning your father.

CORDELIA

Will you tell him what I have said?

LADY MACBETH

I doubt he would wish to hear it.

CORDELIA

Then tell him anyway.

Lady Macbeth almost smiles.

LADY MACBETH

You have not learned the art of surviving at court.

CORDELIA

I have survived one court by leaving it. I hope to survive this one by remaining myself.

Lady Macbeth moves toward the door, then pauses.

LADY MACBETH

Your father loved you once?

CORDELIA

I believe he loves me still.

LADY MACBETH

After what he did?

CORDELIA

Love does not excuse what he did.

LADY MACBETH

Then why have you come?

CORDELIA

To give him the chance to become a better man than the one who sent me away.

Lady Macbeth is silent. The words seem to have reached a place she has long kept closed.

LADY MACBETH

And if he refuses?

CORDELIA

Then I will have spoken the truth and offered him my hand. What he chooses afterward belongs to him.

Lady Macbeth nods slowly.

LADY MACBETH

Good night, Queen Cordelia.

CORDELIA

Good night, my lady.

Lady Macbeth leaves. The door closes. The sound of the lock turning is unmistakable.

Cordelia stands motionless for a moment, then returns to the window.

Across the courtyard, in another wing of the castle, a single light burns behind a narrow window.

She watches it.

CORDELIA

Father, I am here.

The wind stirs the curtain.

CORDELIA

I cannot give you back your kingdom. I do not know whether I can give you peace. But I have come.

She places her hand against the cold glass.

CORDELIA

This time, I will not leave without trying to reach you.

The light across the courtyard goes out.

Cordelia remains at the window.

Blackout.

End of Act II, Scene One.

Act II, Scene Two: The Blood That Will Not Wash

Dunsinane. The eastern apartments. Deep night.

The castle sleeps beneath a moon obscured by passing clouds. A narrow corridor stretches between the guest chambers and the private apartments of the Queen. Torches burn low in their iron brackets.

Within her chamber, CORDELIA sits beside a table. A candle illuminates a small sheet of parchment. SIR ALAIN stands near the window, listening to the distant footsteps of guards.

SIR ALAIN

The western passage remains guarded. I counted four men at the stair and two beneath the arch.

CORDELIA

And the courtyard?

SIR ALAIN

Closed after the second watch. No one passes without the King's permission.

CORDELIA

Then Macbeth fears what a daughter might say to her father.

SIR ALAIN

He fears what your husband might do when he learns you are detained.

CORDELIA

My husband will not learn it from these walls. They have taken our letters.

SIR ALAIN

I have considered the kitchen servants. One may be persuaded to carry a message.

CORDELIA

With what payment?

SIR ALAIN

Gold.

CORDELIA

And when the servant is discovered?

SIR ALAIN

There is danger in every attempt.

CORDELIA

Then let the danger fall first upon those who chose to come here, not upon a boy who carries bread.

Sir Alain bows his head.

SIR ALAIN

You have never made my duties easy, Your Majesty.

CORDELIA

Nor have you made mine. You insist upon keeping me alive when I would rather be useful.

SIR ALAIN

I have found those duties compatible.

Cordelia smiles faintly. She looks down at the parchment.

SIR ALAIN

What are you writing?

CORDELIA

A letter to my father.

SIR ALAIN

Will the guards deliver it?

CORDELIA

I do not know.

SIR ALAIN

Then why write?

CORDELIA

There are things I could not say when I stood before him. Perhaps I shall find the words before I see him again.

SIR ALAIN

You spoke honestly at his court.

CORDELIA

I did. Yet honesty may still be incomplete.

She reads softly from the page.

CORDELIA

"My father, I did not refuse to praise you for lack of love. I feared that love made into a contest would cease to be love at all."

She stops.

SIR ALAIN

That is well said.

CORDELIA

It is too well said. It sounds like a queen addressing a council.

She tears the parchment in two.

SIR ALAIN

My lady—

CORDELIA

When I see him, I wish to speak as his daughter.

She lays the pieces beside the candle.

CORDELIA

I shall tell him that I missed him.

A bell sounds faintly from the tower.

SIR ALAIN

The third watch. You should sleep.

CORDELIA

And you?

SIR ALAIN

I shall remain by the door.

CORDELIA

You have watched over me since we crossed the border.

SIR ALAIN

Then I have had excellent practice.

He withdraws into the adjoining chamber.

Cordelia extinguishes all but one candle. She approaches the window, where the moonlight briefly reveals the western wing of the castle.

Then a sound comes from the corridor.

A soft scraping.

Cordelia turns.

The sound returns. A footstep. Another.

She moves toward the door and listens.

A woman's voice, scarcely louder than breath.

LADY MACBETH (beyond the door)

Out.

A pause.

LADY MACBETH

Out, I say.

Cordelia opens the door cautiously.

The guards are absent from the immediate passage, having moved to the stair below. At the far end of the corridor stands LADY MACBETH.

She wears a white nightgown. Her hair hangs loose. In one hand she carries a candle. With the other, she rubs her fingers against her palm.

Her eyes are open, yet she appears to see nothing before her.

CORDELIA

My lady?

Lady Macbeth does not answer.

LADY MACBETH

One spot. A little spot.

She raises her hand toward the candle.

LADY MACBETH

How came it there?

Cordelia approaches slowly.

CORDELIA

Are you unwell?

LADY MACBETH

The water was clean. I saw it. Clean as morning.

She rubs her hands more fiercely.

LADY MACBETH

Yet here it is again.

Cordelia looks at her hands. There is no visible stain.

CORDELIA

There is nothing upon them.

LADY MACBETH

Nothing?

Lady Macbeth gives a low, terrible laugh.

LADY MACBETH

A little nothing. A little red nothing that has filled the whole house.

She begins walking down the corridor. Cordelia follows at a careful distance.

LADY MACBETH

He was old. He slept beneath our roof.

Cordelia stops.

LADY MACBETH

A guest. A king. A father.

Lady Macbeth's candle trembles.

LADY MACBETH

Who would have thought an old man held so much blood?

Cordelia looks toward the dark passage.

CORDELIA

Of whom do you speak?

Lady Macbeth continues as though she has heard nothing.

LADY MACBETH

I said it would be easy. One door. One knife. A little courage.

She presses her hands against her face.

LADY MACBETH

And afterward the world would be ours.

Cordelia draws a slow breath.

CORDELIA

King Duncan.

At the sound of the name, Lady Macbeth recoils.

LADY MACBETH

Hush!

She looks about wildly, though her eyes still seem fixed upon something far beyond the corridor.

LADY MACBETH

The walls hear. The stones hear. The dead hear everything.

She moves toward a basin standing beside a narrow window. Setting down the candle, she plunges her hands into the water.

She scrubs them.

LADY MACBETH

Wash.

She scrubs harder.

LADY MACBETH

Wash, and be done.

The water spills across the floor.

CORDELIA

My lady, you will hurt yourself.

Cordelia gently reaches for her wrists.

Lady Macbeth jerks away.

LADY MACBETH

Do not touch me!

Her voice echoes through the passage. She freezes, listening.

LADY MACBETH

Was that the bell?

CORDELIA

Only your voice.

LADY MACBETH

No. The bell. The bell that told him to go.

She begins to weep without seeming to know it.

LADY MACBETH

I could have stopped him.

Cordelia stands very still.

LADY MACBETH

I could have said no.

Lady Macbeth slowly sinks onto a bench.

LADY MACBETH

But I called him coward.

The candle flickers.

LADY MACBETH

And he believed me.

Cordelia kneels beside her.

CORDELIA

My lady, listen to my voice. You are in your own castle. You are safe.

LADY MACBETH

Safe?

She looks directly at Cordelia for the first time, yet without recognition.

LADY MACBETH

There is no safe place for a heart that knows what it has done.

Her eyes close. She sways.

Cordelia catches her before she falls.

CORDELIA

Alain!

Sir Alain appears at the chamber door, sword in hand.

SIR ALAIN

Your Majesty!

CORDELIA

Put away your sword. The Queen is ill.

He hurries forward. Together they help Lady Macbeth rise.

SIR ALAIN

We should summon her attendants.

CORDELIA

Quietly. She must not be made a spectacle.

They lead her to a chair. Cordelia wraps a cloak around her shoulders.

Lady Macbeth's eyes open. This time they are clear.

LADY MACBETH

Where am I?

CORDELIA

In the eastern passage.

Lady Macbeth looks at Cordelia, then at the wet floor and the basin.

LADY MACBETH

What have I done?

CORDELIA

You were walking in your sleep.

Lady Macbeth's face drains of color.

LADY MACBETH

What did I say?

Cordelia hesitates.

CORDELIA

You seemed troubled.

LADY MACBETH

What did I say?

SIR ALAIN

My lady, perhaps we should—

LADY MACBETH

Leave us.

Sir Alain looks to Cordelia. She nods. He withdraws to the far end of the corridor.

Lady Macbeth rises, gripping the chair.

LADY MACBETH

You heard me speak.

CORDELIA

Yes.

LADY MACBETH

Then you know.

CORDELIA

I know that you suffer.

LADY MACBETH

Do not answer me with kindness. Tell me what you heard.

CORDELIA

You spoke of a guest. An old king. A knife. You said that you might have stopped someone.

Lady Macbeth closes her eyes.

LADY MACBETH

You have misunderstood.

CORDELIA

Perhaps.

LADY MACBETH

Dreams make monsters of ordinary thoughts.

CORDELIA

Sometimes. They may reveal what waking minds labor to conceal.

Lady Macbeth turns sharply.

LADY MACBETH

You presume too much.

CORDELIA

I ask nothing of you that you are not willing to answer.

LADY MACBETH

Then ask nothing.

She moves toward the stair.

CORDELIA

My lady.

Lady Macbeth stops.

CORDELIA

You said you could have stopped him.

Lady Macbeth remains motionless.

CORDELIA

Whoever he was, whatever happened, you spoke as though one moment had followed you through every night since.

LADY MACBETH

There are moments that cannot be recalled.

CORDELIA

No.

LADY MACBETH

And there are deeds that cannot be undone.

CORDELIA

That is true.

Lady Macbeth turns, surprised by the absence of contradiction.

LADY MACBETH

Then what comfort can you offer?

CORDELIA

I do not know whether comfort is what you need.

LADY MACBETH

What else is there?

CORDELIA

The choice of what you do next.

Lady Macbeth gives a bitter smile.

LADY MACBETH

You speak as though tomorrow were a clean page.

CORDELIA

No. Tomorrow carries everything we have written upon yesterday. Yet we may still choose what words come after.

LADY MACBETH

And if the page is stained beyond reading?

CORDELIA

Then perhaps the first honest word matters more.

Lady Macbeth studies Cordelia's face.

LADY MACBETH

You are young.

CORDELIA

I am younger than you. That does not make every truth I speak childish.

LADY MACBETH

You have never been asked to choose between the man you love and the thing you know to be right.

CORDELIA

I have been asked to choose between the father I love and the truth I could not betray.

LADY MACBETH

And you chose the truth.

CORDELIA

I chose not to lie. I lost my father for it.

LADY MACBETH

Yet you came back.

CORDELIA

Yes.

LADY MACBETH

Why?

CORDELIA

I hoped there was still time for us to become something better than we had been.

Lady Macbeth looks down at her hands.

LADY MACBETH

Time is not equally merciful to every soul.

CORDELIA

No. But it has not yet ended for either of us.

Footsteps approach from the stair. A WAITING WOMAN appears, carrying a shawl.

WAITING WOMAN

My lady! We have searched your chamber. You were not in your bed.

Lady Macbeth straightens, regaining her royal bearing.

LADY MACBETH

I wished for air.

WAITING WOMAN

You should not walk alone at night.

LADY MACBETH

I am well enough. Take me back.

The Waiting Woman places the shawl around her.

Lady Macbeth turns once more to Cordelia.

LADY MACBETH

What you heard tonight must remain between us.

CORDELIA

I will not turn your suffering into entertainment for the court.

LADY MACBETH

That is not the promise I asked.

CORDELIA

It is the promise I can make.

Lady Macbeth's expression hardens.

LADY MACBETH

You would endanger yourself for the sake of a truth you scarcely know.

CORDELIA

I would not accuse you upon the words of a dream. But I cannot promise to conceal a crime if innocent lives depend upon the truth.

For a moment Lady Macbeth seems ready to strike her.

Instead, she lowers her eyes.

LADY MACBETH

You are very like your father.

CORDELIA

I hope I am like him in what is good.

LADY MACBETH

He was never afraid to command.

CORDELIA

I am not commanding you.

LADY MACBETH

No. That is what makes you difficult.

Lady Macbeth departs with the Waiting Woman.

Sir Alain returns to Cordelia.

SIR ALAIN

You should not have spoken so freely. She could have ordered us killed.

CORDELIA

Perhaps.

SIR ALAIN

You heard what she said. Duncan was murdered beneath this roof.

CORDELIA

We heard a woman speaking in her sleep. We must not confuse suspicion with proof.

SIR ALAIN

But you believe her guilty.

CORDELIA

I believe she remembers something terrible. I believe she fears it. And I believe Macbeth has given her reasons to fear him.

SIR ALAIN

Then she may be dangerous.

CORDELIA

She may be the first person in this castle who knows how dangerous he truly is.

