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Time Travels with Truffle: Dateline August 14th, 1040 – Inverness
Castle, Scotland
Today’s Time Travel with Truffle, about the historical
real-life Murder of King Duncan is best remembered by reading the lost scene depicting
the event from MacBeth as written by William Shakespeare. I have included the original stage direction
for clarity.
MACBETH: Go bid thy mistress sleep — the hour is
nigh. The moon hides her face, as if ashamed to see What mortal hands may do
for crowns and dreams.
TRUFFLE (barking softly): Woof! — nay, woof! — as to say
in Canine Tongue: stay thy hand, dark Thane!
MACBETH: What sprite art thou, that speak’st in
mortal tongue? A beast of fur and faith, yet thou dost chide me so? Thou
know’st not the weight of prophecy — The sinister sorceress sisters’ words,
that crown me king!
TRUFFLE (growling, pacing): Woof! — thou crown is accursed!
— thy blood shall cry!
MACBETH: Peace, gentle creature. Thy bark is but the
wind. Ambition’s flame burns brighter than thy plea. Duncan sleeps — aye,
sleeps too soundly me thinks. And I must wake him to eternity.
(Macbeth moves toward Duncan’s chamber. Truffle darts
before him, blocking the door.)
TRUFFLE (barking fiercely): Woof! Woof! — Mercy,
Macbeth! — Mercy!
MACBETH (pausing, shaken): Would that my heart were
as pure as thine eyes. Yet mercy crowns no man — only kings. (He pushes past
her, disappearing into the chamber.)
(A moment of silence. Then a muffled cry offstage.
Truffle whimpers, the torches flicker, and the deed is done.)
TRUFFLE (softly, to the empty hall): Woof… the night
is broken. And darkness has fallen upon
this castle of Inverness!
(She lies down, her head on her paws, as the first rays
of dawn seep through the stone windows.)
When Macbeth emerges from backstage, his hands are stained
with Duncan’s blood, Truffle follows him silently — the only witness to his
fall from honor. In legend, she becomes the symbol of conscience ignored: the
loyal heart that barked against destiny.
And once again, History is gently guided by a tiny
paw.
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