Macbeth

Act I, Scene 5

Inverness. Macbeth’s castle.

[Enter LADY MACBETH, reading a letter]

Lady Macbeth. 'They met me in the day of success: and I have 345

learned by the perfectest report, 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 missives from the king, who 350

all-hailed me 'Thane of Cawdor;' by which title,

before, these weird 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

thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou 355

mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being

ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it

to thy heart, and farewell.'

Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be

What thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature; 360

It is too full o' the milk of human kindness

To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great;

Art not without ambition, but without

The illness should attend it: what thou wouldst highly,

That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false, 365

And yet wouldst wrongly win: thou'ldst have, great Glamis,

That which cries 'Thus thou must do, if thou have it;

And that which rather thou dost fear to do

Than wishest should be undone.' Hie thee hither,

That I may pour my spirits in thine ear; 370

And chastise with the valour of my tongue

All that impedes thee from the golden round,

Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem

To have thee crown'd withal.

[Enter a Messenger] 375

What is your tidings?

Messenger. The king comes here to-night.

Lady Macbeth. Thou'rt mad to say it:

Is not thy master with him? who, were't so,

Would have inform'd for preparation. 380

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

One of my fellows had the speed of him,

Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely more

Than would make up his message.

Lady Macbeth. Give him tending; 385

He brings great news.

[Exit Messenger]

The raven himself is hoarse

That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan

Under my battlements. Come, you spirits 390

That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,

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

Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood;

Stop up the access and passage to remorse,

That no compunctious visitings of nature 395

Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between

The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts,

And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers,

Wherever in your sightless substances

You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night, 400

And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,

That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,

Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,

To cry 'Hold, hold!'

[Enter MACBETH] 405

Great Glamis! worthy Cawdor!

Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter!

Thy letters have transported me beyond

This ignorant present, and I feel now

The future in the instant. 410

Macbeth. My dearest love,

Duncan comes here to-night.

Lady Macbeth. And when goes hence?

Macbeth. To-morrow, as he purposes.

Lady Macbeth. O, never 415

Shall sun that morrow see!

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

May read strange matters. To beguile the time,

Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye,

Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower, 420

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

Must be provided for: and you shall put

This night's great business into my dispatch;

Which shall to all our nights and days to come

Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom. 425

Macbeth. We will speak further.

Lady Macbeth. Only look up clear;

To alter favour ever is to fear:

Leave all the rest to me.

[Exeunt]

Act I, Scene 6

Before Macbeth’s castle.

[Hautboys and torches. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, BANQUO, LENNOX, MACDUFF, ROSS, ANGUS, and Attendants]

Duncan. This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air

Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself

Unto our gentle senses. 435

Banquo. This guest of summer,

The temple-haunting martlet, does approve,

By his loved mansionry, that the heaven's breath

Smells wooingly here: no jutty, frieze,

Buttress, nor coign of vantage, but this bird 440

Hath made his pendent bed and procreant cradle:

Where they most breed and haunt, I have observed,

The air is delicate.

[Enter LADY MACBETH]

Duncan. See, see, our honour'd hostess! 445

The love that follows us sometime is our trouble,

Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you

How you shall bid God 'ild us for your pains,

And thank us for your trouble.

Lady Macbeth. All our service 450

In every point twice done and then done double

Were poor and single business to contend

Against those honours deep and broad wherewith

Your majesty loads our house: for those of old,

And the late dignities heap'd up to them, 455

We rest your hermits.

Duncan. Where's the thane of Cawdor?

We coursed him at the heels, and had a purpose

To be his purveyor: but he rides well;

And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath holp him 460

To his home before us. Fair and noble hostess,

We are your guest to-night.

Lady Macbeth. Your servants ever

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

To make their audit at your highness' pleasure, 465

Still to return your own.

Duncan. Give me your hand;

Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly,

And shall continue our graces towards him.

By your leave, hostess. 470

[Exeunt]

Act I, Scene 7

Macbeth’s castle.

[Hautboys and torches. Enter a Sewer, and divers. Servants with dishes and service, and pass over the stage. Then enter MACBETH]

Macbeth. If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well

It were done quickly: if the assassination 475

Could trammel up the consequence, and catch

With his surcease success; that but this blow

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

But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,

We'ld jump the life to come. But in these cases 480

We still have judgment here; that we but teach

Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return

To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice

Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice

To our own lips. He's here in double trust; 485

First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,

Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,

Who should against his murderer shut the door,

Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan

Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been 490

So clear in his great office, that his virtues

Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against

The deep damnation of his taking-off;

And pity, like a naked new-born babe,

Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim, horsed 495

Upon the sightless couriers of the air,

Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,

That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur

To prick the sides of my intent, but only

Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself 500

And falls on the other.

