DOCTOR I have two nights watch’d with you, but can
perceive no truth in your report. When was it she last walk’d?
GENTLEWOMAN Since his Majesty went into the field, I
have seen her rise from her bed, throw her night-gown
5
upon her, unlock her closet, 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 A great perturbation in nature, to receive at
once the benefit of sleep, and do the effects of
10
watching! In this slumbery agitation, besides her
walking and other actual performances, what, at any
time, have you heard her say?
GENTLEWOMAN That, Sir, which I will not report after her.
15
DOCTOR You may, to me; and ’tis most meet you should.
GENTLEWOMAN Neither to you, nor any one; having no witness to confirm my speech.
Enter LADY MACBETH, with a taper.
Lo you! here she comes. This is her very guise; and,
20
upon my life, fast asleep. Observe her: stand close.
DOCTOR How came she by that light?
GENTLEWOMAN Why, it stood by her: she has light by
her continually; ’tis her command.
DOCTOR You see, her eyes are open.
25
GENTLEWOMAN Ay, but their sense are shut.
DOCTOR What is it she does now? Look, how she rubs her hands.
GENTLEWOMAN It is an accustom’d action with her, to
seem thus washing her hands. I have known her
30
continue in this a quarter of an hour.
LADY MACBETH Yet here’s a spot.
DOCTOR Hark! she speaks. I will set down what comes
from her, to satisfy my remembrance the more
strongly.
35
LADY MACBETH Out, damned spot! out, I say! – One;
two: 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 none can call our power to
accompt? – Yet who would have thought the old man
40
to have had so much blood in him?
DOCTOR Do you mark that?
LADY MACBETH The Thane of Fife 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 mar all
45
with this starting.
DOCTOR Go to, go to: you have known what you should not.
GENTLEWOMAN She has spoke what she should not, I
am sure of that: Heaven knows what she has known.
50
LADY MACBETH Here’s the smell of the blood still: all
the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh! oh! oh!
DOCTOR What a sigh is there! The heart is sorely charg’d.
55
GENTLEWOMAN I would not have such a heart in my
bosom, for the dignity of the whole body.
DOCTOR Well, well, well.
GENTLEWOMAN Pray God it be, sir.
DOCTOR This disease is beyond my practice: yet I have
60
known those which have walk’d in their sleep, who
have died holily in their beds.
LADY MACBETH Wash your hands, put on your night-
gown; look not so pale. – I tell you yet again, Banquo’s
buried: he cannot come out on’s grave.
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DOCTOR Even so?
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.
70
DOCTOR Will she go now to bed?
GENTLEWOMAN Directly.
DOCTOR Foul whisp’rings are abroad. Unnatural deeds
Do breed unnatural troubles: infected minds
To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets.
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More needs she the divine than the physician. –
God, God forgive us all! Look after her;
Remove from her the means of all annoyance,
And still keep eyes upon her. – So, good night:
My mind she has mated, and amaz’d my sight.
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I think, but dare not speak.
GENTLEWOMAN Good night, good Doctor.
Exeunt.
5.2 Enter, with drums and colours, MENTETH, CATHNESS, ANGUS, LENOX and soldiers.
MENTETH
The English power is near, led on by Malcolm,
His uncle Siward, and the good Macduff.
Revenges burn in them; for their dear causes
Would, to the bleeding and the grim alarm,
Excite the mortified man.
ANGUS Near Birnam wood
5
Shall we well meet them: That way are they coming.
CATHNESS
Who knows if Donalbain be with his brother?
LENOX For certain, Sir, he is not. I have a file
Of all the gentry: there is Siward’s son,
And many unrough youths, that even now
10
Protest their first of manhood.
MENTETH What does the tyrant?
CATHNESS Great Dunsinane he strongly fortifies.
Some say he’s mad; others, that lesser hate him,
Do call it valiant fury: but, for certain,
He cannot buckle his distemper’d cause
15
Within the belt of rule.
ANGUS Now does he feel
His secret murthers sticking on his hands;
Now minutely revolts upbraid his faith-breach:
Those he commands move only in command,
Nothing in love: now does he feel his title
20
Hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe
Upon a dwarfish thief.
MENTETH Who then shall blame
His pester’d senses to recoil and start,
When all that is within him does condemn
Itself, for being there?
CATHNESS Well; march we on,
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To give obedience where ’tis truly ow’d:
Meet we the med’cine of the sickly weal;
And with him pour we, in our country’s purge,
Each drop of us.
