Macbeth

William Shakespeare (1564-1616). The Tragedy of Macbeth.
The Harvard Classics. 1909-14.


[A cavern. In the middle, a boiling cauldron] Thunder. Enter the three Witches 1. Witch. Thrice the brinded 1 cat hath mew’d.
2. Witch. Thrice, and once the hedge-pig whin’d.
3. Witch. Harpier cries; ’tis time, ’tis time.
1. Witch. Round about the cauldron go;	4

In the poison’d entrails throw.

Toad, that under cold stone

Days and nights has thirty-one

Swelt’red 2 venom sleeping got,

Boil thou first i’ the charmed pot.

All. Double, double, toil and trouble;

Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

2. Witch. Fillet of a fenny 3 snake,

In the cauldron boil and bake;

Eye of newt 4 and toe of frog,

Wool of bat and tongue of dog,

Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting,

Lizard’s leg and howlet’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.

3. Witch. Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,

Witches’ mummy, 5 maw and gulf 6

Of the ravin’d 7 salt-sea shark,

Root of hemlock digg’d i’ the dark,

Liver of blaspheming Jew,

Gall of goat, and slips of yew

Sliver’d in the moon’s eclipse,

Nose of Turk and Tartar’s lips,

Finger of birth-strangled babe

Ditch-deliver’d by a drab,

Make the gruel thick and slab. 8

Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron, 9

For the ingredients of our cauldron.

All. Double, double, toil and trouble;

Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

2. Witch. Cool it with a baboon’s blood,

Then the charm is firm and good.

Enter HECATE to the other three Witches

Hec. O, well done! I commend your pains;

And every one shall share i’ the gains.

And now about the cauldron sing,

Like elves and fairies in a ring,

Enchanting all that you put in.

Music and a song: “Black spirits,” etc. [HECATE retires.]

2. Witch. By the pricking of my thumbs,

Something wicked this way comes.

	Open, locks,
Whoever knocks!

Enter MACBETH

Macb. How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags!

What is ’t you do?

All. A deed without a name.

Macb. 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 yesty waves

Confound and swallow navigation up;

Though bladed corn be lodg’d 10 and trees blown down;

Though castles topple on their warders’ heads;

Though palaces and pyramids do slope

Their heads to their foundations; though the treasure

Of nature’s germens 11 tumble all together,

Even till destruction sicken; answer me

To what I ask you.

1. Witch. Speak.

2. Witch. Demand.

3. Witch. We’ll answer.

1. Witch. Say, if thou ’dst rather hear it from our mouths,

Or from our master’s?

Macb. Call ’em; let me see ’em.

1. Witch. Pour in sow’s blood, that hath eaten

Her nine farrow; 12 grease that’s sweaten

From the murderer’s gibbet throw

Into the flame.

All. Come, high or low;

Thyself and office deftly show!

Thunder. First Apparition, an armed Head

Macb. Tell me, thou unknown power,—

1. Witch. He knows thy thought.

Hear his speech, but say thou nought.

1. App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff;

Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough. Descends.

Macb. Whate’er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks;

Thou hast harp’d my fear aright. But one word more,—

1. Witch. He will not be commanded. Here’s another,

More potent than the first.

Thunder. Second Apparition, a bloody Child

2. App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!

Macb. Had I three ears, I’d hear thee.

2. App. Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn

The power of man; for none of woman born

Shall harm Macbeth. Descends.

Macb. 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. Listen, but speak not to ’t.

3. App. Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care

Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are.

Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be until

100

Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill

Shall come against him. Descends.

Macb. That will never be.

Who can impress 13 the forest, bid the tree

104

Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements! 14 good!

Rebellion’s head, rise never till the wood

Of Birnam rise, and our high-plac’d Macbeth

Shall live the lease of nature, pay his breath

108

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?

112

All. Seek to know no more.

Macb. I will be satisfied! Deny me this,

And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know.

Why sinks that cauldron? And what noise is this? Hautboys.

116

1. Witch. Show!

2. Witch. Show!

3. Witch. Show!

All. Show his eyes, and grieve his heart;

120

Come like shadows, so depart!

A show of Eight Kings, the last with a glass in his hand; BANQUO’S Ghost following

Macb. Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo; down!

Thy crown does sear mine eye-balls. And thy hair,

Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first.

124

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 the crack of doom?

Another yet! A seventh! I’ll see no more.

128

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;

132

For the blood-bolter’d 15 Banquo smiles upon me,

And points at them for his. [Apparitions vanish.] What, is this so?

1. Witch. Ay, sir, all this is so; but why

Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?

136

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;

140

That this great king may kindly say,

Our duties did his welcome pay. Music. The Witches dance, and vanish [with HECATE].

Macb. Where are they? Gone? Let this pernicious hour

Stand aye accursed in the calendar!

144

Come in, without there!

Enter LENNOX

Len. What’s your Grace’s will?

Macb. Saw you the weird sisters?

Len. No, my lord.

148

Macb. Came they not by you?

Len. No, indeed, my lord.

Macb. Infected be the air whereon they ride;

And damn’d all those that trust them! I did hear

152

The galloping of horse; who was ’t came by?

Len. ’Tis two or three, my lord, that bring you word

Macduff is fled to England.

Macb. Fled to England!

156

Len. Ay, my good lord.

Macb. Time, thou anticipat’st my dread exploits:

The flighty 16 purpose never is o’ertook

Unless the deed go with it. From this moment

160

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.

The castle of Macduff I will surprise;

164

Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o’ the 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.

168

But no more sights!—Where are these gentlemen?

Come, bring me where they are. Exeunt.

Note 1. Brindled. [back]

Note 2. Sweated. [back]

Note 3. From the marshes. [back]

Note 4. Water-lizard. [back]

Note 5. The gum that oozed from embalmed bodies-used as a medicine. [back]

Note 6. Stomach (?). [back]

Note 7. Ravenous. [back]

Note 8. Glutinous. [back]

Note 9. Entrails. [back]

Note 10. Let corn not yet in the ear be laid flat. [back]

Note 11. Seeds. [back]

Note 12. Litter of pigs. [back]

Note 13. Force into service. [back]

Note 14. Predictions. [back]

Note 15. With hair clotted with blood. [back]

Note 16. Swift. [back]

Macbeth

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