Cordelia looks at the basin. The spilled water runs between the stones.

CORDELIA

Have the servants clean this before morning. I would not have her shame displayed to every passing guard.

SIR ALAIN

And what shall we do?

CORDELIA

We must find my father. We must find a way to send word to France. And we must discover whether Macbeth intends to use us against Malcolm.

SIR ALAIN

Three tasks for two prisoners.

CORDELIA

Then we must begin with the one nearest at hand.

She lifts the candle.

CORDELIA

Tomorrow, I shall ask Lady Macbeth to let me see my father again.

The scene shifts to Lady Macbeth's private chamber.

The Waiting Woman helps her mistress into bed. A small fire burns in the hearth. The candle Lady Macbeth carried has been placed beside a silver basin.

WAITING WOMAN

You must rest, my lady. I shall remain in the adjoining room.

LADY MACBETH

No. Leave me.

WAITING WOMAN

The physician advised—

LADY MACBETH

I said leave me.

The Waiting Woman bows and exits.

Lady Macbeth sits upright, staring at the basin.

She slowly raises her hands.

LADY MACBETH

Clean.

She turns them over.

LADY MACBETH

They are clean.

She lowers them, but her gaze remains fixed upon the water.

The chamber door opens. MACBETH enters, still dressed in his dark royal garments.

MACBETH

You sent for no one. Yet your attendants tell me you were found wandering the eastern passage.

LADY MACBETH

I could not sleep.

MACBETH

That is plain enough. Why were you near the French Queen's chamber?

LADY MACBETH

I do not remember going there.

MACBETH

You spoke with her.

LADY MACBETH

When I woke.

MACBETH

And before?

Lady Macbeth looks at him.

LADY MACBETH

I do not know.

MACBETH

Did you speak of Duncan?

The name hangs between them.

LADY MACBETH

Why do you ask?

MACBETH

The castle has ears. A servant heard your voice.

LADY MACBETH

Then perhaps the servant should learn not to listen at doors.

MACBETH

This is no matter for wit. Cordelia is not a harmless girl. She is Queen of France. One accusation from her could give Malcolm a weapon greater than any army.

LADY MACBETH

Then perhaps we should cease providing weapons to our enemies.

MACBETH

What does that mean?

LADY MACBETH

It means that every new cruelty creates another witness. Every frightened guest becomes another enemy. We have filled this castle with people who would flee us if the doors were open.

MACBETH

We?

Lady Macbeth looks away.

LADY MACBETH

I have not forgotten my part.

MACBETH

Then remember what we gained.

LADY MACBETH

I remember what we lost.

Macbeth approaches her.

MACBETH

You were stronger once.

LADY MACBETH

I was louder.

MACBETH

You urged me forward when my courage failed.

LADY MACBETH

I urged you into a darkness I did not understand.

MACBETH

We cannot turn back.

LADY MACBETH

No. But we need not walk farther into it.

Macbeth turns away, impatient.

MACBETH

Cordelia must be persuaded to support our settlement. Her father may yet prove useful. Edmund believes the sisters will cooperate if we keep both under our protection.

LADY MACBETH

Edmund believes in nothing but his own advancement.

MACBETH

He understands ambition.

LADY MACBETH

So did I.

Macbeth pauses.

MACBETH

What did the French Queen say to you?

LADY MACBETH

She asked whether I was unwell.

MACBETH

And?

LADY MACBETH

She asked whether there was something I wished I had done differently.

MACBETH

What did you answer?

LADY MACBETH

Nothing.

MACBETH

Good.

Lady Macbeth looks at him with sudden sadness.

LADY MACBETH

You call silence good whenever truth threatens you.

MACBETH

Truth is what men can prove. The rest is rumor.

LADY MACBETH

Duncan is dead whether men prove how he died or not.

Macbeth seizes her wrist.

MACBETH

Do not speak that name again.

She does not pull away.

LADY MACBETH

You cannot forbid a dead man's name and expect him to disappear.

Macbeth releases her.

MACBETH

Rest. Tomorrow we must present a united face to the court.

He moves toward the door.

LADY MACBETH

Macbeth.

He stops.

LADY MACBETH

If Cordelia were to die here, would you call that necessity too?

Macbeth does not turn.

MACBETH

No harm will come to her if she is wise.

LADY MACBETH

That is not an answer.

MACBETH

It is the only one I have.

He exits.

Lady Macbeth remains seated in the dim chamber.

She looks again at her hands.

LADY MACBETH

I once believed courage was the strength to do what frightened others.

She rises and approaches the basin.

LADY MACBETH

Perhaps I never knew what courage was.

She dips her fingers into the water, then withdraws them without washing.

For the first time, she leaves the basin untouched.

The scene shifts to the eastern apartments. Cordelia kneels beside her bed, the candle nearly spent.

CORDELIA

God of mercy, I have come seeking one wounded heart and found another.

She pauses.

CORDELIA

I do not know what this woman has done. I do not know what she may yet do. But if she stands before a choice, give her the courage to choose what is right.

She rises and looks toward the western wing.

CORDELIA

And let me see my father before another night is lost.

Beyond the window, dawn begins to pale the horizon.

Somewhere in the castle, a bell rings.

Blackout.

End of Act II, Scene Two.

Act II, Scene Three: The Door Between Them

Dunsinane. The western apartments. Morning.

Rainwater still clings to the narrow windows. A fire burns low in the hearth. LEAR stands before a table on which breakfast has gone untouched. KENT enters, carrying a folded cloak. The FOOL follows with a crust of bread.

LEAR

Another morning. Another locked gate.

KENT

The Captain says the roads remain unsafe.

LEAR

The roads were unsafe when we arrived. Yet we traveled them.

FOOL

A road is most dangerous to a jailer when his prisoner begins to walk upon it.

LEAR

Have you seen Macbeth?

KENT

He has refused an audience until this afternoon.

LEAR

I am to wait upon his convenience like a petitioner.

FOOL

A petitioner may be refused, nuncle. A prisoner is refused before he asks.

Lear turns toward the window.

LEAR

Cordelia is here. I heard her name spoken beneath my window. Yet no one will bring her to me.

KENT

I have asked permission for a meeting.

LEAR

Permission. That word follows me like a beggar.

KENT

There may be another way to send her word.

LEAR

What word?

Kent waits. Lear looks at the untouched meal.

LEAR

Tell her I wish to see her.

FOOL

That is what every locked door says to the man on the other side. It tells him nothing of what waits within.

LEAR

Must I rehearse my heart before thee?

FOOL

No, nuncle. But it may be kinder to rehearse it before thy daughter arrives.

Lear takes a chair, then rises again.

LEAR

When I cast her out, I believed I was teaching her the cost of disobedience.

KENT

You were angry that she would not flatter you.

LEAR

I know what I was.

KENT

Then perhaps you know what must be said.

LEAR

Knowing a thing and speaking it are two different labors.

FOOL

The first costs pride. The second requires the pride to pay.

There is a knock. A SERVANT enters with fresh wood.

SERVANT

For the fire, my lord.

As the Servant kneels, Kent notices a narrow ribbon tied around one piece of wood.

KENT

Who sent these?

SERVANT

The household stores, sir.

The Servant glances toward the door, then speaks more quietly.

SERVANT

The eastern apartments have requested more wood than they need. I was told the western rooms might share it.

Kent loosens the ribbon. Beneath it is a small scrap of parchment.

KENT

My lord.

Lear takes the paper. He reads with difficulty, his hands unsteady.

LEAR

“I am within these walls. I ask no kingdom of you. I ask only to see my father. Cordelia.”

He reads it again.

LEAR

She asks no kingdom.

FOOL

Then she is the only royal guest here who has come without a bargain.

LEAR

She should not have had to ask.

Lear moves toward the door.

KENT

Wait. The messenger may be punished if the guards discover how the letter came.

Lear stops. He turns to the Servant.

LEAR

What is your name?

SERVANT

Mairi, my lord.

LEAR

Mairi. You have done me a kindness I cannot repay.

SERVANT

Then do not speak my name beyond this room.

Lear nods. The Servant departs.

LEAR

Kent, find ink. I will answer.

FOOL

With a royal command?

LEAR

With my own hand.

Kent places paper before him. Lear sits. For a long moment the pen does not move.

LEAR

How does a father begin when he has made a daughter a stranger?

KENT

With her name.

Lear writes.

The scene shifts to the eastern apartments.

CORDELIA stands at a window overlooking the courtyard. SIR ALAIN examines the barred door. LADY MACBETH enters without attendants.

CORDELIA

You have come early.

LADY MACBETH

I did not sleep.

CORDELIA

Then sit. You look weary.

LADY MACBETH

There are things I cannot tell you.

CORDELIA

I have not asked you to tell them.

LADY MACBETH

Yet you heard enough last night to know I am not the woman I appear to be.

CORDELIA

I heard a woman suffering.

LADY MACBETH

Suffering does not make a person innocent.

CORDELIA

No. Nor does guilt prevent a person from choosing differently tomorrow.

Lady Macbeth looks at her hands.

LADY MACBETH

My husband believes every mercy will be used against him.

CORDELIA

And what do you believe?

LADY MACBETH

That he is making enemies of people who came asking for nothing he could not give.

SIR ALAIN

Then permit the Queen to leave with her father.

LADY MACBETH

I do not command the gates.

SIR ALAIN

You command servants who pass through them.

LADY MACBETH

And if one is caught, it is the servant who pays.

Cordelia steps between them.

CORDELIA

I will not purchase my father's freedom with another person's life.

LADY MACBETH

There is a passage beneath the chapel. It joins the eastern and western wings. Beyond it lies an old service gate opening into the orchard. The gate has not been used in years, and I cannot yet promise that its lock will yield.

CORDELIA

Could my father reach it?

LADY MACBETH

Perhaps. But Macbeth has forbidden any meeting. If he discovers I helped you, I may lose what little influence remains to me.

CORDELIA

I will not ask you to risk yourself for me.

LADY MACBETH

You need not ask. The question has already been placed before me.

A bell sounds from the courtyard.

LADY MACBETH

I can arrange a brief meeting after the evening prayers. No soldiers. No attendants beyond the chapel door.

CORDELIA

You would do that?

LADY MACBETH

I have spent too long helping doors remain closed.

She turns to leave, then pauses.

LADY MACBETH

There is something you must know. Macbeth hopes to use your father to persuade France to abandon Malcolm.

CORDELIA

My father cannot make such a promise for me.

LADY MACBETH

He may be offered his throne in exchange.

CORDELIA

Then I must speak to him before he is asked.

LADY MACBETH

I will send word when the passage is clear.

Lady Macbeth exits.

SIR ALAIN

Do you trust her?

CORDELIA

I trust that she knows what she is doing is dangerous.

SIR ALAIN

That is not the same thing.

CORDELIA

No. It is the beginning of a choice.

The scene shifts to Macbeth's council chamber.

MACBETH studies a dispatch. EDMUND stands nearby. The CAPTAIN waits by the door.

MACBETH

Malcolm's men have been seen gathering beyond the border. Their scouts move through the woods by night.

EDMUND

Then time favors neither patience nor courtesy.

MACBETH

Cordelia refuses to negotiate. Lear demands her release. My wife questions every order I give.

EDMUND

Three voices asking you to surrender the advantage you possess.

MACBETH

Lear is no threat without soldiers.

EDMUND

A name may gather soldiers faster than a trumpet. He is more useful alive, honored, and dependent upon you.

MACBETH

And Cordelia?

EDMUND

Let her see that her father's comfort depends upon her cooperation.

MACBETH

You would have me bargain with a daughter's affection.

EDMUND

Your Majesty, every court bargains with affection. Most simply choose a gentler name for it.

Macbeth folds the dispatch.

MACBETH

I will speak with Lear after supper. Prepare the great hall tomorrow. Let the nobles attend. I would have them see that I fear neither an old king nor the truth spoken in my own house.

EDMUND

The Fool may make the occasion memorable.

MACBETH

Let him. I can endure a jest.

Edmund bows, concealing a smile.

MACBETH

Captain, double the watch at the chapel passage. I have been told the servants carry more than firewood between these wings.

CAPTAIN

Has a message been intercepted?

MACBETH

Not yet. I intend to keep it that way.

The Captain exits.

EDMUND

You suspect Lady Macbeth?

MACBETH

I suspect anyone who believes pity grants them permission to disobey.

EDMUND

Then the court tomorrow may serve another purpose. A public lesson is remembered longer than a private warning.

Macbeth looks toward the door.

MACBETH

A lesson for whom?

EDMUND

For whoever still mistakes your hospitality for weakness.

The scene shifts to the western apartments. Evening.

Lear sits alone at the table. The letter he has written lies before him. KENT returns, his cloak damp.

KENT

The chapel passage is watched. Two guards at the upper stair, three below. We cannot reach it unseen.

LEAR

Who told you of the passage?

KENT

A servant who would not give her name.

LEAR

Then Cordelia is trying to reach me.

KENT

Yes.

LEAR

And I have done nothing but sit here.

KENT

You have written to her.

LEAR

Words. I once thought words enough to divide a kingdom. Now I cannot send one across a courtyard.

The Fool picks up Lear's letter but does not unfold it.

FOOL

Would you have her receive this?

LEAR

Yes.

FOOL

Then do not leave it upon the table where any hand may find it.

