RALPH: Welcome to the studio, Lennox. 

LENNOX: Thanks for having me. 

RALPH: This should give us kind of a Thane's perspective on what's been going on since Macbeth has become king. And I'd also like to hear a little bit about this conversation that you've been having with one of the lords. 

LENNOX: Oh, that. It's true. He and I have been talking. And we seem to be thinking some of the same things. 

RALPH: Right, and what are those things exactly? If you don't mind sharing them with our audience? 

LENNOX: You know, just that things have been a little strange lately with Macbeth. 

RALPH: Oh, you, know if you're worried about Macbeth hearing any of this, I can assure you, it's just us here. 

LENNOX: Well, you know he has spies everywhere, don't you? 

RALPH: I've heard that actually. But I can assure you, I'm no spy. 

LENNOX: You know, Macbeth loved Duncan. And then, bam! Duncan gets killed. 

RALPH: Yes. Right. 

LENNOX: And Banquo, such a great guy, goes out walking in the woods too late in the evening, and [MAKES CUTTING SOUND]. Though, of course, I guess it's obvious Fleance was the one who killed him. 

RALPH: Fleance killed him. You don't really think that, do you? 

LENNOX: Well, of course! Fleance was Banquo's son, and he fled after Banquo was murdered. 

RALPH: Oh, I see. You're using the same logic that people are using to accuse Malcolm and Donalbain of killing their father, Duncan. Because they fled the scene, they must have been the ones to do it. 

LENNOX: But isn't it obvious? Also pretty obvious, don't go walking in the woods late at night. 

RALPH: You know, I get the sense that you're being a little ironic here. 

LENNOX: Ironic? What does that mean? You know, you say one thing, but you mean the opposite. Like, let's say we were in a horrible storm. And I said, what wonderful weather we're having. 

RALPH: You'd know I meant the opposite. You'd know I meant the weather sucks. You know, that's interesting that language can be so slippery that we can actually mean the opposite of what we say. So the same exact sentence can mean two opposite things. 

LENNOX: Okay, I get it. 

RALPH: So yeah, so I think you're being a little ironic here. You're acting as if everything was fine. Everything made sense. But I think that you think that things don't make sense at all. That in fact, something very disturbing is going on. 

LENNOX: I mean, come on. It's crazy to think that Malcolm and Donalbain would kill their own father. But, oh, it sure did pain Macbeth. Couldn't help himself. Had to kill those two guards in a pious rage. 

RALPH: Irony again. 

LENNOX: Wasn't that "nobly" done? 

RALPH: Ha, see, right there—air quotes. That's a sure sign someone is being ironic. 

LENNOX: OK, well, maybe it wasn't nobly done for him to kill the guards. But you have to confess it was a good move. He wouldn't want them running around denying that they had killed Duncan. I think Macbeth is doing a good job. 

RALPH: Right. So when you say good job, you mean he's being clever. 

LENNOX: I mean good job. He's doing a good job! If only he had Malcolm and Donalbain as prisoners, God forbid, he would show them what happens when you kill your father—same with Fleance. 

RALPH: You slipped a little God forbid in there. You wouldn't really want Macbeth to have Duncan's sons as prisoners? 

LENNOX: This Lord I'm talking to, does he know what's going on with Macduff? 

RALPH: Why do you ask? 

LENNOX: Well, I've been hearing some rumblings. And he totally skipped out on the banquet at the Macbeth's, you know, the tyrant's feast? 

RALPH: Aha! Okay, that's more like it. You're calling Macbeth a tyrant. That sounds a little more like what you really mean. 

LENNOX: Well, it pissed Macbeth off, I'll tell you that. So now Macduff has to go into hiding. This Lord I'm talking to—does he know where Macduff is? 

RALPH: Let's see, oh, yes. So—well, for starters, the Lord says, "the son of Duncan, from whom this tyrant holds the dew of birth, lives in the English court." So no irony from this guy. He calls Macbeth a tyrant and says that Malcolm is the rightful heir to the throne. I think you're in good company. 

LENNOX: Keep going. Oh, right. He tells you that Malcolm has been well-received by the English King Edward, and that Macduff plans to head to England, too. He wants to encourage the King to have his lords on the border with Scotland to help overthrow Macbeth. 

RALPH: So that, as he puts it, "we may again give to our tables meat, sleep to our nights, free from our feasts and banquets' bloody knives." I guess his feelings are clear. He wants Macbeth overthrown. 

LENNOX: Well, may some holy angel fly to the court of England and bring a swift blessing to our suffering country. 

RALPH: Good luck, Lennox. Thanks for joining us. 

LENNOX: Thanks for having me.