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Question:can someone help me translate line to line the soliloquy in Act 1 and scene 3:
This supernatural soliciting
Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill,
Why hath it given me earnest of success
Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor.
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs
Against the use of nature? Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings.
My thought, whose murder yet is but fanatical,
Shakes so my single state of man
That function is smothered in surmise,
And nothing is but what is not.
If chance will have me king, why, chance may
crown me
Without my stir.
Come what come may,
Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: can someone help me translate line to line the soliloquy in Act 1 and scene 3:
This supernatural soliciting
Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill,
Why hath it given me earnest of success
Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor.
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs
Against the use of nature? Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings.
My thought, whose murder yet is but fanatical,
Shakes so my single state of man
That function is smothered in surmise,
And nothing is but what is not.
If chance will have me king, why, chance may
crown me
Without my stir.
Come what come may,
Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.

This supernatural soliciting
(All this weird things the witches are saying)
Cannot be ill, cannot be good.
(They're not bad but surely they're not good) If ill,
Why hath it given me earnest of success
Commencing in a truth?
(If they're bad, why has one of the prophecies come true?)
I am Thane of Cawdor. (the prophecy which came true)
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs
Against the use of nature?
(If they're good, why am I thinking of killing duncan which makes me tug at my hair and my heart beat unnaturally fast?) Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings.
(It's scarier what I'm imagining then what i'm fearing now)
My thought, whose murder yet is but fanatical,
Shakes so my single state of man
That function is smothered in surmise,
And nothing is but what is not.
(This thought of killing Duncan is crazy- it confuses me so much that I can't do anything and everything's mixed up)
If chance will have me king, why, chance may
crown me
Without my stir.
(I'm not going to kill Duncan- if I was meant to be king then it will happen)
Come what come may,
Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.
(Whatever happens let it happen. It's been a bad day)