Macbeth Read Online

This apparently derived from a transcript of the promptbook, which preserved a revised version of the play, including some non-Shakespearean elements (see the Introduction). The act and scene division here supplied coincides with that of the folio text except that V.7 of the latter is here subdivided into scenes 7 and 8. (Another possible point of subdivision comes at V.8.35, and is marked by some editors as scene 9.) The following list of emendations records the only substantive departures from the folio text; however, the lineation in the folio is unusually erratic, and relineation has not been recorded. The readings in this edition are in italics, the folio readings in roman.

I.1 10–13SECOND WITCH…air (in F these lines form a single speech attributed to “All”)

I.2 13galloglasses Gallowgrosses 14quarrel Quarry (a variant spelling of “quarrel”)

I.3 32weïrd weyward (so throughout) 39Forres Soris (The town is named Forres. The error is Holinshed’s, like the S/F error in Macbeth’s father’s name at line 71.) 71Finel Sinel (his name was Finel or Finley; another S/F error from Holinshed) 98Came Can

I.4 1Are Or

I.5 46it hit (a variant spelling)

I.6 4martlet Barlet 9most must 27count compt (a variant spelling)

I.7 6shoal Schoole (a variant spelling) 47do no

II.1 56side sides (Pope’s emendation “strides” has been almost universally adopted, but it is bibliographically unsound–a compositor would not have misread “strides” as “sides”–and both neatens and contradicts the sense: a “stealthy pace” does not “stride.” “Sides” is undeniably puzzling, but so is much else in the play. As it stands, it can mean “loins,” or, as a verb, “sides with.” If the word is to be emended, a more plausible reading would be “side,” arrogance–the OED records the noun only in modern examples, but adjectival usages date from the early sixteenth century, and Shakespeare often uses adjectives as substantives. There is a possible parallel in Coriolanus I.1.191: Martius claims the plebeians “presume to know / What’s done i’th Capitoll: Who’s like to rise, / Who thriues, & who declines: Side factions, & giue out / Coniecturall Marriages….” “Side” is always taken as a verb here–they will favor certain factions–but syntactically the adjectival use is more likely: they will pretend to know which factions are arrogant, guilty of their own vice of presumptuousness. “Sides” for “side” is, moreover, a plausible compositor’s error: the tail of a final e in secretary hand is easily misread as a final s.) 57sure sowre 58way they they may

II.2 13 s.d.Enter Macbeth (after “die” in line 8 in F)

II.3 79horror (F adds “Ring the bell,” but the bell has already been called for at line 73, and is rung, logically, as soon as the speech is finished. As Theobald observed, this looks like the prompter’s marginal instruction to himself, and Lady Macbeth’s line metrically completes the verse.)

III.1 62grip Gripe (a variant spelling)

III.4 41 s.d. F has the ghost enter at line 37; but he logically enters when he is summoned (as at line 92 also) 79time times 92 s.d. (after line 89 in F) 136worst. For worst, for 145in deed indeed

III.5 35ff. F reads,

Hearke, I am call’d: my little Spirit see

Sits in a Foggy cloud, and stayes for me.

Sing within. Come away, come away, &c.

I. Come, Let’s make hast, shee’l soone be

Backe againe.                          Exeunt.

My text is edited from the ms of Davenant’s Macbeth, which apparently derives from the King’s Men’s prompt copy. See the Introduction.