He returns the letter. Lear folds it and presses it into Kent's hand.

LEAR

Give it to the woman who brought hers. No one else.

KENT

I will try.

Footsteps approach. Kent hides the letter inside his cloak. Enter the CAPTAIN with two guards.

CAPTAIN

King Lear. His Majesty requests that you remain in your apartments tonight. There has been a disturbance near the chapel.

LEAR

What disturbance?

CAPTAIN

A breach of household instructions.

LEAR

Is my daughter safe?

CAPTAIN

The Queen of France remains in her chambers.

LEAR

That is not the question.

CAPTAIN

I can offer no further report.

Lear approaches him.

LEAR

Tell Macbeth I will speak with him tomorrow, before his assembled lords if he wishes. But he will not make a bargain of my daughter.

CAPTAIN

I will deliver your words.

The Captain and guards withdraw. The bolt slides into place.

LEAR

He calls us guests and bolts the door.

FOOL

Then tomorrow I shall ask him whether the bolts are for keeping danger out or truth in.

KENT

Take care what you say before his court.

FOOL

I always take care, Kent. I simply do not take silence.

Lear turns to the window. Across the courtyard, a light appears in the eastern wing.

LEAR

She is there.

He raises his hand, though the distance is too great for anyone to see.

LEAR

Cordelia, I have a thousand things to say and no road by which to reach thee.

The Fool stands beside him.

FOOL

Begin with one, nuncle. The others may follow.

Lear looks down at the letter no longer in his hand.

LEAR

Then let her know I am trying.

The scene shifts to the chapel passage.

Lady Macbeth stands before a locked iron gate. A GUARD approaches with a lantern.

GUARD

My lady. The King has ordered this passage sealed.

LADY MACBETH

At whose request?

GUARD

His own.

LADY MACBETH

Then open it for me.

GUARD

I cannot.

She studies the guard, then the heavy lock.

LADY MACBETH

You fear him.

GUARD

I obey him.

LADY MACBETH

I once believed those were different things.

The Guard lowers his eyes.

From beyond the passage comes the distant sound of a woman calling a name. It is too faint to make out.

Lady Macbeth rests one hand against the cold iron.

LADY MACBETH

A door can be locked by one man. It may take many to open it.

She withdraws into the darkness.

Above, the castle bells announce the evening watch. In the eastern wing, Cordelia waits. In the western wing, Lear waits. Between them, soldiers stand at a door neither has been permitted to cross.

Blackout.

End of Act II, Scene Three.

End of Act II.

Act III, Scene One: The Price of a Crown

Dunsinane. The council chamber. Morning.

The storm has passed. A cold light enters through the high windows. Upon the table lie two maps, one of Scotland and one of Britain. Between them rests a crown fashioned from wood, an old model used by the royal craftsmen. MACBETH studies a letter. EDMUND waits nearby.

MACBETH

The watch reports movement on the southern road. Men without banners, horses without heraldry. Malcolm sends his friends before he sends his army.

EDMUND

A man who has lost a kingdom learns to approach it quietly.

MACBETH

You speak of Malcolm. Yet your eyes rest upon the English map.

EDMUND

I speak of any man who believes a throne belongs to him merely because another man sits upon it.

MACBETH

And what do you believe belongs to a man?

EDMUND

What he has the wit to win and the strength to keep.

Macbeth turns the wooden crown in his hands.

MACBETH

A dangerous doctrine for a king to hear from a guest.

EDMUND

Then consider it a warning rather than a doctrine. Lear has no army, but his daughter wears the lilies of France. A promise from him might move English nobles. A refusal from her might move French soldiers.

MACBETH

You would have me threaten the daughter to persuade the father, then threaten the father to persuade the daughter.

EDMUND

I would have Your Majesty learn which of them is willing to pay the greater price.

MACBETH

And if neither yields?

EDMUND

Then their love will have proved less useful than their pride.

LADY MACBETH enters. She has heard the last words.

LADY MACBETH

Love is not a coin minted for your convenience, Edmund.

EDMUND

No, my lady. Yet kingdoms have often been purchased with it.

LADY MACBETH

And the sellers seldom sleep peacefully afterward.

Macbeth sets down the crown.

MACBETH

The passage beneath the chapel was sealed last night.

LADY MACBETH

So I discovered.

MACBETH

The Captain reported that you ordered the chapel cleared after evening prayers. No attendants. No soldiers beyond the door.

LADY MACBETH

I wished to give a father and daughter a moment together.

MACBETH

You intended to bring Lear and Cordelia together.

LADY MACBETH

I intended to let a father see his daughter.

MACBETH

Without my leave.

LADY MACBETH

I had asked for your leave. You would not grant it.

MACBETH

Then you had your answer.

LADY MACBETH

I had an order. An answer would have told me why their meeting threatens Scotland.

Edmund watches the exchange with quiet interest.

MACBETH

Their meeting threatens the arrangement by which I may keep an army from my borders.

LADY MACBETH

Then tell them so openly. A bargain that cannot survive daylight deserves suspicion.

MACBETH

Very well. I will speak with Lear today. You may witness it, if you wish to hear how kingdoms are kept.

LADY MACBETH

I have heard much of that subject. I should like to hear how a kingdom might be made worthy of keeping.

She exits. Macbeth watches the door close.

EDMUND

Her Majesty has grown sympathetic to the French Queen.

MACBETH

My wife is not yours to interpret.

EDMUND

Forgive me. I meant only that Cordelia has gained a friend within the walls.

MACBETH

Then I must discover whether Lear has gained courage from the same source.

The scene shifts to the western apartments.

LEAR stands by the hearth. KENT is beside the door. The FOOL sits on the floor, attempting to repair the leg of a small wooden horse.

LEAR

Has she received my letter?

KENT

I cannot say. The servant who carried hers has been moved to the kitchens below the north tower. I have found no safe way to reach her.

LEAR

I wrote so little.

FOOL

That is an improvement, nuncle. Once thou spoke enough to lose a kingdom.

LEAR

I wrote that I wished to see her. That I had been wrong. That I would listen if she would speak.

KENT

Then you wrote what was needed.

LEAR

I did not ask her forgiveness.

FOOL

Perhaps thou feared she would give it.

Lear looks at him.

FOOL

A man may bear his daughter's anger more easily than her kindness. Anger permits him to defend himself. Kindness asks what he intends to do next.

A guard announces Macbeth. MACBETH enters with EDMUND and the CAPTAIN. Kent bows stiffly. Lear does not.

MACBETH

King Lear. I trust you have been made comfortable.

LEAR

A comfortable room does not make an open road.

MACBETH

We must speak of roads, and of the armies that may soon travel them.

LEAR

Then speak plainly. You have kept my daughter from me. You have kept my horses from the gate. What is the price of our departure?

MACBETH

I seek a settlement that may benefit us both. Your daughters govern Britain, yet many still honor your name. With Scotland's friendship you could regain your standing among them.

LEAR

My standing?

MACBETH

A place at the council. Lands restored. Perhaps, in time, a crown.

Lear stares at the wooden horse in the Fool's hand.

LEAR

Once I would have offered you half my kingdom for such a promise.

MACBETH

And now?

LEAR

Now I would ask what the other half costs.

MACBETH

Your public recognition of my rule. Your daughter's assurance that France will not assist Malcolm. A common defense against those who would plunge Scotland into war.

LEAR

You ask Cordelia to speak for her husband and France, though you will not allow her to speak to her father.

EDMUND

Her Majesty has refused reasonable proposals.

LEAR

I did not ask thee.

EDMUND

I serve those who have an interest in your welfare.

LEAR

My elder daughters, whose welfare has always improved when mine has diminished.

Edmund bows without answering.

MACBETH

You need not love the terms to accept them. A king must sometimes sacrifice his wishes for the safety of his people.

LEAR

That is a lesson I learned too late. But I will not learn it backward by sacrificing my daughter to restore myself.

MACBETH

I offer you a path home.

LEAR

Home? I made my home a place where the daughter who loved me could not remain. If she will see me, that is the first home I must recover.

MACBETH

Your answer places her in danger.

LEAR

No. The danger comes from the man who holds the keys.

The Captain shifts uneasily. Macbeth notices.

MACBETH

Take care that grief does not make you reckless.

LEAR

Grief has made me old. Recklessness made me a fool long before that.

FOOL

And left me with competition I never sought.

Lear almost smiles. Macbeth does not.

MACBETH

I will give you until tomorrow to consider the offer.

LEAR

I have considered it.

MACBETH

Then consider what follows refusal.

Macbeth leaves. Edmund lingers.

EDMUND

The world is less gentle to fathers who have lost their influence than to daughters who possess it.

LEAR

And less gentle still to sons who trade their fathers for advancement.

Edmund's face tightens. He exits.

KENT

You have angered them both.

LEAR

I have spent my life angering the honest and rewarding the flattering. Let me try the reverse.

The scene shifts to a small chamber outside the eastern apartments.

CORDELIA stands beside a table where a meal has been left untouched. SIR ALAIN waits at the window. LADY MACBETH enters, carrying a folded paper.

CORDELIA

Have you seen my father?

LADY MACBETH

Not today. But a letter was found among the servants' bundles. It bears your name.

She gives Cordelia the paper. Cordelia unfolds it.

CORDELIA

It is his hand.

She reads silently. Then aloud, softly.

CORDELIA

“I wronged thee. I have no right to ask that thou come, yet I hope thou wilt. If thou speakest, I will listen.”

Her voice falters.

SIR ALAIN

Your Majesty?

CORDELIA

I have waited so long to hear him say he would listen.

LADY MACBETH

He has refused the King's bargain. Macbeth offered to restore his position if you would turn France against Malcolm.

CORDELIA

And my father refused?

LADY MACBETH

He would not make you the price of his return.

Cordelia folds the letter carefully.

CORDELIA

Then perhaps the father I came to find is still here.

LADY MACBETH

He is here. But I fear my husband may punish him for what he has said.

SIR ALAIN

We must send word to France.

CORDELIA

If we send soldiers to rescue us, Macbeth will claim his fears were justified. We must find another way.

LADY MACBETH

There are Scottish nobles who remember Duncan. They do not all approve of what this court has become.

CORDELIA

Will they help?

LADY MACBETH

Some may. But they must be given something more than another contest for a crown.

CORDELIA

Then ask them to help two people meet. No throne. No army. Only a father and his daughter.

Lady Macbeth looks at the letter.

LADY MACBETH

A small request can become the hardest one in a frightened court.

CORDELIA

Then we should begin there.

The scene shifts to a narrow corridor beyond the council chamber.

EDMUND intercepts the CAPTAIN as servants prepare the great hall for the following evening.

EDMUND

The King intends to receive the Scottish nobles tomorrow. Lear is to attend.

CAPTAIN

So I have been told.

EDMUND

His Fool should come with him.

CAPTAIN

Why?

EDMUND

A little laughter may soften an awkward occasion.

CAPTAIN

You have seen the Fool speak. His laughter seldom softens anything.

EDMUND

Then perhaps the King will learn who among his nobles laughs at his expense.

CAPTAIN

You wish to set a trap.

EDMUND

I wish the court to see where loyalty lies. The King will decide what to do with what is revealed.

CAPTAIN

And if the Fool goes too far?

EDMUND

He has a talent for finding the edge of a blade. I doubt he will stop before he feels it.

The Captain looks away. Edmund leaves him with the preparations.

The scene shifts to the castle chapel at dusk.

The chapel is empty except for LADY MACBETH. Candles burn before a stone altar. She kneels, but her hands remain clasped so tightly that her knuckles are white.

LADY MACBETH

I thought courage meant the will to do what frightened others. I did not ask whether fear itself could be a warning.

She opens her hands and studies them.

LADY MACBETH

A daughter comes to rescue the father who cast her out. An old king refuses a crown for her sake. And I, who once urged a man to take a crown at any cost, cannot persuade him to open a door.

She hears footsteps and rises. The FOOL appears at the chapel entrance, escorted by KENT.

KENT

Forgive us, my lady. The western passage was opened for evening prayers.

LADY MACBETH

You may enter.

Kent remains near the door. The Fool approaches a candle.

FOOL

A fine place for secrets. Men speak here to someone they cannot see, then return to court and pretend no one hears them.

LADY MACBETH

Do you mock prayer too?

FOOL

No, my lady. I mock the men who pray to be forgiven and rise determined to do the same wrong again.

Lady Macbeth considers him.

LADY MACBETH

You are invited to entertain the King tomorrow.

FOOL

So I have heard. I am to bring my finest jokes and leave my head at the door if they fail.

LADY MACBETH

You should be careful.

FOOL

I am careful with the things I love. My tongue is merely the thing I own.

LADY MACBETH

Macbeth has little patience for ridicule.

FOOL

Then I shall offer him truth instead.

LADY MACBETH

That may be worse.

FOOL

It often is.

The Fool turns to leave, then stops.

FOOL

My lady, if a man has walked a long way in the wrong direction, is he wiser to keep walking so no one sees him turn?

LADY MACBETH

No.

FOOL

Then perhaps we should all begin turning before the road runs out.

He leaves with Kent. Lady Macbeth remains alone.

The scene shifts to Macbeth's chamber. Night.

MACBETH stands before a mirror. He has removed his crown and set it on the table. Through the window comes the sound of hammers from the great hall, where servants are preparing for tomorrow's gathering.

