THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest, quickest tragedy. Its colors are black and red. It summons up dusk and midnight and at last a poor player who struts and frets with empty sound and fury, his life a candle that is snuffed out, signifying nothing. But along the way we witness high passion, vaulting ambition, alliances made and broken. Macbeth himself is great in action but not in judgment. Give him a task on the battlefield and he will carry it through with aplomb. But give him words and he will be first easily led, then hesitant. His wife chides him for this, but ironically as the two of them wade deeper into blood he becomes more purposeful, she a nightmare-beset shadow of her former self.

In Shakespearean tragedy, the time is out of joint and the lead character is out of his accustomed role. Hamlet the scholar is happy to be presented with an intellectual puzzle, but unsure how to proceed when presented with a demand to kill. Macbeth the soldier, by contrast, relishes violent action but is restless when it comes to waiting for his reward. Hamlet meditates on the nature of providence, while Macbeth is prompted to take his fate into his own hands. Imagine Macbeth in Hamlet’s situation. He would have needed no second prompting. On hearing the ghost’s story, he would have gone straight down from the battlements and unseamed King Claudius “from the nave to th’chops.” His courage and his capacity to act are without question.

Macbeth is, however, more like Hamlet than appears at first glance. He has a conscience. When his ambition is stirred by the weyard sisters’ prophecies, he tries to slap it down (“Stars, hide your fires: / Let not light see my black and deep desires”), and when he returns to his castle he soliloquizes on the afterlife every bit in the manner of the Danish prince. But where Hamlet is profoundly alone, unable to bring himself to confide in Ophelia because Gertrude has destroyed his faith in womankind, Macbeth has a wife to take charge of him. She enters as he is concluding his conscience-ridden soliloquy and with a few brisk exchanges and put-downs (“When you durst do it, then you were a man”) she changes his mind and settles him to the terrible feat.

His conscience is still working after the regicide, as he is haunted by the sound of the voice crying “Sleep no more.” His wife, on the other hand, is cool and practical (“A little water clears us of this deed”). But as the play progresses, in one of Shakespeare’s finest structural movements, a reversal takes place. It is Lady Macbeth who sleeps no more, whose mind is emptied of everything save the night of the murder, who cannot wash away the blood (“All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand”). Macbeth, by contrast, steeps himself so far in blood that it becomes easier to carry on than to turn back. He does not tell his wife about the plan to murder Banquo and Fleance, and by the fourth act, when he massacres Macduff’s innocent family, she has temporarily disappeared from the action. By the fifth, he is willing on the final encounter: “Blow wind, come wrack, / At least we’ll die with harness on our back.” The final thoughts inspired by his wife are fatalistic: she began by spurring him to take his destiny into his own hands, she ends as the provocation to his meditation on the meaninglessness of life.

Macbeth is a play about how dreams may become nightmares, how a castle that by day seems the pleasant seat of nesting birds is transformed by night into hell itself (with a grimly witty Porter at the gate). And how the world may be turned upside down: the sun refuses to rise the morning after Duncan has been killed and other strange phenomena are interpreted as disruptions of the natural order. The English court, in contrast, is represented as a haven, a place of grace and “healing benediction.” Malcolm’s stay in England serves as an education into virtue. His conquest of Scotland, with the worthy English Siward in support, is made to seem like a restoration of nature, the moving trees of Birnam symbolic of spring and rebirth. The play was written in the first few years after James I united the thrones of Scotland and England: Macduff’s final entrance with the tyrant’s head and his announcement that the time is free express hope for an end to the uncertainty about the nation’s future, which had attended the final years of the Virgin Queen’s reign.

Within weeks of James VI of Scotland becoming James I of England in 1603, Shakespeare’s acting company was given the title “The King’s Men.” In return for this honor, they were expected to play at court whenever required. They duly gave more command performances at royal events than any of their rivals: between ten and twenty shows per year for the rest of Shakespeare’s career. Macbeth is steeped in the preoccupations of the new king: the rights of royal succession, the relationship between England and Scotland, the reality of witchcraft, the sacred powers of the monarch (James revived the ancient custom of “touching” his subjects in order to cure them of scrofula, “the king’s evil”). And there was one enduring concern inherited from his predecessor’s reign: anxiety about high treason and Roman Catholic plots. The Porter’s reference to “equivocation” has often been seen as an allusion to the verbal cunning shown by Father Garnet, one of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators, during his trial in the early months of 1606.

Whether or not there were such things as witches was a fiercely debated subject in the period. In his treatise Of Demonology, King James affirmed that there were. He believed that nine times out of ten, witches were women, but women with unnaturally masculine features such as facial hair; that they were in league with the devil, that they had familiar spirits in the shape of cats and toads, that their most dangerous work consisted of conjuring up images of people and cursing them, that they sent succubi to remove the sexual lifeblood from men, that they caused disease in animals. One could establish whether or not a woman was devilishly possessed by a “witch mark” on her body, which would not bleed when pricked (when Shylock in The Merchant of Venice says “If you prick us, do we not bleed?” he means that Jews are not devilish in the way that witches are). The Macbeth witches answer to most of these characteristics: they are women with beards, summoning Grey Malkin the cat and Paddock the toad, while lines such as “I’ll drain him dry as hay” and “killing swine” suggest succubi and diseased livestock.

Yet no one in the play calls them “witches.” They are always the “weyard sisters.” The adjective denotes both their prophetic power and their waywardness, the sense that they exist in an untamed space beyond the margins of society. What is more, the earliest eyewitness account of Macbeth on stage, written by Dr. Simon Forman after he saw a performance in 1611, refers to them as “fairies or nymphs.” Macbeth’s source, Holinshed’s “Chronicle of Scotland,” variously calls them “weird sisters,” “fairies,” and “women in strange and wild apparel, resembling creatures of the elder world.” A woodcut in Holinshed shows them as rather grumpy but elegantly dressed ladies, certainly not bearded hags. A further complication is that the only surviving printed text of Macbeth seems to represent the play not as it was written by Shakespeare, but as it was revised for later performance, probably by the younger dramatist Thomas Middleton, who had written a play of his own called The Witch. There is a genuine possibility that Shakespeare intended the women to be “weyard sisters,” prophets akin to the classical sibyl, and that it was only with Middleton that they were converted into full-blown witches with double-trouble cauldron (Forman’s recollection of seeing the play in 1611 makes no mention of Macbeth’s return visit in the fourth act).

Why was King James so interested in witches? The main reason was that his ideology of kingship was closely bound to a cosmology of good and evil. He believed passionately in the idea that the monarch was God’s representative on earth, the embodiment of virtue, blessed with the power to heal his people and restore cosmic harmony. The idea that the devil was active in the world through the dark agency of witchcraft was the necessary antithesis of this vision. The imagery of Shakespeare’s play creates a pervasive sense of connection between the state and the cosmos: witness those signs of disruption in the order of nature reported by Lennox and Ross on the night of Duncan’s murder.

Another consequence of James’ theory of kingship was the idea that royal succession was divinely ordained rather than achieved arbitrarily through a struggle between rival candidates or a popular vote. It is therefore extremely significant that in Holinshed’s Chronicles Duncan’s anointing of his son Malcolm as Prince of Cumberland is a turning point in Scottish history: this is the moment when the principle of primogeniture is established in Scotland. In Holinshed, Macbeth is Duncan’s cousin and until this moment he has the right to the succession in the event of Duncan dying before Malcolm comes of age.

In the mid-twentieth century there was a tendency among critics to mock the Victorian scholar A. C. Bradley for treating Shakespeare’s characters as if they were real people, with a past and a life beyond that which is seen on stage. The shorthand term for this mockery was Bradley’s question “How many children had Lady Macbeth?” But Bradley has outlasted his critics: to a greater degree than any other writer prior to the flowering of the realist novel, Shakespeare did use language to create the illusion that his characters have an interior life and that there is a “back story” to his plots. The language of Macbeth is steeped in images of children, of birth, of inheritance, and future generations. The sons of Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff are all crucial to the action, and there is even a telling bit-part for the son of the English soldier Siward. No other Shakespearean tragedy has so many significant male children in the cast. Only Macbeth is without a son. Hence his appalled realization that he has a barren scepter in his hand, that his bloody deeds have been done only “to make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings.”

Shakespeare doesn’t usually portray married couples working together as partners. There are moments of exceptional tenderness between the Macbeths. Yet there is an emptiness at the core of their relationship. The play is scarred by images of sterility and harrowed by glimpses of dead babies. Is power in the end a substitute for love, ambition nothing but compensation for the sorrow of childlessness? It has to be assumed that Lady Macbeth means what she says when she speaks of giving suck and knowing how tender it is to love the babe that milks her: we can only assume that the Macbeths have had a child and lost it. Perhaps that is why they channel the energies of their marriage into the lust for power instead.

Shakespeare is the least autobiographical of great writers, but can it be entirely a coincidence that, a decade before, he too had lost a child, his only son Hamnet, and that in the years since then he had channeled all his creative powers not into a family, but into his work, his theater company, and the thrill of those extraordinary occasions when he found himself—a grammar boy from the provinces with no university education—witnessing the King of England and Scotland, with all his court, listening in rapt attention as his words were spoken from the platform of the banqueting hall in the royal palace?

 

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KEY FACTS

AUTHORSHIP: There is no doubt about Shakespeare’s authorship of the bulk of the play, but it is probable that the printed text bears the marks of some theatrical revision, possibly by Thomas Middleton. In particular, the scenes involving Hecate seem to be additions by Middleton.

PLOT: Macbeth and Banquo, generals in the service of King Duncan of Scotland, are returning victorious from battle when they are hailed by three witches or “weyard sisters” who prophesy that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and then King of Scotland, whereas Banquo’s descendants will be kings. The first part of the prophesy is soon fulfilled when Duncan rewards Macbeth’s loyal service: encouraged by this, and playing on her husband’s ambition, Lady Macbeth persuades him to murder Duncan while he is a guest at their castle. Malcolm and Donalbain, Duncan’s sons, flee to England for safety. Macbeth, now king, has Banquo murdered in an attempt to secure his own position, but Banquo’s ghost appears to him at a banquet. Macbeth visits the witches again. They warn him to beware of Macduff, a noble who has also fled to England, but assure him that he cannot be harmed by any man born of woman. Macbeth orders the murder of Macduff’s wife and children. In England, Malcolm tests Macduff’s loyalty and they then raise an army to march against Macbeth, but he, armed with the witches’ prophecy, believes himself invincible. As his enemies draw nearer, Macbeth learns that his wife is dead. He faces Macduff in combat but when he learns Macduff was born by cesarean section he realizes that he must face death. Malcolm is crowned King of Scotland.

MAJOR PARTS: (with percentage of lines/number of speeches/scenes on stage) Macbeth (29%/ 146/15), Lady Macbeth (11%/59/9), Malcolm (9%/40/8), Macduff (7%/59/7), Ross (6%/39/ 7), Banquo (5%/33/7), First Witch (3%/23/4), Lennox (3%/21/6), Duncan (3%/18/3), Second Witch (2%/15/3), Third Witch (2%/13/3), Porter (2%/4/1), Wife of Macduff (2%/19/1), Scottish Doctor (2%/19/2).

LINGUISTIC MEDIUM: 95% verse, 5% prose.

DATE: 1606? Certainly Jacobean rather than Elizabethan, to judge from its several compliments to King James. Performed at the Globe in April 1611 and perhaps at court in August or December 1606. References to “equivocation” and other allusions suggest written soon after trial of Gunpowder Plot conspirators (January–March 1606). The ship Tiger, mentioned in Act 1 Scene 3, sailed for the east in 1604 and returned after a terrible voyage in the summer of 1606.

SOURCES: Based on account of reigns of Duncan and Makbeth in “The Chronicles of Scotland,” from vol. 2 of Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1587 edition), with some use of material elsewhere in the Scottish chronicles. Shows awareness of the Stuart dynasty’s claim to lineage from Banquo. Some of the imagery is influenced by the language of Seneca’s tragedies. Hecate scenes incorporate material from Thomas Middleton’s play The Witch.

TEXT: 1623 Folio is the only early printed text. Its brevity suggests possible theatrical cutting. Good quality of printing, though with severe problems of lineation.

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THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

KING DUNCAN of Scotland

A CAPTAIN in Duncan’s army

MACBETH, Thane of Glamis, later Thane of Cawdor, then King of Scotland

LADY MACBETH, his wife

A PORTER at Macbeth’s castle

SEYTON, servant to Macbeth

A DOCTOR

A GENTLEWOMAN, attendant upon Lady Macbeth

THREE MURDERERS

BANQUO, a thane

FLEANCE, his son

MACDUFF, Thane of Fife

LADY MACDUFF, his wife

MACDUFF’S SON

AN OLD MAN

SIWARD, Earl of Northumberland

YOUNG SIWARD, his son

DOCTOR at the English court

THREE WITCHES, known as Weyard Sisters

HECATE, Queen of Witches

Lords, Thanes, Attendants, Servants, Torchbearers, Soldiers, Drummers, a Messenger, Apparitions (including an armed head, a bloody child, a child crowned, a show of eight kings)

Act 1 Scene 1^1.1

running scene 1

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       Thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     When shall we three meet again?

               In thunder, lightning, or in rain?

       

SECOND WITCH

SECOND WITCH     When the hurly-burly’s³ done,

               When the battle’s lost and won.

5

5     

THIRD WITCH

THIRD WITCH         That will be ere⁵ the set of sun.

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     Where the place?

       

SECOND WITCH

SECOND WITCH     Upon the heath.

       

THIRD WITCH

THIRD WITCH     There to meet with Macbeth.

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     I come, Grey Malkin.⁹

10

10   

SECOND WITCH

SECOND WITCH           Paddock¹⁰ calls.

       

THIRD WITCH

THIRD WITCH     Anon.¹¹

       

ALL

ALL     Fair is foul, and foul is fair:

               Hover through the fog and filthy air.

       Exeunt

Act 1 Scene 2^1.2

running scene 2

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       Alarum within. Enter King [Duncan], Malcolm, Donalbain, Lennox, with Attendants, meeting a bleeding Captain

       

DUNCAN

DUNCAN     What bloody man is that? He can report,

               As seemeth by his plight,² of the revolt

               The newest state.³

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     This is the sergeant

5

5             Who like a good and hardy⁵ soldier fought

               Gainst my captivity.⁶— Hail, brave friend; To the Captain

               Say to the king the knowledge of the broil⁷

               As thou didst leave it.

       

CAPTAIN

CAPTAIN     Doubtful it stood,

10

10           As two spent¹⁰ swimmers that do cling together

               And choke their art.¹¹ The merciless Macdonald —

               Worthy to be a rebel, for to that¹²

               The multiplying¹³ villainies of nature

               Do swarm upon him — from the Western Isles¹⁴

15

15           Of kerns¹⁵ and gallowglasses is supplied,

               And Fortune on his damnèd quarrel¹⁶ smiling,

               Showed¹⁷ like a rebel’s whore. But all’s too weak,

               For brave Macbeth — well he deserves that name —

               Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished¹⁹ steel

20

20           Which smoked with bloody execution,

               Like valour’s minion²¹ carved out his passage

               Till he faced the slave,²²

               Which²³ ne’er shook hands nor bade farewell to him

               Till he unseamed him²⁴ from the nave to th’chops

25

25           And fixed his head upon our battlements.

       

DUNCAN

DUNCAN     O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman!

       

CAPTAIN

CAPTAIN     As²⁷ whence the sun ’gins his reflection,

               Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders,

               So from that spring²⁹ whence comfort seemed to come,

30

30           Discomfort swells.³⁰ Mark, King of Scotland, mark:

               No sooner justice had, with valour armed,

               Compelled these skipping³² kerns to trust their heels,

               But the Norwegian lord,³³ surveying vantage,

               With furbished³⁴ arms and new supplies of men,

35

35           Began a fresh assault.

       

DUNCAN

DUNCAN     Dismayed not this our captains, Macbeth and Banquo?

       

CAPTAIN

CAPTAIN     Yes,³⁷ as sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion.

               If I say sooth,³⁸ I must report they were

               As cannons overcharged with double cracks,³⁹

40

40           So they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe.

               Except⁴¹ they meant to bathe in reeking wounds

               Or memorize⁴² another Golgotha,

               I cannot tell.

               But I am faint, my gashes cry for help.

45

45   

DUNCAN

DUNCAN           So well thy words become⁴⁵ thee as thy wounds:

               They smack⁴⁶ of honour both.— Go get him surgeons.

       [Exit Captain,

       attended]

       Enter Ross and Angus

               Who comes here?

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     The worthy Thane⁴⁸ of Ross.

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     What a haste looks through⁴⁹ his eyes!

50

50           So should he look that seems to⁵⁰ speak things strange.

       

ROSS

ROSS     God save the king.

       

DUNCAN

DUNCAN     Whence cam’st thou, worthy thane?

       

ROSS

ROSS     From Fife,⁵³ great king,

               Where the Norwegian banners flout⁵⁴ the sky

55

55           And fan our people cold.

               Norway himself,⁵⁶ with terrible numbers,

               Assisted by that most disloyal traitor,

               The Thane of Cawdor, began a dismal⁵⁸ conflict

               Till that Bellona’s bridegroom,⁵⁹ lapped in proof,

60

60           Confronted⁶⁰ him with self-comparisons,

               Point⁶¹ against point, rebellious arm gainst arm,

               Curbing his lavish⁶² spirit: and to conclude,

               The victory fell on us—

       

DUNCAN

DUNCAN     Great happiness.

       

ROSS

ROSS     That now Sweno, the Norways’⁶⁴ king,

65

65           Craves composition:⁶⁵

               Nor would we deign⁶⁶ him burial of his men

               Till he disbursèd⁶⁷ at Saint Colme’s inch

               Ten thousand dollars⁶⁸ to our general use.

