Macbeth, Act 6

Scene 2

(Donalbain and Malcolm are talking. Macduff and Fleance enter.)

Malcolm: Macduff! So good to see you! Is this Fleance? I thought you had died with your father! Thank god you’re alive.

Fleance: Thank you, your highness. Sir, if it doesn’t offend you, I should be leaving soon. I need to go back to my father’s land.

Donalbain: You must stay, at least through the night. You’ll be given a horse and supplies in the morning. Macduff, come with me. I need to speak with you.

Macduff: If you wish. Fleance, come on.

Malcolm: Actually, I would like to speak to Fleance for a while. Fleance, if you don’t mind?

Fleance: Of course, your highness.

(Macduff and Donalbain exit.)

Fleance: Is there something wrong, your highness?

Malcolm: No, just a question for you. I have had strange dreams about your father.

Fleance: What do you mean? Surely my father had no hatred towards you. He was loyal to the last breath.

Malcolm: It wasn’t that. The goddess Hecate visited me with your father’s spirit. He was given a several prophecies about you and his descendants.

Fleance: What kind? Surely good omens, right?

Malcolm: Hecate told me you will be the next king.

Fleance: What?

Malcolm: And all of your descendants afterwards.

Fleance: But you are king! And your brother and heirs afterwards! How is this possible? We are related, but I am not in line for the throne, and I’m not ever supposed to be. There must be some kind of mistake. That can’t be right. I would never try anything to become king. Ever!

Malcolm: Calm down. I’m not accusing you of anything. I have thought this over, and I haven’t been able to come up with any ideas. If we ignore Hecate’s prophecies, who knows what will happen. And if we choose to make you king, the country, and the lords will protest and rebel. We have to choose. I don’t want a rebellion on my hands, but I don’t know how upset the goddess would be if we ignored her prophecies. Donalbain is my heir, and after that, my son. We could make you heir, but Donalbain would be unhappy. But there isn’t a law that states that the king’s brother must be the heir. And you are a cousin of mine, so you are eligible for the crown. I suppose we could risk that.

Fleance: Whatever your highness decides. I’ll be happy either way.

Malcolm: Then I will make you my heir. Donalbain will most likely take this very badly, and we need to tell him soon. Before the coronation would be a good time. We don’t want to take him by surprise.