Prescanned Shakespeare.com
presented by Acoustic Learning


Macbeth

Act III, Scene 4

The same. Hall 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 hear|ty wel||come.
 
LORDS
         ,              ,     ,   oo
      Thanks | to your maj|esty.|     (three lines tetrameter)
 
MACBETH
           ,          ,        ,       ,   ,
      Ourself | will min|gle with | soci|ety,
            ,         ,        ,
      And play | the hum|ble host:   \\
           ,         ,           ,                ,    ,
      Our host|ess keeps | her state,| but in / best time
       ,     2     ,          ,
      We will re|quire her | welcome.  \\
 
LADY MACBETH
            ,         ,        ,        ,           ,
      Pronounce | it for | me sir,| to all | our friends,
       ,         T      T      T         ,        o
      For my | heart speaks, they | are wel|come.
 
[First Murderer appears at the door]
 
MACBETH
       ,             ,        ,                    ,       ,
      See they | encount|er thee | with their / hearts' thanks.
             ,          ,       ,          ,      2      ,
      Both^sides | are ev|en: here | I'll sit | in the midst,
           ,          ,       ,            ,        ,       2->
      Be large | in mirth,| anon | we'll drink | a meas||ure
           ,       ,               ,       ,          ,
      The tab|le round.| There's^blood | upon | thy face.
 
FIRST MURDERER
            ,          ,
      'Tis Ban|quo's then.  \\
 
MACBETH
            ,        ,         ,          ,       ,
      'Tis bet|ter thee | without,| than he | within.
       ,            ,
      Is he | dispatched?   \\
 
FIRST MURDERER
           ,           ,         ,      T  T  T          ,  ->
      My lord | his throat | is cut,| that I did || for him.
 
MACBETH
        ,              ,              ,     ,
      Thou art | the best | of the / cut-throats,
       ,           ,          ,          ,         ,
      Yet he's | good that | did the | like for | Fleance:
       ,          ,          ,             ,      ,
      If thou | didst it,| thou art | the non|pareil.
 
FIRST MURDERER
            ,      ,
      Most^roy|al sir
       ,               ,
      Fleance | is 'scaped.   (di with prev)
 
MACBETH
             ,         ,       ,
      Then comes | my fit | again:
      ,         ,          ,
      I had | else been | perfect;  (tri with prev)
        ,             ,         ,       ,         ,
      Whole as | the marb|le, found|ed as | the rock,
           ,           ,        ,        ,       ,
      As broad,| and gene|ral, as | the cas|ing air:
           ,     2    ,           ,           ,       ,
      But^now | I am cab|ined, cribbed,| confined,| bound in
          ,        ,           ,          ,          ,
      To sau|cy doubts,| and fears.| But Ban|quo's^safe?
 
FIRST MURDERER
       ,                ,      ,           ,          ,
      Aye, my | good* lord:| safe in | a ditch | he bides,
             ,        ,        ,      ,         ,
      With twen|ty trench|ed gash|es on | his head;
            ,         ,         ,
      The least | a death | to na|ture.
 
MACBETH
                                           ,           ,
                                        Thanks | for that:
        T    .    T    T         ,          ,             ,
      There the grown serp|ent lies,| the worm | that's fled
            ,        ,         ,          ,       ,
      Hath na|ture that | in time | will ven|om breed,
            ,        2     ,         ,           ,       ,      2->
      No* teeth | for the pres|ent. Get | thee gone,| tomor||row
              ,          ,        ,
      We'll hear | ourselves | again.
 
[Exit Murderer]
 
LADY MACBETH
                                         ,       ,
                                     My roy|al lord,
           ,         ,           ,          ,          ,
      You do | not give | the cheer:| the feast | is sold
          2    ,     ,         ,              ,      ,
      That is not | often | vouched, while |'tis a-|making:
             x          ,            ,         ,       ,
      'Tis given, with welcome: to feed were best at home:  ????
              ,           ,          ,        ,    ,     ->
      From thence,| the sauce | to meat | is ce|remo||ny,
       ,      2       ,           x
      Mee|ting were bare | without it.
 