[Enter LADY MACBETH]

How now! what news?

Lady Macbeth. He has almost supp'd: why have you left the chamber?

Macbeth. Hath he ask'd for me? 505

Lady Macbeth. Know you not he has?

Macbeth. We will proceed no further in this business:

He hath honour'd me of late; and I have bought

Golden opinions from all sorts of people,

Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, 510

Not cast aside so soon.

Lady Macbeth. Was the hope drunk

Wherein you dress'd yourself? hath it slept since?

And wakes it now, to look so green and pale

At what it did so freely? From this time 515

Such 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'st the ornament of life,

And live a coward in thine own esteem, 520

Letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would,'

Like the poor cat i' the adage?

Macbeth. Prithee, peace:

I dare do all that may become a man;

Who dares do more is none. 525

Lady Macbeth. What beast was't, then,

That made you break this enterprise to me?

When you durst do it, then you were a man;

And, to be more than what you were, you would

Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place 530

Did then adhere, and yet you would make both:

They have made themselves, and that their fitness now

Does unmake you. I have given suck, and know

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

I would, while it was smiling in my face, 535

Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,

And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you

Have done to this.

Macbeth. If we should fail?

Lady Macbeth. We fail! 540

But screw your courage to the sticking-place,

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

Whereto the rather shall his day's hard journey

Soundly invite him—his two chamberlains

Will I with wine and wassail so convince 545

That memory, the warder of the brain,

Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason

A limbeck only: when in swinish sleep

Their drenched natures lie as in a death,

What cannot you and I perform upon 550

The unguarded Duncan? what not put upon

His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt

Of our great quell?

Macbeth. Bring forth men-children only;

For thy undaunted mettle should compose 555

Nothing but males. Will it not be received,

When we have mark'd with blood those sleepy two

Of his own chamber and used their very daggers,

That they have done't?

Lady Macbeth. Who dares receive it other, 560

As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar

Upon his death?

Macbeth. I am settled, and bend up

Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.

Away, and mock the time with fairest show: 565

False face must hide what the false heart doth know.

[Exeunt]

Act II, Scene 1

Court of Macbeth’s castle.

[Enter BANQUO, and FLEANCE bearing a torch before him]

Banquo. How goes the night, boy?

Fleance. The moon is down; I have not heard the clock. 570

Banquo. And she goes down at twelve.

Fleance. I take't, 'tis later, sir.

Banquo. Hold, take my sword. There's husbandry in heaven;

Their candles are all out. Take thee that too.

A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, 575

And yet I would not sleep: merciful powers,

Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature

Gives way to in repose!

[Enter MACBETH, and a Servant with a torch]

Give me my sword. 580

Who's there?

Macbeth. A friend.

Banquo. What, sir, not yet at rest? The king's a-bed:

He hath been in unusual pleasure, and

Sent forth great largess to your offices. 585

This diamond he greets your wife withal,

By the name of most kind hostess; and shut up

In measureless content.

Macbeth. Being unprepared,

Our will became the servant to defect; 590

Which else should free have wrought.

Banquo. All's well.

I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters:

To you they have show'd some truth.

Macbeth. I think not of them: 595

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. At your kind'st leisure.

Macbeth. If you shall cleave to my consent, when 'tis, 600

It shall make honour for you.

Banquo. So I lose none

In seeking to augment it, but still keep

My bosom franchised and allegiance clear,

I shall be counsell'd. 605

Macbeth. Good repose the while!

Banquo. Thanks, sir: the like to you!

[Exeunt BANQUO and FLEANCE]

Macbeth. Go bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready,

She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed. 610

[Exit Servant]

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, sensible 615

To feeling as to sight? or art thou but

A dagger of the mind, a false creation,

Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?

I see thee yet, in form as palpable

As this which now I draw. 620

Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going;

And such an instrument I was to use.

Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses,

Or else worth all the rest; I see thee still,

And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, 625

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

It is the bloody business which informs

Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one halfworld

Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse

The curtain'd sleep; witchcraft celebrates 630

Pale Hecate's offerings, and wither'd murder,

Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf,

Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace.

With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design

Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth, 635

Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear

Thy very stones prate of my whereabout,

And take the present horror from the time,

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

Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives. 640

[A bell rings]

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

Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell

That summons thee to heaven or to hell.

[Exit]