Macbeth (Including The Biography of the Infamous Author). William Shakespeare

Come on;

       Gently my lord, sleek o’er your rugged looks;

       Be bright and jovial ‘mong your guests tonight.

       MACBETH.

       So shall I, love; and so, I pray, be you:

       Let your remembrance apply to Banquo;

       Present him eminence, both with eye and tongue:

       Unsafe the while, that we

       Must lave our honors in these flattering streams;

       And make our faces vizards to our hearts,

       Disguising what they are.

       LADY MACBETH.

       You must leave this.

       MACBETH.

       O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!

       Thou know’st that Banquo, and his Fleance, lives.

       LADY MACBETH.

       But in them nature’s copy’s not eterne.

       MACBETH.

       There’s comfort yet; they are assailable;

       Then be thou jocund: ere the bat hath flown

       His cloister’d flight, ere to black Hecate’s summons,

       The shard-borne beetle, with his drowsy hums,

       Hath rung night’s yawning peal, there shall be done

       A deed of dreadful note.

       LADY MACBETH.

       What’s to be done?

       MACBETH.

       Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck,

       Till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling night,

       Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day;

       And with thy bloody and invisible hand

       Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond

       Which keeps me pale!—Light thickens; and the crow

       Makes wing to the rooky wood:

       Good things of day begin to droop and drowse;

       Whiles night’s black agents to their preys do rouse.—

       Thou marvell’st at my words: but hold thee still;

       Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill:

       So, pr’ythee, go with me.

       [Exeunt.]

       SCENE III. The same. A Park or Lawn, with a gate leading to the Palace.

       [Enter three Murderers.]

       FIRST MURDERER.

       But who did bid thee join with us?

       THIRD MURDERER.

       Macbeth.

       SECOND MURDERER.

       He needs not our mistrust; since he delivers

       Our offices and what we have to do

       To the direction just.

       FIRST MURDERER.

       Then stand with us.

       The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day:

       Now spurs the lated traveller apace,

       To gain the timely inn; and near approaches

       The subject of our watch.

       THIRD MURDERER.

       Hark! I hear horses.

       BANQUO.

       [Within.] Give us a light there, ho!

       SECOND MURDERER.

       Then ‘tis he; the rest

       That are within the note of expectation

       Already are i’ the court.

       FIRST MURDERER.

       His horses go about.

       THIRD MURDERER.

       Almost a mile; but he does usually,

       So all men do, from hence to the palace gate

       Make it their walk.

       SECOND MURDERER.

       A light, a light!

       THIRD MURDERER.

       ‘Tis he.

       FIRST MURDERER.

       Stand to’t.

       [Enter Banquo, and Fleance with a torch.]

       BANQUO.

       It will be rain tonight.

       FIRST MURDERER.

       Let it come down.

       [Assaults Banquo.]

       BANQUO.

       O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!

       Thou mayst revenge.—O slave!

       [Dies. Fleance escapes.]

       THIRD MURDERER.

       Who did strike out the light?

       FIRST MURDERER.

       Was’t not the way?

       THIRD MURDERER.

       There’s but one down: the son is fled.

       SECOND MURDERER.

       We have lost best half of our affair.

       FIRST MURDERER.

       Well, let’s away, and say how much is done.

       [Exeunt.]

       SCENE IV. The same. A Room of state in the Palace. A banquet prepared.

       [Enter Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Ross, Lennox, Lords, and

       Attendants.]

       MACBETH.

       You know your own degrees: sit down. At first

       And last the hearty welcome.

       LORDS.

       Thanks to your majesty.

       MACBETH.

       Ourself will mingle with society,

       And play the humble host.

       Our hostess keeps her state; but, in best time,

       We will require her welcome.

       LADY MACBETH.

       Pronounce it for me, sir, to all our friends;

       For my heart speaks they are welcome.

       MACBETH.

       See, they encounter thee with their hearts’ thanks.—

       Both sides are even: here I’ll sit i’ the midst:

       [Enter first Murderer to the door.]

       Be large in mirth; anon we’ll drink a measure

       The table round.—There’s blood upon thy face.

       MURDERER.

       ‘Tis Banquo’s then.

       MACBETH.

       ‘Tis better thee without than he within.

       Is he despatch’d?

       MURDERER.

       My lord, his throat is cut; that I did for him.

       MACBETH.

       Thou art the best o’ the cutthroats; yet he’s good

       That did the like for Fleance: if thou didst it,

       Thou art the nonpareil.

       MURDERER.

       Most royal sir,

       Fleance is ‘scap’d.

       MACBETH.