       

DUNCAN

DUNCAN     No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive

70

70           Our bosom interest:⁷⁰ go pronounce his present death,

               And with his former title greet Macbeth.

       

ROSS

ROSS     I’ll see it done.

       

DUNCAN

DUNCAN     What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.

       Exeunt

Act 1 Scene 3^1.3

running scene 3

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       Thunder. Enter the three Witches

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     Where hast thou been, sister?

       

SECOND WITCH

SECOND WITCH     Killing swine.

       

THIRD WITCH

THIRD WITCH     Sister, where thou?

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     A sailor’s wife had chestnuts in her lap,

5

5             And munched and munched and munched.

               ‘Give me’, quoth⁶ I.

               ‘Aroint thee,⁷ witch!’ the rump-fed runnion cries.

               Her husband’s to Aleppo⁸ gone, master o’th’Tiger:

               But in a sieve I’ll thither sail,

10

10           And like¹⁰ a rat without a tail,

               I’ll do,¹¹ I’ll do and I’ll do.

       

SECOND WITCH

SECOND WITCH     I’ll give thee a wind.

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     Thou’rt kind.

       

THIRD WITCH

THIRD WITCH     And I another.

15

15   

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH           I myself have all the other,¹⁵

               And the very ports they blow,¹⁶

               All the quarters¹⁷ that they know

               I’th’shipman’s card.¹⁸

               I’ll drain¹⁹ him dry as hay:

20

20           Sleep shall neither night nor day

               Hang upon his penthouse lid:²¹

               He shall live a man forbid:²²

               Weary sennights²³ nine times nine

               Shall he dwindle, peak and pine.²⁴

25

25           Though his bark²⁵ cannot be lost,

               Yet it shall be tempest-tossed.²⁶

               Look what I have.

       

SECOND WITCH

SECOND WITCH     Show me, show me.

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     Here I have a pilot’s²⁹ thumb,

30

30           Wrecked as homeward he did come.

       Drum within

       

THIRD WITCH

THIRD WITCH     A drum, a drum:

               Macbeth doth come.

       

ALL

ALL     The weyard³³ sisters, hand in hand,

       They dance in a circle

               Posters³⁴ of the sea and land,

35

35           Thus³⁵ do go about, about,

               Thrice to thine and thrice to mine

               And thrice again, to make up nine.

               Peace,³⁸ the charm’s wound up.

       Enter Macbeth and Banquo

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     So foul and fair³⁹ a day I have not seen.

40

40   

BANQUO

BANQUO           How far is’t called⁴⁰ to Forres?— What are these,

               So withered and so wild in their attire,

               That look not like th’inhabitants o’th’earth

               And yet are on’t?⁴³— Live you, or are you aught To Witches

               That man may question? You seem to understand me

45

45           By each at once her choppy⁴⁵ finger laying

               Upon her skinny lips. You should be⁴⁶ women,

               And yet your beards forbid me to interpret

               That you are so.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Speak if you can: what are you?

50

50   

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH           All hail, Macbeth: hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!

       

SECOND WITCH

SECOND WITCH     All hail, Macbeth: hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!

       

THIRD WITCH

THIRD WITCH     All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     Good sir, why do you start⁵³ and seem to fear

               Things that do sound so fair?— I’th’name of truth, To Witches

55

55           Are ye fantastical⁵⁵ or that indeed

               Which outwardly ye show?⁵⁶ My noble partner

               You greet with present grace⁵⁷ and great prediction

               Of noble having⁵⁸ and of royal hope,

               That he seems rapt withal:⁵⁹ to me you speak not.

60

60           If you can look into the seeds of time

               And say which grain will grow and which will not,

               Speak then to me, who neither⁶² beg nor fear

               Your favours nor your hate.

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     Hail!

65

65   

SECOND WITCH

SECOND WITCH           Hail!

       

THIRD WITCH

THIRD WITCH     Hail!

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.

       

SECOND WITCH

SECOND WITCH     Not so happy,⁶⁸ yet much happier.

       

THIRD WITCH

THIRD WITCH     Thou shalt get⁶⁹ kings, though thou be none:

70

70           So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     Banquo and Macbeth, all hail!

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Stay, you imperfect⁷² speakers: tell me more.

               By Sinel’s⁷³ death I know I am Thane of Glamis,

               But how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives,

75

75           A prosperous gentleman: and to be king

               Stands not within the prospect⁷⁶ of belief,

               No more than to be Cawdor. Say from whence⁷⁷

               You owe this strange intelligence or why

               Upon this blasted⁷⁹ heath you stop our way

80

80           With such prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge⁸⁰ you.

       Witches vanish

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     The earth hath bubbles, as the water has,

               And these are of them. Whither are they vanished?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Into the air: and what seemed corporal⁸³

               Melted as breath into the wind. Would⁸⁴ they had stayed.

85

85   

BANQUO

BANQUO           Were such things here as we do speak about?

               Or have we eaten on⁸⁶ the insane root

               That takes the reason prisoner?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Your children shall be kings.

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     You shall be king.

90

90   

MACBETH

MACBETH           And Thane of Cawdor too: went it not so?

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     To th’selfsame⁹¹ tune and words. Who’s here?

       Enter Ross and Angus

       

ROSS

ROSS     The king hath happily received, Macbeth,

               The news of thy success, and when he reads⁹³

               Thy personal venture⁹⁴ in the rebels’ fight,

95

95           His⁹⁵ wonders and his praises do contend

               Which should be thine or his: silenced with that,

               In viewing o’er the rest o’th’selfsame day,

               He finds thee in the stout⁹⁸ Norwegian ranks,

               Nothing afeard⁹⁹ of what thyself didst make,

100

100         Strange images of death. As¹⁰⁰ thick as tale

               Can post with post, and every one did bear

               Thy praises in his kingdom’s great defence,

               And poured them down before him.

       

ANGUS

ANGUS     We are sent

105

105         To give thee from our royal master thanks,

               Only¹⁰⁶ to herald thee into his sight,

               Not pay thee.

       

ROSS

ROSS     And for an earnest¹⁰⁸ of a greater honour,

               He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor:

110

110         In which addition,¹¹⁰ hail, most worthy thane,

               For it is thine.

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     What, can the devil speak true?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     The Thane of Cawdor lives:

               Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?

115

115 

ANGUS

ANGUS             Who¹¹⁵ was the thane lives yet,

               But under heavy judgement¹¹⁶ bears that life

               Which he deserves to lose.

               Whether he was combined¹¹⁸ with those of Norway,

               Or did line¹¹⁹ the rebel with hidden help

120

120         And vantage, or that with both he laboured

               In his country’s wreck, I know not:

               But treasons capital,¹²² confessed and proved,

               Have overthrown him.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Glamis and Thane of Cawdor: Aside

125

125         The greatest is behind.¹²⁵— Thanks for your pains.— To Ross and Angus

               Do you not hope your children shall be kings Aside to Banquo

               When those that gave the Thane of Cawdor to me

               Promised no less to them?

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     That, trusted home,¹²⁹ Aside to Macbeth

130

130         Might yet enkindle¹³⁰ you unto the crown,

               Besides the Thane of Cawdor. But ’tis strange:

               And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,

               The instruments of darkness¹³³ tell us truths,

               Win us with honest trifles,¹³⁴ to betray’s

135

135         In deepest consequence.¹³⁵—

               Cousins, a word, I pray you. To Ross and Angus; they converse apart

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Two truths are told, Aside

               As happy¹³⁸ prologues to the swelling act

               Of the imperial theme.¹³⁹—

               I thank you, gentlemen.— To Ross and Angus

140

140         This supernatural soliciting¹⁴⁰ Aside

               Cannot be ill, cannot be good: if ill,

               Why hath it given me earnest¹⁴² of success

               Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor.

               If good, why do I yield to that suggestion¹⁴⁴

145

145         Whose horrid¹⁴⁵ image doth unfix my hair

               And make my seated¹⁴⁶ heart knock at my ribs

               Against the use¹⁴⁷ of nature? Present fears

               Are less¹⁴⁸ than horrible imaginings:

               My thought, whose murder¹⁴⁹ yet is but fantastical,

150

150         Shakes so my single state¹⁵⁰ of man

               That function¹⁵¹ is smothered in surmise,

               And nothing¹⁵² is, but what is not.

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     Look how our partner’s rapt.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me Aside

155

155         Without my stir.¹⁵⁵

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     New honours come upon him,

               Like our strange¹⁵⁷ garments, cleave not to their mould

               But with the aid of use.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Come what come may, Aside

160

160         Time¹⁶⁰ and the hour runs through the roughest day.

       

BANQUO

BANQUO      Worthy Macbeth, we stay¹⁶¹ upon your leisure.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Give me your favour:¹⁶²

               My dull brain was wrought¹⁶³ with things forgotten.

               Kind gentlemen, your pains are registered¹⁶⁴

165

165         Where¹⁶⁵ every day I turn the leaf to read them.

               Let us toward the king.—

               Think upon what hath chanced,¹⁶⁷ and at more time, Aside to Banquo

               The¹⁶⁸ interim having weighed it, let us speak

               Our free¹⁶⁹ hearts each to other.

170

170 

BANQUO

BANQUO             Very gladly.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Till then, enough.— Come, friends.

       Exeunt

Act 1 Scene 4^1.4

running scene 4

---

       Flourish. Enter King [Duncan], Lennox, Malcolm, Donalbain and Attendants

       

DUNCAN

DUNCAN     Is execution done on Cawdor, or not¹

               Those in commission² yet returned?

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     My liege,³

               They are not yet come back. But I have spoke

5

5             With one that saw him die, who did report

               That very frankly he confessed his treasons,

               Implored your highness’ pardon and set forth

               A deep repentance: nothing in his life

               Became⁹ him like the leaving it. He died

10

10           As one that had been studied¹⁰ in his death

               To throw away the dearest thing he owed¹¹

               As ’twere a careless¹² trifle.

       

DUNCAN

DUNCAN     There’s no art¹³

               To find the mind’s construction¹⁴ in the face:

15

15           He was a gentleman on whom I built

               An absolute trust.—

       Enter Macbeth, Banquo, Ross and Angus

               O worthiest cousin,

               The sin of my ingratitude even now

               Was heavy on me. Thou art so far before¹⁸

               That swiftest wing of recompense is slow

20

20           To overtake thee. Would²⁰ thou hadst less deserved,

               That the proportion both of thanks and payment

               Might have been mine. Only I have left to say,

               More is thy due than more than all²³ can pay.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     The service and the loyalty I owe,

25

25           In²⁵ doing it, pays itself. Your highness’ part

               Is to receive our duties, and our duties

               Are to your throne and state, children and servants;

               Which do but what they should by doing everything

               Safe toward²⁹ your love and honour.

30

30   

DUNCAN

30 DUNCAN           Welcome hither:

               I have begun to plant thee and will labour

               To make thee full of growing.— Noble Banquo,

               That hast no less deserved, nor³³ must be known

               No less to have done so, let me enfold³⁴ thee Embraces him

35

35           And hold thee to my heart.

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     There if I grow, the harvest is your own.

       

DUNCAN

DUNCAN     My plenteous joys,

               Wanton³⁸ in fullness, seek to hide themselves

               In drops of sorrow.³⁹— Sons, kinsmen, thanes,

40

40           And you whose places are the nearest,⁴⁰ know

               We will establish our estate⁴¹ upon

               Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter

               The Prince of Cumberland,⁴³ which honour must

               Not unaccompanied invest him only,

45

45           But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine

               On all deservers.— From hence to Inverness,⁴⁶ To Macbeth

               And bind⁴⁷ us further to you.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     The⁴⁸ rest is labour which is not used for you:

               I’ll be myself the harbinger⁴⁹ and make joyful

50

50           The hearing of my wife with your approach:

               So humbly take my leave.

       

DUNCAN

DUNCAN     My worthy Cawdor.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     The Prince of Cumberland: that is a step Aside

               On which I must fall down or else o’erleap,

55

55           For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires:

               Let not light see my black and deep desires.

               The eye wink⁵⁷ at the hand; yet let that be

               Which the eye fears when it is done to see.

       Exit

       

DUNCAN

DUNCAN     True, worthy Banquo, he⁵⁹ is full so valiant,

60

60           And in his commendations⁶⁰ I am fed:

               It is a banquet to me. Let’s after him,

               Whose care⁶² is gone before to bid us welcome:

               It is a peerless⁶³ kinsman.

       Flourish. Exeunt.

Act 1 Scene 5^1.5

running scene 5

---

       Enter Macbeth’s Wife, alone with a letter

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH      Reads ‘They met me in the day of success: and I have learned by the perfect’st report,² they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire to question them further, they made themselves air into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives⁴ from the king, who all-hailed me “Thane of Cawdor”, by which title before, these weyard sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time with “Hail, king that shalt be!” This have I thought good to deliver thee⁷ — my dearest partner of greatness — that thou mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay⁹ it to thy heart, and farewell.’

10

               Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be

               What thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature:

               It is too full o’th’milk¹² of human kindness

               To catch¹³ the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great,

               Art not without ambition, but without

15

15           The illness¹⁵ should attend it. What thou wouldst highly,

               That wouldst thou holily:¹⁶ wouldst not play false,

               And yet wouldst wrongly win. Thou’dst have,¹⁷ great Glamis,

               That which cries ‘Thus thou must do’ if thou have¹⁸ it,

               And¹⁹ that which rather thou dost fear to do

20

20           Than wishest should be undone. Hie²⁰ thee hither,

               That I may pour my spirits in thine ear

               And chastise²² with the valour of my tongue

               All that impedes²³ thee from the golden round,

               Which fate and metaphysical²⁴ aid doth seem

25

25           To have thee crowned withal.²⁵—

       Enter Messenger

               What is your tidings?

       

MESSENGER

MESSENGER     The king comes here tonight.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Thou’rt mad to say it.

               Is not thy master with him? Who, were’t so,

               Would have informed for preparation?²⁹

30

30   

MESSENGER

MESSENGER           So please you, it is true: our thane is coming.

               One of my fellows had³¹ the speed of him,

               Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely more

               Than would make up his message.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Give him tending:³⁴

35

35           He brings great news.

       Exit Messenger

               The raven³⁶ himself is hoarse

               That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan

               Under my battlements. Come, you spirits

               That tend on³⁹ mortal thoughts, unsex me here

40

40           And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full

               Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood,

               Stop up th’access and passage to remorse,⁴²

               That no compunctious⁴³ visitings of nature

               Shake my fell⁴⁴ purpose, nor keep peace between

45

45           Th’effect and it.⁴⁵ Come to my woman’s breasts

               And take⁴⁶ my milk for gall, you murd’ring ministers,

               Wherever in your sightless⁴⁷ substances

               You wait on⁴⁸ nature’s mischief. Come, thick night,

               And pall⁴⁹ thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,

50

50           That my keen⁵⁰ knife see not the wound it makes,

               Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,

               To cry ‘Hold,⁵² hold!’—

       Enter Macbeth

               Great Glamis, worthy Cawdor,

               Greater than both by the all-hail hereafter!⁵³

               Thy letters have transported me beyond

55

55           This ignorant⁵⁵ present, and I feel now

               The future in the instant.⁵⁶

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     My dearest love,

               Duncan comes here tonight.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     And when goes hence?

60

60   

MACBETH

MACBETH           Tomorrow, as he purposes.⁶⁰

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     O, never

               Shall sun that morrow see!

               Your face, my thane, is as a book where men

               May read strange⁶⁴ matters. To beguile the time,

65

65           Look⁶⁵ like the time: bear welcome in your eye,

               Your hand, your tongue: look like th’innocent flower,

               But be the serpent under’t. He that’s coming

               Must be provided for,⁶⁸ and you shall put

               This night’s great business into my dispatch,⁶⁹

70

70           Which shall to all our nights and days to come

               Give solely⁷¹ sovereign sway and masterdom.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     We will speak further.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Only look up clear:⁷³

               To alter favour⁷⁴ ever is to fear.

75

75           Leave all the rest to me.

       Exeunt

Act 1 Scene 6^1.6

running scene 6

---

       Hautboys and Torches. Enter King [Duncan], Malcolm, Donalbain, Banquo, Lennox, Macduff, Ross, Angus and Attendants

       

DUNCAN

DUNCAN     This castle hath a pleasant seat:¹ the air

               Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself

               Unto our gentle³ senses.

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     This guest of summer,

5

5             The temple-haunting⁵ martlet, does approve

               By his loved mansionry⁶ that the heaven’s breath

               Smells wooingly⁷ here: no jutty, frieze,

               Buttress,⁸ nor coign of vantage, but this bird

               Hath made his pendent⁹ bed and procreant cradle:

10

10           Where they most breed and haunt, I have observed

               The air is delicate.¹¹

       Enter Lady [Macbeth]

       

DUNCAN

DUNCAN     See, see, our honoured hostess.—

               The¹³ love that follows us sometime is our trouble,

               Which still we thank as love. Herein¹⁴ I teach you

15

15           How you shall bid God yield us for your pains,

               And thank us for your trouble.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     All our service

               In every point¹⁸ twice done, and then done double

               Were poor and single¹⁹ business to contend

20

20           Against those honours deep and broad wherewith

               Your majesty loads our house: for those of old,²¹

               And the late²² dignities heaped up to them,

               We rest your hermits.²³

       

DUNCAN

DUNCAN     Where’s the Thane of Cawdor?

25

25           We coursed²⁵ him at the heels, and had a purpose

               To be his purveyor:²⁶ but he rides well,

               And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath holp²⁷ him

               To his home before us. Fair and noble hostess,

               We are your guest tonight.

30

30   

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH           Your servants ever

               Have theirs,³¹ themselves and what is theirs, in compt

               To make their audit³² at your highness’ pleasure,

               Still³³ to return your own.