MACBETH
        ,        ,       ,
      Sweet | remem|brancer:     (tri with prev)
             ,       ,         ,        ,     ,
      Now* good | diges|tion wait | on ap|petite,
             ,          ,
      And health | on both.
 
LENNOX
                               2      ,            ,        ,
                            May it please | your high|ness sit.
 
[The GHOST OF BANQUO enters, and sits in MACBETH's place]
 
MACBETH
        ,            ,          ,         ,         ,
      Here had | we now | our count|ry's hon|or, roofed,
          2       ,      ,        ,        ,        ,
      Were the graced | person | of our | Banquo | present:
       ,      2     ,         ,          ,       ,
      Who, may I | rather | challenge | for un|kindness,
            ,     ,         ,
      Than pi|ty for | mischance.
 
ROSS
                                       ,         ,
                                  His ab|sence (sir)
             ,       ,         ,           ,       2       ,       2->
      Lays^blame | upon | his prom|ise. Please | it your high||ness
           ,          ,          ,      ,     ,
      To grace | us with | your roy|al comp|any?
 
MACBETH
           ,         ,
      The tab|le's full.
 
LENNOX
                           ,    2      ,         ,
                         Here is a | place re|served sir.
 
MACBETH
       ___
      Where?  \\
 
LENNOX
        ,              ,
      Here my | good lord.
                                 x            ,            ,        ->
                          What is it | that moves | your high||ness?
 
MACBETH
        ,         ,           ,
      Which | of you | have done | this?
 
LORDS
                                           ,      2       ,
                                         What,| my good lord?
 
MACBETH
             ,          ,       ,         ,       ,
      Thou canst | not say | I did | it: nev|er shake
           ,      ,         ,
      Thy go|ry locks | at me.  \\
 
ROSS
       ,           ,          ,             ,    ,
      Gentle|men rise,| his high|ness is / not well.
 
LADY MACBETH
       T    Tx      T           ,        ,       ,
      Sit worthy friends:| my lord | is of|ten thus,  ??
            ,      ,               ,       T   .    T    T
      And hath | been from | his youth.| Pray you keep seat,
           ,        ,     x       ,         ,
      The fit | is mo|mentary,| upon | a thought
           ,       ,         ,         ,          ,         ->
      He will | again | be well.| if much | you note || him
       ,         2    ,          ,        ,         ,        ->
      You | shall offend | him, and | extend | his pas||sion,
        ,       2    ,         ,         ,       ,
      Feed,| and regard | him not.| Are you | a man?
 
MACBETH
       ,             ,     ,            T    T    .   T
      Aye, and | a bold | one, that | dare look *on that  ??
              ,         ,          x
      Which might | appall | the devil.
 
LADY MACBETH
                                            ,       ,
                                        O prop|er stuff:
        ,            ,      ,        ,          ,
      This is | the ve|ry paint|ing of | your fear:
        ,    2       T    T    T        ,           ,
      This is the | air-drawn dag|ger which | you said
       ,            ,       ,           ,            ,
      Led you | to Dun|can. O,| these flaws | and starts
          ,              ,    ,            ,        ,
      (Impos|tors to / true fear)| would well | become
         ,        ,       ,      ,          ,
      A wom|an's sto|ry, at | a wint|er's fire
       ,      ,              ,         ,         ,
      Autho|rized by | her grand|am: shame | itself,
       ,             ,          ,               ,     ,
      Why do | you make | such fac|es? When / all's done
            ,         ,       ,
      You look | but on | a stool.
 
MACBETH
                                    ,               ,
                                   Prithee,| see* there:
          ,     __    __    T   T   T
      Behold,| look,| lo,| how say you:
             ,         ,    ,     2        T     T    T
      Why* what | care I,| if thou canst^|nod, speak too.
           ,        ,       ,           ,            ,
      If charn|el hous|es, and | our graves | must^send
        ,              ,       ,         ,      ,
      Those that | we bu|ry, back;| our mon|uments
             ,         ,         ,
      Shall be | the maws | of kites.  \\
 
[GHOST OF BANQUO vanishes]
 
LADY MACBETH
       __      ,         ,         ,
      What?| Quite un|manned in | folly.
 
