William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (444 page)

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Authors: William Shakespeare

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BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition

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From whom this tyrant holds the due of birth
Lives in the English court, and is received
Of the most pious Edward with such grace
That the malevolence of fortune nothing
Takes from his high respect. Thither Macduff
Is gone to pray the holy King upon his aid
To wake Northumberland and warlike Siward,
That by the help of these—with Him above
To ratify the work—we may again
Give to our tables meat, sleep to our nights,
Free from our feasts and banquets bloody knives,
Do faithful homage, and receive free honours,
All which we pine for now. And this report
Hath so exasperate their king that he
Prepares for some attempt of war.

LENNOX Sent he to Macduff?

LORD

He did, and with an absolute ‘Sir, not I,’
The cloudy messenger turns me his back
And hums, as who should say ‘You’ll rue the time
That clogs me with this answer.’

LENNOX

And that well might

Advise him to a caution t’hold what,distance
His wisdom can provide. Some holy angel
Fly to the court of England and unfold
His message ere he come, that a swift blessing
May soon return to this our suffering country
Under a hand accursed.

LORD

I’ll send my prayers with him.
Exeunt

4.1
A Cauldron. Thunder. Enter the three Witches

FIRST WITCH

Thrice the brinded cat hath mewed.

SECOND WITCH

Thrice, and once the hedge-pig whined.

THIRD WITCH

Harpier cries “Tis time, ‘tis time.’

FIRST WITCH

Round about the cauldron go,
In the poisoned entrails throw.
Toad that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Sweltered venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i’th’ charmed pot.

ALL

Double, double, toil and trouble,
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

SECOND WITCH

Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake.
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg and owlet’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.

THIRD WITCH

Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witches’ mummy, maw and gulf
Of the ravined salt-sea shark,
Root of hemlock digged i‘th’ dark,
Liver of blaspheming Jew,
Gall of goat, and slips of yew
Slivered in the moon’s eclipse,
Nose of Turk, and Tartar’s lips,
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-delivered by a drab,
Make the gruel thick and slab.
Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron
For th’ingredience of our cauldron.

ALL

Double, double, toil and trouble,
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

SECOND WITCH

Cool it with a baboon’s blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.

Enter Hecate and the other three Witches

HECATE

O, well done! I commend your pains,
And everyone shall share i’th’ gains.
And now about the cauldron sing
Like elves and fairies in a ring,
Enchanting all that you put in.
Music and a song

HECATE

Black spirits and white, red spirits and grey,
Mingle, mingle, mingle, you that mingle may.

FOURTH WITCH

Titty, Tiffin, keep it stiff in;
Firedrake, Puckey, make it lucky;
Liard, Robin, you must bob in.

ALL Round, around, around, about, about,

All ill come running in, all good keep out.

FOURTH WITCH

Here’s the blood of a bat.

HECATE

Put in that, O put in that!

FIFTH WITCH

Here’s leopard’s bane.

HECATE

Put in a grain.

FOURTH WITCH

The juice of toad, the oil of adder.

FIFTH WITCH

Those will make the younker madder.

HECATE

Put in, there’s all, and rid the stench.

A WITCH

Nay, here’s three ounces of a red-haired wench.

ALL Round, around, around, about, about,

All ill come running in, all good keep out.

SECOND WITCH

By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.
⌈
Knock within
⌉
Open, locks, whoever knocks.
Enter Macbeth

MACBETH

How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags,
What is’t you do?

ALL THE WITCHES A deed without a name.

MACBETH

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 yeasty waves
Confound and swallow navigation up,
Though bladed corn be lodged 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 tumble all together
Even till destruction sicken, answer me
To what I ask you.

FIRST WITCH

Speak.

SECOND WITCH

Demand.

THIRD WITCH

We’ll answer.

FIRST WITCH

Say if thou’dst rather hear it from our mouths
Or from our masters.

MACBETH

Call ‘em, let me see ’em.

FIRST WITCH

Pour in sow’s blood that hath eaten 80
Her nine farrow; grease that’s sweaten
From the murderer’s gibbet throw
Into the flame.

ALL THE WITCHES

Come high or low,

Thyself and office deftly show.

Thunder. First Apparition: an armed head

MACBETH

Tell me, thou unknown power—

FIRST WITCH

He knows thy thought.

Hear his speech, but say thou naught.

FIRST APPARITION

Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, beware Macduff,
Beware the Thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough.

Apparition descends

MACBETH

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

Thou hast harped my fear aright. But one word
more—

FIRST WITCH

He will not be commanded. Here’s another,
More potent than the first.

Thunder. Second Apparition: a bloody child

SECOND APPARITION Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth.

MACBETH Had I three ears I’d hear thee.

SECOND APPARITION

Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn
The power of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth.

Apparition descends

MACBETH

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 THE WITCHES

Listen, but speak not to’t.

THIRD APPARITION

Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care
Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are.
Macbeth shall never vanquished be until
Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill
Shall come against him.

Apparition descends

MACBETH

That will never be.

Who can impress the forest, bid the tree
Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements, good!
Rebellious dead, rise never till the wood
Of Birnam rise, and on’s high place Macbeth
Shall live the lease of nature, pay his breath
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?

ALL THE WITCHES

Seek to know no more.

MACBETH

I will be satisfied. Deny me this,
And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know.

The cauldron sinks. Hautboys

Why sinks that cauldron? And what noise is this?

FIRST WITCH Show.

SECOND WITCH Show.

THIRD WITCH Show.

ALL THE WITCHES

Show his eyes and grieve his heart,
Come like shadows, so depart.
A show of eight kings, the last with a glass in his
hand; and Banquo

MACBETH

Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo. Down!
Thy crown does sear mine eyeballs. And thy hair,
Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first.
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 th’ crack of doom?
Another yet? A seventh? I’ll see no more—
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,
For the blood-baltered Banquo smiles upon me,
And points at them for his.

Exeunt kings and Banquo
What, is this so?

⌈HECATE⌉

Ay, sir, all this is so. But why
Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?
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,
That this great king may kindly say
Our duties did his welcome pay.
Music. The Witches dance, and vanish

MACBETH

Where are they? Gone? Let this pernicious hour
Stand aye accursed in the calendar.
Come in, without there.