       

DUNCAN

DUNCAN     Give me your hand,

35

35           Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly,

               And shall continue our graces³⁶ towards him.

               By your leave,³⁷ hostess.

       Exeunt

Act 1 Scene 7^1.7

running scene 7

---

       Hautboys. Torches. Enter a Sewer and divers Servants with dishes and service over the stage. Then enter Macbeth

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     If¹ it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well

               It were done quickly: if th’assassination

               Could trammel up³ the consequence and catch

               With his surcease⁴ success: that but this blow

5

5             Might be the be-all and the end-all — here,

               But here, upon this bank and shoal⁶ of time,

               We’d jump⁷ the life to come. But in these cases

               We still⁸ have judgement here, that we but teach

               Bloody instructions,⁹ which, being taught, return

10

10           To plague th’inventor:¹⁰ this even-handed justice

               Commends¹¹ th’ingredients of our poisoned chalice

               To our own lips. He’s here in double trust:

               First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,

               Strong both¹⁴ against the deed: then, as his host,

15

15           Who should against his murderer shut the door,

               Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan

               Hath borne his faculties¹⁷ so meek, hath been

               So clear¹⁸ in his great office, that his virtues

               Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against

20

20           The deep damnation of his taking-off:²⁰

               And pity, like a naked new-born babe,

               Striding²² the blast, or heaven’s cherubin, horsed

               Upon the sightless couriers²³ of the air,

               Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,

25

25           That²⁵ tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur

               To prick the sides of my intent, but only

               Vaulting²⁷ ambition, which o’erleaps itself

               And falls on th’other.—

       Enter Lady [Macbeth]

How now? What news?

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     He has almost supped. Why have you left the chamber?

30

30   

MACBETH

MACBETH           Hath he asked for me?

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Know you not he has?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     We will proceed no further in this business:

               He hath honoured me of late, and I have bought³³

               Golden opinions from all sorts of people,

35

35           Which would³⁵ be worn now in their newest gloss,

               Not cast aside so soon.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Was the hope drunk

               Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?

               And wakes it now, to look so green and pale

40

40           At what it did so freely? From this time

               Such⁴¹ I account thy love. Art thou afeard

               To be the same in thine own act and valour

               As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that

               Which thou esteem’st⁴⁴ the ornament of life,

45

45           And live a coward in thine own esteem,

               Letting ‘I dare not’ wait upon⁴⁶ ‘I would’,

               Like the poor cat i’th’adage?⁴⁷

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Prithee, peace.

               I dare do⁴⁹ all that may become a man:

50

50           Who dares do more is none.⁵⁰

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     What beast was’t, then,

               That made you break⁵² this enterprise to me?

               When you durst⁵³ do it, then you were a man:

               And to be more than what you were, you would

55

55           Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place

               Did then adhere,⁵⁶ and yet you would make both:

               They have made themselves, and that their fitness⁵⁷ now

               Does unmake⁵⁸ you. I have given suck, and know

               How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me:

60

60           I would, while it was smiling in my face,

               Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums,

               And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you

               Have done to this.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     If we should fail?

65

65   

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH           We fail?

               But⁶⁶ screw your courage to the sticking-place

               And we’ll not fail. When Duncan is asleep —

               Whereto the rather⁶⁸ shall his day’s hard journey

               Soundly invite him — his two chamberlains⁶⁹

70

70           Will I with wine and wassail⁷⁰ so convince,

               That memory, the warder⁷¹ of the brain,

               Shall be a fume,⁷² and the receipt of reason

               A limbeck⁷³ only: when in swinish sleep

               Their drenchèd natures lies as in a death,

75

75           What cannot you and I perform upon

               Th’unguarded Duncan? What not put upon⁷⁶

               His spongy⁷⁷ officers, who shall bear the guilt

               Of our great quell?⁷⁸

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Bring forth men-children only,

80

80           For thy undaunted mettle⁸⁰ should compose

               Nothing but males. Will it not be received,⁸¹

               When we have marked with blood those sleepy two

               Of his own chamber and used their very daggers,

               That they have done’t?

85

85   

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH           Who dares receive it other,⁸⁵

               As⁸⁶ we shall make our griefs and clamour roar

               Upon his death?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     I am settled,⁸⁸ and bend up

               Each corporal agent⁸⁹ to this terrible feat.

90

90           Away, and mock⁹⁰ the time with fairest show:

               False⁹¹ face must hide what the false heart doth know.

       Exeunt

Act 2 Scene 1^2.1

running scene 8

---

       Enter Banquo and Fleance, with a Torch [bearer] before him

       

BANQUO

BANQUO      How¹ goes the night, boy?

       

FLEANCE

FLEANCE     The moon is down: I have not heard the clock.

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     And she goes down at twelve.

       

FLEANCE

FLEANCE     I take’t ’tis later, sir.

5

5     

BANQUO

BANQUO         Hold, take my sword. There’s husbandry⁵ in heaven: Gives his sword

               Their⁶ candles are all out. Take thee that too. Gives cloak? Diamond?

               A heavy summons⁷ lies like lead upon me,

               And yet I would not sleep. Merciful powers,

               Restrain in me the cursèd thoughts that nature

10

10           Gives way to in repose.

       Enter Macbeth and a Servant with a torch

               Give me my sword.— Who’s there? Takes sword

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     A friend.

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     What, sir, not yet at rest? The king’s abed:

               He hath been in unusual pleasure,

15

15           And sent forth great largess¹⁵ to your offices.

               This diamond he greets your wife withal, Presents a diamond

               By the name of most kind hostess, and shut up¹⁷

               In measureless content.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Being¹⁹ unprepared,

20

20           Our will became the servant to defect,

               Which else should free have wrought.

       

BANQUO

BANQUO      All’s well.

               I dreamt last night of the three weyard sisters:

               To you they have showed some truth.

25

25   

MACBETH

MACBETH           I think not of them.

               Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve,

               We would spend it in some words upon that business,

               If you would grant the time.

       

BANQUO

BANQUO      At your kind’st leisure.

30

30   

MACBETH

MACBETH           If you shall cleave³⁰ to my consent when ’tis,

               It shall make honour for you.

       

BANQUO

BANQUO      So³² I lose none

               In seeking to augment it, but still keep

               My bosom franchised³⁴ and allegiance clear,

35

35           I shall be counselled.³⁵

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Good repose the while.³⁶

       

BANQUO

BANQUO      Thanks, sir: the like to you.

       Exeunt Banquo [with Fleance and Torchbearer]

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Go bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready,

               She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed.—

       Exit [Servant]

40

40           Is this a dagger which I see before me,

               The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee:

               I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.

               Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible⁴³

               To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but

45

45           A dagger of the mind, a false creation,

               Proceeding from the heat-oppressèd⁴⁶ brain?

               I see thee yet,⁴⁷ in form as palpable

               As this which now I draw. Draws his dagger

               Thou marshall’st⁴⁹ me the way that I was going,

50

50           And such an instrument I was to use.

               Mine eyes are made the fools o’th’other senses,

               Or else worth⁵² all the rest. I see thee still,

               And on thy blade and dudgeon⁵³ gouts of blood,

               Which was not so before. There’s no such thing:

55

55           It is the bloody business which informs⁵⁵

               Thus to mine eyes. Now o’er the one halfworld⁵⁶

               Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse

               The curtained⁵⁸ sleep: witchcraft celebrates

               Pale Hecate’s off’rings:⁵⁹ and withered murder,

60

60           Alarumed⁶⁰ by his sentinel the wolf,

               Whose howl’s his watch,⁶¹ thus with his stealthy pace,

               With Tarquin’s⁶² ravishing strides, towards his design

               Moves like a ghost.— Thou sure⁶³ and firm-set earth,

               Hear not my steps which way they walk, for fear

65

65           Thy very stones prate⁶⁵ of my whereabout

               And take⁶⁶ the present horror from the time

               Which now suits with it.— Whiles I threat,⁶⁷ he lives:

               Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.

       A bell rings

               I go, and it is done: the bell invites me.

70

70           Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell⁷⁰

               That summons thee to heaven or to hell.

       Exit

Act 2 Scene 2^2.2

running scene 8 continues

---

       Enter Lady [Macbeth]

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     That which hath made them¹ drunk hath made me bold:

               What hath quenched² them hath given me fire.— Hark! Peace!—

               It was the owl³ that shrieked, the fatal bellman

               Which gives the stern’st⁴ goodnight. He is about it.

5

5             The doors are open, and the surfeited⁵ grooms

               Do mock⁶ their charge with snores: I have drugged their possets,

               That⁷ death and nature do contend about them

               Whether they live or die.

       Enter Macbeth Initially within or above or unseen by his wife; with bloody daggers

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Who’s there? What ho?

10

10   

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH           Alack, I am afraid they have awaked,

               And ’tis not done: th’attempt and not the deed

               Confounds¹² us. Hark! I laid their daggers ready:

               He could not miss ’em. Had he¹³ not resembled

               My father as he slept, I had done’t.— Sees Macbeth

               My husband?

15

15   

MACBETH

MACBETH           I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry.

               Did not you speak?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     When?

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH      Now.

20

20   

MACBETH

MACBETH           As I descended?

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH      Ay.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Hark!

               Who lies i’th’second chamber?

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Donalbain.

25

25   

MACBETH

MACBETH            This is a sorry sight. Looks at his hands

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     A foolish thought, to say ‘a sorry sight’.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     There’s one²⁷ did laugh in’s sleep, and one cried ‘Murder!’

               That they did wake each other: I stood and heard them.

               But they did say their prayers, and addressed them²⁹

30

30           Again to sleep.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     There are two lodged together.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     One cried ‘God bless us’ and ‘Amen’ the other,

               As³³ they had seen me with these hangman’s hands.

               List’ning their fear, I could not say ‘Amen’,

35

35           When they did say ‘God bless us.’

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Consider it not so deeply.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     But wherefore³⁷ could not I pronounce ‘Amen’?

               I had most need of blessing, and ‘Amen’

               Stuck in my throat.

40

40   

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH           These deeds must not be thought⁴⁰

               After these ways: so,⁴¹ it will make us mad.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Methought I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no more,

               Macbeth does murder sleep: the innocent sleep,

               Sleep that knits up the ravelled⁴⁴ sleeve of care,

45

45           The death of each day’s life, sore labour’s bath,⁴⁵

               Balm⁴⁶ of hurt minds, great nature’s second course,

               Chief nourisher in life’s feast’—

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     What do you mean?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Still it cried ‘Sleep no more’ to all the house:

50

50           ‘Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor

               Shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more.’

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy thane,

               You do unbend⁵³ your noble strength to think

               So brainsickly of things. Go get some water

55

55           And wash this filthy witness⁵⁵ from your hand.

               Why did you bring these daggers from the place?

               They must lie⁵⁷ there: go carry them and smear

               The sleepy grooms with blood.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     I’ll go no more.

60

60           I am afraid to think what I have done:

               Look on’t again I dare not.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Infirm of purpose!

               Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead Takes the daggers

               Are but as pictures: ’tis the eye of childhood

65

65           That fears a painted⁶⁵ devil. If he do bleed,

               I’ll gild⁶⁶ the faces of the grooms withal,

               For it must seem their guilt.

       Exit

       Knock within

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Whence⁶⁸ is that knocking?

               How is’t with me, when every noise appals me?⁶⁹

70

70           What hands are here? Ha? They pluck out mine eyes.

               Will all great Neptune’s⁷¹ ocean wash this blood

               Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather

               The multitudinous⁷³ seas incarnadine,

               Making the green one red.⁷⁴

       Enter Lady [Macbeth]

75

75   

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH           My hands are of your colour, but I shame⁷⁵

               To wear a heart so white.⁷⁶— I hear a knocking

       Knock

               At the south entry:⁷⁷ retire we to our chamber.

               A little water clears⁷⁸ us of this deed:

               How easy is it, then! Your constancy⁷⁹

80

80           Hath left you unattended.— Hark! More knocking.

       Knock

               Get on your nightgown,⁸¹ lest occasion call us

               And show us to be watchers.⁸² Be not lost

               So poorly⁸³ in your thoughts.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     To⁸⁴ know my deed, ’twere best not know myself.

       Knock

85

85           Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!

       Exeunt

Act 2 Scene 3

running scene 8 continues

---

       Knocking within. Enter a Porter

       

PORTER

PORTER     Here’s a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of hell gate, he should have old² turning the key.

       Knock

               Knock, knock, knock! Who’s there, i’th’name of Beelzebub?³ Here’s a farmer that hanged himself on th’expectation of plenty:⁴ come in time, have napkins enough about you: here you’ll sweat for’t.

        Knock

               Knock, knock! Who’s there, in th’other devil’s⁶ name? Faith, here’s an equivocator that could swear in both the scales⁷ against either scale, who committed treason enough for God’s sake,⁸ yet could not equivocate to heaven: O, come in, equivocator.

       Knock

               Knock, knock, knock! Who’s there? Faith, here’s an English tailor come hither for stealing¹¹ out of a French hose: come in, tailor: here you may roast your goose.

       Knock

               Knock, knock, never at quiet! What are you? But this place is too cold for hell. I’ll devil-porter it no further: I had thought to have let in some of all professions that go the primrose¹⁴ way to th’everlasting bonfire.

       Knock

               Anon, anon! I pray you remember¹⁵ the porter. Opens the gate

       Enter Macduff and Lennox

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed, That you do lie so late?

       

PORTER

PORTER     Faith, sir, we were carousing¹⁸ till the second cock: and drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     What three things does drink especially provoke?

       

PORTER

PORTER     Marry,²¹ sir, nose-painting, sleep and urine. Lechery, sir, it provokes and unprovokes: it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance. Therefore much drink may be said to be an equivocator with lechery: it makes him and it mars²⁴ him; it sets him on and it takes him off; it persuades him and disheartens him; makes him stand²⁵ to and not stand to: in conclusion, equivocates him in a sleep, and, giving²⁶ him the lie, leaves him.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     I believe drink gave thee the lie last night.

       

PORTER

PORTER     That it did, sir, i’the²⁸ very throat on me: but I requited him for his lie, and, I think, being too strong for him, though he took²⁹ up my legs sometime, yet I made a shift to cast him.³⁰

       Enter Macbeth

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Is thy master stirring? Our knocking has awaked him: here he comes. Porter may exit

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     Good morrow, noble sir.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Good morrow, both.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Is the king stirring, worthy thane?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH      Not yet.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     He did command me to call timely³⁷ on him: I have almost slipped the hour.³⁸

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     I’ll bring you to him.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     I know this is a joyful trouble to you, But yet ’tis one.⁴¹

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     The⁴² labour we delight in physics pain. This is the door.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     I’ll make so bold to call, For ’tis my limited⁴⁵ service.

       Exit Macduff

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     Goes the king hence today?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     He does: he did appoint⁴⁷ so.

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     The night has been unruly.⁴⁸ Where we lay,

               Our chimneys were blown down, and, as they say,

50

50           Lamentings⁵⁰ heard i’th’air, strange screams of death,

               And prophesying⁵¹ with accents terrible

               Of dire combustion⁵² and confused events

               New hatched to⁵³ th’woeful time: the obscure bird

               Clamoured the livelong⁵⁴ night. Some say the earth

55

55           Was feverous and did shake.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     ’Twas a rough night.

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     My⁵⁷ young remembrance cannot parallel

               A fellow to it.

       Enter Macduff

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     O, horror, horror, horror!

60

60           Tongue nor heart cannot conceive⁶⁰ nor name thee!

       

MACBETH and LENNOX

MACBETH and LENNOX     What’s the matter?

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Confusion⁶² now hath made his masterpiece.

               Most sacrilegious⁶³ murder hath broke ope

               The Lord’s anointed temple,⁶⁴ and stole thence

65

65           The life o’th’building.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     What is’t you say? The life?

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     Mean you his majesty?

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Approach the chamber and destroy your sight

               With a new Gorgon.⁶⁹ Do not bid me speak:

70

70           See, and then speak yourselves.—

       Exeunt Macbeth and Lennox

               Awake, awake!

               Ring the alarum bell. Murder and treason!

               Banquo and Donalbain! Malcolm, awake!

               Shake off this downy⁷⁴ sleep, death’s counterfeit,

75

75           And look on death itself! Up, up, and see

               The great doom’s image!⁷⁶ Malcolm, Banquo,

               As from your graves rise up and walk like sprites⁷⁷

               To countenance⁷⁸ this horror! Ring the bell.

       Bell rings. Enter Lady [Macbeth]

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     What’s the business,

80

80           That such a hideous trumpet⁸⁰ calls to parley

               The sleepers of the house? Speak, speak!

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     O, gentle lady,

               ’Tis not for you to hear what I can speak:

               The repetition⁸⁴ in a woman’s ear

85

85           Would murder as it fell.—

       Enter Banquo

               O, Banquo, Banquo,

               Our royal master’s murdered!

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Woe, alas!

               What, in our house?

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     Too cruel anywhere.

90

90           Dear Duff, I prithee contradict thyself

               And say it is not so.

       Enter Macbeth, Lennox and Ross Perhaps with Attendants

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Had I but died an hour before this chance,⁹²

               I had lived a blessèd time, for from this instant

               There’s nothing serious in mortality:⁹⁴

95

95           All is but toys:⁹⁵ renown and grace is dead.

               The wine of life is drawn,⁹⁶ and the mere lees

               Is left⁹⁷ this vault to brag of.

       Enter Malcolm and Donalbain

       

DONALBAIN

DONALBAIN      What is amiss?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     You are, and do not know’t:

100

100         The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood

               Is stopped,¹⁰¹ the very source of it is stopped.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Your royal father’s murdered.

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     O, by whom?

