Macbeth
This is the door.
MACDUFF.
I’ll make so bold to call.
For ’tis my limited service.
[_Exit Macduff._]
LENNOX.
Goes the King hence today?
MACBETH.
He does. He did appoint so.
LENNOX.
The night has been unruly: where we lay,
Our chimneys were blown down and, as they say,
Lamentings heard i’ th’ air, strange screams of death,
And prophesying, with accents terrible,
Of dire combustion and confus’d events,
New hatch’d to the woeful time. The obscure bird
Clamour’d the live-long night. Some say the earth
Was feverous, and did shake.
MACBETH.
’Twas a rough night.
LENNOX.
My young remembrance cannot parallel
A fellow to it.
Enter Macduff.
MACDUFF.
O horror, horror, horror!
Tongue nor heart cannot conceive nor name thee!
MACBETH, LENNOX.
What’s the matter?
MACDUFF.
Confusion now hath made his masterpiece!
Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope
The Lord’s anointed temple, and stole thence
The life o’ th’ building.
MACBETH.
What is’t you say? the life?
LENNOX.
Mean you his majesty?
MACDUFF.
Approach the chamber, and destroy your sight
With a new Gorgon. Do not bid me speak.
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 downy sleep, death’s counterfeit,
And look on death itself! Up, up, and see
The great doom’s image. Malcolm! Banquo!
As from your graves rise up, and walk like sprites
To countenance this horror!
[_Alarum-bell rings._]
Enter Lady Macbeth.
LADY MACBETH.
What’s the business,
That such a hideous trumpet calls to parley
The sleepers of the house? Speak, speak!
MACDUFF.
O gentle lady,
’Tis not for you to hear what I can speak:
The repetition, in a woman’s ear,
Would murder as it fell.
Enter Banquo.
O Banquo, Banquo!
Our royal master’s murder’d!
LADY MACBETH.
Woe, alas!
What, in our house?
BANQUO.
Too cruel anywhere.—
Dear Duff, I pr’ythee, contradict thyself,
And say it is not so.
Enter Macbeth and Lennox with Ross.
MACBETH.
Had I but died an hour before this chance,
I had liv’d a blessed time; for, from this instant
There’s nothing serious in mortality.
All is but toys: renown and grace is dead;
The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees
Is left this vault to brag of.
Enter Malcolm and Donalbain.
DONALBAIN.
What is amiss?
MACBETH.
You are, and do not know’t:
The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood
Is stopp’d; the very source of it is stopp’d.
MACDUFF.
Your royal father’s murder’d.
MALCOLM.
O, by whom?
LENNOX.
Those of his chamber, as it seem’d, had done’t:
Their hands and faces were all badg’d with blood;
So were their daggers, which, unwip’d, we found
Upon their pillows. They star’d, and were distracted;
No man’s life was to be trusted with them.
MACBETH.
O, yet I do repent me of my fury,
That I did kill them.
MACDUFF.
Wherefore did you so?
MACBETH.
Who can be wise, amaz’d, temperate, and furious,
Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man:
Th’ expedition of my violent love
Outrun the pauser, reason. Here lay Duncan,
His silver skin lac’d with his golden blood;
And his gash’d stabs look’d like a breach in nature
For ruin’s wasteful entrance: there, the murderers,
Steep’d in the colours of their trade, their daggers
Unmannerly breech’d with gore. Who could refrain,
That had a heart to love, and in that heart
Courage to make’s love known?
LADY MACBETH.
Help me hence, ho!
MACDUFF.
Look to the lady.
MALCOLM.
Why do we hold our tongues,
That most may claim this argument for ours?
DONALBAIN.
What should be spoken here, where our fate,
Hid in an auger hole, may rush, and seize us?
Let’s away. Our tears are not yet brew’d.
MALCOLM.
Nor our strong sorrow
Upon the foot of motion.
BANQUO.
Look to the lady:—
[_Lady Macbeth is carried out._]
And when we have our naked frailties hid,
That suffer in exposure, let us meet,
And question this most bloody piece of work
To know it further. Fears and scruples shake us:
In the great hand of God I stand; and thence
Against the undivulg’d pretence I fight
Of treasonous malice.
MACDUFF.
And so do I.
ALL.
So all.
MACBETH.
Let’s briefly put on manly readiness,
And meet i’ th’ hall together.
ALL.
Well contented.
[_Exeunt all but Malcolm and Donalbain._]
MALCOLM.
What will you do? Let’s not consort with them:
To show an unfelt sorrow is an office
Which the false man does easy. I’ll to England.
DONALBAIN.
To Ireland, I. Our separated fortune
Shall keep us both the safer. Where we are,
There’s daggers in men’s smiles: the near in blood,
The nearer bloody.
MALCOLM.
This murderous shaft that’s shot
Hath not yet lighted; and our safest way
Is to avoid the aim. Therefore to horse;
And let us not be dainty of leave-taking,
But shift away. There’s warrant in that theft
Which steals itself, when there’s no mercy left.
[_Exeunt._]
SCENE IV. The same. Without the Castle.
Enter Ross and an Old Man.
OLD MAN.
Threescore and ten I can remember well,
Within the volume of which time I have seen
Hours dreadful and things strange, but this sore night
Hath trifled former knowings.
ROSS.
Ha, good father,
Thou seest the heavens, as troubled with man’s act,
Threatens his bloody stage: by the clock ’tis day,
And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp.
Is’t night’s predominance, or the day’s shame,
That darkness does the face of earth entomb,
When living light should kiss it?