MACBETH

They speak of justice as though it were a door I could open and pass through unharmed.

He takes the crown and turns it over.

MACBETH

Duncan trusted me. Banquo knew me. Malcolm remembers. Every man I have feared has given me reason to fear the next.

He places the crown upon the table again.

MACBETH

And now an old man who has lost everything tells me I must give something up.

A knock. Edmund enters.

EDMUND

The hall will be ready tomorrow. The nobles have been summoned. Lear and his companions will attend.

MACBETH

Good. Let the old king see that Scotland has not forgotten how to honor its guests.

EDMUND

And his Fool?

MACBETH

Let him speak. A king who cannot endure laughter deserves none of the praise he receives.

EDMUND

You are generous, my lord.

MACBETH

I am king. Let the court remember it.

Edmund bows and withdraws. Macbeth looks again at the crown.

Across the courtyard, Lear sits awake beside his window. Cordelia, in another wing, holds his letter against her heart. Between them, the chapel passage remains locked.

The servants' hammers cease. The castle falls quiet.

Macbeth lifts his crown and puts it on, though no one is present to see.

Blackout.

End of Act III, Scene One.

Act III, Scene Two: The Fool Before the Tyrant

Dunsinane. The great hall. Late afternoon.

The hall has been transformed for an evening of entertainment. Torches illuminate the stone walls. Musicians wait beneath a gallery, and a long table has been arranged for the Scottish nobles.

At the far end stands MACBETH'S throne. Beside it is a smaller chair intended for LADY MACBETH. No chair has been prepared for LEAR.

MACBETH enters with EDMUND and the CAPTAIN.

MACBETH

Are the guests assembled?

CAPTAIN

The lords await you, my king. The musicians are prepared.

MACBETH

And Lear?

CAPTAIN

He has been summoned.

MACBETH

With his Fool?

CAPTAIN

As you commanded.

EDMUND

An unusual entertainment, my lord. Most kings summon poets to praise them, not fools to mock them.

MACBETH

A wise king may laugh at what lesser men fear to hear.

EDMUND

And an unwise Fool may discover the limits of that wisdom.

Macbeth looks toward the empty space beside his throne.

MACBETH

The old king has grown troublesome. He asks to see his daughter, demands passage from the castle, and questions the loyalty of my servants.

EDMUND

His pride remains greater than his circumstances.

MACBETH

Then tonight he shall learn the difference between the dignity he remembers and the authority he possesses.

EDMUND

And the Fool?

MACBETH

Let him speak. A man who laughs at kings may reveal more than a man who flatters them.

The doors open. LADY MACBETH enters.

LADY MACBETH

You have summoned the court for entertainment?

MACBETH

Our guests have endured too many solemn evenings.

LADY MACBETH

I hear Lear's Fool is to perform.

MACBETH

He has entertained kings before.

LADY MACBETH

His jokes are seldom harmless.

MACBETH

Then perhaps the court will learn courage by hearing them.

LADY MACBETH

Or learn fear by watching what happens afterward.

Macbeth turns away.

MACBETH

Take your place. The guests are coming.

Trumpets sound.

Enter Scottish nobles, servants, and guards. They bow before Macbeth and take their seats.

Enter LEAR, KENT, and the FOOL.

Lear pauses upon seeing that no chair has been prepared for him.

LEAR

I see that Scotland has discovered a new custom.

MACBETH

What custom is that?

LEAR

A king may invite another king to his table and forget that he requires a seat.

Macbeth smiles.

MACBETH

Forgive the oversight. Bring a chair for our honored guest.

A servant hurries forward with a plain wooden chair.

Lear examines it.

FOOL

A generous gift, nuncle. In England, thou gavest away a kingdom and kept thy pride. Here, they give thee a chair and expect thy gratitude.

The courtiers laugh.

LEAR

I have sat upon worse.

He sits. Kent stands behind him.

MACBETH

Tonight we set aside the burdens of government. Let us enjoy good company and honest laughter.

FOOL

Honest laughter? Then I fear Your Majesty has invited the wrong court.

The laughter grows louder.

MACBETH

You are quick with your tongue.

FOOL

It is the only part of me that has never required a horse.

MACBETH

Come forward. Entertain us.

The Fool looks at Lear.

LEAR

Go on. Thou hast plagued me long enough. Let another king endure thee.

The Fool steps into the center of the hall.

FOOL

My lords and ladies, I have traveled far to discover the difference between a king and a beggar.

FIRST LORD

And have you found it?

FOOL

Indeed. A beggar knows when his purse is empty.

The court laughs.

FOOL

A king may spend a thousand lives before he notices.

The laughter diminishes.

MACBETH

A dark jest.

FOOL

Then I shall offer a brighter one.

He takes two wooden cups from his pouch.

FOOL

Here are two kings. One wears a crown. The other has lost his.

He places one cup upon his head and the other upon the floor.

FOOL

Which is richer?

SECOND LORD

The crowned one, naturally.

FOOL

A sensible answer. But suppose the crowned king cannot sleep for fear of losing his crown, and the crownless king sleeps peacefully beside a friend. Which possesses the greater treasure?

MACBETH

The man who rules a kingdom may purchase many peaceful nights.

FOOL

Then Your Majesty must know where they are sold.

Several nobles suppress their laughter.

Macbeth leans forward.

MACBETH

And what would you pay for such a night?

FOOL

Nothing. A peaceful night is the one thing a guilty man cannot buy and an innocent man need not purchase.

Silence.

Lady Macbeth looks sharply at the Fool.

MACBETH

You speak often of guilt.

FOOL

It is a popular subject among men who possess more than they can explain.

MACBETH

Take care. A Fool who mistakes insolence for wisdom may lose the privilege of speaking.

FOOL

Then I should speak quickly.

The Fool bows extravagantly.

FOOL

I have another riddle.

MACBETH

Let us hear it.

FOOL

What is the difference between a thief and a king?

FIRST LORD

A king rules by law.

FOOL

An excellent answer. Yet if a thief steals a crown and writes the law afterward, which name shall we give him?

The room becomes very quiet.

MACBETH

That depends upon whether he can keep it.

FOOL

Then the law is a remarkable garment. It changes its color according to the strength of the man who wears it.

Macbeth rises slowly.

MACBETH

You have traveled with Lear through storms and exile. Perhaps you have forgotten the respect owed to a sovereign.

FOOL

No, my lord. I have seen how little respect a sovereign may receive when the crown is gone. That lesson is difficult to forget.

MACBETH

Then perhaps your master should have taught you better.

Lear rises.

LEAR

My Fool has spoken freely since he was young. I have punished him for less and forgiven him for more.

MACBETH

You were his king.

LEAR

I remain his king in the only way that matters to him.

FOOL

And he remains my Fool in the only way that matters to me.

Lear looks at him, surprised.

LEAR

Thou hast reversed our offices.

FOOL

Only to see whether either of us notices.

Some nobles laugh again. Macbeth sits, but his expression remains dark.

MACBETH

Let us test your wisdom with a more serious question. Tell me, Fool, what makes a king legitimate?

FOOL

That is a difficult question. Shall I answer as a philosopher, a soldier, or a tax collector?

MACBETH

Answer as yourself.

FOOL

Then I must begin with what a king does when no one is watching.

MACBETH

A king is watched by everyone.

FOOL

That is what makes the unwatched moments so interesting.

Lady Macbeth lowers her eyes.

MACBETH

And what should he do in those moments?

FOOL

The same thing he would do if the whole kingdom stood beside him.

MACBETH

An impossible standard.

FOOL

Then perhaps kingship is more difficult than wearing a crown.

Macbeth turns to the court.

MACBETH

You hear him. The Fool believes himself fit to instruct kings.

FOOL

No, my lord. I have spent my life trying to instruct one king. I have failed so often that I should hesitate to accept another.

Lear almost smiles.

MACBETH

Then tell us of your failure. What has Lear learned from you?

FOOL

He has learned that daughters may speak sweetly and still love poorly.

MACBETH

A lesson bought dearly.

FOOL

He has learned that a man may give away his kingdom and discover he has given away the wrong thing.

MACBETH

What should he have kept?

FOOL

The daughter who told him the truth.

Lear looks down.

FOOL

And he has learned that a Fool may remain beside him when wiser men have found reasons to depart.

Kent steps forward slightly.

KENT

That much is true.

MACBETH

Then loyalty is your greatest virtue.

FOOL

No. Loyalty without truth is only obedience wearing a kinder face.

The words strike Lady Macbeth. She turns toward the Fool.

LADY MACBETH

And what becomes of loyalty when truth threatens the person one loves?

The Fool looks at her.

FOOL

Then loyalty must decide whether it loves the person or merely the peace of never contradicting them.

A long silence.

Lady Macbeth looks away.

MACBETH

Enough riddles. Give us a song.

FOOL

A song, my lord?

MACBETH

A cheerful one.

FOOL

Then I must search my memory. Most cheerful songs are written before the singers learn what the words mean.

He thinks for a moment, then speaks in a rhythmic, playful voice.

FOOL

A king built walls against the rain,
And locked the sunlight out again.
He kept his gold, he kept his throne,
And wondered why he sat alone.

The court listens uneasily.

FOOL

A beggar slept beneath a tree,
With neither lock nor golden key.
He woke to find the morning fair,
And thanked the world for being there.

MACBETH

And the moral?

FOOL

The beggar knew what morning was. The king had forgotten.

Macbeth rises.

MACBETH

You have entertained us sufficiently.

FOOL

Then I shall retire before my wisdom grows expensive.

The Fool bows and begins to return to Lear.

MACBETH

Stop.

The Fool turns.

MACBETH

One final question. Have you ever seen a ghost?

Lady Macbeth becomes still.

FOOL

Many, my lord.

MACBETH

Many?

FOOL

I have seen men haunted by the promises they made and the kindness they refused. I have seen fathers haunted by daughters who were still alive. Those are the most troublesome ghosts. They will not remain politely in their graves.

Lear looks at him.

MACBETH

I ask of the dead.

FOOL

Then I must disappoint you. The dead have never troubled me as much as the living.

MACBETH

You mock what you do not understand.

FOOL

Then teach me, my lord. What does a ghost desire?

Macbeth stares at him.

FOOL

Does it seek revenge? Does it seek justice? Or does it merely wish the living to admit that it once existed?

MACBETH

Silence!

The hall falls quiet.

The Fool does not move.

MACBETH

You presume to question matters beyond your station.

FOOL

My station is low enough that I may look beneath the furniture. I have found many things there that kings prefer not to see.

Macbeth descends from the dais.

MACBETH

You have been permitted to speak too freely.

LEAR

He has spoken no treason.

MACBETH

He has insulted the crown before my court.

LEAR

He has insulted every crown he has ever seen. It is his profession.

MACBETH

Then his profession has become dangerous.

Macbeth turns to the Captain.

MACBETH

Take him.

Two guards approach the Fool.

LEAR

Stand back!

The guards stop.

LEAR

You will not lay hands upon him.

MACBETH

This is my hall.

LEAR

And he is my servant.

MACBETH

A servant who has abused my hospitality.

LEAR

Then punish me for bringing him.

MACBETH

You offer yourself in his place?

LEAR

I offer you the truth. If his words have offended, they were spoken under my protection.

MACBETH

Your protection has little authority here.

Lear stands straighter.

LEAR

It has the authority of a man who will not abandon the last friend who has remained beside him.

The Fool looks at Lear with unexpected emotion.

FOOL

Nuncle—

LEAR

Be silent. For once in thy life, permit me to speak.

Lear faces Macbeth.

LEAR

I have lost my kingdom. I have lost the obedience of my daughters. I have lost the men who once bowed when I entered a room. Yet this Fool followed me through rain and hunger when wiser servants sought safer masters.

MACBETH

Then he has earned your affection.

LEAR

He has earned more than that. He has earned my defense.

MACBETH

And what will you do if I refuse to release him?

LEAR

I shall stand beside him.

Macbeth studies Lear.

MACBETH

You would risk your safety for a Fool?

LEAR

I have risked much more for things worth far less.

The words seem to surprise Lear himself.

Lady Macbeth rises.

LADY MACBETH

My lord, the entertainment has gone far enough. Let the old king and his companion return to their chambers.

MACBETH

The court has heard the Fool insult my authority. If I release him without consequence, every servant in Scotland will believe himself entitled to mock his king.

LADY MACBETH

The court has heard a frightened man demand punishment for a jest.

Macbeth turns toward her.

MACBETH

Take care.

LADY MACBETH

I am trying to.

Edmund steps forward.

EDMUND

Perhaps a private confinement would satisfy the dignity of the crown without creating a public spectacle.

MACBETH

A sensible proposal.

LEAR

You will imprison him for speaking?

MACBETH

Until he learns discretion.

FOOL

Then I fear I shall grow old in captivity. Discretion has never been among my talents.

MACBETH

Take him to the lower tower.

The guards seize the Fool.

Lear moves forward, but Kent catches his arm.

KENT

My lord, do not give them cause to use force.

LEAR

They have already found cause enough.

The Fool looks back at Lear.

FOOL

Fear not, nuncle. A prison is merely a castle that has forgotten to pretend.

The guards lead him away.

Lear watches until the doors close.

Then he turns toward Macbeth.