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     Those of his chamber, as it seemed, had done’t:

105

105         Their hands and faces were all badged¹⁰⁵ with blood,

               So were their daggers, which unwiped we found

               Upon their pillows. They stared¹⁰⁷ and were distracted:

               No man’s life was to be trusted with them.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     O, yet I do repent me of my fury,

110

110         That I did kill them.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Wherefore did you so?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Who can be wise, amazed,¹¹² temp’rate and furious,

               Loyal and neutral in a moment? No man.

               Th’expedition¹¹⁴ of my violent love

115

115         Outrun the pauser,¹¹⁵ reason. Here lay Duncan,

               His silver skin laced with his golden blood,

               And his gashed stabs looked like a breach¹¹⁷ in nature

               For ruin’s wasteful¹¹⁸ entrance: there the murderers,

               Steeped¹¹⁹ in the colours of their trade, their daggers

120

120         Unmannerly¹²⁰ breeched with gore. Who could refrain

               That had a heart to love, and in that heart

               Courage to make’s¹²² love known?

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH      Help me hence, ho! Faints or feigns to do so

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Look to the lady.

125

125 

MALCOLM

MALCOLM             Why¹²⁵ do we hold our tongues, Aside to Donalbain

               That most may claim this argument for ours?

       

DONALBAIN

DONALBAIN     What should be spoken here, where our fate, Aside to Malcolm

               Hid in an auger hole,¹²⁸ may rush and seize us?

               Let’s away: our tears are not yet brewed.¹²⁹

130

130 

MALCOLM

MALCOLM              Nor our strong sorrow Aside to Donalbain

               Upon¹³¹ the foot of motion.

       

BANQUO

BANQUO      Look to the lady.— Lady Macbeth may be helped off

               And when we have our¹³³ naked frailties hid,

               That suffer in exposure, let us meet

135

135         And question¹³⁵ this most bloody piece of work

               To know it further. Fears and scruples¹³⁶ shake us:

               In the great hand of God I stand, and thence¹³⁷

               Against¹³⁸ the undivulged pretence I fight

               Of treasonous malice.

140

140 

MACDUFF

MACDUFF             And so do I.

       

ALL

ALL     So all.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Let’s briefly¹⁴² put on manly readiness

               And meet i’th’hall together.

       

ALL

ALL     Well contented.

       Exeunt [all but Malcolm and Donalbain]

145

145 

MALCOLM

MALCOLM             What will you do? Let’s not consort¹⁴⁵ with them:

               To show an unfelt sorrow is an office¹⁴⁶

               Which the false man does easy. I’ll to England.

       

DONALBAIN

DONALBAIN     To Ireland, I. Our separated fortune

               Shall keep us both the safer: where we are,

150

150         There’s daggers in men’s smiles; the¹⁵⁰ nea’er in blood,

               The nearer bloody.

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     This murderous shaft¹⁵² that’s shot

               Hath not yet lighted,¹⁵³ and our safest way

               Is to avoid the aim. Therefore to horse,

155

155         And let us not be dainty of leave-taking,¹⁵⁵

               But shift away:¹⁵⁶ there’s warrant in that theft

               Which steals¹⁵⁷ itself when there’s no mercy left.

       Exeunt

Act 2 Scene 4^2.4

running scene 9

---

       Enter Ross with an Old Man

       

OLD MAN

OLD MAN     Threescore and ten¹ I can remember well,

               Within the volume of which time I have seen

               Hours dreadful³ and things strange: but this sore night

               Hath trifled former knowings.⁴

5

5     

ROSS

ROSS         Ha, good father,⁵

               Thou see’st the heavens,⁶ as troubled with man’s act,

               Threatens his bloody stage: by th’clock ’tis day,

               And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp.⁸

               Is’t night’s predominance⁹ or the day’s shame

10

10           That darkness does the face of earth entomb

               When living light should kiss it?

       

OLD MAN

OLD MAN     ’Tis unnatural,

               Even¹³ like the deed that’s done. On Tuesday last,

               A falcon, tow’ring¹⁴ in her pride of place,

15

15            Was by a mousing owl¹⁵ hawked at and killed.

       

ROSS

ROSS     And Duncan’s horses — a thing most strange and certain —

               Beauteous and swift, the minions¹⁷ of their race,

               Turned wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out,

               Contending gainst obedience, as¹⁹ they would

20

20           Make war with mankind.

       

OLD MAN

OLD MAN     ’Tis said they ate each other.

       

ROSS

ROSS     They did so, to th’amazement of mine eyes

               That looked upon’t.

       Enter Macduff

               Here comes the good Macduff.—

               How goes the world, sir, now?

25

25   

MACDUFF

MACDUFF           Why, see you not?

       

ROSS

ROSS     Is’t known who did this more than bloody deed?

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Those that Macbeth hath slain.

       

ROSS

ROSS     Alas, the day,

               What good could they pretend?²⁹

30

30   

MACDUFF

MACDUFF           They were suborned:³⁰

               Malcolm and Donalbain, the king’s two sons,

               Are stol’n away and fled, which puts upon them

               Suspicion of the deed.

       

ROSS

ROSS     Gainst nature still:

35

35           Thriftless³⁵ ambition, that will ravin up

               Thine own life’s means!³⁶ Then ’tis most like

               The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     He is already named³⁸ and gone to Scone

               To be invested.³⁹

40

40   

ROSS

ROSS           Where is Duncan’s body?

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Carried to Colmekill,⁴¹

               The sacred storehouse of his predecessors

               And guardian of their bones.

       

ROSS

ROSS     Will you to Scone?

45

45   

MACDUFF

MACDUFF           No, cousin, I’ll to Fife.

       

ROSS

ROSS     Well, I will thither.⁴⁶

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Well, may you see things well done there. Adieu,

               Lest⁴⁸ our old robes sit easier than our new!

       

ROSS

ROSS     Farewell, father.

50

               

OLD MAN

OLD MAN      God’s benison⁵⁰ go with you, and with those

               That would make good of bad, and friends of foes!

       Exeunt

Act 3 Scene 1^3.1

running scene 10

---

       Enter Banquo

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all

               As the weyard women promised, and I fear

               Thou played’st most foully³ for’t. Yet it was said

               It⁴ should not stand in thy posterity,

5

5             But that myself should be the root and father

               Of many kings. If there come truth from them —

               As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine⁷ —

               Why, by the verities⁸ on thee made good,

               May they not be my oracles as well,

10

10           And set me up in hope? But hush, no more.

       Sennet sounded. Enter Macbeth as King, Lady [Macbeth as Queen], Lennox, Ross, Lords and Attendants

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Here’s our chief guest.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     If he had been forgotten,

               It had been as a gap in our great feast

               And all-thing unbecoming.¹⁴

15

15   

MACBETH

MACBETH           Tonight we hold a solemn¹⁵ supper, sir, To Banquo

               And I’ll request your presence.

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     Let your highness

               Command upon¹⁸ me, to the which my duties

               Are with a most indissoluble tie

20

20           Forever knit.²⁰

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Ride you this afternoon?

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     Ay, my good lord.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     We should have else²³ desired your good advice —

               Which still²⁴ hath been both grave and prosperous —

25

25           In this day’s council:²⁵ but we’ll take tomorrow.

               Is’t far you ride?

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     As far, my lord, as will fill up the time

               ’Twixt this²⁸ and supper: go not my horse the better,

               I must become a borrower of the night

30

30           For a dark hour or twain.³⁰

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Fail not our feast.

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     My lord, I will not.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     We hear our bloody cousins³³ are bestowed

               In England and in Ireland, not confessing

35

35           Their cruel parricide,³⁵ filling their hearers

               With strange invention:³⁶ but of that tomorrow,

               When therewithal³⁷ we shall have cause of state

               Craving us jointly. Hie you to horse. Adieu,

               Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you?

40

40   

BANQUO

BANQUO     Ay, my good lord. Our time does call upon’s.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     I wish your horses swift and sure of foot,

               And so I do commend⁴² you to their backs. Farewell.

       Exit Banquo

               Let every man be master of his time

               Till seven at night. To⁴⁴ make society

45

45           The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself

               Till supper-time alone: while⁴⁶ then, God be with you!

       Exeunt Lords.

       [Macbeth and a Servant remain]

               Sirrah,⁴⁷ a word with you. Attend those men

               Our pleasure?

       

SERVANT

SERVANT     They are, my lord, without⁴⁹ the palace gate.

50

50   

MACBETH

MACBETH           Bring them before us.

       Exit Servant

               To be thus⁵¹ is nothing, but to be safely thus:

               Our fears in Banquo stick⁵² deep,

               And in his royalty of nature reigns that

               Which would be feared. ’Tis much he dares,

55

55           And to⁵⁵ that dauntless temper of his mind,

               He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour

               To act in safety. There is none but he

               Whose being⁵⁸ I do fear: and under him

               My genius⁵⁹ is rebuked, as it is said

60

60           Mark⁶⁰ Antony’s was by Caesar. He chid the sisters

               When first they put the name of king upon me,

               And bade them speak to him: then prophet-like

               They hailed him father to a line of kings:

               Upon my head they placed a fruitless⁶⁴ crown,

65

65           And put a barren⁶⁵ sceptre in my grip,

               Thence to be wrenched with an unlineal⁶⁶ hand,

               No son of mine succeeding. If’t be so,

               For Banquo’s issue⁶⁸ have I filed my mind:

               For them the gracious⁶⁹ Duncan have I murdered:

70

70           Put rancours⁷⁰ in the vessel of my peace

               Only for them, and mine eternal jewel⁷¹

               Given to the common⁷² enemy of man

               To make them kings: the seeds of Banquo kings.

               Rather than so, come fate into the list,⁷⁴

75

75           And champion me⁷⁵ to th’utterance!— Who’s there?

       Enter Servant and two Murderers

               Now go to the door, and stay there till we call.— To Servant

       Exit Servant

               Was it not yesterday we spoke together?

       

MURDERERS

MURDERERS     It was, so please your highness.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Well⁷⁹ then, now have you considered of my speeches? Know that it was he in the times past which held⁸⁰ you so under fortune, which you thought had been our innocent self: this I made good⁸¹ to you in our last conference, passed in probation with you how you were borne in hand,⁸² how crossed, the instruments, who wrought⁸³ with them, and all things else that might to half a soul and to a notion⁸⁴ crazed say ‘Thus did Banquo.’

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER     You made it known to us.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     I did so, and went further, which is now our point of second meeting. Do you find your patience so predominant in your nature that you can let this go?

               Are you so gospelled⁸⁸ to pray for this good man and for his issue, whose heavy hand hath bowed you to the grave and beggared yours⁸⁹ for ever?

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER     We are men, my liege.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Ay, in the catalogue⁹¹ ye go for men,

               As hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs,⁹²

               Shoughs,⁹³ water-rugs and demi-wolves are clept

               All by the name of dogs: the valued file⁹⁴

95

95           Distinguishes the swift, the slow, the subtle,⁹⁵

               The housekeeper,⁹⁶ the hunter, every one

               According to the gift which bounteous⁹⁷ nature

               Hath in him closed,⁹⁸ whereby he does receive

               Particular⁹⁹ addition from the bill

100

100         That writes them all alike: and so of men.

               Now, if you have a station¹⁰¹ in the file,

               Not i’th’worst rank¹⁰² of manhood, say’t,

               And I will put that business in your bosoms

               Whose execution¹⁰⁴ takes your enemy off,

105

105         Grapples¹⁰⁵ you to the heart and love of us,

               Who wear our health but sickly in his life,¹⁰⁶

               Which in his death were perfect.¹⁰⁷

       

SECOND MURDERER

SECOND MURDERER     I am one, my liege,

               Whom the vile blows and buffets¹⁰⁹ of the world

110

110         Hath so incensed that I am reckless what

               I do to spite the world.

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER     And I another,

               So weary with disasters, tugged with¹¹³ fortune,

               That I would set¹¹⁴ my life on any chance

115

115         To mend¹¹⁵ it or be rid on’t.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Both of you know Banquo was your enemy.

       

MURDERERS

MURDERERS     True, my lord.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     So is he mine, and in such bloody distance¹¹⁸

               That every minute of his being thrusts¹¹⁹

120

120         Against my near’st of life:¹²⁰ and though I could

               With barefaced power sweep him from my sight

               And bid¹²² my will avouch it, yet I must not,

               For¹²³ certain friends that are both his and mine,

               Whose loves I may not drop, but wail¹²⁴ his fall

125

125         Who I myself struck down. And thence it is

               That I to¹²⁶ your assistance do make love,

               Masking the business from the common eye

               For sundry¹²⁸ weighty reasons.

       

SECOND MURDERER

SECOND MURDERER     We shall, my lord,

130

130         Perform what you command us.

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER     Though our lives¹³¹—

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Your spirits shine through you. Within this hour at most

               I will advise¹³³ you where to plant yourselves,

               Acquaint you with the perfect spy o’th’time,¹³⁴

135

135         The moment on’t, for’t must be done tonight,

               And something¹³⁶ from the palace, always thought

               That I require a clearness. And with him —

               To leave no rubs nor botches¹³⁸ in the work —

               Fleance his son, that keeps him company,

140

140         Whose absence is no less material¹⁴⁰ to me

               Than is his father’s, must embrace the fate

               Of that dark hour. Resolve yourselves apart:¹⁴²

               I’ll come to you anon.

       

MURDERERS

MURDERERS     We are resolved, my lord.

145

145 

MACBETH

MACBETH             I’ll call upon you straight:¹⁴⁵ abide within.—

       [Murderers may exit]

               It is concluded. Banquo, thy soul’s flight,

               If it find heaven, must find it out tonight.

       Exeunt

Act 3 Scene 2

running scene 10 continues

---

       Enter Macbeth’s Lady and a Servant

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Is Banquo gone from court?

       

SERVANT

SERVANT     Ay, madam, but returns again tonight.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Say to the king, I would attend his leisure

               For a few words.

5

5     

SERVANT

SERVANT         Madam, I will.

       Exit

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Naught’s had, all’s spent,⁶

               Where our desire is got without content:⁷

               ’Tis safer to be that which we destroy

               Than by destruction dwell in doubtful⁹ joy.

       Enter Macbeth

10

10           How now, my lord? Why do you keep alone,

               Of sorriest fancies¹¹ your companions making,

               Using¹² those thoughts which should indeed have died

               With them¹³ they think on? Things without all remedy

               Should be without regard:¹⁴ what’s done is done.

15

15   

MACBETH

MACBETH           We have scorched¹⁵ the snake, not killed it:

               She’ll close¹⁶ and be herself, whilst our poor malice

               Remains in danger of her former tooth.¹⁷

               But let¹⁸ the frame of things disjoint, both the worlds suffer,

               Ere we will eat our meal in fear and sleep

20

20           In the affliction of these terrible dreams

               That shake²¹ us nightly. Better be with the dead,

               Whom we, to²² gain our peace, have sent to peace,

               Than on²³ the torture of the mind to lie

                In restless ecstasy.²⁴ Duncan is in his grave:

25

25           After life’s fitful²⁵ fever he sleeps well.

               Treason has done his worst: nor²⁶ steel, nor poison,

               Malice domestic,²⁷ foreign levy, nothing

               Can touch him further.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Come on,

30

30           Gentle my lord,³⁰ sleek o’er your rugged looks:

               Be bright and jovial among your guests tonight.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     So shall I, love, and so I pray be you.

               Let your remembrance³³ apply to Banquo:

               Present him eminence,³⁴ both with eye and tongue:

35

35           Unsafe³⁵ the while, that we

               Must lave our honours in these flattering streams

               And make our faces vizards³⁷ to our hearts,

               Disguising what they are.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     You must leave this.

40

40   

MACBETH

MACBETH           O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!

               Thou know’st that Banquo and his Fleance lives.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     But in them nature’s copy’s⁴² not eterne.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     There’s comfort yet: they are assailable:

               Then be thou jocund.⁴⁴ Ere the bat hath flown

45

45           His cloistered⁴⁵ flight, ere to black Hecate’s summons

               The shard-born⁴⁶ beetle with his drowsy hums

               Hath rung night’s yawning⁴⁷ peal, there shall be done

               A deed of dreadful note.⁴⁸

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     What’s to be done?

50

50   

MACBETH

MACBETH           Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck,⁵⁰

               Till thou applaud the deed.— Come, seeling⁵¹ night,

               Scarf up⁵² the tender eye of pitiful day,

               And with thy bloody and invisible hand

               Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond⁵⁴

55

55           Which keeps me pale.⁵⁵ Light thickens,

               And the crow makes wing⁵⁶ to the rooky wood:

               Good things of day begin to droop and drowse,

               Whiles night’s black agents to their preys do rouse.⁵⁸—

               Thou marvell’st at my words: but hold thee still.⁵⁹

60

60           Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill.

               So prithee go with me.

       Exeunt

Act 3 Scene 3^3.3

running scene 11

---

       Enter three Murderers

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER      But who did bid thee join with us? To Third Murderer

       

THIRD MURDERER

THIRD MURDERER     Macbeth.

       

SECOND MURDERER

SECOND MURDERER     He³ needs not our mistrust, since he delivers

               Our offices and what we have to do

5

5             To⁵ the direction just.

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER     Then stand with us.

               The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day.

               Now spurs the lated⁸ traveller apace

               To gain⁹ the timely inn, and near approaches

10

10           The subject of our watch.

       

THIRD MURDERER

THIRD MURDERER     Hark, I hear horses.

       

BANQUO

BANQUO     Give us a light there, ho!

       Within

       

SECOND MURDERER

SECOND MURDERER     Then ’tis he: the rest

               That are within¹⁴ the note of expectation

15

15           Already are i’th’court.

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER     His horses go about.¹⁶

       

THIRD MURDERER

THIRD MURDERER     Almost a mile: but he does usually,

               So all men do, from hence to th’palace gate

               Make it their walk.

       Enter Banquo and Fleance, with a torch

20

20   

SECOND MURDERER

SECOND MURDERER            A light, a light!

