When I burned in desire to question them further, they made themselves air, into which they vanished. Whiles I 6 stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who all-hailed me Thane of Cawdor, by which title, before, these weïrd sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time with ‘Hail, king that shalt 10 be!’ This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou might’st not lose the dues of rejoicing by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewell.”
Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be
What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature.
It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness
17 To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great,
Art not without ambition, but without
19 The illness should attend it. What thou wouldst highly,
20 That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false,
And yet wouldst wrongly win. Thou’dst have, great Glamis,
That which cries “Thus thou must do” if thou have it;
And that which rather thou dost fear to do
Than wishest should be undone. Hie thee hither,
That I may pour my spirits in thine ear
And chastise with the valor of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden round27
Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem28
To have thee crowned withal.
Enter Messenger.29 What is your tidings?
MESSENGER
The king comes here tonight.30
LADY MACBETH Thou’rt mad to say it!
Is not thy master with him? who, were’t so,
Would have informed for preparation.
MESSENGER
So please you, it is true. Our thane is coming.
One of my fellows had the speed of him,
Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely more35
Than would make up his message.
LADY MACBETH Give him tending;
He brings great news.
Exit Messenger.
The raven himself is hoarse
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,40
And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull
Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood;
Stop up th’ access and passage to remorse,43
That no compunctious visitings of nature44
Shake my fell purpose nor keep peace between45
Th’ effect and it. Come to my woman’s breasts
And take my milk for gall, you murd’ring ministers,47
Wherever in your sightless substances48
49 You wait on nature’s mischief. Come, thick night,
50 And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark
To cry “Hold, hold.” Enter Macbeth.
Great Glamis, worthy Cawdor,
Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter,
Thy letters have transported me beyond
56 This ignorant present, and I feel now
The future in the instant.
MACBETH My dearest love,
Duncan comes here tonight.
LADY MACBETH And when goes hence?
MACBETH
Tomorrow, as he purposes.
LADY MACBETH O, never
60 Shall sun that morrow see.
Your face, my thane, is as a book where men
62 May read strange matters. To beguile the time,
63 Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye,
Your hand, your tongue; look like th’ innocent flower,
But be the serpent under’t. He that’s coming
Must be provided for; and you shall put
67 This night’s great business into my dispatch,
Which shall to all our nights and days to come
Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.
MACBETH
70 We will speak further.
LADY MACBETH Only look up clear.
71 To alter favor ever is to fear.
Leave all the rest to me.
Exeunt.
I.6Hautboys and torches. Enter King [Duncan],
Malcolm, Donalbain, Banquo, Lennox, Macduff,
Ross, Angus, and Attendants.
KING DUNCAN
This castle hath a pleasant seat. The air1
Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself
Unto our gentle senses.3
BANQUO This guest of summer,
The temple-haunting martlet, does approve4
By his loved mansionry that the heaven’s breath5
Smells wooingly here. No jutty, frieze,6
Buttress, nor coign of vantage, but this bird7
Hath made his pendent bed and procreant cradle.8
Where they most breed and haunt, I have observed
The air is delicate.10Enter Lady [Macbeth].
KING DUNCAN
See, see, our honored hostess!
The love that follows us sometime is our trouble,12
Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you
How you shall bid God ’ield us for your pains14
And thank us for your trouble.
LADY MACBETH All our service
In every point twice done, and then done double,
Were poor and single business to contend17
Against those honors deep and broad wherewith
Your majesty loads our house. For those of old,
And the late dignities heaped up to them,20
21 We rest your hermits.
KING DUNCAN Where’s the Thane of Cawdor?
22 We coursed him at the heels and had a purpose
To be his purveyor; but he rides well,
24 And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath holp him
To his home before us. Fair and noble hostess,
We are your guest tonight.
LADY MACBETH Your servants ever
27 Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs, in count,
To make their audit at your highness’ pleasure,
29 Still to return your own.
KING DUNCAN Give me your hand.
30 Conduct me to mine host; we love him highly
And shall continue our graces towards him.
By your leave, hostess.
Exeunt.
1.7Hautboys. Torches. Enter a Sewer, and divers
Servants with dishes and service over the stage.
Then enter Macbeth.
MACBETH
1 If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well
It were done quickly. If th’ assassination
3 Could trammel up the consequence, and catch
4 With his surcease success, that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all–here,
6 But here upon this bank and shoal of time,
We’d jump the life to come. But in these cases7
We still have judgment here, that we but teach8
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return9
To plague th’ inventor. This evenhanded justice10
Commends th’ ingredience of our poisoned chalice11
To our own lips. He’s here in double trust:
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,
Who should against his murderer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been17
So clear in his great office, that his virtues18
Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued against
The deep damnation of his taking-off;20
And pity, like a naked newborn babe
Striding the blast, or heaven’s cherubin horsed
Upon the sightless couriers of the air,23
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye
That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur25
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself
And falls on th’ other–
Enter Lady [Macbeth].
How now? What news?
LADY MACBETH
He has almost supped.
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