LEAR

You invited me into your house and called me honored guest. You promised protection. You offered friendship. Now you seize my servant for speaking words you dislike.

MACBETH

Your servant crossed a boundary.

LEAR

And you have crossed one far greater.

MACBETH

Remember where you stand.

LEAR

I know where I stand. I stand in the house of a man who fears a Fool.

The court is silent.

Macbeth approaches Lear.

MACBETH

You have mistaken my patience for weakness.

LEAR

And you have mistaken my age for helplessness.

MACBETH

You possess no army here, no throne, no authority to command my people.

LEAR

Then why are you afraid of me?

Macbeth stops.

LEAR

Why have you locked your gates? Why do your soldiers follow me through every passage? Why is my daughter held apart from me?

MACBETH

Your daughter has placed herself in a difficult political position.

LEAR

My daughter came to find her father.

MACBETH

She came as Queen of France, bearing interests beyond affection.

LEAR

Then speak with her honestly. Do not make prisoners of us both.

MACBETH

You are not prisoners.

KENT

Then permit us to depart.

Macbeth looks at Kent.

MACBETH

You presume to issue demands in my court?

KENT

I ask for the freedom you have repeatedly promised.

MACBETH

And if I refuse?

KENT

Then the truth will be plain.

Macbeth turns to the assembled nobles.

MACBETH

Hear me. King Lear remains under my protection until the danger beyond our borders has passed. His daughter remains here until her intentions concerning Scotland are settled. His attendants will be confined wherever their conduct requires it.

Lear stares at him.

LEAR

Then you admit it.

MACBETH

I admit that Scotland's safety cannot depend upon the whims of foreign guests.

LEAR

You have made us prisoners.

MACBETH

Call it what you wish.

LEAR

I call it betrayal.

Macbeth's face hardens.

MACBETH

Then return to your chamber before your words bring consequences you cannot bear.

Lear looks around the hall. No noble meets his eyes.

LEAR

I once believed a king's greatness could be measured by the number of men who bowed before him.

He looks at Macbeth.

LEAR

I see now how little a bow may mean.

He turns toward the door.

MACBETH

Captain. Escort him.

The Captain approaches. Kent walks beside Lear.

As they pass the nobles, Lear stops.

LEAR

You are men of Scotland. I do not ask you to betray your king. I ask only that you remember what you have seen.

No one answers.

Lear exits with Kent and the guards.

The hall remains silent.

Macbeth returns to his throne.

MACBETH

The entertainment is concluded.

The nobles rise and begin to depart.

Lady Macbeth watches them go. Edmund approaches Macbeth.

EDMUND

The old king has become more dangerous than before.

MACBETH

He has become more troublesome.

EDMUND

He has spoken openly against you before the court. Some will remember his words.

MACBETH

Then they must remember the consequences.

EDMUND

The Fool may prove useful as leverage.

MACBETH

A Fool?

EDMUND

Lear has shown how much he values him. Cordelia values Lear. Each affection gives us another means of persuasion.

MACBETH

You would build a chain from one heart to another.

EDMUND

Men call such chains loyalty when they serve a crown.

Lady Macbeth turns toward them.

LADY MACBETH

And what do they call them when they serve cruelty?

EDMUND

History seldom agrees upon names.

LADY MACBETH

History may disagree. The dead do not.

Macbeth looks sharply at her.

MACBETH

Leave us.

Edmund bows and exits.

Lady Macbeth remains.

MACBETH

I did not dismiss you.

LADY MACBETH

No. You rarely do when there is something you wish me to witness.

MACBETH

You challenged me before the court.

LADY MACBETH

You threatened an old man and imprisoned his Fool before the court.

MACBETH

The Fool accused me of crimes he cannot prove.

LADY MACBETH

He accused you of fear.

MACBETH

And you believe him?

Lady Macbeth looks at him for a long moment.

LADY MACBETH

I believe fear has become the strongest voice in this castle.

MACBETH

You speak as though you are innocent of what brought us here.

LADY MACBETH

I am not innocent.

MACBETH

Then do not judge me.

LADY MACBETH

I judge what we are becoming.

Macbeth turns away.

MACBETH

Malcolm's army approaches. Macduff calls for my death. Lear challenges me before my own lords. Cordelia refuses every proposal. Would you have me open the gates and invite them all to take my crown?

LADY MACBETH

I would have you ask whether keeping the crown is worth destroying everything beneath it.

Macbeth does not answer.

Lady Macbeth moves toward the door.

LADY MACBETH

The Fool spoke one truth you did not wish to hear.

MACBETH

Which truth?

LADY MACBETH

A king may command a thousand men and still be unable to command one peaceful night.

She exits.

Macbeth remains alone upon the throne.

The scene shifts to the lower tower.

A narrow cell lies beneath the castle. Water drips from the stone ceiling. A small window admits a pale strip of moonlight.

The FOOL sits upon a wooden bench. His cap has been taken from him, but he still holds the small wooden horse.

The door opens. A GUARD enters with bread and water.

GUARD

Your supper.

FOOL

A generous feast. Does the King know he has given me half the kingdom's grain?

GUARD

Eat it or leave it.

FOOL

I shall eat it. Hunger has never improved my jokes.

The Guard sets down the food.

FOOL

Tell me, good fellow, how many prisoners are kept in this tower?

GUARD

Enough.

FOOL

And how many are guilty?

GUARD

That is not for me to decide.

FOOL

A fortunate arrangement. A man may lock the door and leave his conscience outside.

The Guard hesitates.

GUARD

You would do well to keep quiet.

FOOL

That advice has followed me since childhood. I have never found it easy to obey.

The Guard turns to leave.

FOOL

Wait.

The Guard stops.

FOOL

Is the old king safe?

GUARD

He has been returned to his chamber.

FOOL

And his daughter?

GUARD

She remains in the eastern apartments.

FOOL

Then the family is reunited in everything but the rooms.

The Guard says nothing.

FOOL

One more question. Have you a father?

GUARD

I did.

FOOL

And did he love you?

GUARD

As well as he knew how.

FOOL

Then you are richer than many kings.

The Guard looks at him, uncertain.

GUARD

You speak strangely for a prisoner.

FOOL

I spoke strangely when I was free. It would be a shame to improve now.

The Guard almost smiles, then leaves.

The Fool listens as the lock turns.

He sets the wooden horse upon the bench.

FOOL

There now, little beast. We have come to a fine stable.

He looks toward the narrow window.

FOOL

My old king has lost his crown. My new king has lost his sleep. And I have lost my cap.

He pauses.

FOOL

Of the three, I suspect mine will be easiest to replace.

He lies back upon the bench, staring at the ceiling.

FOOL

But if the old king has learned to stand for another man, perhaps the world has not finished surprising me.

The moonlight shifts across the floor.

Far above, in the western wing, Lear stands at his chamber window.

He looks down toward the lower tower.

LEAR

Kent.

Kent approaches.

KENT

My lord?

LEAR

I have been a king for most of my life. Men have died defending my name. Others have suffered for refusing my commands.

KENT

Yes, my lord.

LEAR

Yet today I found myself ready to fight for a Fool.

KENT

He has earned your loyalty.

LEAR

I wonder how many others deserved it and never received it.

Kent remains silent.

LEAR

I thought kingship meant being obeyed.

KENT

And now?

LEAR

I begin to think it may mean knowing whom one must protect.

He looks toward the eastern tower.

LEAR

My daughter came to save me. I repaid her with anger. My Fool spoke truth. I repaid him with danger.

KENT

There is still time to repair what can be repaired.

LEAR

Then we must find a way to reach them.

KENT

Macbeth has doubled the guards.

LEAR

Let him. I have spent too many years demanding that others risk themselves for me.

Lear turns from the window.

LEAR

Now I would risk something for them.

The scene shifts to Macbeth's chamber.

Macbeth stands before a mirror. His crown rests upon the table beside him.

He looks at his reflection.

MACBETH

What makes a king legitimate?

He hears the Fool's voice in memory.

FOOL'S VOICE

What a king does when no one is watching.

Macbeth turns sharply.

The chamber is empty.

MACBETH

Silence.

He approaches the table and lifts the crown.

MACBETH

I am king.

He places it upon his head.

MACBETH

I am king.

From somewhere beyond the walls comes the distant sound of a prison door closing.

Macbeth looks toward the sound.

Blackout.

End of Act III, Scene Two.

Act III, Scene Three: The News from England

Dunsinane. The northern watchtower. Before dawn.

Rain sweeps across the battlements. A great bell hangs beneath a wooden roof, its bronze surface dark with age. Beyond the castle, the hills disappear into mist.

Two SOLDIERS stand beside a brazier. The younger struggles to keep his cloak closed against the wind.

YOUNG SOLDIER

How many nights have we watched this road?

OLDER SOLDIER

Enough to know it never brings good news.

YOUNG SOLDIER

Yesterday they said the English army was three days away. Before that, five. Before that, they said it would never come.

OLDER SOLDIER

Armies travel faster in rumors than upon roads.

YOUNG SOLDIER

And when the rumors become soldiers?

OLDER SOLDIER

Then we discover whether the men who made the promises intend to stand beside us.

A horn sounds from below.

The soldiers move toward the parapet.

A RIDER approaches the outer gate, his horse exhausted.

RIDER

Open! Dispatches for the King!

The Older Soldier signals to the gatehouse.

OLDER SOLDIER

From where?

RIDER

The southern passes. Malcolm has crossed the border.

The Young Soldier looks toward the dark hills.

YOUNG SOLDIER

How many?

RIDER

Enough to make counting difficult.

The gate begins to open.

Blackout.

The scene shifts to Macbeth's council chamber.

Maps cover the table. Several markers have been moved since the previous evening. MACBETH stands beside the hearth, fully dressed despite the early hour. EDMUND studies a letter. LADY MACBETH sits near the window.

Enter the CAPTAIN with the RIDER.

CAPTAIN

My lord, the southern watch has confirmed the movement of Malcolm's forces.

MACBETH

Where?

RIDER

Beyond the lower passes. Their advance companies have reached the villages east of Birnam.

MACBETH

Their number?

RIDER

The first report counted near three thousand. Others follow behind. English soldiers march with Scottish nobles who have joined Malcolm.

MACBETH

And Macduff?

RIDER

He rides among their commanders.

Macbeth looks toward the map.

MACBETH

He returns to the country he abandoned.

LADY MACBETH

He returns to the country where his family was murdered.

The Rider lowers his eyes.

MACBETH

His family died in the disorder of rebellion.

LADY MACBETH

Is that what we call it now?

Edmund intervenes.

EDMUND

The circumstances of those deaths will matter little if Malcolm reaches Dunsinane. We must concern ourselves with what the living intend.

MACBETH

You have read the dispatches from Britain?

EDMUND

Yes. Goneril and Regan have each promised to restrict the movement of men and provisions favorable to Malcolm. Their cooperation remains conditional.

MACBETH

Upon Lear.

EDMUND

And Cordelia.

MACBETH

Then our guests have become more valuable.

LADY MACBETH

You speak of them as merchants speak of grain.

MACBETH

Grain feeds an army. A royal name may stop one.

Macbeth turns to the Captain.

MACBETH

Strengthen the southern gates. Store provisions within the inner walls. No messenger leaves without my seal. And double the watch upon the prisoners.

CAPTAIN

All of them, my lord?

MACBETH

Lear, Cordelia, the French knight, Kent, and the Fool. No one is to pass between their chambers.

LADY MACBETH

You have separated a father from his daughter and imprisoned a man for making jokes. What danger do you fear from their speaking?

MACBETH

The danger of words carried beyond these walls.

LADY MACBETH

Then your kingdom is in greater peril than I imagined.

Macbeth turns toward her, but the Captain interrupts.

CAPTAIN

There is another matter. A traveler was detained near the northern gate during the night. He carried no weapons beyond a hunting knife and asked after Lord Gloucester's son.

Edmund looks up.

EDMUND

Which son?

CAPTAIN

He would not say.

EDMUND

Describe him.

CAPTAIN

A young man in a worn cloak. He claims to have traveled from the British border.

EDMUND

Bring him to me.

MACBETH

You know him?

EDMUND

I suspect I do.

Macbeth studies Edmund.

MACBETH

Then let us discover whether your suspicion is justified.

The Captain exits.

Lady Macbeth rises.

LADY MACBETH

I must attend to the household.

MACBETH

You will remain near Cordelia. I wish to know everything she says.

LADY MACBETH

She speaks chiefly of her father.

MACBETH

Then listen carefully. The wishes of a daughter may yet determine the movements of France.

Lady Macbeth exits without answering.

The scene shifts to a guardroom near the northern gate.

EDGAR stands before two guards. His clothing is stained with mud, and a healing cut crosses his forehead. He has the bearing of a gentleman, though his boots and cloak suggest many weeks of hardship.

The Captain enters.

CAPTAIN

You asked after Gloucester's son.

EDGAR

I did.

CAPTAIN

Which son?

EDGAR

The one who calls himself Edmund.

CAPTAIN

What business have you with him?

EDGAR

A family matter.

CAPTAIN

You have crossed a dangerous border for a family matter.

EDGAR

Some families leave little choice.

The Captain examines him.

CAPTAIN

Your name?

Edgar hesitates.

EDGAR

Edgar.

The Captain's expression changes.

CAPTAIN

Edgar, son of Gloucester?