       

THIRD MURDERER

THIRD MURDERER      ’Tis he.

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER     Stand to’t.²²

       

BANQUO

BANQUO      It will be rain tonight.

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER      Let it come down.²⁴ He puts out the torch

25

25   

BANQUO

BANQUO           O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly! They attack Banquo

               Thou mayst revenge.— O slave! He dies. Fleance flees

       

THIRD MURDERER

THIRD MURDERER     Who did strike out the light?

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER     Was’t not the way?²⁸

       

THIRD MURDERER

THIRD MURDERER     There’s but one down: the son is fled.

30

30   

SECOND MURDERER

SECOND MURDERER           We have lost best half of our affair.

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER     Well, let’s away, and say how much is done.

       Exeunt

Act 3 Scene 4^3.4

running scene 12

---

       Banquet prepared. Enter Macbeth, Lady [Macbeth], Ross, Lennox, Lords and Attendants

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     You know your own degrees,¹ sit down: at first

               And last the hearty welcome. They sit

       

LORDS

LORDS     Thanks to your majesty.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Ourself will mingle with society⁴

5

5             And play the humble host:

               Our hostess keeps her state,⁶ but in best time

               We will require her welcome.⁷

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Pronounce it for me, sir, to all our friends,

               For my heart speaks they are welcome.

       Enter First Murderer [at the door]

10

10   

MACBETH

MACBETH           See, they encounter¹⁰ thee with their hearts’ thanks.

               Both¹¹ sides are even: here I’ll sit i’th’midst.

               Be large in mirth,¹² anon we’ll drink a measure

               The table round.— Moves to the door

               There’s blood upon thy face. To First Murderer

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER     ’Tis Banquo’s then.

15

15   

MACBETH

MACBETH           ’Tis better thee¹⁵ without than he within.

               Is he dispatched?¹⁶

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER     My lord, his throat is cut: that I did for him.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Thou art the best o’th’cut-throats.

               Yet he’s good that did the like for Fleance:

20

20           If thou didst it, thou art the nonpareil.²⁰

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER     Most royal sir, Fleance is scaped.²¹

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Then comes my fit²² again. I had else been perfect,

               Whole as the marble, founded²³ as the rock,

               As broad and general²⁴ as the casing air:

25

25           But now I am cabined,²⁵ cribbed, confined, bound in

               To saucy²⁶ doubts and fears. But Banquo’s safe?

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER     Ay, my good lord: safe in a ditch he bides,²⁷

               With twenty trenchèd²⁸ gashes on his head,

               The least²⁹ a death to nature.

30

30   

MACBETH

MACBETH           Thanks for that.—

               There the grown serpent lies: the worm³¹ that’s fled

               Hath nature that in time will venom breed,

               No teeth for th’present.— Get thee gone: tomorrow

               We’ll hear ourselves³⁴ again.

       Exit Murderer

35

35   

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH           My royal lord,

               You do not give the cheer:³⁶ the feast is sold

               That is not often vouched, while ’tis a-making,

               ’Tis given with welcome. To³⁸ feed were best at home:

               From thence,³⁹ the sauce to meat is ceremony:

40

40           Meeting⁴⁰ were bare without it.

       Enter the Ghost of Banquo, and sits in Macbeth’s place

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Sweet remembrancer.⁴¹

               Now, good digestion wait on appetite,

               And health on both!

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     May’t please your highness sit.

45

45   

MACBETH

MACBETH           Here had we⁴⁵ now our country’s honour roofed,

               Were the graced⁴⁶ person of our Banquo present,

               Who may I rather challenge⁴⁷ for unkindness

               Than pity for mischance.⁴⁸

       

ROSS

ROSS     His absence, sir,

50

50           Lays⁵⁰ blame upon his promise. Please’t your highness

               To grace us with your royal company?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     The table’s full.

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     Here is a place reserved, sir.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Where?

55

55   

LENNOX

LENNOX           Here, my good lord. What is’t that moves⁵⁵ your highness?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Which of you have done this?

       

LORDS

LORDS     What, my good lord?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Thou canst not say I did it: never shake

               Thy gory locks⁵⁹ at me.

60

60   

ROSS

ROSS           Gentlemen, rise: his highness is not well. The Lords begin to rise

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Sit, worthy friends: my lord is often thus,

               And hath been from his youth. Pray you keep seat,

               The fit is momentary: upon a thought⁶³

               He will again be well. If much you note him,⁶⁴

65

65           You shall offend him and extend his passion:⁶⁵

               Feed, and regard⁶⁶ him not.—

               Are you a man? Lady Macbeth and Macbeth speak aside

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that

               Which might appal the devil.

70

70   

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH           O, proper stuff!⁷⁰

               This is the very painting⁷¹ of your fear:

               This is the air-drawn⁷² dagger which you said

               Led you to Duncan. O, these flaws⁷³ and starts —

               Impostors to⁷⁴ true fear — would well become

75

75           A woman’s story at a winter’s fire,

               Authorized⁷⁶ by her grandam. Shame itself!

               Why do you make such faces? When all’s done,

               You look but on a stool.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Prithee see there! Behold, look, lo!⁷⁹— How say you?

80

80           Why, what care I? If thou canst nod, speak too.

               If charnel houses⁸¹ and our graves must send

               Those that we bury back, our monuments⁸²

               Shall be the maws of kites.

       [Exit Ghosi]

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     What, quite unmanned⁸⁴ in folly?

85

85   

MACBETH

MACBETH           If I stand here, I saw him.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Fie,⁸⁶ for shame!

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Blood hath been shed ere now, i’th’olden time,

               Ere⁸⁸ human statute purged the gentle weal:

               Ay, and since too, murders have been performed

90

90           Too terrible for the ear. The time has been

               That, when the brains were out, the man would die,

               And there an end: but now they rise again

                With twenty mortal murders⁹³ on their crowns,

               And push us from our stools:⁹⁴ this is more strange

95

95           Than such a murder is.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     My worthy lord,

               Your noble friends do lack⁹⁷ you.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     I do forget.—

               Do not muse⁹⁹ at me, my most worthy friends, Aloud

100

100         I have a strange infirmity¹⁰⁰ which is nothing

               To those that know me. Come, love¹⁰¹ and health to all,

               Then I’ll sit down.— Give me some wine: fill full.— A servant fills his goblet

       Enter Ghost

               I drink to th’general joy o’th’whole table,

               And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss:

105

105         Would he were here! To all, and him, we thirst,¹⁰⁵

               And all to all.¹⁰⁶

       

LORDS

LORDS     Our duties¹⁰⁷ and the pledge. They drink

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Avaunt,¹⁰⁸ and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! Sees the Ghost

               Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold:

110

110         Thou hast no speculation¹¹⁰ in those eyes

               Which thou dost glare with.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Think of this, good peers,

               But as a thing of custom: ’tis no other,

               Only it spoils the pleasure of the time.

115

115 

MACBETH

MACBETH             What man dare, I dare.

               Approach thou like the rugged¹¹⁶ Russian bear,

               The armed¹¹⁷ rhinoceros, or th’Hyrcan tiger:

               Take any shape but that,¹¹⁸ and my firm nerves

               Shall never tremble: or be alive again

120

120         And dare¹²⁰ me to the desert with thy sword.

               If trembling I inhabit¹²¹ then, protest me

               The¹²² baby of a girl. Hence, horrible shadow!

               Unreal mock’ry,¹²³ hence!— Why, so: being gone,

       [Exit Ghost]

               I am a man again.— Pray you sit still. To the Lords

125

125 

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH             You have displaced the mirth,¹²⁵ broke the good meeting

               With most admired¹²⁶ disorder.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Can such things be,

               And overcome¹²⁸ us like a summer’s cloud,

               Without our special¹²⁹ wonder? You make me strange

130

130         Even to the disposition that I owe,

               When now I think you can behold such sights

               And keep the natural ruby of your cheeks

               When mine is blanched¹³³ with fear.

       

ROSS

ROSS     What sights, my lord?

135

135 

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH             I pray you speak not: he grows worse and worse:

               Question enrages him. At once,¹³⁶ goodnight.

               Stand¹³⁷ not upon the order of your going,

               But go at once.

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     Goodnight, and better health

140

140         Attend his majesty.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     A kind goodnight to all.

       Exeunt Lords.

       [Macbeth and Lady Macbeth remain]

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     It will have blood, they say: blood will have blood.

               Stones have been known to move and trees to speak,

               Augurs¹⁴⁴ and understood relations have

145

145         By magot-pies¹⁴⁵ and choughs and rooks brought forth

               The secret’st¹⁴⁶ man of blood. What is the night?

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Almost at odds¹⁴⁷ with morning, which is which.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     How say’st thou,¹⁴⁸ that Macduff denies his person

               At our great bidding?

150

150 

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH             Did you send¹⁵⁰ to him, sir?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     I hear it by the way,¹⁵¹ but I will send.

               There’s not a one of them¹⁵² but in his house

               I keep a servant fee’d.¹⁵³ I will tomorrow —

               And betimes¹⁵⁴ I will — to the weyard sisters:

155

155         More shall they speak, for now I am bent¹⁵⁵ to know

               By the worst means,¹⁵⁶ the worst. For mine own good,

               All¹⁵⁷ causes shall give way. I am in blood

               Stepped in so far, that, should I¹⁵⁸ wade no more,

               Returning were¹⁵⁹ as tedious as go o’er.

160

160         Strange things I have in head,¹⁶⁰ that will to hand,

               Which must be acted ere they may be scanned.¹⁶¹

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     You lack the season¹⁶² of all natures, sleep.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Come, we’ll to sleep. My strange and self-abuse¹⁶³

               Is the initiate¹⁶⁴ fear that wants hard use:

165

165         We are yet but young in deed.¹⁶⁵

       Exeunt

Act 3 Scene 5^3.5

running scene 13

---

       Thunder. Enter the three Witches meeting Hecate

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     Why, how now, Hecate? You look angerly.¹

       

HECATE

HECATE     Have I not reason, beldams² as you are,

               Saucy³ and overbold? How did you dare

               To trade and traffic⁴ with Macbeth

5

5             In riddles and affairs of death;

               And I, the mistress of your charms,

               The close⁷ contriver of all harms,

               Was never called to bear⁸ my part

               Or show the glory of our art?⁹

10

10           And, which is worse, all you have done

               Hath been but for a wayward¹¹ son,

               Spiteful and wrathful, who, as others do,

               Loves for his own ends, not for you.

               But make amends now: get you gone,

15

15           And at the pit of Acheron¹⁵

               Meet me i’th’morning: thither he

               Will come to know his destiny:

               Your vessels¹⁸ and your spells provide,

               Your charms and everything beside.

20

20           I am for th’air. This night I’ll spend²⁰

               Unto a dismal²¹ and a fatal end:

               Great business must be wrought²² ere noon.

               Upon the corner of the moon

               There hangs a vap’rous drop²⁴ profound:

25

25           I’ll catch it ere it come to ground,

               And that distilled by magic sleights,²⁶

               Shall raise such artificial²⁷ sprites

               As by the strength of their illusion²⁸

               Shall draw him on to his confusion.²⁹

30

30           He shall spurn³⁰ fate, scorn death, and bear

               His hopes ’bove³¹ wisdom, grace and fear.

               And you all know, security³²

               Is mortals’ chiefest enemy.

       Music and a song

               Hark, I am called: my little spirit, see,

35

35           Sits in a foggy cloud and stays³⁵ for me.

       [Exit]

       Sing within: ‘Come away, come away’ etc.

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     Come, let’s make haste: she’ll soon be back again.

       Exeunt

Act 3 Scene 6^3.6

running scene 14

---

       Enter Lennox and another Lord

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     My former speeches have but hit¹ your thoughts,

               Which² can interpret further: only I say

               Things have been strangely borne.³ The gracious Duncan

               Was pitied of⁴ Macbeth, marry, he was dead:

5

5             And the right-valiant Banquo walked too late,⁵

               Whom you may say — if’t please you — Fleance killed,

               For Fleance fled: men must not walk too late.

               Who cannot⁸ want the thought how monstrous

               It was for Malcolm and for Donalbain

10

10           To kill their gracious father? Damnèd fact!¹⁰

               How it did grieve Macbeth! Did he not straight¹¹

               In pious¹² rage the two delinquents tear

               That were the slaves of drink and thralls¹³ of sleep?

               Was not that nobly done? Ay, and wisely too,

15

15           For ’twould have angered any heart alive

               To hear the men deny’t. So that I say

               He has borne all things well,¹⁷ and I do think

               That had he Duncan’s sons under his key¹⁸ —

               As, an’t¹⁹ please heaven, he shall not — they should find

20

20           What ’twere to kill a father: so should Fleance.²⁰

               But, peace! For from²¹ broad words and cause he failed

               His presence at the tyrant’s feast, I hear

               Macduff lives in disgrace. Sir, can you tell

               Where he bestows himself?²⁴

25

25   

LORD

LORD           The son of Duncan²⁵ —

               From whom this tyrant holds²⁶ the due of birth —

               Lives in the English court, and is received

               Of²⁸ the most pious Edward with such grace

               That the malevolence of fortune²⁹ nothing

30

30           Takes³⁰ from his high respect. Thither Macduff

               Is gone to pray³¹ the holy king, upon his aid

               To wake³² Northumberland and warlike Siward,

               That by the help of these — with him above

               To ratify³⁴ the work — we may again

35

35           Give to our tables meat,³⁵ sleep to our nights,

               Free³⁶ from our feasts and banquets bloody knives,

               Do faithful homage,³⁷ and receive free honours,

               All which we pine for now: and this report³⁸

               Hath so exasperate³⁹ their king that he

40

40           Prepares for some attempt of war.

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     Sent he⁴¹ to Macduff?

       

LORD

LORD     He did: and with an absolute⁴² ‘Sir, not I’,

               The cloudy⁴³ messenger turns me his back

               And hums,⁴⁴ as who should say, ‘You’ll rue the time

45

45           That clogs⁴⁵ me with this answer.’

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     And that well might

               Advise⁴⁷ him to a caution, t’hold what distance

               His wisdom can provide. Some holy angel

               Fly to the court of England and unfold

50

50           His message ere he come, that⁵⁰ a swift blessing

               May soon return to this our suffering⁵¹ country

               Under a hand accursed.

       

LORD

LORD     I’ll send my prayers with him.

       Exeunt

Act 4 Scene 1^4.1

running scene 15

---

       Thunder. Enter the three Witches

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     Thrice the brinded¹ cat hath mewed.

       

SECOND WITCH

SECOND WITCH     Thrice and once the hedge-pig² whined.

       

THIRD WITCH

THIRD WITCH     Harpier³ cries: ’tis time, ’tis time!

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     Round about the cauldron go:

5

5             In the poisoned entrails⁵ throw.

               Toad, that under cold stone

               Days⁷ and nights has thirty-one

               Sweltered venom sleeping got,

               Boil thou first i’th’charmèd pot. They dance around the cauldron

10

10   

ALL

ALL           Double, double, toil¹⁰ and trouble:

               Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

       

SECOND WITCH

SECOND WITCH     Fillet¹² of a fenny snake,

               In the cauldron boil and bake:

               Eye of newt and toe of frog,

15

15           Wool¹⁵ of bat and tongue of dog,

               Adder’s fork¹⁶ and blindworm’s sting,

               Lizard’s leg and howlet’s¹⁷ wing,

               For a charm of powerful trouble,

               Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

20

20   

ALL

ALL           Double, double, toil and trouble:

               Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

       

THIRD WITCH

THIRD WITCH     Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,

               Witches’ mummy,²³ maw and gulf

               Of the ravined²⁴ salt-sea shark,

25

25           Root of hemlock²⁵ digged i’th’dark,

               Liver of blaspheming²⁶ Jew,

               Gall of goat, and slips²⁷ of yew

               Slivered²⁸ in the moon’s eclipse,

               Nose of Turk and Tartar’s²⁹ lips,

30

30           Finger of birth-strangled³⁰ babe

               Ditch-delivered³¹ by a drab,

               Make the gruel thick and slab:³²

               Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron,³³

               For th’ingredients of our cauldron.

35

35   

ALL

ALL           Double, double, toil and trouble:

               Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

       

SECOND WITCH

SECOND WITCH     Cool it with a baboon’s blood,

               Then the charm is firm and good.

       Enter Hecate and the other three Witches

       

HECATE

HECATE     O, well done: I commend your pains,

40

40           And everyone shall share i’th’gains.

               And now about the cauldron sing

               Like elves and fairies in a ring,

               Enchanting all that you put in.

       Music and a song: ‘Black spirits’, etc.

       [Exit Hecate and the other three Witches?]

       

SECOND WITCH

SECOND WITCH     By the pricking⁴⁴ of my thumbs,

45

45           Something wicked this way comes. Knock

               Open, locks, whoever knocks.

       Enter Macbeth

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     How now, you secret, black⁴⁷ and midnight hags?

               What is’t you do?

       

ALL

ALL     A deed without a name.

50

50   

MACBETH

MACBETH           I conjure⁵⁰ you, by that which you profess —

               Howe’er you come to know it — answer me:

               Though⁵² you untie the winds and let them fight

               Against the churches, though the yeasty⁵³ waves

               Confound⁵⁴ and swallow navigation up,

55

55           Though bladed corn⁵⁵ be lodged and trees blown down,

               Though castles topple on their warders’⁵⁶ heads,

               Though palaces and pyramids do slope⁵⁷

               Their heads to their foundations, though the treasure

               Of nature’s germens⁵⁹ tumble all together,

60

60           Even till destruction sicken,⁶⁰ answer me

               To what I ask you.

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     Speak.

       

SECOND WITCH

SECOND WITCH     Demand.

       

THIRD WITCH

THIRD WITCH     We’ll answer.