MACBETH
         ,     T     T   T    ,
      If I | stand here, I | saw him.  (tetra with prev)
 
LADY MACBETH
       ,         ___
      Fie for | shame.  \\
 
MACBETH
        ,                 ,         ,      2     ,       ,
      Blood hath | been shed | ere now,| in the old|en time,
           ,      ,          ,          ,        ,
      Ere hum|an sta|tute purged | the gent|le weal:
       ,           T    T    T      2       ,          ,
      Aye, and | since too, murd|ers have been | performed
           ,    2    ,         ,          ,            ,
      Too ter|rible for | the ear.| The times | have been,
             ,           ,           ,         ,           ,
      That when | the brains | were out,| the man | would die,
            ,         ,         ,           ,       ,
      And there | an end:| but now | they rise | again
             ,       ,       ,       ,            ,
      With twen|ty mort|al murd|ers on | their crowns,
            ,         ,           ,       ,               ,
      And push | us from | our stools.| This is | more strange
             ,       ,       ,
      Than such | a murd|er is.
 
LADY MACBETH
                                    ,        ,
                                My worth|y lord
            ,        ,           ,        2
      Your nob|le friends | do lack | you.
 
MACBETH
                                               ,       ,
                                            I do | forget:
       ,         ,                  ,    ,        ,
      Do not | muse at | me, my / most worth|y friends,
          ,         ,          ,   2     ,          ,       2->
      I have | a strange | infirm|ity, which | is noth||ing
           ,          ,        ,     ,         ,       ,
      To those that know me. Come, love and health to all,      ????
             ,          ,      ,    2         T     T    T
      Then I'll | sit^down:| Give me some | wine, fill full:
          ,       2      ,   2   ,      2      ,      ,
      I drink | to the gene|ral joy | of the whole | table,
       ,    2        T     T    T         ,         ,
      And to our | dear friend Ban|quo, whom | we miss:
        ,               ,        ,         ,          ,
      Would he | were here:| to all,| and him | we thirst,
           ,        ,
      And all | to all.
 
LORDS
                            ,        ,           ,
                       Our dut|ies, and | the pledge.
 
MACBETH
          ,          ,         ,        2      ,       ,
      Avaunt,| and quit | my sight,| let the earth | hide thee:
            ,          ,       ,          ,          ,
      Thy bones | are mar|rowless,| thy blood | is cold:
             ,         ,    ,       ,           ,
      Thou hast | no spec|ula|tion in | those eyes
              ,           ,
      Which thou | dost glare | with.
 
LADY MACBETH
                                        ,     2              ,
                                      Think of this | good peers
       ,    2      ,         ,         ,       ,
      But as a | thing of | custom:| 'tis no | other,
       ,           ,           ,        ,         ,
      Only | it spoils | the pleas|ure of | the time.
 
MACBETH
       __    ___    __    _    __
      What | man | dare,| I | dare:
           ,       ,              ,       ,         ,
      Approach | thou like | the rug|ged Rus|sian bear,
            ,         ,    ,      2     ,        x
      The armed | rhino|ceros,| or the Hyr|can tiger,
            ,     ,           ,               ,     ,
      Take^an|y shape | but that,| and my / firm nerves
             ,       ,        ,     2   ,       ,
      Shall nev|er trem|ble. Or | be alive | again,
            ,        ,        ,        ,          ,
      And dare | me to | the de|sert with | thy sword:
           ,        ,      ,       ,         ,       2->
      If trem|bling I | inhab|it then,| protest || me
           ,   3  3    ,      ,    ,           ,
      The ba|by of a girl.| Hence hor/rible | shadow,
       T  T    T   2    ,           ,     2     ,
      Unreal mock|ery hence.|  Why so,| being gone
      ,         ,       ,      ,              ,
      I am | a man | again:| Pray you | sit still.
 