EDGAR

Yes.

The guards move closer.

CAPTAIN

You are accused of plotting against your father's life.

EDGAR

I know the accusation.

CAPTAIN

Do you deny it?

EDGAR

With every breath I have.

CAPTAIN

Then why flee your country?

EDGAR

When the men sent to arrest you have already decided your guilt, remaining to argue becomes a poor method of survival.

CAPTAIN

And your father?

Edgar looks away.

EDGAR

He lives.

CAPTAIN

Where?

EDGAR

In the care of people whose names I will not surrender.

CAPTAIN

Why?

EDGAR

He has suffered enough at the hands of men who claimed to serve authority.

The Captain waits.

EDGAR

My father was seized, accused of treachery, and blinded. I found him afterward. He did not know my face, and he could no longer see it.

The guards exchange troubled glances.

CAPTAIN

Who did this?

EDGAR

Men serving those who govern Britain.

CAPTAIN

And Edmund?

EDGAR

He profited from the accusation against me. I have reason to believe he helped create it.

CAPTAIN

Then you have come seeking revenge.

EDGAR

I have come seeking the truth. If justice requires my brother to answer for his deeds, I will not turn away.

Footsteps approach.

Enter EDMUND.

EDMUND

Brother.

Edgar turns.

EDGAR

Edmund.

They face one another across the guardroom.

EDMUND

I had hoped the rumors of your death were false.

EDGAR

You have always been skilled at giving rumors a useful life.

EDMUND

You look weary.

EDGAR

Our father looks worse.

Edmund's expression remains composed.

EDMUND

I have heard of his misfortune.

EDGAR

Misfortune? Is that what you call the taking of a man's eyes?

EDMUND

I did not order his punishment.

EDGAR

You knew the men who did. You knew the lies that placed him in their hands.

EDMUND

Take care. You stand in a foreign fortress where your accusations carry no authority.

EDGAR

Then I shall speak without authority, as the innocent often must.

Edmund turns to the Captain.

EDMUND

My brother is troubled. He has lived among fugitives and may not know whom to trust. Give him food and a chamber where he can rest.

EDGAR

I do not require your kindness.

EDMUND

Then accept the King's hospitality.

EDGAR

I have heard what that hospitality means.

Edmund's smile disappears.

EDMUND

You would do well to hold your tongue.

EDGAR

Our father held his tongue when he should have questioned you. I shall not repeat his mistake.

Edmund approaches him.

EDMUND

What do you hope to accomplish here?

EDGAR

To find out how far you intend to climb upon the ruin of our family.

EDMUND

Then you may discover that the world has changed since you fled it.

EDGAR

The world has changed. You have not.

Edmund turns to the Captain.

EDMUND

Keep him under guard. I will speak with Macbeth.

Edmund exits.

Edgar watches him leave.

EDGAR

He still speaks as though every room belongs to him.

CAPTAIN

You will remain here until the King decides your disposition.

EDGAR

Then I hope your king is a better judge of men than my father was.

The guards lead him away.

The scene shifts to the lower tower.

The FOOL sits upon his bench, balancing the small wooden horse upon one finger. Water drips steadily from the ceiling.

The door opens. LADY MACBETH enters carrying a covered basket. A GUARD follows.

GUARD

My lady, the prisoner has been given his meals.

LADY MACBETH

Then he may consider this a royal excess. Wait outside.

The Guard hesitates, then withdraws.

FOOL

A queen bearing supper. Have I been promoted without knowing it?

LADY MACBETH

I brought bread, cheese, and a little wine.

FOOL

Then I have certainly been promoted. Yesterday I received water and a lecture.

Lady Macbeth places the basket beside him.

LADY MACBETH

You should not have challenged the King before the court.

FOOL

I did not challenge him. I asked questions. He challenged the answers.

LADY MACBETH

You know what I mean.

FOOL

I do. You mean that truth is safer when spoken in a whisper.

LADY MACBETH

Sometimes it is.

FOOL

Yet a whisper may never reach the man who needs to hear it.

Lady Macbeth sits upon the opposite bench.

LADY MACBETH

You have followed Lear for many years. Do you truly believe people change?

FOOL

I have seen a proud king share his last crust with a beggar. I have seen a man who once demanded love begin to ask whether he deserved it.

LADY MACBETH

And a cruel man?

FOOL

That depends upon whether he wishes to change more than he wishes to be forgiven without changing.

She lowers her eyes.

LADY MACBETH

You have a dangerous habit of answering questions that were never spoken.

FOOL

It is the only advantage of having no courtly education.

Lady Macbeth rises.

LADY MACBETH

There may be a chance for you to leave this tower tonight.

The Fool becomes still.

FOOL

And my king?

LADY MACBETH

I am arranging a meeting. Lear, Cordelia, and Kent may be brought together.

FOOL

Under whose orders?

LADY MACBETH

Mine.

FOOL

Then your husband must not know.

Lady Macbeth does not answer.

FOOL

I see. A queen has discovered that doors may open in two directions.

LADY MACBETH

You must be ready when the guard comes. Do not make a joke. Do not delay. Follow him without speaking.

FOOL

You ask a great sacrifice.

LADY MACBETH

I ask you to live.

The Fool's expression softens.

FOOL

Then I shall try.

Lady Macbeth moves toward the door.

FOOL

My lady.

She stops.

FOOL

A man may spend years walking the wrong road. Turning around does not shorten the distance he has traveled.

LADY MACBETH

I know.

FOOL

But it changes where he may arrive.

Lady Macbeth looks at him for a moment, then leaves.

The scene shifts to the eastern apartments. Evening.

CORDELIA stands beside SIR ALAIN. A small map of the castle has been drawn upon the back of a discarded letter.

LADY MACBETH enters quietly.

CORDELIA

You came.

LADY MACBETH

There is little time. The King meets his captains after sunset. Edmund has been occupied with a prisoner from Britain. The household guards are changing shifts.

SIR ALAIN

What do you propose?

LADY MACBETH

The King has sealed the main chapel entrance. But an old servants' stair beneath the eastern wing leads to the chapel passage and its outer service gate. That gate can still be opened from within.

CORDELIA

And my father?

LADY MACBETH

Kent will bring him. I have persuaded one of the guards to escort the Fool from the lower tower to the chapel stairs, under the pretense that I require his presence. He has not been granted his freedom. Once you are beyond the service gate, he must leave with you.

SIR ALAIN

Horses?

LADY MACBETH

Two will wait beyond the orchard. The others must be found along the road.

SIR ALAIN

Two horses for five people?

LADY MACBETH

I have arranged what I could without drawing attention.

CORDELIA

You are risking your life.

LADY MACBETH

I have risked it for worse reasons.

Cordelia approaches her.

CORDELIA

Why have you decided to help us?

Lady Macbeth hesitates.

LADY MACBETH

Last night I watched my husband study a map. He moved small stones across it as though every life in Scotland belonged to his hand.

CORDELIA

And what did you see?

LADY MACBETH

I saw that he no longer recognizes the difference between protecting his crown and protecting his people.

CORDELIA

You still love him.

LADY MACBETH

Yes.

CORDELIA

Then this must be painful.

LADY MACBETH

Love has become the one thing I cannot use to excuse him.

She hands Cordelia a small iron key.

LADY MACBETH

The outer service gate. Wait until the second bell. Alain must keep the guards occupied until then.

SIR ALAIN

I can manage that.

LADY MACBETH

Do not kill anyone unless there is no other choice. A dead guard will bring the entire castle upon you.

CORDELIA

We will do everything possible to leave without bloodshed.

LADY MACBETH

Then pray the night is kinder than the day.

She exits.

Cordelia holds the key.

SIR ALAIN

Do you trust her?

CORDELIA

Enough to follow the only road she has opened.

The scene shifts to the western apartments.

LEAR sits beside a table, holding the unfinished letter bearing Cordelia's name. KENT stands near the door.

KENT

The Queen has sent word. We are to leave after the second bell.

LEAR

And Cordelia?

KENT

She will meet us beneath the chapel.

LEAR

Does she know?

KENT

Yes.

Lear folds the letter.

LEAR

I had meant to give her this.

KENT

You may give it to her tonight.

LEAR

There is only one word upon it.

KENT

Then perhaps the rest is better spoken.

Lear looks toward the window.

LEAR

I have spent three days thinking of what I should say. Every sentence begins with an explanation. Every explanation becomes a defense.

KENT

Then begin without one.

LEAR

With what?

KENT

With the truth you have avoided.

Lear looks at the letter.

LEAR

That I was wrong.

Kent says nothing.

LEAR

It seems a small sentence.

KENT

Small sentences can carry great weight.

A bell rings.

Kent moves toward the door.

KENT

The first watch has ended.

LEAR

Then we must be ready.

He places the letter inside his cloak.

The scene shifts to a narrow passage beneath the castle.

Stone steps descend into darkness. The walls are damp, and roots have forced their way between the stones. A small chapel stands at the end of the passage, its altar covered in dust.

CORDELIA and SIR ALAIN enter carrying a lantern.

SIR ALAIN

The passage is clear.

CORDELIA

How long until the second bell?

SIR ALAIN

A few minutes.

Cordelia approaches the outer service gate and tests the key. The lock turns with difficulty.

CORDELIA

It opens.

She looks through the narrow gap. Beyond lies an overgrown orchard and a path leading toward the forest.

CORDELIA

There is still a road beyond these walls.

SIR ALAIN

There is. We must reach it before the guards discover us.

Footsteps approach.

Cordelia turns.

Enter LEAR and KENT.

CORDELIA

Father.

Lear stops upon seeing her.

LEAR

Cordelia.

For a moment they simply look at one another.

CORDELIA

We have little time.

LEAR

I know.

He approaches her.

LEAR

I have wished to speak with thee.

CORDELIA

Then speak when we are safe.

LEAR

I fear that if I wait for safety, I shall find another reason to remain silent.

Cordelia looks at him.

LEAR

I was wrong.

The words seem to cost him great effort.

LEAR

When thou camest to me, I asked again for the obedience that drove thee away. I spoke as though thy love were a debt that could be collected.

CORDELIA

Father—

LEAR

No. Let me finish. I have made many speeches in my life. This may be the first in which I have no wish to hear myself admired.

Cordelia's eyes fill with tears.

LEAR

I do not ask thee to agree with Macbeth. I do not ask thee to recover my throne. I ask only that thou believe I am ashamed of how I treated thee.

Cordelia takes his hand.

CORDELIA

I believe you.

Lear lowers his head.

LEAR

Then perhaps there is hope for me yet.

Footsteps echo from the far stair.

Enter the FOOL, escorted by a GUARD.

FOOL

Nuncle! I had feared the castle would forget where it stored me.

LEAR

My Fool.

Lear embraces him awkwardly. The Fool is startled, then returns the embrace.

FOOL

Take care. If thou growest affectionate, the court will suspect thee of illness.

The Guard looks toward the stair.

GUARD

The second bell is sounding. You must leave now.

Sir Alain opens the outer service gate.

A gust of cold air enters.

Then a voice sounds from the darkness behind them.

EDMUND

A touching reunion.

Everyone turns.

EDMUND stands at the top of the steps, accompanied by armed soldiers. Behind him is the CAPTAIN.

EDMUND

A father restored to his daughter. A loyal servant reunited with his master. Even the Fool has found his way back into good company.

KENT

Stand aside.

EDMUND

I fear I cannot.

CORDELIA

We are leaving Scotland peacefully. There is no reason to stop us.

EDMUND

There are several reasons. The King has ordered that no prisoner depart without his consent.

LEAR

Then tell your king I no longer seek his consent.

EDMUND

That would be an admirable declaration if the gates belonged to you.

Sir Alain draws his sword.

SIR ALAIN

You will not take the Queen.

The soldiers raise their weapons.

CORDELIA

Alain, no.

SIR ALAIN

Your Majesty, stand behind me.

EDMUND

Put away your sword. You are outnumbered.

SIR ALAIN

Then I shall make the first blow count.

CORDELIA

I said no.

Sir Alain looks at her.

CORDELIA

We did not come here to purchase freedom with the lives of men who have done us no personal wrong.

Reluctantly, he lowers his sword.

Edmund smiles.

EDMUND

A wise decision.

KENT

Who told you of this passage?

EDMUND

The castle has many servants. Some are loyal to their queen. Others remember who commands the soldiers.

Lady Macbeth appears behind the guards.

LADY MACBETH

Edmund.

He turns.

EDMUND

My lady. I had hoped you would not be troubled by this discovery.

LADY MACBETH

You have betrayed me.

EDMUND

I have prevented a breach of the King's orders.

LADY MACBETH

You knew what I intended.

EDMUND

I suspected. Then I asked the right questions.

Lady Macbeth looks at the Captain.

LADY MACBETH

Release them.

CAPTAIN

My lady, the King has given direct instructions.

LADY MACBETH

I am your queen.

CAPTAIN

And I am sworn to obey the King.

The silence is terrible.

EDMUND

You see the difficulty. A kingdom cannot endure two contrary commands.

LADY MACBETH

No. It cannot endure men who use obedience to escape responsibility.

Edmund turns to the soldiers.

EDMUND

Separate the prisoners.

LEAR

No!

Lear steps in front of Cordelia.

LEAR

You will not take her from me again.

EDMUND

Then you may choose to make this more difficult.