65

65   

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH           Say, if thou’dst rather hear it from our mouths

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH      Or from our masters?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Call ’em: let me see ’em.

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     Pour in sow’s blood, that hath eaten

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH      Her nine farrow:⁶⁹ grease that’s sweaten

70

70           From the murderer’s gibbet⁷⁰ throw

               Into the flame.

       

ALL

ALL     Come high or low,

               Thyself and office⁷³ deftly show!

       Thunder. First Apparition, an armed head

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Tell me, thou unknown power—

75

75   

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH           He knows thy thought:

               Hear his speech, but say thou nought.

       

FIRST APPARITION

FIRST APPARITION     Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth: beware Macduff,

               Beware the Thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough.

       He descends⁷⁸

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Whate’er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks:

80

80           Thou hast harped⁸⁰ my fear aright. But one word more—

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     He will not be commanded. Here’s another,

               More potent than the first.

       Thunder. Second Apparition, a bloody child

       

SECOND APPARITION

SECOND APPARITION     Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth!

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Had I three ears, I’d hear thee.

85

85   

SECOND APPARITION

SECOND APPARITION           Be bloody, bold and resolute: laugh to scorn

               The power of man, for none of woman born

               Shall harm Macbeth.

       Descends

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Then live, Macduff: what need I fear of thee?

               But yet I’ll make assurance⁸⁹ double sure,

90

90           And take a bond⁹⁰ of fate: thou shalt not live,

               That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies,

               And sleep in spite of thunder.

       Thunder. Third Apparition, a child crowned, with a tree in his hand

               What is this

               That rises like the issue of a king

               And wears upon his baby-brow the round⁹⁴

95

95           And top of sovereignty?

       

ALL

ALL     Listen, but speak not to’t.

       

THIRD APPARITION

THIRD APPARITION     Be lion-mettled,⁹⁷ proud, and take no care

               Who chafes, who frets,⁹⁸ or where conspirers are:

               Macbeth shall never vanquished be until

100

100         Great Birnam¹⁰⁰ Wood to high Dunsinane Hill

               Shall come against him.

       Descend

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     That will never be:

               Who can impress¹⁰³ the forest, bid the tree

               Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements,¹⁰⁴ good!

105

105         Rebellious dead,¹⁰⁵ rise never till the wood

               Of Birnam rise, and our high-placed Macbeth

               Shall live the lease of nature,¹⁰⁷ pay his breath

               To time and mortal custom.¹⁰⁸ Yet my heart

               Throbs to know one thing: tell me, if your art

110

110         Can tell so much: shall Banquo’s issue ever

               Reign in this kingdom?

       

ALL

ALL     Seek to know no more.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     I will be satisfied: deny me this,

               And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know.

115

115         Why sinks that cauldron? And what noise is this?

       Hautboys Cauldron sinks

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     Show.

       

SECOND WITCH

SECOND WITCH     Show.

       

THIRD WITCH

THIRD WITCH     Show.

       

ALL

ALL     Show his eyes, and grieve his heart:

120

120         Come like shadows, so¹²⁰ depart!

       A show of eight kings and Banquo last: [the eighth king] with a glass in his hand

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo: down!

               Thy crown does sear¹²² mine eyeballs: and thy hair,

               Thou other¹²³ gold-bound brow, is like the first:

               A third is like the former.— Filthy hags,

125

125         Why do you show me this?— A fourth? Start,¹²⁵ eyes!

               What, will the line stretch out to th’crack of doom?¹²⁶

               Another yet? A seventh? I’ll see no more:

               And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass

               Which shows me many more: and some I see

130

130         That two-fold¹³⁰ balls and treble sceptres carry.

               Horrible sight! Now I see ’tis true,

               For the blood-boltered¹³² Banquo smiles upon me,

               And points at them for his.¹³³

       [Exeunt kings and Banquo]

               What, is this so?

       

FIRST WITCH

FIRST WITCH     Ay, sir, all this is so: but why

135

135         Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?¹³⁵—

               Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprites¹³⁶

               And show the best of our delights.

               I’ll charm the air to give a sound,

               While you perform your antic round,¹³⁹

140

140         That this great king may kindly¹⁴⁰ say,

               Our¹⁴¹ duties did his welcome pay.

       Music

       The Witches dance and vanish

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Where are they? Gone? Let this pernicious¹⁴² hour

               Stand aye¹⁴³ accursèd in the calendar!—

               Come in, without¹⁴⁴ there!

       Enter Lennox

145

145 

LENNOX

LENNOX             What’s your grace’s will?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Saw you the weyard sisters?

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     No, my lord.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Came they not by you?

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     No, indeed, my lord.

150

150 

MACBETH

MACBETH             Infected be the air whereon they ride,

               And damned all those that trust them! I did hear

               The galloping of horse:¹⁵² who was’t came by?

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     ’Tis two or three, my lord, that bring you word

               Macduff is fled to England.

155

155 

MACBETH

MACBETH             Fled to England?

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     Ay, my good lord.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Time, thou anticipat’st¹⁵⁷ my dread exploits: Aside

               The flighty¹⁵⁸ purpose never is o’ertook

               Unless the¹⁵⁹ deed go with it. From this moment

160

160         The¹⁶⁰ very firstlings of my heart shall be

               The firstlings of my hand. And even now,

               To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done:

               The castle of Macduff I will surprise,¹⁶³

               Seize upon Fife,¹⁶⁴ give to th’edge o’th’sword

165

165         His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls

               That trace¹⁶⁶ him in his line. No boasting like a fool,

               This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool.

               But no more sights!¹⁶⁸— Where are these gentlemen? To Lennox

               Come, bring me where they are.

       Exeunt

Act 4 Scene 2^4.2

running scene 16

---

       Enter Macduff’s Wife, her Son and Ross

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     What had he done to make him fly the land?

       

ROSS

ROSS     You must have patience, madam.

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     He had none:

               His flight was madness: when⁴ our actions do not,

5

5             Our fears do make us traitors.

       

ROSS

ROSS     You know not

               Whether it was his wisdom or his fear.

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     Wisdom? To leave his wife, to leave his babes,

               His mansion and his titles⁹ in a place

10

10           From whence himself does fly? He loves us not:

               He wants¹¹ the natural touch, for the poor wren —

               The most diminutive of birds — will fight,

               Her young ones in¹³ her nest, against the owl.

               All is the fear and nothing is the love;

15

15           As little is the wisdom, where the flight

               So runs against all reason.

       

ROSS

ROSS     My dearest coz,¹⁷

               I pray you school¹⁸ yourself: but, for your husband,

               He is noble, wise, judicious,¹⁹ and best knows

20

20           The fits o’th’season.²⁰ I dare not speak much further,

               But cruel are the times when we²¹ are traitors

               And do not know ourselves, when we hold²² rumour

               From what we fear, yet know not what we fear,

               But float upon a wild and violent sea

25

25           Each²⁵ way and none. I take my leave of you:

               Shall not be long but I’ll be here again.

               Things at the worst will cease, or else climb upward²⁷

               To what they were before. My pretty cousin,²⁸

               Blessing upon you!

30

30   

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF           Fathered he is, and yet he’s fatherless.

       

ROSS

ROSS     I am so much a fool, should I stay longer

               It³² would be my disgrace and your discomfort.

               I take my leave at once.

       Exit Ross

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     Sirrah, your father’s dead, and what will you do now? How will you live?

       

SON

SON     As birds do, mother.

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     What, with worms and flies?

       

SON

SON     With what I get, I mean, and so do they.

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     Poor³⁹ bird, thou’dst never fear the net nor lime, the pitfall nor the gin.

       

SON

SON     Why should I, mother? Poor⁴⁰ birds they are not set for. My father is not dead, for all your saying.

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     Yes, he is dead. How wilt thou do for a father?

       

SON

SON     Nay, how will you do for a husband?

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     Why, I can buy me twenty at any market.

       

SON

SON     Then you’ll buy ’em to sell again.

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     Thou speak’st with all thy wit, and yet, i’faith, with wit enough for thee.

       

SON

SON     Was my father a traitor, Mother?

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     Ay, that he was.

       

SON

SON     What is a traitor?

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     Why, one that swears and lies.⁵¹

       

SON

SON     And be all traitors that do so?

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     Everyone that does so is a traitor, and must be hanged.

       

SON

SON     And must they all be hanged that swear and lie?

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     Every one.

       

SON

SON     Who must hang them?

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     Why, the honest men.

       

SON

SON     Then the liars and swearers are fools, for there are liars and swearers enough to beat the honest men and hang up⁵⁹ them.

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     Now, God help thee, poor monkey! But how wilt thou do for a father?

       

SON

SON     If he were dead, you’d weep for him: if you would not, it were a good sign that I should quickly have a new father.

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     Poor prattler,⁶³ how thou talk’st!

       Enter a Messenger

       

MESSENGER

MESSENGER     Bless you, fair dame. I am not to you known,

65

65           Though in⁶⁵ your state of honour I am perfect.

               I doubt⁶⁶ some danger does approach you nearly:

               If you will take a homely⁶⁷ man’s advice,

               Be not found here: hence with your little ones.

               To fright you thus, methinks, I am too savage:

70

70           To do⁷⁰ worse to you were fell cruelty,

               Which is too nigh your person.⁷¹ Heaven preserve you!

               I dare abide no longer.

       Exit Messenger

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     Whither should I fly?

               I have done no harm. But I remember now

75

75           I am in this earthly world, where to do harm

               Is often laudable, to do good sometime

               Accounted dangerous folly. Why then, alas,

               Do I put up that womanly defence

               To say I have done no harm?—

80

80           What are these faces?

       Enter Murderers

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER     Where is your husband?

       

LADY MACDUFF

LADY MACDUFF     I hope in no place so unsanctified⁸²

               Where such as thou mayst find him.

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER     He’s a traitor.

85

85   

SON

SON           Thou liest, thou shag-eared⁸⁵ villain!

       

FIRST MURDERER

FIRST MURDERER     What, you egg?⁸⁶ Young fry of treachery! Stabs him

       

SON

SON     He has killed me, mother. Run away, I pray you! Dies

       Exit [Lady Macduff,] crying ‘Murder!’ [pursued by the Murderers]

Act 4 Scene 3^4.3

running scene 17

---

       Enter Malcolm and Macduff

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     Let us seek out some desolate¹ shade, and there

               Weep our sad bosoms empty.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Let us rather

               Hold fast⁴ the mortal sword, and like good men

5

5             Bestride⁵ our downfall birthdom. Each new morn

               New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows

               Strike heaven on the face, that⁷ it resounds

               As if it felt with Scotland and yelled out

               Like⁹ syllable of dolour.

10

10   

MALCOLM

MALCOLM           What I believe I’ll wail;¹⁰

               What know, believe; and what I can redress,

               As I shall find the time to friend,¹² I will.

               What you have spoke, it may be so, perchance.¹³

               This tyrant, whose sole name¹⁴ blisters our tongues,

15

15           Was once thought honest.¹⁵ You have loved him well:

               He hath not touched¹⁶ you yet. I am young, but something

               You may discern of him through me, and wisdom¹⁷

               To offer up a weak, poor, innocent lamb

               T’appease an angry god.¹⁹

20

20   

MACDUFF

MACDUFF           I am not treacherous.

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     But Macbeth is.

               A good and virtuous nature may recoil²²

               In an imperial charge.²³ But I shall crave your pardon:

               That²⁴ which you are my thoughts cannot transpose;

25

25           Angels are bright still, though the brightest²⁵ fell:

               Though all things foul²⁶ would wear the brows of grace,

               Yet grace must still look²⁷ so.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     I have lost my hopes.

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     Perchance even there²⁹ where I did find my doubts.

30

30           Why in that rawness³⁰ left you wife and child,

               Those precious motives,³¹ those strong knots of love,

               Without leave-taking?³² I pray you,

               Let³³ not my jealousies be your dishonours,

               But mine own safeties. You may be rightly just,

35

35           Whatever I shall think.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Bleed, bleed, poor country!

               Great tyranny, lay thou thy basis sure,³⁷

               For goodness dare not check³⁸ thee: wear thou thy wrongs,

               The title is affeered!³⁹— Fare thee well, lord.

40

40           I would not be the villain that thou think’st

               For the whole space that’s in the tyrant’s grasp,

               And the rich east to boot.⁴²

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     Be not offended:

               I speak not as in absolute fear of you.

45

45           I think our country sinks beneath the yoke:⁴⁵

               It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash

               Is added to her wounds. I think withal⁴⁷

               There would be hands uplifted in my right,⁴⁸

               And here from gracious England⁴⁹ have I offer

50

50           Of goodly thousands:⁵⁰ but, for all this,

               When I shall tread upon the tyrant’s head,

               Or wear it on my sword, yet my poor country

               Shall have more vices than it had before,

               More suffer, and more sundry⁵⁴ ways than ever,

55

55           By him that shall succeed.⁵⁵

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     What⁵⁶ should he be?

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     It is myself I mean, in whom I know

               All the particulars⁵⁸ of vice so grafted

               That, when they shall be opened,⁵⁹ black Macbeth

60

60           Will seem as pure as snow, and the poor state

               Esteem⁶¹ him as a lamb, being compared

               With my confineless⁶² harms.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Not in the legions⁶³

               Of horrid hell can come a devil more damned

65

65           In evils to top⁶⁵ Macbeth.

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     I grant him bloody,

               Luxurious,⁶⁷ avaricious, false, deceitful,

               Sudden,⁶⁸ malicious, smacking of every sin

               That has a name, but there’s no bottom, none,

70

70           In my voluptuousness:⁷⁰ your wives, your daughters,

               Your matrons⁷¹ and your maids, could not fill up

               The cistern⁷² of my lust, and my desire

               All continent⁷³ impediments would o’erbear

               That did oppose my will.⁷⁴ Better Macbeth

75

75           Than such an one to reign.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Boundless⁷⁶ intemperance

               In nature is a tyranny: it hath been

               Th’untimely emptying of the happy throne

               And fall of many kings. But fear not yet

80

80           To take upon you what is yours:⁸⁰ you may

               Convey⁸¹ your pleasures in a spacious plenty,

               And yet seem cold.⁸² The time you may so hoodwink.

               We have willing dames enough: there cannot be

               That vulture in you to devour so⁸⁴ many

85

85           As will to greatness dedicate themselves,

               Finding it so inclined.

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     With this there grows

               In my most ill-composed affection⁸⁸ such

               A stanchless⁸⁹ avarice that, were I king,

90

90           I should cut off⁹⁰ the nobles for their lands,

               Desire his⁹¹ jewels and this other’s house:

               And my more-having⁹² would be as a sauce

               To make me hunger more, that I should forge⁹³

               Quarrels unjust against the good and loyal,

95

95           Destroying them for wealth.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     This avarice

               Sticks deeper, grows with more pernicious root

               Than summer-seeming⁹⁸ lust, and it hath been

               The sword⁹⁹ of our slain kings. Yet do not fear:

100

100         Scotland hath foisons¹⁰⁰ to fill up your will

               Of¹⁰¹ your mere own. All these are portable,

               With other graces weighed.¹⁰²

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     But I have none. The king-becoming¹⁰³ graces,

               As justice, verity,¹⁰⁴ temp’rance, stableness,

105

105         Bounty,¹⁰⁵ perseverance, mercy, lowliness,

               Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude,

               I have no relish¹⁰⁷ of them, but abound

               In the division of each several crime,

               Acting it many ways. Nay, had I power, I should

110

110         Pour the sweet milk of concord¹¹⁰ into hell,

               Uproar¹¹¹ the universal peace, confound

               All unity on earth.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     O Scotland, Scotland!

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     If such a one be fit to govern, speak:

115

115         I am as I have spoken.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Fit to govern?

               No, not to live. O nation miserable,

               With an untitled¹¹⁸ tyrant bloody-sceptred,

               When shalt thou see thy wholesome¹¹⁹ days again,

120

120         Since that the truest issue of thy throne

               By his own interdiction¹²¹ stands accused

               And does blaspheme¹²² his breed?— Thy royal father

               Was a most sainted¹²³ king: the queen that bore thee,

               Oft’ner upon her knees¹²⁴ than on her feet,

125

125         Died¹²⁵ every day she lived. Fare thee well.

               These evils thou repeat’st upon¹²⁶ thyself

               Hath¹²⁷ banished me from Scotland.— O my breast,

               Thy hope ends here!

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     Macduff, this noble passion,

130

130         Child of integrity, hath from my soul

               Wiped the black scruples,¹³¹ reconciled my thoughts

               To thy good truth and honour. Devilish Macbeth

               By many of these trains¹³³ hath sought to win me

               Into his power, and modest wisdom plucks¹³⁴ me

135

135         From over-credulous¹³⁵ haste: but God above

               Deal between thee and me! For even now

               I put myself to thy direction¹³⁷ and

               Unspeak¹³⁸ mine own detraction: here abjure

               The taints¹³⁹ and blames I laid upon myself

140

140         For¹⁴⁰ strangers to my nature. I am yet

               Unknown to woman,¹⁴¹ never was forsworn,

               Scarcely¹⁴² have coveted what was mine own,

               At no time broke my faith, would not betray

               The devil to his fellow, and delight

145

145         No less in truth than life. My first false speaking¹⁴⁵

               Was this upon myself.¹⁴⁶ What I am truly

               Is thine and my poor country’s to command:

               Whither indeed, before thy here-approach,¹⁴⁸

               Old Siward with ten thousand warlike men,

150

150         Already at a point,¹⁵⁰ was setting forth.

               Now we’ll¹⁵¹ together, and the chance of goodness

               Be like our warranted quarrel. Why are you silent?

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Such welcome and unwelcome things at once

               ’Tis hard to reconcile.

       Enter a Doctor

155

155 

MALCOLM

MALCOLM             Well, more anon.— Comes the king forth, I pray you?

