Up, up, and see
The great doom’s image. Malcolm! Banquo!77
As from your graves rise up and walk like sprites78
79 To countenance this horror.
Bell rings. Enter Lady [Macbeth].
LADY MACBETH What’s the business,
80 That such a hideous trumpet calls to parley
The sleepers of the house? Speak, speak!
MACDUFF O gentle lady,
’Tis not for you to hear what I can speak:
The repetition in a woman’s ear
Would murder as it fell.
Enter Banquo. O Banquo, Banquo,
Our royal master’s murdered!
LADY MACBETH Woe, alas–
What, in our house?
BANQUO Too cruel anywhere.
Dear Duff, I prithee contradict thyself
And say it is not so.
Enter Macbeth, Lennox, and Ross.
MACBETH
Had I but died an hour before this chance,
90 I had lived a blessèd time; for from this instant
91 There’s nothing serious in mortality:
92 All is but toys. Renown and grace is dead,
93 The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees
94 Is left this vault to brag of.
Enter Malcolm and Donalbain.
DONALBAIN
What is amiss?
MACBETH You are, and do not know’t.
The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood
Is stopped, the very source of it is stopped.
MACDUFF
Your royal father’s murdered.
MALCOLM O, by whom?
LENNOX
Those of his chamber, as it seemed, had done’t.
Their hands and faces were all badged with blood;100
So were their daggers, which unwiped we found
Upon their pillows. They stared and were distracted.
No man’s life was to be trusted with them.
MACBETH
O, yet I do repent me of my fury
That I did kill them.
MACDUFF Wherefore did you so?
MACBETH
Who can be wise, amazed, temp’rate and furious,
Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man.107
The expedition of my violent love108
Outrun the pauser, reason. Here lay Duncan,
His silver skin laced with his golden blood;110
And his gashed stabs looked like a breach in nature
For ruin’s wasteful entrance: there, the murderers,
Steeped in the colors of their trade, their daggers
Unmannerly breeched with gore. Who could refrain114
That had a heart to love, and in that heart
Courage to make’s love known?
LADY MACBETH Help me hence, ho!
MACDUFF
Look to the lady.117
MALCOLM [Aside to Donalbain]
Why do we hold our tongues,
That most may claim this argument for ours?118
DONALBAIN [To Malcolm]
What should be spoken here,
Where our fate, hid in an auger hole,120
May rush and seize us? Let’s away:
Our tears are not yet brewed.
MALCOLM [To Donalbain] Nor our strong sorrow
123 Upon the foot of motion.
BANQUO Look to the lady.
[Lady Macbeth is assisted out.]
124 And when we have our naked frailties hid,
That suffer in exposure, let us meet
126 And question this most bloody piece of work,
127 To know it further. Fears and scruples shake us.
In the great hand of God I stand, and thence
129 Against the undivulged pretense I fight
130 Of treasonous malice.
MACDUFF And so do I.
ALL So all.
MACBETH
Let’s briefly put on manly readiness
And meet i’ th’ hall together.
ALL Well contented.
Exeunt [all but Malcolm and Donalbain].
MALCOLM
What will you do? Let’s not consort with them.
To show an unfelt sorrow is an office
Which the false man does easy. I’ll to England.
DONALBAIN
To Ireland I. Our separated fortune
Shall keep us both the safer. Where we are
138 There’s daggers in men’s smiles; the near in blood,
The nearer bloody.
MALCOLM This murderous shaft that’s shot
140 Hath not yet lighted, and our safest way
Is to avoid the aim. Therefore to horse,
142 And let us not be dainty of leave-taking
But shift away. There’s warrant in that theft143
Which steals itself when there’s no mercy left.
Exeunt.
II.4Enter Ross with an Old Man.