LADY MACBETH
       ,             ,         ,
      You have displaced the mirth,  ????
        ,         ,    ,             ,      ,      ,
      Broke the good meeting, with most admired disorder.   ????
 
MACBETH
            ,            ,
      Can such | things^be,   ????
          ,      ,         ,       ,          ,
      And ov|ercome | us like | a sum|mer's cloud,
           ,         ,           x          ,          ,
      Without | our spe|cial wonder?| You make | me strange  ??
      ,        2     ,     ,        ,       ,
      Even | to the dis|posi|tion that | I owe,
            ,        ,      ,     2     T    T     T
      When now | I think | you can be|hold such sights,
            ,         ,   2    ,     ,           ,
      And keep | the na|tural ru|by of | your cheeks,
             ,           ,             ,
      When mine | is blanched | with fear.
 
ROSS
                                                   ,          ,
                                           What sights,| my lord?
 
LADY MACBETH
          ,          ,      ,          T     T    .    T
      I pray | you speak | not: he | grows worse and worse
        ,           ,      ,         ,           ,
      Question | enrag|es him:| At once,| good^night.
        ,      2   ,       ,      ,          ,
      Stand not u|pon the ord|er of | your going,
           ,        ,
      But go | at once.
 
LENNOX
                               ,          ,         ,
                        Good night,| and bet|ter health
          ,         ,   3   3
      Attend | his maj|esty.
 
LADY MACBETH
                                  ,           ,         ,
                              A kind | good night | to all.
 
[Exeunt all but MACBETH and LADY MACBETH]
 
MACBETH
           ,           ,           ,
      It will | have blood | they say:
                                          ,                ,
                                       Blood will | have blood:
         ,                 ,          ,          ,          ,
      Stones have | been known | to move,| and trees | to speak:
       ,            ,      ,        ,          ,
      Augurs,| and und|erstood | rela|tions, have
          ,        ,           ,       .    T      T      T
      By mag|got-pies,| and choughs,| and rooks brought forth
           ,         ,         ,       ,             ,
      The sec|retst man | of blood.| What is | the night?
 
LADY MACBETH
       ,            ,          ,          ,          ,
      Almost | at odds | with morn|ing, which | is which.
 
MACBETH
            ,       ,      2      ,       ,         ,
      How sayst | thou that Mac|duff de|nies his | person
        2      ,      ,
      At our great | bidding?
 
LADY MACBETH
                              ,          ,            ,
                             Did you | send to | him sir?
 
MACBETH
          ,        ,        ,        ,          ,
      I hear | it by | the way:| but I | will send:
               ,       ,         ,         ,         ,
      There's^not | a one | of them | but in | his house
          ,       ,         ,         ,       ,      ->
      I keep | a serv|ant fee'd.| I will | tomor||row
        ,        ,         ,      2      ,      ,
      (And | betimes | I will)| to the weird | sisters.
        ,                 ,          ,     2     ,         ,
      More shall | they speak:| for now | I am bent | to know
        2      ,       ,            ,            T   T    T
      By the worst | means, the | worst, for | mine own good,
             ,               ,   ,       ,        ,
      All* caus|es shall / give way.| I am | in blood
         T     .  T  T            ,         ,          ,
      Stepped in so far,| that should | I wade | no* more,
         ,         ,        ,   2         ,  ,
      Return|ing were | as ted|ious as / go ore:
         T       T   .   T         ,           ,         ,
      Strange things I have | in head,| that will | to hand,
              ,        ,       ,          ,          ,
      Which must | be act|ed, ere | they may | be scanned.
 
LADY MACBETH
            ,         ,            ,   ,          ,
      You lack | the seas|on of / all na|tures, sleep.
 
MACBETH
        ,                ,           ,            ,      ,
      Come, we'll | to sleep:| my strange | and self-|abuse
       ,    2   ,  2       ,            T     T   T
      Is the i|nitiate | fear, that | wants hard use:
          ,     ,          ,       __    oo
      We are | yet but | young in|deed.|
 
[Exeunt]

← Previous Scene | Next Scene →


Home