III.6 24son Sonnes 38the their

IV.1 43 s.d. F reads, Musicke and a Song. Blacke Spirits, &c. See the Introduction. 81all together altogether 115Dunsinane Dunsmane 120Birnam Byrnan 133 s.d.Kings and Banquo, last Kings, and Banquo last 141eighth eight

IV.2 22none moue 30 s.d.Exit Exit Rosse 73 s.d.Exit Exit Messenger 83shag-haired shagge-ear’d

IV.3 15deserve discerne 107accursed accust 133thy here-approach they heere approach 235tune time

V.1 1two too

V.2 5Birnam Byrnan 31Birnam Birnan

V.3 2Birnam Byrnane 41Cure her Cure 57senna Cyme 62Birnam Birnane

V.4 3Birnam Birnane

V.5 34, 44Birnam Byrnane 39shalt shall

V.8 30Birnam Byrnane

Macbeth

FLEANCE, son to Banquo

SIWARD, Earl of Northumberland

YOUNG SIWARD, his son

SEYTON, an officer attending on Macbeth

BOY, son to Macduff

A CAPTAIN

AN ENGLISH DOCTOR

A SCOTTISH DOCTOR

A PORTER

AN OLD MAN

THREE MURDERERS

LADY MACBETH

LADY MACDUFF

A GENTLEWOMAN, attending on Lady Macbeth

THE WEÏRD SISTERS, witches

HECATE

APPARITIONS

LORDS, OFFICERS, SOLDIERS, MESSENGERS, ATTENDANTS

SCENE: Scotland and England]

Macbeth

I.1Thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches.

FIRST WITCH

When shall we three meet again?

In thunder, lightning, or in rain?

SECOND WITCH

When the hurly-burly’s done,3

When the battle’s lost and won.

THIRD WITCH

That will be ere the set of sun.

FIRST WITCH

Where the place?

SECOND WITCH

Upon the heath.

THIRD WITCH

There to meet with Macbeth.

FIRST WITCH

I come, Graymalkin!9

SECOND WITCH

Paddock calls.10

THIRD WITCH

Anon!11

ALL

Fair is foul, and foul is fair.

Hover through the fog and filthy air.

Exeunt.

I.2Alarum within. Enter King [Duncan], Malcolm,
Donalbain, Lennox, with Attendants, meeting
a bleeding Captain.

KING DUNCAN

What bloody man is that? He can report,

As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt

3 The newest state.

MALCOLM             This is the sergeant

Who like a good and hardy soldier fought

’Gainst my captivity. Hail, brave friend;

Say to the king the knowledge of the broil

As thou didst leave it.

CAPTAIN                 Doubtful it stood,

As two spent swimmers that do cling together

And choke their art. The merciless Macdonwald–

10 Worthy to be a rebel, for to that

The multiplying villainies of nature

12 Do swarm upon him–from the Western Isles

13 Of kerns and galloglasses is supplied;

And Fortune, on his damnèd quarrel smiling,

Showed like a rebel’s whore. But all’s too weak:

For brave Macbeth–well he deserves that name–

Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel,

Which smoked with bloody execution,

19 Like valor’s minion carved out his passage

20 Till he faced the slave;

Which ne’er shook hands nor bade farewell to him

22 Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’ chaps

And fixed his head upon our battlements.

KING DUNCAN

O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman!

CAPTAIN

As whence the sun gins his reflection

Shipwracking storms and direful thunders,

So from that spring whence comfort seemed to come

Discomfort swells. Mark, King of Scotland, mark.

No sooner justice had, with valor armed,

Compelled these skipping kerns to trust their heels30

But the Norwegian lord, surveying vantage,31

With furbished arms and new supplies of men,

Began a fresh assault.

KING DUNCAN             Dismayed not this

Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo?

CAPTAIN                                     Yes,

As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion.

If I say sooth, I must report they were

As cannons overcharged with double cracks,37

So they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe.

Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds,39

Or memorize another Golgotha,40

I cannot tell–

But I am faint; my gashes cry for help.

KING DUNCAN

So well thy words become thee as thy wounds,

They smack of honor both. Go get him surgeons.

[Exit Captain, attended.]

Enter Ross and Angus.

Who comes here?45

MALCOLM             The worthy Thane of Ross.

LENNOX

What a haste looks through his eyes! So should he look46

That seems to speak things strange.47

ROSS                                     God save the king.

KING DUNCAN

Whence cam’st thou, worthy thane?