LEAR

I have made many things difficult in my life. This time I shall do so for a reason worth defending.

The guards hesitate.

CORDELIA

Father, do not let them harm you.

LEAR

I am finished being protected at the cost of those I love.

Edmund approaches slowly.

EDMUND

You have no soldiers, Lear. No crown. No kingdom. What do you believe you can accomplish by standing there?

Lear looks at Cordelia, then back at Edmund.

LEAR

I can refuse to help you make her afraid.

Edmund's expression hardens.

EDMUND

Captain, take them.

The guards move forward. Kent struggles briefly as they seize his arms. Sir Alain is disarmed. The Fool is pulled away from Lear.

Cordelia reaches for her father.

CORDELIA

Father!

LEAR

Cordelia!

Their hands touch for an instant before the soldiers separate them.

LADY MACBETH

Stop this!

Her voice echoes through the chapel.

The soldiers pause.

LADY MACBETH

You have them. There is no need to treat them like animals.

Edmund studies her.

EDMUND

Then perhaps Your Majesty should persuade the King to release them.

He signals the guards onward.

Lear is led up one stair. Cordelia and Sir Alain are taken through another passage. Kent is held by two soldiers. The Fool is dragged toward the lower tower.

Lady Macbeth remains beside the open outer service gate.

Beyond it, the orchard lies dark and empty.

The scene shifts to Macbeth's council chamber.

MACBETH stands before the map. Edmund enters, carrying a folded letter.

MACBETH

I have heard of the escape attempt.

EDMUND

It has been stopped.

MACBETH

My wife arranged it.

EDMUND

Yes.

Macbeth looks toward the door.

MACBETH

She has chosen to defy me openly.

EDMUND

She has allowed affection to interfere with judgment.

MACBETH

Do not presume to judge my wife.

EDMUND

I judge only the danger her actions have created.

Edmund places the letter upon the table.

EDMUND

There is another danger.

MACBETH

What is this?

EDMUND

Correspondence linking Cordelia's party to supporters of Malcolm.

Macbeth opens the letter and reads.

MACBETH

You prepared this.

EDMUND

At your instruction.

MACBETH

I did not order it to be used.

EDMUND

Nor has it been. Yet circumstances have changed. Cordelia attempted to escape. Her French knight drew a sword against Scottish soldiers. Malcolm advances from the south.

MACBETH

You would make these events appear part of one conspiracy.

EDMUND

They already resemble one. The letter would provide the missing connection.

Macbeth sets it down.

MACBETH

And if Cordelia is accused?

EDMUND

She may be detained as a foreign agent. Her father's influence can be restrained. France may be warned that intervention will endanger its queen.

MACBETH

You have arranged every piece.

EDMUND

Only those Your Majesty has permitted me to touch.

Macbeth looks toward the window.

MACBETH

Malcolm approaches. Macduff seeks my blood. My wife opens doors behind my back. Lear defies me. Cordelia refuses my terms.

He turns.

MACBETH

And you bring me a forged letter and call it security.

EDMUND

I bring you a choice.

MACBETH

Every man who comes to this castle brings me a choice. Every choice leaves me with fewer friends.

EDMUND

Then choose the kingdom.

Macbeth studies the letter.

MACBETH

Have the prisoners held separately. Lear in the western tower. Cordelia in the eastern apartments, under strict guard. Kent and the Fool below. The French knight is to be disarmed and confined.

EDMUND

And the letter?

MACBETH

Keep it. We may yet require it.

EDMUND

As you command.

Edmund bows and exits.

Macbeth remains alone.

The scene shifts to the eastern apartments.

Cordelia sits upon the floor beside her chamber door. Beyond it, soldiers exchange the watch.

She holds a small piece of cloth torn from Lear's cloak during their separation.

CORDELIA

He said he was wrong.

She looks at the cloth.

CORDELIA

For one moment, he was not a king asking to be obeyed. He was my father asking to be heard.

She closes her hand around the cloth.

CORDELIA

I will not let that moment be the last.

The scene shifts to the western tower.

Lear stands alone beside a narrow window. Kent has been taken elsewhere.

The old king looks down into the dark courtyard.

LEAR

I had her hand.

He opens his palm.

LEAR

For one moment, I had her hand.

He slowly closes it.

LEAR

And I let them take her.

He looks upward.

LEAR

I have commanded armies, judged disputes, and divided kingdoms. Yet I cannot open one door for my child.

He sinks onto a bench.

LEAR

If there is a lesson in this, let me learn it before she is lost to me again.

The scene shifts to Lady Macbeth's chamber.

Lady Macbeth stands beside the silver basin. The water is still.

Macbeth enters.

MACBETH

You arranged their escape.

LADY MACBETH

Yes.

MACBETH

You defied my orders.

LADY MACBETH

Yes.

MACBETH

You placed my throne in danger.

LADY MACBETH

I tried to save you from another wrong.

Macbeth approaches her.

MACBETH

You believe releasing my enemies would save me?

LADY MACBETH

I believe keeping them has already cost you more than you understand.

MACBETH

You have chosen their cause over mine.

LADY MACBETH

I have chosen not to help you harm them.

Macbeth looks at her as though she has become a stranger.

MACBETH

Once, you would have stood beside me against the world.

LADY MACBETH

I did.

She looks at the basin.

LADY MACBETH

And I have been trying to wash the world from my hands ever since.

Macbeth turns away.

MACBETH

You will remain in your chambers until I decide what is to be done.

LADY MACBETH

Then I am a prisoner too.

MACBETH

You have made yourself one.

He exits. The door closes.

Lady Macbeth looks toward the basin.

For a moment, she reaches toward the water.

Then she stops.

LADY MACBETH

No more washing.

She withdraws her hand.

LADY MACBETH

There must be something left to do.

The scene shifts to the southern road.

Night.

An army moves beneath the trees. Torches flicker among the branches. Scottish soldiers march beside English allies. At their head ride MALCOLM and MACDUFF.

Malcolm studies the distant hills.

MALCOLM

Dunsinane lies beyond the ridge.

MACDUFF

Then we are near enough for Macbeth to hear us coming.

MALCOLM

Scouts report that he holds Lear and the Queen of France within the castle.

MACDUFF

Then he has gathered innocent lives around his throne.

MALCOLM

We must not allow their deaths to become the price of victory.

MACDUFF

I know the price of innocent deaths.

Malcolm looks at him.

MALCOLM

Your wife and children shall not be forgotten.

MACDUFF

I do not fear forgetting them.

He looks toward Dunsinane.

MACDUFF

I fear that when I stand before the man who ordered their deaths, grief will make me forget the man I wish to remain.

MALCOLM

Then I shall stand beside you.

MACDUFF

And if I cannot restrain myself?

MALCOLM

I shall remind you that justice must outlive revenge.

Macduff nods slowly.

MACDUFF

Then let us reach the castle before Macbeth finds another family to destroy.

The army continues forward.

Far away, Dunsinane rises against the dark sky.

Within its walls, five prisoners wait in separate chambers. Beyond its gates, an army approaches.

And in the highest tower, Macbeth watches the southern horizon, his crown catching the light of a single candle.

Blackout.

End of Act III, Scene Three.

End of Act III.

Act IV, Scene One: The Bargain of Kings

Dunsinane. The western tower. Before sunrise.

A narrow window looks out upon the mountains. Beneath it, LEAR sits at a wooden table. His cloak hangs from one shoulder, and the candle beside him has burned almost to its base.

Upon the table lies a sheet of parchment bearing a single word: Cordelia.

Lear takes up a pen. He tries to write beneath the name, but his hand trembles.

LEAR

My daughter, I have...

He stops.

LEAR

No. Too many words.

He begins again.

LEAR

I ask thee...

He lays down the pen.

LEAR

There it is. Even in apology, I begin by asking.

He folds the parchment and puts it inside his cloak.

A key turns in the door. The CAPTAIN enters with two guards.

CAPTAIN

King Lear. His Majesty requests your presence.

LEAR

Your king has discovered a fondness for my company.

CAPTAIN

He wishes to speak privately.

LEAR

Then why have you brought soldiers?

CAPTAIN

For your protection.

Lear rises.

LEAR

I have heard that word so often in this castle that I begin to fear it more than a threat.

CAPTAIN

Will you come?

LEAR

I will. But I have a request.

CAPTAIN

I am listening.

LEAR

Tell Macbeth that I wish to see my daughter.

CAPTAIN

You may speak with him yourself.

LEAR

I have spoken with him. I have demanded, argued, and pleaded. This morning I ask you, a man who holds a key. Tell him.

The Captain looks at Lear, surprised by his quietness.

CAPTAIN

I will deliver your request.

LEAR

Thank you.

The Captain bows slightly. Lear follows him out.

The scene shifts to Macbeth's council chamber.

An enormous map of Britain and Scotland covers the table. Black and white stones mark roads, fortresses, and armies. A sealed document rests beside a silver cup.

MACBETH stands near the window, watching the first pale light. EDMUND waits at the table.

EDMUND

The southern watch reports that Malcolm's men have reached the outskirts of Birnam.

MACBETH

How long before they stand beneath our walls?

EDMUND

Two days, perhaps less.

MACBETH

And the British sisters?

EDMUND

Their agents have agreed in principle to a restoration of Lear's authority, provided Scotland recognizes their existing territorial settlements.

MACBETH

In principle.

EDMUND

Goneril will surrender certain revenues and northern estates. Regan will recognize a royal council presided over by Lear. Both retain substantial authority.

MACBETH

They offer him a crown without its teeth.

EDMUND

They offer him something he no longer possesses: a government that must answer to his name.

MACBETH

And can they deliver it?

EDMUND

Their seals are genuine. Their nobles have already discussed the arrangement. If Cordelia secures French recognition, the settlement can take effect.

MACBETH

Then this is no empty promise.

EDMUND

No, my lord. It is a bargain of considerable value.

MACBETH

Yet you have not told me why the sisters have become so generous.

EDMUND

They fear civil war more than their father's return. Each suspects the other of seeking too much authority. A restored Lear might restrain them both.

MACBETH

Or become their puppet.

EDMUND

That would depend upon how wisely he governs.

Macbeth looks at the sealed document.

MACBETH

And Cordelia must endorse me.

EDMUND

Publicly. She must affirm that Scotland's present government is lawful, urge France to withhold assistance from Malcolm, and acknowledge the British settlement.

MACBETH

She will refuse.

EDMUND

She has refused you. She may find it harder to refuse her father.

A knock sounds.

Enter the Captain with Lear.

MACBETH

Leave us.

The Captain and guards withdraw. Edmund remains.

LEAR

You asked for privacy, yet another man attends you.

MACBETH

Lord Edmund has prepared the terms I wish to discuss.

LEAR

Then let him speak plainly. I have grown weary of being offered kindness that comes with guards.

Macbeth gestures to a chair.

MACBETH

Sit, Lear.

LEAR

I have been sitting for days.

He remains standing.

MACBETH

Very well.

Macbeth unrolls the document.

MACBETH

Your daughters have agreed to consider restoring a royal council in Britain. You would preside over it. Certain lands and revenues would return to your household. Officers would be appointed in your name. Your daughters would be bound by a new settlement to respect your position.

Lear looks at the document.

LEAR

They have agreed to this?

EDMUND

Their representatives have accepted the principal terms.

LEAR

Goneril and Regan, who denied me shelter, would now restore my authority?

EDMUND

Political circumstances have changed.

LEAR

They always do when frightened men begin counting soldiers.

Lear takes the document and examines the seals.

LEAR

These are theirs.

MACBETH

They are.

LEAR

And the lands?

EDMUND

Here, along the northern territories. The council would hold authority over revenue, appointments, and disputes affecting the settlement.

Lear studies the map.

LEAR

These were once mine.

MACBETH

They may be yours again.

For a moment Lear's face brightens. He traces a river upon the map.

LEAR

I rode this road with Cordelia when she was ten. We stopped at a village where the bridge had washed away. She asked why a king could command a thousand soldiers but could not command a river to remain in its banks.

MACBETH

A perceptive child.

LEAR

I told her that a king must build bridges, not command rivers.

He smiles faintly at the memory.

LEAR

I had forgotten that answer.

MACBETH

Then perhaps you may return to the place where you gave it.

Lear looks up.

LEAR

What do you ask?

MACBETH

Your public recognition of my rule in Scotland. Cordelia's support for the settlement. France must withdraw any assistance it may give Malcolm.

LEAR

And if France refuses?

MACBETH

Then the settlement cannot proceed.

LEAR

And if Cordelia refuses?

Macbeth says nothing.

LEAR

There it is.

EDMUND

Her cooperation is necessary to prevent war.

LEAR

You have arranged a kingdom upon this table, yet the price is hidden beneath my daughter's name.

MACBETH

Her signature could spare thousands of lives.

LEAR

Or condemn thousands who have trusted Malcolm.

MACBETH

Malcolm seeks my throne.

LEAR

And you seek to keep it.

MACBETH

I am the lawful King of Scotland.

LEAR

Then why must my daughter swear it before France?

Macbeth's expression hardens.

MACBETH

You have enjoyed my protection.

LEAR

And paid for it with my freedom.

MACBETH

You stand before the opportunity to regain your place in Britain. Few men in your condition would question the hand that offered it.

LEAR

I have questioned too few hands in my life. That is part of how I came to this condition.

