No howls of wolves, no yelps of hounds.
No, not the noise of waters-breach
Or cannons’ throat our height can reach.
SPIRITS ⌈abovel⌉
No ring of bells to our ears sounds,
No howls of wolves, no yelps of hounds.
No, not the noise of waters-breach
Or cannons’ throat our height can reach.
Exeunt into the heavens the
Spirit like a Cat and Hecate
FIRST WITCH
Come, let’s make haste. She’ll soon be back again.
Exeunt
3.6 Enter Lennox and another Lord
LENNOX
My former speeches have but hit your thoughts,
Which can interpret farther. Only I say
Things have been strangely borne. The gracious
Duncan
Was pitied of Macbeth: marry, he was dead;
And the right valiant Banquo walked too late,
Whom you may say, if’t please you, Fleance killed,
For Fleance fled: men must not walk too late.
Who cannot want the thought how monstrous
It was for Malcolm and for Donalbain
To kill their gracious father? Damned fact,
How it did grieve Macbeth! Did he not straight
In pious rage the two delinquents tear,
That were the slaves of drink, and thralls of sleep?
Was not that nobly done? Ay, and wisely too,
For ‘twould have angered any heart alive
To hear the men deny’t. So that I say
He has borne all things well, and I do think
That had he Duncan’s sons under his key—
As, an’t please heaven, he shall not—they should find
What ’twere to kill a father. So should Fleance.
But peace, for from 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?
LORD
The son of Duncan
From whom this tyrant holds the due of birth
Lives in the English court, and is received
Of the most pious Edward with such grace
That the malevolence of fortune nothing
Takes from his high respect. Thither Macduff
Is gone to pray the holy King upon his aid
To wake Northumberland and warlike Siward,
That by the help of these—with Him above
To ratify the work—we may again
Give to our tables meat, sleep to our nights,
Free from our feasts and banquets bloody knives,
Do faithful homage, and receive free honours,
All which we pine for now. And this report
Hath so exasperate their king that he
Prepares for some attempt of war.
LENNOX Sent he to Macduff?
LORD
He did, and with an absolute ‘Sir, not I,’
The cloudy messenger turns me his back
And hums, as who should say ‘You’ll rue the time
That clogs me with this answer.’
LENNOX
And that well might
Advise him to a caution t’hold what,distance
His wisdom can provide. Some holy angel
Fly to the court of England and unfold
His message ere he come, that a swift blessing
May soon return to this our suffering country
Under a hand accursed.
LORD
I’ll send my prayers with him. Exeunt
4.1 A Cauldron. Thunder. Enter the three Witches
FIRST WITCH
Thrice the brinded cat hath mewed.
SECOND WITCH
Thrice, and once the hedge-pig whined.
THIRD WITCH
Harpier cries “Tis time, ‘tis time.’
FIRST WITCH
Round about the cauldron go,
In the poisoned entrails throw.
Toad that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Sweltered venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i’th’ charmed pot.
ALL
Double, double, toil and trouble,
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
SECOND WITCH
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake.
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg and owlet’s wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
ALL
Double, double, toil and trouble,
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
THIRD WITCH
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witches’ mummy, maw and gulf
Of the ravined salt-sea shark,
Root of hemlock digged i‘th’ dark,
Liver of blaspheming Jew,
Gall of goat, and slips of yew
Slivered in the moon’s eclipse,
Nose of Turk, and Tartar’s lips,
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-delivered by a drab,
Make the gruel thick and slab.
Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron
For th’ingredience of our cauldron.
ALL
Double, double, toil and trouble,
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
SECOND WITCH
Cool it with a baboon’s blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.
Enter Hecate and the other three Witches
HECATE
O, well done! I commend your pains,
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
HECATE
Black spirits and white, red spirits and grey,
Mingle, mingle, mingle, you that mingle may.
FOURTH WITCH
Titty, Tiffin, keep it stiff in;
Firedrake, Puckey, make it lucky;
Liard, Robin, you must bob in.
ALL Round, around, around, about, about,
All ill come running in, all good keep out.
