29withal with
35breath want of breath
40mortal deadly
43remorse pity
44nature natural feeling
45fell fierce 45-46keep peace...and it i.e., lull it from achieving its end
47take...gall exchange my milk for gall; ministers agents
48sightless invisible
49wait on aid
50pall thee shroud thyself; dunnest darkest
56ignorant unaware
62beguile deceive
63Look...time act as the occasion requires
67dispatch efficient management
70look up clear appear untroubled
71alter favor change your countenance
I.6 Before Inverness Castle s.d.Hautboys treble shawms (ancestors of the modern oboe)
1seat site
3gentle soothed
4temple-haunting nesting around churches; martlet swallow, house martin; approve demonstrate
5loved mansionry beloved nest
6jutty projection
7coign of vantage convenient corner
8procreant cradle cradle for breeding
12-13The love...as love our subjects' love sometimes inconveniences us, but we still acknowledge it as love
14God 'ield us God yield us-i.e., God reward me
17single business simple effort
20late recent
21hermits beadsmen (who are obligated to pray for a benefactor's welfare)
22-23had...purveyor (the purveyor was the chief logistical officer in the royal household, arranging for lodging and supplies; Duncan had wished to provide this service for Macbeth)
24holp helped
27Have theirs have their servants; what is theirs their possessions; in count in trust
29Still always
I.7 A room off the great hall in Macbeth's castle s.d.Sewer chief waiter
1done when 'tis done over and done with when the act is performed
3trammel...consequence entrap the consequences as in a net
4his surcease Duncan's death
6bank and shoal sandbank and shallows
7jump risk
8that because
9instructions lessons
10evenhanded impartial
11ingredience contents (the ingredients collectively)
17faculties power
18clear innocent
23sightless couriers invisible messengers (the winds)
25That so that
32bought acquired
37green bilious
44wait upon preempt
45cat i' th' adage (the adage says, "The cat would eat fish but will not wet her feet")
47none not a man
48break broach
52adhere agree
53that their fitness their very fitness
59fail?...fail? (F's punctuation mark could represent both modern? and!; it is thus not clear whether Lady Macbeth is acknowledging the possibility of failure)
60But (1) however, (2) merely; sticking place (the notch holding the string taut, on either a crossbow or a musical instrument)
62the rather the sooner
64wassail liquor; convince overwhelm
65warder guardian
66fume vapor; receipt receptacle
67limbeck distilling device
72quell killing
73mettle valor
77other otherwise
81mock delude
II.1 Another room in Macbeth's castle
5husbandry economy
7summons signal to sleep
15largess...offices gifts to your household staff
17shut up concluded
19will good will; defect deficient means
20should...wrought would have worked liberally
26cleave...'tis support my interests at the proper time
29franchised free of obligations
30be counseled take your advice
40heat-oppressed overheated
45made the fools o' playing tricks on
47dudgeon handle; gouts spots
49informs (1) reports, (2) takes shape
53Hecate's offerings worship of Hecate, goddess of the moon and of witchcraft
54Alarumed given the signal
56Tarquin Tarquin Sextus Tarquinius, son of the ancient Roman king Tarquinius Superbus, who raped the chaste Lucretia (the story is recounted in Shakespeare's poem Lucrece); side arrogance (see Note on the Text)
60take...time i.e., break the silence and thus disrupt the horror appropriate to the moment
II.2
3bellman night watchman
6possets warm milk with spices and liquor
7That so that
11Confounds defeats
26That so that
27addressed them prepared
30As as if; hangman's hands executioner's hands (hence, bloody)
40knits...sleave smooths the tangled skein
42second course the main, and most satisfying, course (sleep, after labor)
48unbend slacken
50witness evidence
59gild paint
65incarnadine redden
66the green one Neptune's ocean (l. 63); most editors, following Johnson, take "one" to mean "uniformly," but F has a comma after "one"
72left you unattended deserted you
73nightgown dressing gown
74watchers i.e., awake
II.3
2 old too much
4Beelzebub one of the biblical devils
4-5farmer...plenty (because a crop surplus would lower prices and diminish his profit)
5Come in time you've come at the right time
5-6napkins enow enough handkerchiefs (to wipe away the sweat caused by hellfire)
8equivocator deceiver, prevaricator (here alluding to the equivocating testimony given by the Jesuit conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot, 1605)
13stealing...hose (probably skimping on material in the making of French hose, which were tight-fitting, and hence would lead to discovery)
14roast your goose heat your iron (a goose is a long-handled tailor's iron)
19remember i.e., tip
22-23second cock second crowing of the cock (i.e., till early morning)
26nose-painting i.e., a red nose (from habitual drunkenness)
32stand to grow erect
33equivocates...sleep i.e., satisfies him only by putting him to sleep
