Macbeth - Translated

Act 3, Scene 5

Thunder sounds. The three WITCHES enter, meeting HECATE.

FIRST WITCH
Why, how are you, Hecate? You look angry.

HECATE
Don't I have a reason to be angry, you hags? How dare you trick Macbeth with riddles and prophecies without including me—the source of your powers; the creator of all evil things; and the greatest practitioner of our magic? And, even worse, you've done all this for an unreliable, angry, and spiteful brat. Like all brats, he cares only about what he wants and not about you. But you can make this better. Get out of here and meet me at the pit of , where Macbeth will go to learn his destiny. Bring your cauldrons, your spells, your charms, and everything else. Now I must fly. I'll spend the night working to make a terrible and deadly outcome for him. I have a lot to accomplish before noon. On the corner of the moon there hangs a droplet, ready to fall. I'll catch it before it hits the ground. When I charm the droplet with magic spells, it will raise up fantastic spirits that will trick Macbeth with illusions, and he'll walk right into his own destruction. He'll think himself immune to fate; will mock death; and will think he has no need for wisdom, grace, or fear. As you all know, overconfidence is mortal man's worst enemy.

A song play offstage with the lyrics: "Come away, come away."

HECATE
Listen! I'm being called. Look, there's my little sitting in a foggy cloud, waiting for me.

HECATE exits.

FIRST WITCH
Come on, let's hurry. She'll come back again soon.

They all exit.