The Tragedy Of Macbeth

1 Thunder. Enter the three Witches.
2 FIRST WITCH.
3 Thrice the brinded cat hath mew’d.
4 SECOND WITCH.
5 Thrice, and once the hedge-pig whin’d.
6 THIRD WITCH.
7 Harpier cries:—’Tis time, ’tis time.
8 FIRST WITCH.
9 Round about the cauldron go;
10 In the poison’d entrails throw.—
11 Toad, that under cold stone
12 Days and nights has thirty-one
13 Swelter’d venom sleeping got,
14 Boil thou first i’ th’ charmed pot!
15 ALL.
16 Double, double, toil and trouble;
17 Fire, burn; and cauldron, bubble.
18 SECOND WITCH.
19 Fillet of a fenny snake,
20 In the cauldron boil and bake;
21 Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
22 Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
23 Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting,
24 Lizard’s leg, and howlet’s wing,
25 For a charm of powerful trouble,
26 Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
27 ALL.
28 Double, double, toil and trouble;
29 Fire, burn; and cauldron, bubble.
30 THIRD WITCH.
31 Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
32 Witch’s mummy, maw and gulf
33 Of the ravin’d salt-sea shark,
34 Root of hemlock digg’d i’ th’ dark,
35 Liver of blaspheming Jew,
36 Gall of goat, and slips of yew
37 Sliver’d in the moon’s eclipse,
38 Nose of Turk, and Tartar’s lips,
39 Finger of birth-strangled babe
40 Ditch-deliver’d by a drab,
41 Make the gruel thick and slab:
42 Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron,
43 For th’ ingredients of our cauldron.
44 ALL.
45 Double, double, toil and trouble;
46 Fire, burn; and cauldron, bubble.
47 SECOND WITCH.
48 Cool it with a baboon’s blood.
49 Then the charm is firm and good.
50 Enter Hecate.
51 HECATE.
52 O, well done! I commend your pains,
53 And everyone shall share i’ th’ gains.
54 And now about the cauldron sing,
55 Like elves and fairies in a ring,
56 Enchanting all that you put in.
57 [_Music and a song: “Black Spirits,” &c._]
58 [_Exit Hecate._]
59 SECOND WITCH.
60 By the pricking of my thumbs,
61 Something wicked this way comes.
62 Open, locks,
63 Whoever knocks!
64 Enter Macbeth.
65 MACBETH.
66 How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags!
67 What is’t you do?
68 ALL.
69 A deed without a name.
70 MACBETH.
71 I conjure you, by that which you profess,
72 (Howe’er you come to know it) answer me:
73 Though you untie the winds, and let them fight
74 Against the churches; though the yesty waves
75 Confound and swallow navigation up;
76 Though bladed corn be lodg’d, and trees blown down;
77 Though castles topple on their warders’ heads;
78 Though palaces and pyramids do slope
79 Their heads to their foundations; though the treasure
80 Of nature’s germens tumble all together,
81 Even till destruction sicken, answer me
82 To what I ask you.
83 FIRST WITCH.
84 Speak.
85 SECOND WITCH.
86 Demand.
87 THIRD WITCH.
88 We’ll answer.
89 FIRST WITCH.
90 Say, if thou’dst rather hear it from our mouths,
91 Or from our masters?
92 MACBETH.
93 Call ’em, let me see ’em.
94 FIRST WITCH.
95 Pour in sow’s blood, that hath eaten
96 Her nine farrow; grease that’s sweaten
97 From the murderer’s gibbet throw
98 Into the flame.
99 ALL.
100 Come, high or low;
101 Thyself and office deftly show!
102 [_Thunder. An Apparition of an armed Head rises._]
103 MACBETH.
104 Tell me, thou unknown power,—
105 FIRST WITCH.
106 He knows thy thought:
107 Hear his speech, but say thou naught.
108 APPARITION.
109 Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff;
110 Beware the Thane of Fife.—Dismiss me.—Enough.
111 [_Descends._]
112 MACBETH.
113 Whate’er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks;
114 Thou hast harp’d my fear aright.—But one word more.
115 FIRST WITCH.
116 He will not be commanded. Here’s another,
117 More potent than the first.
118 [_Thunder. An Apparition of a bloody Child rises._]
119 APPARITION.
120 Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!