OLD MAN.
’Tis unnatural,
Even like the deed that’s done. On Tuesday last,
A falcon, towering in her pride of place,
Was by a mousing owl hawk’d at and kill’d.
ROSS.
And Duncan’s horses (a thing most strange and certain)
Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race,
Turn’d wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out,
Contending ’gainst obedience, as they would make
War with mankind.
OLD MAN.
’Tis said they eat each other.
ROSS.
They did so; to the amazement of mine eyes,
That look’d upon’t.
Here comes the good Macduff.
Enter Macduff.
How goes the world, sir, now?
MACDUFF.
Why, see you not?
ROSS.
Is’t known who did this more than bloody deed?
MACDUFF.
Those that Macbeth hath slain.
ROSS.
Alas, the day!
What good could they pretend?
MACDUFF.
They were suborn’d.
Malcolm and Donalbain, the King’s two sons,
Are stol’n away and fled; which puts upon them
Suspicion of the deed.
ROSS.
’Gainst nature still:
Thriftless ambition, that will ravin up
Thine own life’s means!—Then ’tis most like
The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.
MACDUFF.
He is already nam’d; and gone to Scone
To be invested.
ROSS.
Where is Duncan’s body?
MACDUFF.
Carried to Colmekill,
The sacred storehouse of his predecessors,
And guardian of their bones.
ROSS.
Will you to Scone?
MACDUFF.
No, cousin, I’ll to Fife.
ROSS.
Well, I will thither.
MACDUFF.
Well, may you see things well done there. Adieu!
Lest our old robes sit easier than our new!
ROSS.
Farewell, father.
OLD MAN.
God’s benison go with you; and with those
That would make good of bad, and friends of foes!
[_Exeunt._]
ACT III
SCENE I. Forres. A Room in the Palace.
Enter Banquo.
BANQUO.
Thou hast it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
As the Weird Women promis’d; and, I fear,
Thou play’dst most foully for’t; yet it was said
It should not stand in thy posterity;
But that myself should be the root and father
Of many kings. If there come truth from them
(As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine)
Why, by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my oracles as well,
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.
Here’s our chief guest.
LADY MACBETH.
If he had been forgotten,
It had been as a gap in our great feast,
And all-thing unbecoming.
MACBETH.
Tonight we hold a solemn supper, sir,
And I’ll request your presence.
BANQUO.
Let your Highness
Command upon me, to the which my duties
Are with a most indissoluble tie
For ever knit.
MACBETH.
Ride you this afternoon?
BANQUO.
Ay, my good lord.
MACBETH.
We should have else desir’d your good advice
(Which still hath been both grave and prosperous)
In this day’s council; but we’ll take tomorrow.
Is’t far you ride?
BANQUO.
As far, my lord, as will fill up the time
’Twixt this and supper: go not my horse the better,
I must become a borrower of the night,
For a dark hour or twain.
MACBETH.
Fail not our feast.
BANQUO.
My lord, I will not.
MACBETH.
We hear our bloody cousins are bestow’d
In England and in Ireland; not confessing
Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers
With strange invention. But of that tomorrow,
When therewithal we shall have cause of state
Craving us jointly. Hie you to horse: adieu,
Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you?
BANQUO.
Ay, my good lord: our time does call upon’s.
MACBETH.
I wish your horses swift and sure of foot;
And so I do commend you to their backs.
Farewell.—
[_Exit Banquo._]
Let every man be master of his time
Till seven at night; to make society
The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself
Till supper time alone: while then, God be with you.
[_Exeunt Lady Macbeth, Lords, &c._]
Sirrah, a word with you. Attend those men
Our pleasure?
SERVANT.
They are, my lord, without the palace gate.
MACBETH.
Bring them before us.
[_Exit Servant._]
To be thus is nothing,
But to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo
Stick deep, and in his royalty of nature
Reigns that which would be fear’d: ’tis much he dares;
And, to 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 being I do fear: and under him
My genius is rebuk’d; as, it is said,
Mark 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 hail’d him father to a line of kings:
Upon my head they plac’d a fruitless crown,
And put a barren sceptre in my gripe,
Thence to be wrench’d with an unlineal hand,
No son of mine succeeding. If’t be so,
For Banquo’s issue have I fil’d my mind;
For them the gracious Duncan have I murder’d;
Put rancours in the vessel of my peace
Only for them; and mine eternal jewel
Given to the common enemy of man,
To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings!
Rather than so, come, fate, into the list,
And champion me to th’ utterance!—Who’s there?—
Enter Servant with two Murderers.
Now go to the door, and stay there till we call.
[_Exit Servant._]
Was it not yesterday we spoke together?
FIRST MURDERER.
It was, so please your Highness.
MACBETH.
Well then, now
Have you consider’d of my speeches? Know
That it was he, in the times past, which held you
So under fortune, which you thought had been
Our innocent self? This I made good to you
In our last conference, pass’d in probation with you
How you were borne in hand, how cross’d, the instruments,
Who wrought with them, and all things else that might
To half a soul and to a notion craz’d
Say, “Thus did Banquo.”
FIRST MURDERER.
You made it known to us.
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 gospell’d,
To pray for this good man and for his issue,
Whose heavy hand hath bow’d you to the grave,
And beggar’d yours forever?
FIRST MURDERER.
We are men, my liege.
MACBETH.
Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men;
As hounds, and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs,
Shoughs, water-rugs, and demi-wolves are clept
All by the name of dogs: the valu’d file