33 -34giving...lie (1) deceiving him (because he cannot perform sexually), (2) overthrowing him, (3) making him lose his erection, (4) accusing him of lying
35gave...lie (1) made you a liar, (2) made you fall down
36i'...throat (to lie in the throat was to lie egregiously)
38took up my legs (1) made me fall down from drunkenness, (2) overthrew me in wrestling
39cast throw
44timely early
45slipped missed
48physics pain cures the trouble it gives us
50limited appointed
56combustion tumult
57obscure bird i.e., the owl
65Confusion destruction
71Gorgon Medusa, a mythical monster whose terrible aspect turned those who saw her to stone
77great doom the Last Judgment
78sprites ghosts
79countenance appear in keeping with
91mortality human life
92toys trifles
93lees dregs
94vault (1) world (with its vault the sky), (2) wine cellar
100badged marked
107Loyal and neutral loyal to Duncan and impartial on the question of the grooms' guilt
108expedition haste
114Unmannerly breeched indecently garbed
117Look to look after
118argument for ours matter as chiefly our concern
120auger hole i.e., any tiny cranny
123Upon...motion yet in motion
124frailties hid bodies clothed
126question discuss
127scrupl
es doubts
129undivulged pretense secret purposes
138near nearer
138-39the near...bloody i.e., the closer we are to Duncan in blood, the more likely we are to be killed
140lighted landed
142dainty of scrupulous about
143shift steal; warrant justification
II.4 Somewhere outside the castle
1Threescore and ten seventy years
4trifled...knowings made former experiences seem trifling
5as...act as if troubled by the actions of men
7traveling lamp i.e., the sun
8predominance powerful influence
12tow'ring soaring
13mousing owl owl that preys on mice (a mere domestic predator); hawked at caught on the wing
15minions favorites (the most highly prized)
16flung out lunged about
24pretend expect; suborned bribed
28Thriftless wasteful; ravin up greedily devour
29like likely
31named chosen; Scone (where Scottish kings traditionally were crowned; near Perth)
32invested crowned
33Colmekill (the island of Iona, in the Hebrides, burial place of the ancient Scottish kings)
40benison blessing
III.1 The royal castle at Forres
4stand...posterity continue through your heirs
7shine look auspicious
10 s.d.Sennet trumpet salute
13allthing altogether
14solemn supper formal banquet
21still always; prosperous profitable
25Go...better i.e., unless my horse goes faster than anticipated
26borrower of i.e., borrower of time from
32invention falsehoods
33-34cause...jointly state business requiring our joint attention
43While until
44Sirrah form of address to an inferior)
44-45Attend...pleasure are those men awaiting my orders
48but unless
49in Banquo about Banquo; stick deep are deep-seated
50royalty of nature royal nature
51would be deserves to be
56genius is rebuked guiding spirit is daunted
57Mark Antony's...Caesar (see Antony and Cleopatra, II.3.20-22)
65filed defiled
67rancors hatreds
68eternal jewel immortal soul
69common enemy of man i.e., Satan
71list lists (the tournament field where knights answered challenges)
72champion...utterance (1) support me to the utmost, (2) fight with me to the death; champion (1) defend, (2) challenge
78under fortune out of favor with fortune
80passed in probation with proved to
81borne in hand manipulated, deceived; crossed thwarted; instruments agents
82wrought worked
83half a soul (even) a half-wit; notion crazed insane mind
86Our point of the point of our
88gospeled religious
91yours your families
92catalogue inventory, classification
93curs watchdogs or sheep dogs
94Shoughs lapdogs; waterrugs long-haired water dogs; clept called
95valued file list of valued qualities
97housekeeper watchdog
99closed incorporated
100addition...bill distinction, contrary to the catalogue
102station...file place on the list
104bosoms trust
105execution...off accomplishment kills your enemy
113set risk
114on't of it
116distance enmity
118near'st of life vital parts
120avouch justify
121For because of
122wail I must bewail
130Acquaint...time (a famous crux: the general sense is "spy out the perfect time and inform you of it," but the syntax has not been satisfactorily explained)
132something some distance; thought bearing in mind
133clearness alibi
134rubs nor botches problems or flaws
III.2 A private chamber in the castle
10sorriest fancies most painful delusions
12all any
14scorched slashed
15close heal; poor malice inadequate evil
17frame...disjoint structure of the universe collapse; both the worlds heaven and earth
22torture rack
23ecstasy frenzy
26Malice domestic native evil (rebellion)
31remembrance reminder
32Present him eminence do him honor
33Unsafe...that while we are unsafe; lave wash
35vizards masks
36leave leave off, stop
39Nature's copy Nature's copyhold (their lease on life); eterne eternal
43shard-born born in dung
46chuck chick (term of affection)
47seeling sewing up, hooding (from falconry)
48Scarf up blindfold; pitiful pitying, compassionate
50bond contract (Banquo's tenure of life)
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