LENOX Or so much as it needs
To dew the sovereign flower, and drown the weeds.
30
Make we our march towards Birnam.
Exeunt, marching.
5.3 Enter MACBETH, Doctor and attendants.
MACBETH Bring me no more reports; let them fly all:
Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane,
I cannot taint with fear. What’s the boy Malcolm?
Was he not born of woman? The spirits that know
All mortal consequence have pronounc’d me thus:
5
‘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:
The mind I sway by, and the heart I bear,
Shall never sag with doubt, nor shake with fear.
10
Enter a Servant.
The devil damn thee black, thou cream-fac’d loon!
Where gott’st thou that goose look?
SERVANT There is ten thousand –
MACBETH Geese, villain?
SERVANT Soldiers, Sir.
MACBETH Go, prick thy face, and over-red thy fear,
Thou lily-liver’d boy. What soldiers, patch?
15
Death of thy soul! those lin
en cheeks of thine
Are counsellors to fear. What soldiers, whey-face?
SERVANT The English force, so please you.
MACBETH Take thy face hence. Exit Servant.
– Seyton! – I am sick at heart,
When I behold – Seyton, I say! – This push
20
Will cheer me ever, or disseat me now.
I have liv’d long enough: my way of life
Is fall’n into the sere, the yellow leaf;
And that which should accompany old age,
As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends,
25
I must not look to have; but in their stead,
Curses, not loud, but deep, mouth-honour, breath,
Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not.
Seyton! –
Enter SEYTON.
SEYTON What’s your gracious pleasure?
MACBETH What news more?
30
SEYTON
All is confirm’d, my Lord, which was reported.
MACBETH
I’ll fight, till from my bones my flesh be hack’d.
Give me my armour.
SEYTON ’Tis not needed yet.
MACBETH I’ll put it on.
Send out moe horses, skirt the country round;
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Hang those that talk of fear. Give me mine armour. –
How does your patient, Doctor?
DOCTOR Not so sick, my Lord,
As she is troubled with thick-coming fancies,
That keep her from her rest.
MACBETH Cure her of that:
Canst thou not minister to a mind diseas’d,
40
Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow,
Raze out the written troubles of the brain,
And with some sweet oblivious antidote
Cleanse the stuff‘d bosom of that perilous stuff
Which weighs upon the heart?
DOCTOR Therein the patient
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Must minister to himself.
MACBETH Throw physic to the dogs; I’ll none of it. –
Come, put mine armour on; give me my staff. –
Seyton, send out – Doctor, the Thanes fly from
me. –
Come, sir, despatch. – If thou couldst, Doctor, cast
50
The water of my land, find her disease,
And purge it to a sound and pristine health,
I would applaud thee to the very echo,
That should applaud again. – Pull’t off, I say. –
What rhubarb, cyme or what purgative drug,
55
Would scour these English hence? – Hear’st thou of
them?
DOCTOR Ay, my good Lord: your royal preparation
Makes us hear something.
MACBETH Bring it after me. –
I will not be afraid of death and bane,
Till Birnam forest come to Dunsinane. Exit.
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DOCTOR [aside]
Were I from Dunsinane away and clear,
Profit again should hardly draw me here. Exeunt.
5.4 Enter, with drum and colours, MALCOLM,
OLD SIWARD and his son, MACDUFF, MENTETH,
CATHNESS, ANGUS, LENOX, ROSSE and Soldiers,
marching.
MALCOLM Cousins, I hope the days are near at hand,
That chambers will be safe.
MENTETH We doubt it nothing.
SIWARD What wood is this before us?
MENTETH The wood of Birnam.
MALCOLM Let every soldier hew him down a bough,
And bear’t before him: thereby shall we shadow
5
The numbers of our host, and make discovery
Err in report of us.
SOLDIER It shall be done.
SIWARD We learn no other but the confident tyrant
Keeps still in Dunsinane, and will endure
Our setting down before’t.
MALCOLM ’Tis his main hope;
10
For where there is advantage to be gone,
Both more and less have given him the revolt,
And none serve with him but constrained things,
Whose hearts are absent too.
MACDUFF Let our just censures
Attend the true event, and put we on
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Industrious soldiership.
SIWARD The time approaches,
That will with due decision make us know
What we shall say we have, and what we owe.
Thoughts speculative their unsure hopes relate,
But certain issue strokes must arbitrate;
20
Towards which advance the war. Exeunt, marching.
5.5 Enter, with drum and colours, MACBETH, SEYTON and soldiers.
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 347
