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

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

       Her nine farrow; grease that’s sweaten

       From the murderer’s gibbet throw

       Into the flame.

       ALL.

       Come, high or low;

       Thyself and office deftly show!

       [Thunder. An Apparition of an armed Head rises.]

       MACBETH.

       Tell me, thou unknown power,—

       FIRST WITCH.

       He knows thy thought:

       Hear his speech, but say thou naught.

       APPARITION.

       Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff;

       Beware the Thane of Fife.—Dismiss me:—enough.

       [Descends.]

       MACBETH.

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

       Thou hast harp’d my fear aright:—but one word more,—

       FIRST WITCH.

       He will not be commanded: here’s another,

       More potent than the first.

       [Thunder. An Apparition of a bloody Child rises.]

       APPARITION.—

       Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!

       MACBETH.

       Had I three ears, I’d hear thee.

       APPARITION.

       Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn

       The power of man, for none of woman born

       Shall harm Macbeth.

       [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.—What is this,

       [Thunder. An Apparition of a Child crowned, with a tree in his hand, rises.]

       That rises like the issue of a king,

       And wears upon his baby brow the round

       And top of sovereignty?

       ALL.

       Listen, but speak not to’t.

       APPARITION.

       Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care

       Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are:

       Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be, until

       Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill

       Shall come against him.

       [Descends.]

       MACBETH.

       That will never be:

       Who can impress the forest; bid the tree

       Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements, good!

       Rebellion’s head, rise never till the wood

       Of Birnam rise, and our high-plac’d 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.

       Seek to know no more.

       MACBETH.

       I will be satisfied: deny me this,

       And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know:—

       Why sinks that cauldron? and what noise is this?

       [Hautboys.]

       FIRST WITCH.

       Show!

       SECOND WITCH.

       Show!

       THIRD WITCH.

       Show!

       ALL.

       Show his eyes, and grieve his heart;

       Come like shadows, so depart!

       [Eight kings appear, and pass over in order, the last with a glass in his hand; Banquo following.]

       MACBETH.

       Thou are 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 the 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-bolter’d Banquo smiles upon me,

       And points at them for his.—What! is this so?

       FIRST WITCH.

       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 then 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 damn’d 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.