The Tragedy of Macbeth

In plain English

Lennox is speaking to another lord with heavy irony, pretending to praise Macbeth's actions while actually making clear he suspects Macbeth of murdering Duncan and Banquo. He sarcastically calls Macbeth noble and wise for killing the grooms, then notes that Malcolm, Donalbain, and Fleance would face the same fate if caught. He ends by asking where Macduff has gone, having heard Macduff is now out of favor for skipping Macbeth's banquet.

What’s happening

This is the first scene after Macbeth's banquet where he saw Banquo's ghost. Lennox speaks to an unnamed lord, testing whether he can speak freely. The entire speech is dripping with irony — every apparent praise of Macbeth is actually an accusation. Lennox wants to find allies against Macbeth and locate Macduff, who has fled to England to seek military aid. The scene establishes that Macbeth's tyranny is becoming obvious to the nobility and that resistance is forming.

Worth knowing

The scene is often labeled Act 3, Scene 6 (not 3.5) in most editions; the preceding Hecate scene (3.5) is widely considered a non-Shakespearean interpolation by Thomas Middleton. The ironical rhetorical mode Lennox uses here — praising someone to condemn them — was a recognized rhetorical device in the Renaissance, sometimes called 'astismos' or ironic praise.

Playing the moment

The entire speech hinges on sustained verbal irony. The actor must play two layers simultaneously: the surface meaning (apparent loyalty to Macbeth) and the subtext (growing hatred and fear). The key is finding the right tone — not winking or nudging, but speaking with a careful, measured quality that lets the listener read between the lines. Lennox is testing the waters, so there should be tension and caution underneath. The sarcastic repetitions ('Was not that nobly done? Ay, and wisely too') should land with a dry, bitter edge. The shift at 'But, peace!' should feel like a genuine drop in volume — real danger. The final question about Macduff is the real point of the whole speech and should carry quiet urgency. Some actors play Lennox as genuinely frightened; others as quietly defiant. Either works, but the fear of being overheard should be present throughout.

In plain English

Duncan's son Malcolm is at the English court, received with great honor by King Edward despite his misfortune. Macduff has gone there to ask Edward and the warlike Earl Siward for military aid against Macbeth, so that Scotland can again enjoy peace, proper meals, restful sleep, and honest governance — all things they desperately lack now. Macbeth is so enraged by this news that he's preparing for war.

What’s happening

A Scottish lord is quietly briefing Lennox on the growing resistance to Macbeth's tyranny. Both men are cautiously testing each other's loyalties — Lennox's preceding speech was heavy with ironic sarcasm about Macbeth, and this lord now confirms the resistance is real and organized. The speech carries genuine hope for the first time in the play, balanced by urgency and danger.

Worth knowing

King Edward the Confessor of England (r. 1042-1066) was renowned for his piety. Siward was the historical Earl of Northumberland. Shakespeare draws from Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles for these figures. The appeal to a pious English king against a tyrannical Scottish ruler would have flattered Shakespeare's patron King James, who traced his lineage through both monarchies.

Playing the moment

Play the careful intimacy of someone sharing dangerous intelligence. The lord should be measured but warming as he speaks — the lines about 'tables meat' and 'sleep to our nights' are where genuine feeling and longing break through political caution. Volume should be low throughout; this is conspiracy. A slight lift in energy and voice on 'we may again / Give to our tables meat' — that's where hope lives. Then pull back to urgency on 'this report / Hath so exasperate the king,' since Macbeth's reaction means time is short and danger is immediate.

What’s happening

Lennox has just delivered a heavily ironic speech implicitly accusing Macbeth of murdering Duncan and Banquo. Now he shifts to urgent practical politics, asking whether Macbeth has reached out to Macduff — whose absence from the banquet marked him as a target. The question is sharp and purposeful: Lennox is gathering intelligence about Macduff's movements and Macbeth's response.

Playing the moment

This is a pivot from Lennox's elaborate ironic rhetoric to a sudden, direct question. Drop the sardonic tone entirely. Deliver with genuine urgency and concern — lower volume, faster pace, leaning in conspiratorially. The question should land like a knife: Lennox knows Macduff is in danger and needs information fast. A brief, loaded pause before the question can heighten the shift from irony to alarm.

In plain English

Macbeth did send for Macduff, but Macduff's messenger flatly refused to come, saying 'Sir, not I.' The messenger turned his back and hummed dismissively, as if to say 'You'll regret the day you burdened me with this refusal.'

What’s happening

Lennox and the Lord are cautiously exchanging news about the political situation, speaking in veiled terms because they cannot trust anyone. Macbeth has summoned Macduff, and Macduff's refusal to obey is a dangerous act of defiance. The Lord is reporting this with a mix of admiration for Macduff's courage and awareness of the peril it creates.

Playing the moment

Play the Lord as cautious but unable to suppress a flicker of satisfaction at Macduff's defiance. The speech should feel like two men speaking in code — keep volume moderate, as if walls have ears. The Lord is testing Lennox's loyalties by sharing this detail. Let 'absolute' land with emphasis — it's the key word, signaling Macduff's complete refusal. The mimicked hum should be brief and sardonic.

In plain English

Macduff's blunt refusal might well advise him to be cautious and keep his distance as wisely as he can. May some holy angel fly to the English court and deliver his message before he arrives, so that a swift blessing may soon return to our suffering country under Macbeth's accursed hand.

What’s happening

Lennox has just dropped his ironic sarcasm and speaks with urgent sincerity. He fears Macduff is in danger and prays for his mission to Edward and Malcolm to succeed. This is the first moment in the scene where Lennox openly names Macbeth as a tyrant without protective irony — the mask comes off.

Playing the moment

Shift decisively from the wry, ironic tone of the earlier speech into genuine urgency and prayer. The first two lines should be quick, practical warning — lean in conspiratorially. From 'Some holy angel' onward, open up: raise the chest, look upward, let the voice fill with desperate hope. 'Under a hand accursed' should land with quiet fury, not a shout — the word 'accursed' can carry real venom. This is a prayer whispered between two terrified men; keep it intimate but charged.

What’s happening

Lennox has just wished for a holy angel to fly to England and warn Macduff before Macbeth's assassins reach him. The Lord offers this brief response as a heartfelt echo of Lennox's prayer — both men are united in their secret opposition to Macbeth and their desperate hope for deliverance. The line closes their conspiratorial exchange on a note of shared solidarity before the scene shifts abruptly to the witches.

Playing the moment

Keep this short, quiet, and sincere — an intimate moment of agreement between two men who barely trust each other enough to speak openly. A slight pause before delivery can signal the weight of what's been said. Avoid projecting; this is a private exchange, not a declaration. Some actors choose a tone of grim resolve rather than pure hope, acknowledging how dire their situation is.