ROSS                                       From Fife, great king,

Where the Norwegian banners flout the sky

50 And fan our people cold.

51 Norway himself, with terrible numbers,

Assisted by that most disloyal traitor

53 The Thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict,

54 Till that Bellona’s bridegroom, lapped in proof,

55 Confronted him with self-comparisons,

56 Point against point, rebellious arm ’gainst arm,

Curbing his lavish spirit; and to conclude,

The victory fell on us.

KING DUNCAN             Great happiness!

ROSS

That now

60 Sweno, the Norways’ king, craves composition;

Nor would we deign him burial of his men

62 Till he disbursèd, at Saint Colme’s Inch,

63 Ten thousand dollars to our general use.

KING DUNCAN

No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive

65 Our bosom interest. Go pronounce his present death

And with his former title greet Macbeth.

ROSS

I’ll see it done.

KING DUNCAN

What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won.

Exeunt.

I.3Thunder. Enter the three Witches.

FIRST WITCH

Where hast thou been, sister?

SECOND WITCH

Killing swine.

THIRD WITCH

Sister, where thou?

FIRST WITCH

A sailor’s wife had chestnuts in her lap

And munched and munched and munched. “Give
         me,” quoth I.

“Aroint thee, witch!” the rump-fed runnion cries.6

Her husband’s to Aleppo gone, master o’ th’ Tiger:7

But in a sieve I’ll thither sail

And, like a rat without a tail,

I’ll do, I’ll do, and I’ll do.

SECOND WITCH

I’ll give thee a wind.

FIRST WITCH

Thou’rt kind.

THIRD WITCH

And I another.

FIRST WITCH

I myself have all the other,

And the very ports they blow,15

All the quarters that they know

I’ th’ shipman’s card.17

I’ll drain him dry as hay.

Sleep shall neither night nor day

Hang upon his penthouse lid.20

He shall live a man forbid.21

Weary sev’nights, nine times nine,

23 Shall he dwindle, peak, and pine.

Though his bark cannot be lost,

Yet it shall be tempest-tossed.

Look what I have.

SECOND WITCH

Show me, show me.

FIRST WITCH

Here I have a pilot’s thumb,

Wrecked as homeward he did come.

Drum within.

THIRD WITCH

30 A drum, a drum;

Macbeth doth come.

ALL

32 The weïrd sisters, hand in hand,

33 Posters of the sea and land,

Thus do go about, about,

Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine,

And thrice again, to make up nine.

Peace, the charm’s wound up.

Enter Macbeth and Banquo.

MACBETH

So foul and fair a day I have not seen.

BANQUO

39 How far is’t called to Forres? What are these,

40 So withered and so wild in their attire

That look not like th’ inhabitants o’ th’ earth

And yet are on’t? Live you, or are you aught

That man may question? You seem to understand me,

44 By each at once her choppy finger laying

Upon her skinny lips. You should be women,

And yet your beards forbid me to interpret

That you are so.

MACBETH                 Speak, if you can. What are you?

FIRST WITCH

All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!48

SECOND WITCH

All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!

THIRD WITCH

All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!50

BANQUO

Good sir, why do you start and seem to fear

Things that do sound so fair? [To the Witches]         I’ th’name of truth,

Are ye fantastical, or that indeed53

Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner

You greet with present grace and great prediction55

Of noble having and of royal hope,

That he seems rapt withal. To me you speak not.57

If you can look into the seeds of time58

And say which grain will grow and which will not,

Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear60

Your favors nor your hate.

FIRST WITCH     Hail!

SECOND WITCH     Hail!

THIRD WITCH     Hail!

FIRST WITCH

Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.

SECOND WITCH

Not so happy, yet much happier.66

THIRD WITCH

Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.67

So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!

FIRST WITCH

Banquo and Macbeth, all hail!

MACBETH

70 Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more:

71 By Finel’s death I know I am Thane of Glamis,

But how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives,

A prosperous gentleman; and to be king

Stands not within the prospect of belief,

No more than to be Cawdor.