Macbeth Makes His Move

By Elton Camp

Because I am called a Thane

I let it come to make me vain

King Duncan, not only my friend

But to him I am also of close kin

When he needed me to help fight

I found to do that was pure delight

Will not have to do it soon again

After we made a spectacular win

But on that very same victorious day

Another Thane did the king betray

Duncan knew the thing to do

Give me that Thaneship too

How that would be a promotion

Seems to be just a silly notion

But maybe it will be nice

To have same title twice

In advance, three witches knew

Told it as they stirred their brew

“And there’s another thing,

You also will become king.”

Idea they had planted as to my fate

To share with wife, I couldn’t wait

She knew just what we could do

We have a chance to make it true

King coming to spend the night with us

So easy for us to kill him without a fuss

Wait until he falls asleep

Plunge dagger very deep

“No, that would not be fair play

Will not become king that way!”

But she would not let it drop

To his reign would put a stop

“Biggest coward I’ve ever seen,

Won’t help me become queen.

If you are not man to use the knife,

Then just leave it to your little wife.”

But in the air I did find

Cruel dagger of the mind

Decided it would be dumb

To worry about life to come

While the king lay asleep in bed

Our hands became scarlet red

When others learned of the deed

I then reacted with great speed

Loudly did I weep and wail

King’s attendants did assail

“Those knaves their lord did slay

So I killed them all, right away.”

The kingship on me then fell

As the three hags did foretell.

Banquo knew of my evil plot

To let him live, I could not

Though the king’s ghost did not appear

To me, one of Banquo then drew near

It was such a horrible surprise

Wild with fear became my eyes.

I was not sorry to have killed the king

But others must not hear about the thing.

If they learn about my acts that day,

The kingship will surely take away.

My wife, through guilt, lost her mind

Hallucinations then put her in a bind

“Out damned spot, out I say.”

Nothing blood could wash away.

That became the reason why

Very soon, she came to die

Witches, though, comfort brought

With the most welcome thought

Evil three then said with voices shrill,

“None born of woman can you kill.”

To me did complete protection give.

Except that way, none come to live.

But Macduff gave me a shocking tip.

“From my mother, doctor did me rip.”

So born from woman he was not

That fact put me in a terrible spot.

 
With his sword, he gave me a whack

Left me bleeding, dying on my back.

So, if a witch you decide to address,

It may get you into a terrible mess.