OLD MAN
Threescore and ten I can remember well;1
Within the volume of which time I have seen
Hours dreadful and things strange, but this sore night
Hath trifled former knowings.4
ROSS Ha, good father,
Thou seest the heavens, as troubled with man’s act,5
Threatens his bloody stage. By th’ clock ’tis day,
And yet dark night strangles the traveling lamp.7
Is’t night’s predominance, or the day’s shame,8
That darkness does the face of earth entomb
When living light should kiss it?10
OLD MAN ’Tis unnatural,
Even like the deed that’s done. On Tuesday last
A falcon, tow’ring in her pride of place,12
Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed.13
ROSS
And Duncan’s horses–a thing most strange and certain–
Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race,15
Turned wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out,16
Contending ’gainst obedience, as they would make
War with mankind.
OLD MAN ’Tis said they ate each other.
ROSS
They did so, to th’ amazement of mine eyes
20 That looked upon’t.
Enter Macduff. Here comes the good Macduff.
How goes the world, sir, now?
MACDUFF Why, see you not?
ROSS
Is’t known who did this more than bloody deed?
MACDUFF
Those that Macbeth hath slain.
ROSS Alas the day,
24 What good could they pretend?
MACDUFF
They were suborned.
Malcolm and Donalbain, the king’s two sons,
Are stol’n away and fled, which puts upon them
Suspicion of the deed.
ROSS ’Gainst nature still.
28 Thriftless ambition, that will ravin up
29 Thine own life’s means! Then ’tis most like
30 The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.
MACDUFF
31 He is already named, and gone to Scone
32 To be invested.
ROSS Where is Duncan’s body?
MACDUFF
33 Carried to Colmekill,
The sacred storehouse of his predecessors
And guardian of their bones.
ROSS Will you to Scone?
MACDUFF
No, cousin, I’ll to Fife.
ROSS Well, I will thither.
MACDUFF
Well, may you see things well done there. Adieu,
Lest our old robes sit easier than our new.
ROSS
Farewell, father.
OLD MAN
God’s benison go with you, and with those40
That would make good of bad, and friends of foes.
Exeunt omnes.
III.1Enter Banquo.
BANQUO
Thou hast it now–king, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
As the weïrd women promised; and I fear
Thou play’dst most foully for’t. Yet it was said
It should not stand in thy posterity,4
But that myself should be the root and father
Of many kings. If there come truth from them–
As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine–7
Why, by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my oracles as well
And set me up in hope? But hush, no more.10
Sennet sounded. Enter Macbeth as King, Lady
[Macbeth as Queen], Lennox, Ross, Lords, and Attendants.
MACBETH
Here’s our chief guest.
LADY MACBETH If he had been forgotten,
It had been as a gap in our great feast,
And allthing unbecoming.13
MACBETH
14 Tonight we hold a solemn supper, sir,
And I’ll request your presence.
BANQUO Let your highness
Command upon me, to the which my duties
Are with a most indissoluble tie
Forever knit.
MACBETH Ride you this afternoon?
BANQUO
Ay, my good lord.
MACBETH
20 We should have else desired your good advice,
21 Which still hath been both grave and prosperous,
In this day’s council; but we’ll take tomorrow.
Is’t far you ride?
BANQUO
As far, my lord, as will fill up the time
25 ’Twixt this and supper. Go not my horse the better,
26 I must become a borrower of the night
For a dark hour or twain.
MACBETH Fail not our feast.
BANQUO
My lord, I will not.
MACBETH
We hear our bloody cousins are bestowed
30 In England and in Ireland, not confessing
Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers
32 With strange invention. But of that tomorrow,
33 When therewithal we shall have cause of state
Craving us jointly. Hie you to horse. Adieu,
Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you?
BANQUO
Ay, my good lord. Our time does call upon’s.
MACBETH
I wish your horses swift and sure of foot,
And so I do commend you to their backs.
Farewell.
Exit Banquo.
Let every man be master of his time40
Till seven at night. To make society
The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself
Till suppertime alone. While then, God be with you.43
Exeunt Lords [and others]. [To Servant]
Sirrah, a word with you. Attend those men44
Our pleasure?
SERVANT
They are, my lord, without the palace gate.
MACBETH
Bring them before us.
Exit Servant.
To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus.48
Our fears in Banquo stick deep,49
And in his royalty of nature reigns that50
Which would be feared.
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