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     Ay, sir, there are a crew of wretched souls

               That stay¹⁵⁷ his cure: their malady convinces

               The great assay of art,¹⁵⁸ but at his touch —

               Such sanctity¹⁵⁹ hath heaven given his hand —

160

160         They presently amend.¹⁶⁰

       Exit

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     I thank you, doctor.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     What’s the disease he means?

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     ’Tis called the¹⁶³ evil:

               A most miraculous work in this good king,

165

165         Which often, since my here-remain¹⁶⁵ in England,

               I have seen him do. How he solicits¹⁶⁶ heaven

               Himself best knows: but strangely-visited¹⁶⁷ people,

               All swoll’n and ulcerous, pitiful to the eye,

               The mere¹⁶⁹ despair of surgery, he cures,

170

170         Hanging a golden stamp¹⁷⁰ about their necks

               Put on with holy prayers: and ’tis spoken,¹⁷¹

               To the succeeding royalty¹⁷² he leaves

               The healing benediction.¹⁷³ With this strange virtue

               He hath a heavenly gift of prophecy,

175

175         And sundry blessings hang about his throne

               That speak him¹⁷⁶ full of grace.

       Enter Ross

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     See who comes here.

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     My countryman,¹⁷⁸ but yet I know him not.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     My ever-gentle¹⁷⁹ cousin, welcome hither.

180

180 

MALCOLM

MALCOLM             I know him now. Good God betimes¹⁸⁰ remove

               The means¹⁸¹ that makes us strangers!

       

ROSS

ROSS     Sir, amen.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Stands Scotland where it did?

       

ROSS

ROSS     Alas, poor country,

185

185         Almost afraid to know itself. It cannot

               Be called our mother, but our grave; where nothing¹⁸⁶

               But who knows nothing is once seen to smile:

               Where sighs and groans and shrieks that rend the air

               Are made, not marked:¹⁸⁹ where violent sorrow seems

190

190         A modern ecstasy.¹⁹⁰ The dead man’s knell

               Is there scarce asked for who, and good men’s lives

               Expire before the flowers in their caps,

               Dying or¹⁹³ ere they sicken.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     O, relation¹⁹⁴ too nice, and yet too true!

195

195 

MALCOLM

MALCOLM             What’s the newest grief?

       

ROSS

ROSS     That of an hour’s age doth hiss the speaker:¹⁹⁶

               Each minute teems¹⁹⁷ a new one.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     How does my wife?

       

ROSS

ROSS     Why, well.

200

200 

MACDUFF

MACDUFF             And all my children?

       

ROSS

ROSS     Well, too.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     The tyrant has not battered at their peace?

       

ROSS

ROSS     No, they were well at peace²⁰³ when I did leave ’em.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Be not a niggard of²⁰⁴ your speech: how goes’t?

205

205 

ROSS

ROSS             When I came hither to transport the tidings

               Which I have heavily²⁰⁶ borne, there ran a rumour

               Of many worthy fellows that were out,²⁰⁷

               Which was to my belief witnessed the rather,²⁰⁸

               For that I saw the tyrant’s power²⁰⁹ afoot.

210

210         Now is the time of help.— Your eye²¹⁰ in Scotland To Malcolm

               Would create soldiers, make our women fight,

               To doff²¹² their dire distresses.

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     Be’t²¹³ their comfort

               We are coming thither. Gracious England hath

215

215         Lent us good Siward and ten thousand men:

               An²¹⁶ older and a better soldier none

               That Christendom gives out.

       

ROSS

ROSS     Would I could answer

               This comfort with the like.²¹⁹ But I have words

220

220         That would²²⁰ be howled out in the desert air,

               Where hearing should not latch²²¹ them.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     What concern they?

               The general cause?²²³ Or is it a fee-grief

               Due to some single breast?

225

225 

ROSS

ROSS             No mind that’s honest

               But in it shares some woe, though the main part

               Pertains to you alone.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     If it be mine,

               Keep it not from me, quickly let me have it.

230

230 

ROSS

ROSS             Let not your ears despise my tongue for ever,

               Which shall possess them with²³¹ the heaviest sound

               That ever yet they heard.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Hum! I guess at it.

       

ROSS

ROSS     Your castle is surprised,²³⁴ your wife and babes

235

235         Savagely slaughtered: to relate the manner²³⁵

               Were, on the quarry²³⁶ of these murdered deer,

               To add the death of you.

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     Merciful heaven!

               What, man, ne’er pull²³⁹ your hat upon your brows:

240

240         Give sorrow words. The grief that does not speak

               Whispers²⁴¹ the o’er-fraught heart and bids it break.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     My children too?

       

ROSS

ROSS     Wife, children, servants, all that could be found.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     And I must²⁴⁴ be from thence! My wife killed too?

245

245 

ROSS

ROSS             I have said.

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     Be comforted:

               Let’s make us med’cines of our great revenge,

               To cure this deadly grief.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     He²⁴⁹ has no children.— All my pretty ones?

250

250         Did you say all? O hell-kite!²⁵⁰ All?

               What, all my pretty chickens and their dam²⁵¹

               At one fell swoop?²⁵²

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     Dispute²⁵³ it like a man.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     I shall do so,

255

255         But I must also feel it as a man:

               I cannot but remember such things were

               That were most precious to me. Did heaven look on

               And would not take their part? Sinful Macduff,

               They were all struck²⁵⁹ for thee! Naught that I am,

260

260         Not for their own demerits,²⁶⁰ but for mine,

               Fell²⁶¹ slaughter on their souls. Heaven rest them now!

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     Be this the whetstone²⁶² of your sword. Let grief

               Convert to anger: blunt not the heart, enrage it.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     O, I could play²⁶⁴ the woman with mine eyes

265

265         And braggart²⁶⁵ with my tongue! But, gentle heavens,

               Cut short all intermission.²⁶⁶ Front to front

               Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself:

               Within my sword’s length set him. If he scape,²⁶⁸

               Heaven forgive him too!

270

270 

MALCOLM

MALCOLM             This tune²⁷⁰ goes manly.

               Come, go we to the king. Our power²⁷¹ is ready:

               Our²⁷² lack is nothing but our leave. Macbeth

               Is ripe for shaking,²⁷³ and the powers above

               Put²⁷⁴ on their instruments. Receive what cheer you may:

275

275         The night is long that never finds the day.

       Exeunt

Act 5 Scene 1^5.1

running scene 18

---

       Enter a Doctor of Physic and a Waiting-Gentlewoman

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     I have two nights watched¹ with you, but can perceive no truth in your report. When was it she last walked?²

       

GENTLEWOMAN

GENTLEWOMAN     Since his majesty went into the field,³ I have seen her rise from her bed, throw her nightgown upon her, unlock her closet,⁴ take forth paper, fold it, write upon’t, read it, afterwards seal it, and again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep.

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     A great perturbation⁷ in nature, to receive at once the benefit of sleep and do the effects of watching.⁸ In this slumbery agitation, besides her walking and other actual performances, what — at any time — have you heard her say?

       

GENTLEWOMAN

GENTLEWOMAN     That, sir, which I will not report after her.

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     You may to me, and ’tis most meet¹¹ you should.

       

GENTLEWOMAN

GENTLEWOMAN     Neither to you nor anyone, having no witness to confirm my speech.

       Enter Lady [Macbeth], with a taper

               Lo you, here she comes. This is her very guise,¹³ and, upon my life, fast asleep. Observe her: stand close.¹⁴ They stand aside

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     How came she by that light?

       

GENTLEWOMAN

GENTLEWOMAN     Why, it stood by her. She has light by her continually: ’tis her command.

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     You see her eyes are open.

       

GENTLEWOMAN

GENTLEWOMAN     Ay, but their sense are shut.

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     What is it she does now? Look how she rubs her hands.

       

GENTLEWOMAN

GENTLEWOMAN     It is an accustomed action with her to seem thus washing her hands: I have known her continue in this a quarter of an hour.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Yet here’s a spot.

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     Hark, she speaks. I will set down²⁴ what comes from her, to satisfy my remembrance²⁵ the more strongly.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Out, damned spot! Out, I say!— One: two:²⁶ why then, ’tis time to do’t.— Hell is murky.— Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none²⁸ can call our power to account?— Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     Do you mark that?

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     The Thane of Fife³¹ had a wife: where is she now?— What, will these hands ne’er be clean?— No more o’that, my lord, no more o’that: you mar³² all with this starting.³³

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     Go to,³⁴ go to: you have known what you should not.

       

GENTLEWOMAN

GENTLEWOMAN     She has spoke what she should not, I am sure of that: heaven knows what she has known.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. O, O, O!

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     What a sigh is there! The heart is sorely charged.³⁹

       

GENTLEWOMAN

GENTLEWOMAN     I would not have such a heart in my bosom for the dignity⁴⁰ of the whole body.

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     Well, well, well.

       

GENTLEWOMAN

GENTLEWOMAN     Pray God it be,⁴³ sir.

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     This disease is beyond my practice.⁴⁴ Yet I have known those which have walked in their sleep who have died holily in their beds.

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     Wash your hands, put on your nightgown, look not so pale. I tell you yet again, Banquo’s buried; he cannot come out on’s⁴⁷ grave.

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     Even so?⁴⁸

       

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH     To bed, to bed. There’s knocking at the gate. Come, come, come, come, give me your hand. What’s done cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed.

       Exit Lady [Macbeth]

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     Will she go now to bed?

       

GENTLEWOMAN

GENTLEWOMAN     Directly.

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     Foul whisp’rings are abroad. Unnatural deeds

               Do breed unnatural troubles: infected minds

55

55           To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets.

               More needs she the divine⁵⁶ than the physician.

               God, God forgive us all! Look after her:

               Remove from her the means of all annoyance,⁵⁸

               And still⁵⁹ keep eyes upon her. So, goodnight.

60

60           My mind she has mated,⁶⁰ and amazed my sight.

               I think, but dare not speak.

       

GENTLEWOMAN

GENTLEWOMAN     Goodnight, good doctor.

       Exeunt

Act 5 Scene 2^5.2

running scene 19

---

       Drum and Colours. Enter Menteith, Caithness, Angus, Lennox [and] Soldiers

       

MENTEITH

MENTEITH     The English power is near, led on by Malcolm,

               His uncle Siward and the good Macduff.

               Revenges burn in them, for their dear³ causes

               Would to the bleeding⁴ and the grim alarm

5

5             Excite⁵ the mortified man.

       

ANGUS

ANGUS     Near Birnam Wood

               Shall we well meet them: that way are they coming.

       

CAITHNESS

CAITHNESS     Who knows if Donalbain be with his brother?

       

LENNOX

LENNOX     For certain, sir, he is not: I have a file⁹

10

10           Of all the gentry: there is Siward’s son,

               And many unrough¹¹ youths that even now

               Protest¹² their first of manhood.

       

MENTEITH

MENTEITH     What does the tyrant?

       

CAITHNESS

CAITHNESS     Great Dunsinane¹⁴ he strongly fortifies.

15

15           Some say he’s mad, others that lesser hate him

               Do call it valiant fury: but for certain

               He cannot buckle¹⁷ his distempered cause

               Within the belt of rule.

       

ANGUS

ANGUS     Now does he feel

20

20           His secret murders sticking²⁰ on his hands,

               Now minutely²¹ revolts upbraid his faith-breach.

               Those he commands move²² only in command,

               Nothing in love: now does he feel his title

               Hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe

25

25           Upon a dwarfish thief.

       

MENTEITH

MENTEITH     Who then shall blame

               His pestered²⁷ senses to recoil and start,

               When all that is within him does condemn

               Itself for being there?

30

30   

CAITHNESS

CAITHNESS           Well, march we on

               To give obedience where ’tis truly owed:

               Meet we the med’cine³² of the sickly weal,

               And with him pour we in our country’s purge³³

               Each drop³⁴ of us.

35

35   

LENNOX

LENNOX           Or so much as it needs

               To dew³⁶ the sovereign flower and drown the weeds.

               Make we our march towards Birnam.

       Exeunt, marching

Act 5 Scene 3^5.3

running scene 20

---

Enter Macbeth, Doctor and Attendants

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Bring me no more reports. Let them¹ fly all:

               Till Birnam Wood remove² to Dunsinane,

               I cannot taint³ with fear. What’s the boy Malcolm?

               Was he not born of woman? The spirits that know

5

5             All mortal consequences⁵ have pronounced me thus:

               ‘Fear not, Macbeth: no man that’s born of woman

               Shall e’er have power upon thee.’ Then fly, false thanes,

               And mingle with the English epicures.⁸

               The mind I sway by⁹ and the heart I bear

10

10           Shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear.

       Enter Servant

               The devil damn thee black, thou cream-faced¹¹ loon!

               Where got’st thou that goose¹² look?

       

SERVANT

SERVANT     There is ten thousand—

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Geese, villain?

15

15   

SERVANT

SERVANT           Soldiers, sir.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Go prick thy face and over-red¹⁶ thy fear,

               Thou lily-livered¹⁷ boy. What soldiers, patch?

               Death of¹⁸ thy soul! Those linen cheeks of thine

               Are counsellors to¹⁹ fear. What soldiers, whey-face?

20

20   

SERVANT

SERVANT           The English force, so please you.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Take thy face hence.—

       [Exit Servant]

               Seyton!²¹— I am sick at heart,

               When I behold— Seyton, I say!— This push²²

               Will cheer²³ me ever, or disseat me now.

               I have lived long enough: my way²⁴ of life

25

25           Is fall’n into the sear,²⁵ the yellow leaf,

               And that which should accompany old age,

               As²⁷ honour, love, obedience, troops of friends,

               I must not look to have, but in their stead²⁸

               Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour,²⁹ breath,

30

30           Which the poor heart would fain³⁰ deny and dare not.— Seyton!

       Enter Seyton

       

SEYTON

SEYTON     What’s your gracious pleasure?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     What news more?

       

SEYTON

SEYTON     All is confirmed, my lord, which was reported.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked.

35

35           Give me my armour.

       

SEYTON

SEYTON     ’Tis not needed yet.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     I’ll put it on.

               Send out more horses: skirr³⁸ the country round:

               Hang those that talk of fear. Give me mine armour.— Seyton gets the armor

40

40           How does your patient, doctor?

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     Not so sick,⁴¹ my lord,

               As she is troubled with thick-coming⁴² fancies

               That keep her from her rest.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Cure her of that.

45

45           Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased,

               Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow,

               Raze out⁴⁷ the written troubles of the brain,

               And with some sweet oblivious⁴⁸ antidote

               Cleanse the stuffed⁴⁹ bosom of that perilous stuff

50

50           Which weighs upon the heart?

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     Therein the patient

               Must minister to himself.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Throw physic to the dogs, I’ll none of it.—

               Come, put mine armour on: give me my staff.⁵⁴— To Attendants, who arm him

55

55           Seyton, send out.⁵⁵ Doctor, the thanes fly from me.—

               Come, sir, dispatch.⁵⁶— If thou couldst, doctor, cast

               The water of my land, find her disease,

               And purge it to a sound and pristine⁵⁸ health,

               I would applaud thee to the very echo,

60

60           That should applaud again.— Pull’t off,⁶⁰ I say.— To Attendants

               What rhubarb,⁶¹ cyme, or what purgative drug To Doctor

               Would scour⁶² these English hence? Hear’st thou of them?

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     Ay, my good lord: your royal preparation⁶³

               Makes us hear something.

65

65          

MACBETH

MACBETH     Bring it⁶⁵ after me.— To Seyton or Attendants

               I will not be afraid of death and bane,⁶⁶

               Till Birnam Forest come to Dunsinane.

       

DOCTOR

DOCTOR     Were I from Dunsinane away and clear,⁶⁸ Aside

               Profit again should hardly⁶⁹ draw me here.

       Exeunt

Act 5 Scene 4^5.4

running scene 21

---

       Drum and Colours. Enter Malcolm, Siward, Macduff, Siward’s Son, Menteith, Caithness, Angus and Soldiers, marching

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     Cousins, I hope the days are near at hand

               That chambers² will be safe.

       

MENTEITH

MENTEITH     We doubt it nothing.³

       

SIWARD

SIWARD     What wood is this before us?

5

5     

MENTEITH

MENTEITH         The wood of Birnam.

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     Let every soldier hew him down a bough

               And bear’t before him: thereby shall we shadow⁷

               The numbers of our host⁸ and make discovery

               Err⁹ in report of us.

10

10   

A SOLDIER

A SOLDIER           It shall be done.

       

SIWARD

SIWARD     We learn no other but the confident tyrant

               Keeps¹² still in Dunsinane and will endure

               Our setting down¹³ before’t.

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     ’Tis his main hope:

15

15           For where¹⁵ there is advantage to be given,

               Both more¹⁶ and less have given him the revolt,

               And none serve with him but constrainèd things

               Whose hearts are absent too.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Let¹⁹ our just censures

20

20           Attend the true event, and put we on

               Industrious soldiership.

       

SIWARD

SIWARD     The time approaches

               That will with due²³ decision make us know

               What we shall say we have and what we owe.²⁴

25

25           Thoughts²⁵ speculative their unsure hopes relate,

               But certain issue strokes must arbitrate:

               Towards which advance the war.

       Exeunt, marching

Act 5 Scene 5^5.5

running scene 22

---

       Enter Macbeth, Seyton, and Soldiers with Drum and Colours

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Hang out our banners on the outward walls:

               The cry is still ‘They come.’ Our castle’s strength

               Will laugh a siege to scorn: here let them lie

               Till famine and the ague⁴ eat them up.

5

5             Were they not forced⁵ with those that should be ours,

               We might have met them dareful,⁶ beard to beard,

               And beat them backward home.

       A cry within of women

               What is that noise?