Edmund steps forward.

EDMUND

King Lear, consider what is truly at stake. You may return to Britain with dignity, regain a household, and establish peace between your daughters. Your subjects may see you preside over a lawful government once more.

LEAR

And Cordelia?

EDMUND

She would be honored for making the agreement possible.

LEAR

Honored for saying what she does not believe.

EDMUND

Honored for serving her father's interests.

Lear looks toward Edmund.

LEAR

I have heard those words before. They came from my own mouth.

Macbeth moves around the table.

MACBETH

I have not brought you here to debate your daughter's character. I have brought you a genuine offer. If you accept, I shall put my seal beside those of Goneril and Regan. You may return home when the settlement is secure.

LEAR

With Cordelia?

MACBETH

If she agrees to the terms.

LEAR

And if she does not?

MACBETH

She remains under my protection until the danger has passed.

LEAR

You mean she remains your prisoner.

MACBETH

Call it what you wish.

Lear places the document upon the table.

LEAR

I wish to see her.

MACBETH

You have seen her.

LEAR

I wish to see her without a bargain laid between us.

MACBETH

You may see her when we have reached an agreement.

LEAR

Then you ask me to purchase my daughter's company with her conscience.

MACBETH

I ask you to act as a king.

Lear is silent.

MACBETH

You know the burdens of rule. You know that affection cannot govern nations. You know that a king must sometimes demand sacrifice from those closest to him.

Lear looks toward the map.

LEAR

Yes. I know that lesson very well.

He approaches the chair but does not sit.

LEAR

When Cordelia was a child, she once broke a cup that had belonged to her mother. She came to me trembling, holding the pieces in her hands.

MACBETH

What did you do?

LEAR

I asked whether she had broken it. She said yes. I praised her for telling the truth and told her that no cup was worth a lie.

He pauses.

LEAR

Years later, before my entire court, I asked her to speak more love than she could honestly put into words. When she refused, I punished her.

EDMUND

A father's disappointment is not the same as political judgment.

LEAR

No. Yet I made it political judgment. I divided a kingdom according to the sweetness of my daughters' speeches.

He turns toward Macbeth.

LEAR

You offer me the chance to do it again.

MACBETH

I offer you restoration.

LEAR

At the cost of demanding that Cordelia deny what she believes.

MACBETH

At the cost of one public declaration.

LEAR

One declaration may change the fate of a country.

MACBETH

You have ruled a country. You know that words have consequences.

LEAR

I do now.

Macbeth's patience begins to fail.

MACBETH

Do you understand what you are refusing? These are lands, revenues, authority. Your daughters will be bound by treaty. You may return as a ruler instead of a fugitive.

LEAR

And Cordelia must become the daughter I once demanded.

MACBETH

She must become reasonable.

LEAR

She has been reasonable. I was too proud to hear it.

Lear removes a small royal signet ring from his hand. He turns it slowly between his fingers.

LEAR

I wore this when I divided Britain. I wore it when I disowned her. I wore it when I commanded Kent to leave my sight for defending her.

MACBETH

It is a symbol of your authority.

LEAR

It is a symbol of what I believed authority permitted me to do.

He sets the ring beside the document.

LEAR

I will not take the settlement.

Edmund looks sharply at him.

EDMUND

My lord, perhaps you should consider—

LEAR

I have considered.

MACBETH

You would refuse your kingdom?

LEAR

I would refuse to purchase it with my daughter's freedom.

MACBETH

You may never receive another offer.

LEAR

Then I shall never receive another.

Macbeth looks at the ring.

MACBETH

You are an old man who has mistaken exhaustion for wisdom.

LEAR

Perhaps. But I have spent enough of my life mistaking pride for strength.

Lear pushes the document back across the table.

LEAR

I renounce my claim to restoration under these terms. I will not ask Cordelia to lie for me. I will not make her love a condition of my dignity.

MACBETH

Then what remains of your kingship?

Lear looks at him steadily.

LEAR

Whatever remains when the crown is gone.

Silence.

Macbeth's gaze moves toward the window. Beyond it, the distant hills are faintly visible.

MACBETH

You think yourself noble for refusing what other men would kill to possess.

LEAR

I do not know whether I am noble. I know only that I have hurt my daughter enough.

MACBETH

And what of Scotland? What of the lives that may be lost if Malcolm attacks?

LEAR

You hold the gates. You command the soldiers. You decide whether prisoners live or die. Do not place your choices upon my daughter's shoulders.

Macbeth steps close to Lear.

MACBETH

If Malcolm comes against Dunsinane, I cannot promise that you or Cordelia will survive the battle.

LEAR

Then release us before it begins.

MACBETH

You know I cannot.

LEAR

You mean you will not.

MACBETH

I will defend my crown.

LEAR

Then defend it with your own life, not with hers.

Macbeth stares at him.

MACBETH

Take him away.

The Captain enters.

MACBETH

Return Lear to the western tower. No visitors. No correspondence.

LEAR

One thing more.

MACBETH

You have said enough.

LEAR

I have refused your bargain. Do not punish Cordelia for my refusal.

MACBETH

Her fate depends upon decisions greater than yours.

LEAR

Then may you one day discover how small a crown becomes when placed beside a human life.

Lear exits with the Captain.

Edmund watches him go.

EDMUND

That was an unexpected choice.

MACBETH

He has abandoned the very thing he crossed kingdoms to recover.

EDMUND

He has become difficult to influence through ambition.

MACBETH

Then what remains?

EDMUND

Affection. He has made his daughter the center of every decision.

MACBETH

You would use her again.

EDMUND

I would prevent her from becoming an instrument of Malcolm.

MACBETH

You have the forged correspondence.

EDMUND

Yes.

MACBETH

Keep it ready. If Malcolm attacks, the prisoners may become our only means of negotiation.

Edmund bows.

EDMUND

I shall prepare for that possibility.

He exits.

Macbeth stands alone. He takes up Lear's signet ring.

MACBETH

A king who throws away his crown.

He looks at his own reflection in the window.

MACBETH

What manner of king is that?

The scene shifts to the eastern apartments.

CORDELIA sits at a table beside SIR ALAIN. A bowl of untouched food stands between them.

A key turns. LADY MACBETH enters.

CORDELIA

Have you news of my father?

LADY MACBETH

He has met with Macbeth.

CORDELIA

Is he safe?

LADY MACBETH

For the present.

CORDELIA

What happened?

Lady Macbeth takes a seat.

LADY MACBETH

Macbeth offered him a settlement restoring authority in Britain. Lands, revenues, a royal council, and recognition from your sisters.

CORDELIA

Then my father must have been tempted.

LADY MACBETH

He was.

CORDELIA

What did he say?

LADY MACBETH

He refused.

Cordelia looks at her in disbelief.

CORDELIA

Refused?

LADY MACBETH

He would not ask you to support the agreement. He would not make your freedom depend upon your obedience.

Cordelia slowly rises.

CORDELIA

He said that?

LADY MACBETH

Macbeth's servants have spoken of little else. Lear left his royal signet upon the table.

Cordelia covers her mouth with one hand.

CORDELIA

He has carried that ring since before I was born.

LADY MACBETH

He left it behind.

CORDELIA

Then perhaps he has finally set down something heavier than gold.

Lady Macbeth watches her.

LADY MACBETH

You seem relieved, though his refusal has placed you both in greater danger.

CORDELIA

I am afraid. But I have wished for years that he would choose me without asking me to become someone else.

She wipes her eyes.

CORDELIA

I would give anything to tell him what it means to me.

LADY MACBETH

I will try to arrange another meeting.

CORDELIA

You have risked enough.

LADY MACBETH

Not yet.

Cordelia studies her.

CORDELIA

My lady, your husband may discover what you are doing.

LADY MACBETH

He already knows I oppose him.

CORDELIA

Then he may imprison you.

LADY MACBETH

He has begun to do so, though he has not yet named it imprisonment.

She looks at the guarded door.

LADY MACBETH

I spent years believing that if Macbeth became king, we would be safe. Every day since his coronation has required another sacrifice to preserve what we gained.

CORDELIA

What will you do?

LADY MACBETH

I do not know how to repair the first wrong. But I may still prevent the next.

Cordelia takes her hand.

CORDELIA

That is where you must begin.

Lady Macbeth holds her gaze, then rises.

LADY MACBETH

Keep faith with your father. He has begun a difficult work.

CORDELIA

So have you.

Lady Macbeth exits.

The scene shifts to the western tower.

Lear sits upon his bench. The Captain stands near the door, preparing to leave.

LEAR

Captain.

The Captain turns.

CAPTAIN

My lord?

LEAR

Did Macbeth keep the ring?

CAPTAIN

It remains upon his table.

LEAR

Good.

The Captain hesitates.

CAPTAIN

I heard what you refused.

LEAR

Then you know I am a foolish old man.

CAPTAIN

My father served a lord who took his land for failing to flatter him. He died believing he had done wrong by speaking honestly.

Lear looks up.

CAPTAIN

I think he would have understood your decision.

Lear is silent for a moment.

LEAR

What was his name?

CAPTAIN

Thomas.

LEAR

Then I am sorry for what Thomas suffered.

The Captain lowers his head.

CAPTAIN

I shall remember that.

He turns to leave.

LEAR

One more favor.

CAPTAIN

If it lies within my duty.

LEAR

Tell my daughter that I have asked for her.

CAPTAIN

The King has forbidden correspondence.

LEAR

Then tell her nothing of treaties or crowns. Tell her only that her father wishes to see her.

The Captain looks at the old king.

CAPTAIN

I will see what can be done.

He exits.

Lear sits alone.

He takes the folded parchment from his cloak and opens it.

Cordelia.

He places it upon the table.

LEAR

I once believed that a king must never kneel.

He looks toward the door.

LEAR

Perhaps I feared that if I lowered myself, no one would help me rise.

He touches his daughter's name.

LEAR

If I see thee again, child, I shall not ask thee to kneel.

The scene shifts to Macbeth's chamber.

Night approaches. The distant sound of soldiers drilling carries through the window.

Macbeth stands beside the map. Lear's signet ring lies near his crown.

He picks up the ring and holds it beside the crown.

MACBETH

He had a kingdom and lost it. I had no kingdom and took one.

He places the ring inside the crown.

MACBETH

And now he lays his claim aside as though it were nothing.

He looks toward the southern hills.

MACBETH

If I laid mine aside, what would remain of me?

The question hangs in the room.

From beyond the window comes a distant horn. Then another.

Macbeth turns toward the sound.

MACBETH

The army.

He takes up his sword.

MACBETH

There is no time for such questions.

He places the crown upon his head and leaves.

The signet ring remains alone upon the table.

Blackout.

End of Act IV, Scene One.

Act IV, Scene Two: The Father Who Knelt

Dunsinane. The western tower. Night.

Rain falls against the narrow window. A single candle burns upon a wooden table, beside a folded letter bearing Cordelia's name.

LEAR sits on the edge of his bed. His royal cloak lies discarded upon the floor. He wears a simple woolen tunic, and his hair hangs loose around his shoulders.

From somewhere beneath the castle comes the faint sound of a man singing.

FOOL (distant, unseen)

A crown may shine upon the head,
And leave the heart as cold as lead.
But love may find a broken door,
And make a home of stones once more.

Lear listens.

LEAR

Still singing, poor Fool. They may lock his body beneath the earth, yet his tongue will find a window.

He rises and approaches the table.

LEAR

Cordelia.

He unfolds the unfinished letter he carried during the failed escape. Cordelia's name stands alone at the top of the page.

LEAR

I carried this through the passage, thinking I might place it in her hands. One word. Her name. All the rest I meant to speak.

He sits and takes up the pen.

LEAR

She has read my first letter. She knows I have admitted my wrong. Yet I have told her so little of the wrong itself.

He writes beneath her name.

LEAR

"My daughter, I have wronged thee."

He stops, looking at the words.

LEAR

There. No excuses this time.

He continues.

LEAR

"I demanded from thee a love that would flatter my pride, and when thou gavest me truth, I called it nothing."

His hand trembles.

LEAR

"I cannot restore the years I have taken from us. I cannot return the kingdom I divided. But I would ask..."

He stops writing.

LEAR

Again I ask.

He lays down the pen.

LEAR

What can a father give when he has spent his life taking?

A key turns in the door.

LEAR rises sharply.

Enter LADY MACBETH, carrying a lantern. Behind her stands the CAPTAIN.

LEAR

My lady.

LADY MACBETH

Forgive the hour.

LEAR

In this castle, day and night have become equally troublesome. What brings you?

LADY MACBETH

Your daughter.

Lear grips the edge of the table.

LEAR

Is she safe?

LADY MACBETH

For the moment. She has asked to see you.

LEAR

Then take me to her.

LADY MACBETH

You must understand the danger. Macbeth has forbidden all contact between you. If he discovers this meeting, he may confine you more severely.

LEAR

He has already taken my freedom. What more can he threaten?

LADY MACBETH

Your daughter.

Lear falls silent.

LADY MACBETH

I have arranged for her to be brought to the old chapel chamber. Kent will accompany her.

She hesitates, glancing toward the door.

LADY MACBETH

The Captain who obeyed Edmund at the chapel has agreed to help me. He has not forgotten the look upon your daughter's face when the soldiers separated you.

LEAR