FOURTH WITCH
Here’s the blood of a bat.
HECATE
Put in that, O put in that!
FIFTH WITCH
Here’s leopard’s bane.
HECATE
Put in a grain.
FOURTH WITCH
The juice of toad, the oil of adder.
FIFTH WITCH
Those will make the younker madder.
HECATE
Put in, there’s all, and rid the stench.
A WITCH
Nay, here’s three ounces of a red-haired wench.
ALL Round, around, around, about, about,
All ill come running in, all good keep out.
SECOND WITCH
By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.
⌈Knock within⌉
Open, locks, whoever knocks.
Enter Macbeth
MACBETH
How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags,
What is’t you do?
ALL THE WITCHES A deed without a name.
MACBETH
I conjure you by that which you profess,
Howe’er you come to know it, answer me.
Though you untie the winds and let them fight
Against the churches, though the yeasty waves
Confound and swallow navigation up,
Though bladed corn be lodged and trees blown down,
Though castles topple on their warders’ heads,
Their heads to their foundations, though the treasure
Of nature’s germens tumble all together
Even till destruction sicken, answer me
To what I ask you.
FIRST WITCH
Speak.
SECOND WITCH
Demand.
THIRD WITCH
We’ll answer.
FIRST WITCH
Say if thou’dst rather hear it from our mouths
Or from our masters.
MACBETH
Call ‘em, let me see ’em.
FIRST WITCH
Pour in sow’s blood that hath eaten 80
Her nine farrow; grease that’s sweaten
From the murderer’s gibbet throw
Into the flame.
ALL THE WITCHES
Come high or low,
Thyself and office deftly show.
Thunder. First Apparition: an armed head
MACBETH
Tell me, thou unknown power—
FIRST WITCH
He knows thy thought.
Hear his speech, but say thou naught.
FIRST APPARITION
Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, beware Macduff,
Beware the Thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough.
Apparition descends
MACBETH
Whate’er thou art, for thy good caution thanks.
Thou hast harped my fear aright. But one word
more—
FIRST WITCH
He will not be commanded. Here’s another,
More potent than the first.
Thunder. Second Apparition: a bloody child
SECOND APPARITION Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth.
MACBETH Had I three ears I’d hear thee.
SECOND APPARITION
Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn
The power of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth.
Apparition descends
MACBETH
Then live, Macduff—what need I fear of thee?
But yet I’ll make assurance double sure,
And take a bond 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 round
And top of sovereignty?
ALL THE WITCHES
Listen, but speak not to’t.
THIRD APPARITION
Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care
Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are.
Macbeth shall never vanquished be until
Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill
Shall come against him.
Apparition descends
MACBETH
That will never be.
Who can impress the forest, bid the tree
Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements, good!
Rebellious dead, rise never till the wood
Of Birnam rise, and on’s high place Macbeth
Shall live the lease of nature, pay his breath
To time and mortal custom. Yet my heart
Throbs to know one thing. Tell me, if your art
Can tell so much, shall Banquo’s issue ever
Reign in this kingdom?
ALL THE WITCHES
Seek to know no more.
MACBETH
I will be satisfied. Deny me this,
And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know.
The cauldron sinks. Hautboys
Why sinks that cauldron? And what noise is this?
FIRST WITCH Show.
SECOND WITCH Show.
THIRD WITCH Show.
ALL THE WITCHES
Show his eyes and grieve his heart,
Come like shadows, so depart.
A show of eight kings, the last with a glass in his
hand; and Banquo
MACBETH
Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo. Down!
Thy crown does sear mine eyeballs. And thy hair,
Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first.
A third is like the former. Filthy hags,
Why do you show me this?—A fourth? Start, eyes!
What, will the line stretch out to th’ crack of doom?
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
That twofold balls and treble sceptres carry.
Horrible sight! Now I see ’tis true,
For the blood-baltered Banquo smiles upon me,
And points at them for his.
Exeunt kings and Banquo
What, is this so?
⌈HECATE⌉
Ay, sir, all this is so. But why
Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?
Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprites,
And show the best of our delights.
I’ll charm the air to give a sound
While you perform your antic round,
That this great king may kindly say
Our duties did his welcome pay.
Music. The Witches dance, and vanish
MACBETH
Where are they? Gone? Let this pernicious hour
Stand aye accursed in the calendar.
Come in, without there.
Enter Lennox
LENNOX
What’s your grace’s will?
MACBETH
Saw you the weird sisters?
LENNOX
No, my lord.
MACBETH
Came they not by you?
LENNOX
No, indeed, my lord.
MACBETH
Infected be the air whereon they ride,
And damned all those that trust them. I did hear
The galloping of horse. Who was’t came by?
LENNOX
’Tis two or three, my lord, that bring you word
Macduff is fled to England.
MACBETH
Fled to England?
LENNOX Ay, my good lord.
MACBETH (aside)
Time, thou anticipat‘st my dread exploits.
The flighty purpose never is o’ertook
Unless the deed go with it. From this moment
The 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: 165
The castle of Macduff I will surprise,
Seize upon Fife, give to th‘edge o’th’ sword
His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls
That trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool;
This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool.
But no more sights! (To Lennox) Where are these
gentlemen?
Come bring me where they are.
Exeunt
4.2 Enter Macduff’s Wife, her Son, and Ross
LADY MACDUFF
What had he done to make him fly the land?
ROSS
You must have patience, madam.
LADY MACDUFF
He had none.
His flight was madness. When our actions do not,
Our fears do make us traitors.
Ross
You know not
Whether it was his wisdom or his fear.
LADY MACDUFF
Wisdom—to leave his wife, to leave his babes,
His mansion, and his titles in a place
From whence himself does fly? He loves us not,
He wants the natural touch, for the poor wren,
The most diminutive of birds, will fight,
Her young ones in her
nest, against the owl.
All is the fear and nothing is the love;
As little is the wisdom, where the flight
So runs against all reason.
Ross
My dearest coz,
I pray you school yourself. But for your husband,
He is noble, wise, judicious, and best knows
The fits o’th’ season. I dare not speak much further,
But cruel are the times when we are traitors
And do not know ourselves; when we hold rumour
From what we fear, yet know not what we fear,
But float upon a wild and violent sea
Each 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 upward
To what they were before. My pretty cousin,
Blessing upon you!
LADY MACDUFF
Fathered he is, and yet he’s fatherless.
ROSS
I am so much a fool, should I stay longer
It would be my disgrace and your discomfort.
I take my leave at once.
Exit
LADY MACDUFF
Sirrah, your father’s dead,
And what will you do now? How will you live?
MACDUFF’S SON
As birds do, mother.
LADY MACDUFF What, with worms and flies?
MACDUFF’S SON
With what I get, I mean, and so do they.
LADY MACDUFF
Poor bird, thou’dst never fear the net nor lime,
The pitfall nor the gin.
MACDUFF’S SON
Why should I, mother? Poor birds they are not set for.
My father is not dead, for all your saying.
LADY MACDUFF Yes, he is dead. How wilt thou do for a father?
MACDUFF’S SON Nay, how will you do for a husband?
LADY MACDUFF Why, I can buy me twenty at any market.
MACDUFF’S SON Then you’ll buy ’em to sell again.
LADY MACDUFF Thou speak‘st with all thy wit, and yet, i’faith, with wit enough for thee.
MACDUFF’S SON Was my father a traitor, mother?
LADY MACDUFF Ay, that he was.
MACDUFF’S SON What is a traitor?
LADY MACDUFF Why, one that swears and lies.
MACDUFF’S SON And be all traitors that do so?
LADY MACDUFF Everyone that does so is a traitor, and must be hanged.
MACDUFF’S SON And must they all be hanged that swear and lie?
LADY MACDUFF Every one.
MACDUFF’S SON Who must hang them?
LADY MACDUFF Why, the honest men.
MACDUFF’S SON Then the liars and swearers are fools, for there are liars and swearers enough to beat the honest men and hang up them.
The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works Page 317