121 MACBETH.
122 Had I three ears, I’d hear thee.
123 APPARITION.
124 Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn
125 The power of man, for none of woman born
126 Shall harm Macbeth.
127 [_Descends._]
128 MACBETH.
129 Then live, Macduff: what need I fear of thee?
130 But yet I’ll make assurance double sure,
131 And take a bond of fate. Thou shalt not live;
132 That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies,
133 And sleep in spite of thunder.
134 [_Thunder. An Apparition of a Child crowned, with a tree in his hand,
135 rises._]
136 What is this,
137 That rises like the issue of a king,
138 And wears upon his baby brow the round
139 And top of sovereignty?
140 ALL.
141 Listen, but speak not to’t.
142 APPARITION.
143 Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care
144 Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are:
145 Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be, until
146 Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill
147 Shall come against him.
148 [_Descends._]
149 MACBETH.
150 That will never be:
151 Who can impress the forest; bid the tree
152 Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements, good!
153 Rebellious head, rise never till the wood
154 Of Birnam rise, and our high-plac’d Macbeth
155 Shall live the lease of nature, pay his breath
156 To time and mortal custom.—Yet my heart
157 Throbs to know one thing: tell me, if your art
158 Can tell so much, shall Banquo’s issue ever
159 Reign in this kingdom?
160 ALL.
161 Seek to know no more.
162 MACBETH.
163 I will be satisfied: deny me this,
164 And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know.
165 Why sinks that cauldron? and what noise is this?
166 [_Hautboys._]
167 FIRST WITCH.
168 Show!
169 SECOND WITCH.
170 Show!
171 THIRD WITCH.
172 Show!
173 ALL.
174 Show his eyes, and grieve his heart;
175 Come like shadows, so depart!
176 [_A show of eight kings appear, and pass over in order, the last with
177 a glass in his hand; Banquo following._]
178 MACBETH.
179 Thou are too like the spirit of Banquo. Down!
180 Thy crown does sear mine eyeballs:—and thy hair,
181 Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first.
182 A third is like the former.—Filthy hags!
183 Why do you show me this?—A fourth!—Start, eyes!
184 What, will the line stretch out to th’ crack of doom?
185 Another yet!—A seventh!—I’ll see no more:—
186 And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass
187 Which shows me many more; and some I see
188 That twofold balls and treble sceptres carry.
189 Horrible sight!—Now I see ’tis true;
190 For the blood-bolter’d Banquo smiles upon me,
191 And points at them for his.—What! is this so?
192 FIRST WITCH.
193 Ay, sir, all this is so:—but why
194 Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?—
195 Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprites,
196 And show the best of our delights.
197 I’ll charm the air to give a sound,
198 While you perform your antic round;
199 That this great king may kindly say,
200 Our duties did his welcome pay.
201 [_Music. The Witches dance, and vanish._]
202 MACBETH.
203 Where are they? Gone?—Let this pernicious hour
204 Stand aye accursed in the calendar!—
205 Come in, without there!
206 Enter Lennox.
207 LENNOX.
208 What’s your Grace’s will?
209 MACBETH.
210 Saw you the Weird Sisters?
211 LENNOX.
212 No, my lord.
213 MACBETH.
214 Came they not by you?
215 LENNOX.
216 No, indeed, my lord.
217 MACBETH.
218 Infected be the air whereon they ride;
219 And damn’d all those that trust them!—I did hear
220 The galloping of horse: who was’t came by?
221 LENNOX.
222 ’Tis two or three, my lord, that bring you word
223 Macduff is fled to England.
224 MACBETH.
225 Fled to England!
226 LENNOX.
227 Ay, my good lord.
228 MACBETH.
229 Time, thou anticipat’st my dread exploits:
230 The flighty purpose never is o’ertook
231 Unless the deed go with it. From this moment
232 The very firstlings of my heart shall be
233 The firstlings of my hand. And even now,
234 To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done:
235 The castle of Macduff I will surprise;
236 Seize upon Fife; give to th’ edge o’ th’ sword
237 His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls
238 That trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool;
239 This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool:
240 But no more sights!—Where are these gentlemen?
241 Come, bring me where they are.
242 [_Exeunt._]