       

SEYTON

SEYTON     It is the cry of women, my good lord. Exit or goes to the door

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     I have almost forgot the taste of fears:

10

10           The time has been my senses would have cooled

               To hear a night-shriek, and my fell of hair¹¹

               Would at a dismal treatise¹² rouse and stir

               As¹³ life were in’t. I have supped full with horrors:

               Direness,¹⁴ familiar to my slaughterous thoughts,

15

15           Cannot once start me.¹⁵— Seyton reenters or comes forward

               Wherefore was that cry? To Seyton

       

SEYTON

SEYTON     The queen, my lord, is dead.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     She¹⁷ should have died hereafter:

               There would have been a time for such a word.¹⁸

               Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,

20

20           Creeps in this petty²⁰ pace from day to day

               To the last syllable²¹ of recorded time:

               And all our yesterdays have lighted²² fools

               The way to dusty²³ death. Out, out, brief candle.

               Life’s but a walking shadow,²⁴ a poor player

25

25           That struts and frets²⁵ his hour upon the stage

               And then is heard no more. It is a tale

               Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,²⁷

               Signifying nothing.

       Enter a Messenger

               Thou com’st to use thy tongue: thy story quickly.²⁹

30

30   

MESSENGER

MESSENGER           Gracious my lord,

               I should report that which I say I saw,

               But know not how to do’t.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Well, say, sir.

       

MESSENGER

MESSENGER     As I did³⁴ stand my watch upon the hill,

35

35           I looked toward Birnam, and anon methought

               The wood began to move.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Liar and slave!

       

MESSENGER

MESSENGER     Let me endure your wrath if’t be not so.

               Within this three mile may you see it coming:

40

40           I say, a moving grove.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     If thou speak’st false,

               Upon the next tree shall thou hang alive

               Till famine cling⁴³ thee: if thy speech be sooth,

               I care not if thou dost⁴⁴ for me as much.—

45

45           I pull in resolution,⁴⁵ and begin

               To doubt th’equivocation of the fiend⁴⁶

               That lies like truth. ‘Fear not, till Birnam Wood

               Do come to Dunsinane’, and now a wood

               Comes toward Dunsinane.— Arm, arm, and out!

50

50           If this which he avouches⁵⁰ does appear,

               There is nor⁵¹ flying hence nor tarrying here.—

               I ’gin⁵² to be aweary of the sun,

               And wish th’estate⁵² o’th’world were now undone.—

               Ring the alarum bell! Blow wind, come wrack,⁵⁴

55

55           At least we’ll die with harness⁵⁵ on our back.

       Exeunt

Act 5 Scene 6^5.6

running scene 23

---

       Drum and Colours. Enter Malcolm, Siward, Macduff and their army, with boughs

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     Now near enough. Your leafy screens throw down,

               And show² like those you are. You, worthy uncle,

               Shall with my cousin, your right noble son,

               Lead our first battle.⁴ Worthy Macduff and we

5

5             Shall take upon’s what else remains to do,

               According to our order.⁶

       

SIWARD

SIWARD     Fare you well.

               Do⁸ we but find the tyrant’s power tonight,

               Let us be beaten if we cannot fight.

10

10   

MACDUFF

MACDUFF           Make all our trumpets speak: give them all breath,

               Those clamorous harbingers¹¹ of blood and death.

       Exeunt. Alarums continued

Act 5 Scene 7

running scene 23 continues

---

       Enter Macbeth

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     They have tied me to a stake: I cannot fly,

               But bear-like² I must fight the course. What’s he

               That was not born of woman? Such a one

               Am I to fear, or none.

       Enter Young Siward

5

5     

YOUNG SIWARD

YOUNG SIWARD         What is thy name?

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Thou’lt be afraid to hear it.

       

YOUNG SIWARD

YOUNG SIWARD     No, though thou call’st thyself a hotter name

               Than any is⁸ in hell.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     My name’s Macbeth.

10

10   

YOUNG SIWARD

YOUNG SIWARD           The devil himself could not pronounce a title

               More hateful to mine ear.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     No, nor more fearful.

       

YOUNG SIWARD

YOUNG SIWARD      Thou liest, abhorrèd tyrant: with my sword

               I’ll prove the lie thou speak’st.

       Fight and Young Siward slain

15

15   

MACBETH

MACBETH           Thou wast born of woman.

               But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn,

               Brandished by man that’s of a woman born.

       Exit

       Alarums. Enter Macduff

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     That way the noise is. Tyrant, show thy face.

               If thou be’st slain, and with no stroke of mine,

20

20           My wife and children’s ghosts will haunt me still.

               I cannot strike at wretched kerns,²¹ whose arms

               Are hired to bear their staves:²² either thou, Macbeth,

               Or else my sword with an unbattered edge

               I sheathe again undeeded.²⁴ There thou shouldst be:

25

25           By this great clatter, one of greatest note²⁵

               Seems bruited.²⁶ Let me find him, Fortune,

               And more I beg not.

       Exit. Alarums

       Enter Malcolm and Siward

       

SIWARD

SIWARD     This way, my lord. The castle’s gently rendered:²⁸

               The tyrant’s people on both sides do fight,

30

30           The noble thanes do bravely in the war,

               The³¹ day almost itself professes yours,

               And little is to do.

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     We have met with foes that strike beside us.³³

       

SIWARD

SIWARD     Enter, sir, the castle.

       Exeunt. Alarum

       Enter Macbeth

35

35   

MACBETH

MACBETH           Why should I play³⁵ the Roman fool and die

               On mine own sword? Whiles I see lives,³⁶ the gashes

               Do better upon them.

       Enter Macduff

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Turn, hell-hound, turn.

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     Of all men else³⁹ I have avoided thee.

40

40           But get thee back: my soul is too much charged⁴⁰

               With blood of thine already.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     I have no words:

               My voice is in my sword, thou bloodier villain

               Than terms⁴⁴ can give thee out.

       Fight. Alarum

45

45   

MACBETH

MACBETH           Thou losest labour.⁴⁵

               As easy mayst thou the intrenchant⁴⁶ air

               With thy keen⁴⁷ sword impress as make me bleed.

               Let fall thy blade on vulnerable crests:⁴⁸

               I bear a charmed life, which must not yield

50

50           To one of woman born.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Despair thy charm,

               And let the angel⁵² whom thou still hast served

               Tell thee: Macduff was from his mother’s womb

               Untimely⁵⁴ ripped.

55

55   

MACBETH

MACBETH           Accursèd be that tongue that tells me so,

               For it hath cowed⁵⁶ my better part of man.

               And be these juggling⁵⁷ fiends no more believed

               That palter⁵⁸ with us in a double sense,

               That keep⁵⁹ the word of promise to our ear

60

60           And break it to our hope. I’ll not fight with thee.

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Then yield thee, coward,

               And live to be the show⁶² and gaze o’th’time:

               We’ll have thee, as our rarer monsters are,

               Painted upon a pole,⁶⁴ and underwrit,

65

65           ‘Here may you see the tyrant.’

       

MACBETH

MACBETH     I will not yield

               To kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet

               And to be baited with the rabble’s⁶⁸ curse.

               Though Birnam Wood be come to Dunsinane,

70

70           And thou opposed,⁷⁰ being of no woman born,

               Yet I will try the last.⁷¹ Before my body

               I throw my warlike shield. Lay on,⁷² Macduff,

               And damned be him that first cries, ‘Hold, enough!’

       Exeunt fighting. Alarums

       Enter fighting, and Macbeth slain

       [Exit Macduff with Macbeth’s body]

       Retreat and flourish. Enter, with Drum and Colours, Malcolm, Siward, Ross, Thanes and Soldiers

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     I would⁷⁴ the friends we miss were safe arrived.

75

75   

SIWARD

SIWARD           Some must go off:⁷⁵ and yet, by these I see

               So great a day as this is cheaply bought.

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     Macduff is missing, and your noble son.

       

ROSS

ROSS     Your son, my lord, has paid a soldier’s debt:⁷⁸

       To Siward

               He only lived but till he was a man,

80

80           The which no sooner had his prowess⁸⁰ confirmed

               In the unshrinking station⁸¹ where he fought,

               But like a man he died.

       

SIWARD

SIWARD     Then he is dead?

       

ROSS

ROSS     Ay, and brought off the field. Your cause of sorrow

85

85           Must not be measured by his worth, for then

               It hath no end.

       

SIWARD

SIWARD     Had he his hurts before?⁸⁷

       

ROSS

ROSS     Ay, on the front.

       

SIWARD

SIWARD     Why then, God’s soldier be he!

90

90           Had I as many sons as I have hairs⁹⁰

               I would not wish them to a fairer death:

               And so his knell is knolled.⁹²

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     He’s worth more sorrow,

               And that I’ll spend⁹⁴ for him.

95

95   

SIWARD

SIWARD           He’s worth no more.

               They say he parted well and paid his score,⁹⁶

               And so God be with him! Here comes newer comfort.

Enter Macduff with Macbeth’s head

       

MACDUFF

MACDUFF     Hail, king, for so thou art. Behold where stands⁹⁸

               Th’usurper’s cursèd head. The time is free:⁹⁹

100

100         I see thee compassed¹⁰⁰ with thy kingdom’s pearl,

               That speak my salutation¹⁰¹ in their minds,

               Whose voices I desire aloud with mine:

               Hail, King of Scotland!

       

ALL

ALL     Hail, King of Scotland!

       Flourish

105

       

MALCOLM

MALCOLM     We shall not spend¹⁰⁵ a large expense of time

               Before we reckon¹⁰⁶ with your several loves

               And make¹⁰⁷ us even with you. My thanes and kinsmen,

               Henceforth be earls, the first that ever Scotland

               In such an honour named. What’s more to do

110

110         Which would be planted¹¹⁰ newly with the time,

               As calling home our exiled friends abroad

               That fled the snares of watchful tyranny,

               Producing forth the cruel ministers¹¹³

               Of this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen,

115

115         Who — as ’tis thought — by¹¹⁵ self and violent hands

               Took off her life: this, and what needful else¹¹⁶

               That calls upon us, by the grace of grace¹¹⁷

               We will perform in measure,¹¹⁸ time and place.

               So thanks to all at once and to each one,

120

120         Whom we invite to see us crowned at Scone.

       Flourish. Exeunt

The Songs (apparently by Thomas Middleton, used in stagings after Shakespeare’s retirement)

---

       Song 1: at end of 3.5:

       

UNSEEN SPIRITS

UNSEEN SPIRITS     Come away, come away, Above

                                    Hecate, Hecate, O come away!

       

HECATE

HECATE     I come, I come, I come, I come,

                                    With all the speed I may,

5

5                       With all the speed I may.

               Where’s Stadlin?

       

UNSEEN SPIRIT

UNSEEN SPIRIT     Here.

       

HECATE

HECATE     Where’s Puckle?

       

UNSEEN SPIRIT

UNSEEN SPIRIT     Here.

       

UNSEEN SPIRITS

UNSEEN SPIRITS     And Hoppo too, and Hellway too,

               We lack but you, we lack but you.

10

                                 Come away, make up the count.¹⁰

       

HECATE

HECATE     I will but ’noint,¹¹ and then I mount.

                                    I will but ’noint, and then I mount.

       Malkin, a spirit like a cat, descends

       

UNSEEN SPIRITS

UNSEEN SPIRITS     Here comes one down to fetch his dues,¹³

                                    A kiss, a cull,¹⁴ a sip of blood,

15

15                       And why thou stay’st so long I muse,¹⁵ I muse,

                                    Since the air’s so fresh and good.

       

HECATE

HECATE     O, art thou come? What news, what news?

       

MALKIN

MALKIN     All goes well to our delight:

                                    Either come or else

20

20                       Refuse, refuse.

       

HECATE

HECATE     Now I am furnished²¹ for the flight. Going up

                                    Now I go, O now I fly,

                                    Malkin my sweet spirit and I.

                                    O what a dainty pleasure is this

25

25                       To ride in the air

                                    When the moon shines fair,

                                    And feast and sing and toy and kiss!

                                    Over woods, high rocks and mountains,

                                    Over seas, our crystal²⁹ fountains,

30

30                       Over steeples, towers, turrets,

                                    We fly by night ’mongst troops of spirits:

                                    No ring of bells to our ears sound,³²

                                    No howls of wolves, nor yelps of hounds,

                                    No, nor the noise of water’s breach,³⁴

35

5                       Nor cannon’s throat our height can reach.

       

UNSEEN SPIRITS

UNSEEN SPIRITS     No ring of bells to our ears sound,

                                    No howls of wolves, nor yelps of hounds,

                                    No, nor the noise of water’s breach,

                                    Nor cannon’s throat our height can reach.

       [Exeunt]

       Song 2: in 4.1, before Macbeth’s entrance:

       

HECATE

HECATE     Black spirits and white, red spirits and grey,

                                    Mingle, mingle, mingle, you that mingle may.

       

FOURTH WITCH

FOURTH WITCH     Titty, Tiffin, keep³ it stiff in,

                                    Firedrake, Puckey, make it lucky,

5

5                       Liard, Robin, you must bob in.

       

ALL

ALL     Round, around, around, about, about,

                                    All ill come running in, all good keep out.

       

FOURTH WITCH

FOURTH WITCH     Here’s the blood of a bat.

       

HECATE

HECATE     Put in that, O put in that!

10

       

FIFTH WITCH

FIFTH WITCH     Here’s leopard’s bane.¹⁰

       

HECATE

HECATE     Put in a grain.

       

FOURTH WITCH

FOURTH WITCH     The juice of toad, the oil¹² of adder.

       

FIFTH WITCH

FIFTH WITCH     Those will make the charm grow madder.¹³

       

HECATE

HECATE     Put in, there’s all, and rid¹⁴ the stench.

15

15   

SIXTH WITCH

SIXTH WITCH     Nay, here’s three ounces of a red-haired wench.¹⁵

       

ALL

ALL     Round, around, around, about, about,

                                    All ill come running in, all good keep out.

       [Exit Hecate and the other three Witches]

Textual Notes

F = First Folio text of 1623, the only authority for the play

F2 = a correction introduced in the Second Folio text of 1632

F3 = a correction introduced in the Third Folio text of 1663–64

Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

SD = stage direction

SH = speech heading (i.e., speaker’s name)

List of parts = Ed

1.1.1 SH FIRST WITCH = Ed. F = 1. (throughout) 3 SH SECOND WITCH = Ed. F = 2. (throughout) 5 SH THIRD WITCH = Ed. F = 3. (throughout) 10 SH SECOND WITCH = Ed. Line assigned to All in F 11 SH THIRD WITCH = Ed. Line assigned to All in F 12 SH ALL = Ed. At line 10 in F

1.2.1 SH DUNCAN = Ed. F = King (throughout) 11 Macdonald = Ed. F = Macdonwald 15 gallowglasses = Ed. F = Gallowgrosses 16 quarrel = Ed. F = Quarry 23 ne’er = Ed. F = neu’r

1.3.33 weyard always spelled weyard or weyward in F, never weird 40 Forres = Ed. F = Soris 59 rapt = Ed. F = wrapt 117 lose = Ed. F = loose 145 hair = Ed. F = Heire

1.4.49 harbinger spelled Herbenger in F

1.5.1 SH LADY MACBETH = Ed. F = Lady. (throughout) 8 lose = Ed. F = loose 12 human spelled humane in F 45 it = Ed. F = hit

1.6.0 SD Hautboys spelled Hoboyes in F (throughout) 5 martlet = Ed. F = Barlet 6 mansionry = Ed. F = Mansonry 10 most = Ed. F = must 23 hermits spelled Ermites in F

1.7.6 shoal = Ed. F = Schoole 11 th’ingredients spelled th’Ingredience in F 50 do = Ed. F = no

2.1.62 strides = Ed. F = sides 63 sure = Ed. F = sowre 64 way they = Ed. F = they may

2.3.150 nea’er = Ed. F = neere

2.4.8 travelling spelled trauailing in F 21 ate spelled eate in F 36 life’s = Ed. F = liues 51 SD Exeunt = Ed. F = Exeunt omnes

3.1.78 SH MURDERERS = Ed. F = Murth. (throughout the scene) 93 clept spelled clipt in F

3.3.1 SH FIRST MURDERER = Ed. F = 1. (throughout the scene) 2 SH THIRD MURDERER = Ed. F = 3. (throughout the scene) 3 SH SECOND MURDERER = Ed. F = 2. (throughout the scene) 9 and = F2. F = end

3.4.14 SH FIRST MURDERER = Ed. F = Mur. 88 human spelled humane in F 90 time = F2. F = times 165 in deed = Ed. F = indeed

3.5.26 sleights = Ed. F = slights

3.6.25 son = Ed. F = Sonnes

4.1.59 germens = Ed. F = Germaine 73 SD First Apparition = Ed. F = 1. Apparation 82 SD Second Apparition = Ed. F = 2 Apparition 92 SD Third Apparition = Ed. F = 3 Apparation 100 Birnam spelled Byrnam, Byrnan, Birnan, Byrnane, and Birnane in F Dunsinane = Ed. F = Dunsmane 128 eighth = F3. F = eight

4.2.1 SH LADY MACDUFF = Ed. F = Wife. 25 none = Ed. F = moue 81 SH FIRST MURDERER = Ed. F = Mur.

4.3.39 Fare = Ed. F = Far 121 accused spelled accust in F 148 thy = F2. F = they 188 rend = Ed. F = rent 270 tune = Ed. F = time

5.1.27–8 fear who = Ed. F = feare?who

5.3.23 disseat spelled dis-eate in F 38 more spelled moe in F 44 Cure her = Ed. F = Cure 58 pristine = Ed. F = pristiue

5.4.4 SH SIWARD = Ed. F = Syew. (throughout the scene; also Syw., at line 11 and Sey. at line 22)

5.5.41 false = Ed. F = fhlse 45 pull = F. Sometimes emended to pall

5.7.120 SD Exeunt = Ed. F = Exeunt Omnes