The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works

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The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works Page 317

by William Shakespeare


  No howls of wolves, no yelps of hounds.

  No, not the noise of waters-breach

  Or cannons’ throat our height can reach.

  SPIRITS ⌈abovel⌉

  No ring of bells to our ears sounds,

  No howls of wolves, no yelps of hounds.

  No, not the noise of waters-breach

  Or cannons’ throat our height can reach.

  Exeunt into the heavens the

  Spirit like a Cat and Hecate

  FIRST WITCH

  Come, let’s make haste. She’ll soon be back again.

  Exeunt

  3.6 Enter Lennox and another Lord

  LENNOX

  My former speeches have but hit your thoughts,

  Which can interpret farther. Only I say

  Things have been strangely borne. The gracious

  Duncan

  Was pitied of Macbeth: marry, he was dead;

  And the right valiant Banquo walked too late,

  Whom you may say, if’t please you, Fleance killed,

  For Fleance fled: men must not walk too late.

  Who cannot want the thought how monstrous

  It was for Malcolm and for Donalbain

  To kill their gracious father? Damned fact,

  How it did grieve Macbeth! Did he not straight

  In pious rage the two delinquents tear,

  That were the slaves of drink, and thralls of sleep?

  Was not that nobly done? Ay, and wisely too,

  For ‘twould have angered any heart alive

  To hear the men deny’t. So that I say

  He has borne all things well, and I do think

  That had he Duncan’s sons under his key—

  As, an’t please heaven, he shall not—they should find

  What ’twere to kill a father. So should Fleance.

  But peace, for from broad words, and ’cause he failed

  His presence at the tyrant’s feast, I hear

  Macduff lives in disgrace. Sir, can you tell

  Where he bestows himself?

  LORD

  The son of Duncan

  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,
r />   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.

  Enter Lennox

  LENNOX

  What’s your grace’s will?

  MACBETH

  Saw you the weird sisters?

  LENNOX

  No, my lord.

  MACBETH

  Came they not by you?

  LENNOX

  No, indeed, my lord.

  MACBETH

  Infected be the air whereon they ride,

  And damned all those that trust them. I did hear

  The galloping of horse. Who was’t came by?

  LENNOX

  ’Tis two or three, my lord, that bring you word

  Macduff is fled to England.

  MACBETH

  Fled to England?

  LENNOX Ay, my good lord.

  MACBETH (aside)

  Time, thou anticipat‘st my dread exploits.

  The flighty purpose never is o’ertook

  Unless the deed go with it. From this moment

  The very firstlings of my heart shall be

  The firstlings of my hand. And even now,

  To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and

  done: 165

  The castle of Macduff I will surprise,

  Seize upon Fife, give to th‘edge o’th’ sword

  His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls

  That trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool;

  This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool.

  But no more sights! (To Lennox) Where are these

  gentlemen?

  Come bring me where they are.

  Exeunt

  4.2 Enter Macduff’s Wife, her Son, and Ross

  LADY MACDUFF

  What had he done to make him fly the land?

  ROSS

  You must have patience, madam.

  LADY MACDUFF

  He had none.

  His flight was madness. When our actions do not,

  Our fears do make us traitors.

  Ross

  You know not

  Whether it was his wisdom or his fear.

  LADY MACDUFF

  Wisdom—to leave his wife, to leave his babes,

  His mansion, and his titles in a place

  From whence himself does fly? He loves us not,

  He wants the natural touch, for the poor wren,

  The most diminutive of birds, will fight,

  Her young ones in her
nest, against the owl.

  All is the fear and nothing is the love;

  As little is the wisdom, where the flight

  So runs against all reason.

  Ross

  My dearest coz,

  I pray you school yourself. But for your husband,

  He is noble, wise, judicious, and best knows

  The fits o’th’ season. I dare not speak much further,

  But cruel are the times when we are traitors

  And do not know ourselves; when we hold rumour

  From what we fear, yet know not what we fear,

  But float upon a wild and violent sea

  Each way and none. I take my leave of you;

  Shall not be long but I’ll be here again.

  Things at the worst will cease, or else climb upward

  To what they were before. My pretty cousin,

  Blessing upon you!

  LADY MACDUFF

  Fathered he is, and yet he’s fatherless.

  ROSS

  I am so much a fool, should I stay longer

  It would be my disgrace and your discomfort.

  I take my leave at once.

  Exit

  LADY MACDUFF

  Sirrah, your father’s dead,

  And what will you do now? How will you live?

  MACDUFF’S SON

  As birds do, mother.

  LADY MACDUFF What, with worms and flies?

  MACDUFF’S SON

  With what I get, I mean, and so do they.

  LADY MACDUFF

  Poor bird, thou’dst never fear the net nor lime,

  The pitfall nor the gin.

  MACDUFF’S SON

  Why should I, mother? Poor birds they are not set for.

  My father is not dead, for all your saying.

  LADY MACDUFF Yes, he is dead. How wilt thou do for a father?

  MACDUFF’S SON Nay, how will you do for a husband?

  LADY MACDUFF Why, I can buy me twenty at any market.

  MACDUFF’S SON Then you’ll buy ’em to sell again.

  LADY MACDUFF Thou speak‘st with all thy wit, and yet, i’faith, with wit enough for thee.

  MACDUFF’S SON Was my father a traitor, mother?

  LADY MACDUFF Ay, that he was.

  MACDUFF’S SON What is a traitor?

  LADY MACDUFF Why, one that swears and lies.

  MACDUFF’S SON And be all traitors that do so?

  LADY MACDUFF Everyone that does so is a traitor, and must be hanged.

  MACDUFF’S SON And must they all be hanged that swear and lie?

  LADY MACDUFF Every one.

  MACDUFF’S SON Who must hang them?

  LADY MACDUFF Why, the honest men.

  MACDUFF’S SON Then the liars and swearers are fools, for there are liars and swearers enough to beat the honest men and hang up them.

 

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