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 32t 
 
 1 
 
 1 - 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
SOME NEW NOTES 
 
 ON MACBETH 
 
 f •■' 
 
 
 *^- . ■<. •^v' 
 
C *»-»' 
 
 SOME NEW NOTES 
 
 ON 
 
 / 
 
 MACBETH 
 
 3n ptnWcatfon of tbc rcaWiifl of tbc rolto of 1623. 
 
 BV 
 
 M. F. LIBBY, B.A. 
 
 Engflish Master of the Jameson Ave. Collegiate Institute, Toronto. 
 
 1^?- 
 
 TORONTO: 
 1893 
 
 t... N V" \j K; 
 
 c 
 

 Entered according to act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand 
 eight hundred and ninety-three, by M. F. Libbv, B.A., in the Office of the 
 Minister of Agriculture, 
 
 880476 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The main purpose of this work is to vindicate the 
 reading of the Folio by establishing the belief that Cawdor 
 died unjustly, that he was no traitor, but an honorable 
 gentleman, sacrificed to ambition by Macbeth, Hanquo, 
 and Ross. The establishment of this yiew will affect the 
 meaning of the play in a great many respects. 
 
 No apology is offered for the publication of this contribu- 
 tion to .Shakespearean criticism. 
 
 Th« views of the characters of Ross and Cawdor are 
 thought to be original ; they are the result of some years of 
 study and teaching ; and they clear up so large a majority of 
 the well-known obscurities of the play that their publication 
 has been undertaken mainly to the end that other students 
 of the tragedy more experienced, more competent, and more 
 happily situated with reference to the best sources of inform- 
 ation, may have an opportunity of confirming their vth or 
 of exposing their error. 
 
 The notes of Clarke and Wright, Rolfe, Paton, Daniel, 
 Marshall, Flathe, Hudson, White, Kurness, and others, have 
 Deen freely consulted, but only such notes as have seemed 
 entirely new have been printed. As the new notes are rather 
 generic than specific for the most part, special acknowledg- 
 ments should be gratefully made to the broad, strong 
 grasp of Dowden, Gervinus, Llrici, and .Swinburne. The 
 facsimile of the Folio of 1623 has proved most useful. 
 
 In the single case of Flathe it will appear, in one or two 
 mstances, that his views have been appropriated, so exactly 
 does his estimate of Banquo coincide with that arrived at 
 
 here bv an enf-irAlw rliflra<-<>«<- i;^ r_i • 
 
 , ...- _. • f-,s:i jitic ui uuacrvation. 
 
 u 
 
 
iv 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Fortunately these notes take the place of no notes, rather 
 than oi othernotes, hence they do not clash directly with many 
 expressed opinions ; but the author must differ, with much 
 respect and diffidence, from those who would delete Scene 2 of 
 Act I , and from those who strike out / ngus from that scene. 
 
 While it is felt that most of the interpretations in this volume 
 are heterodox, and that they may seem merely audacious, it 
 is also hoped that since they are constructive, and offered 
 with a profound desire for the elucidation of the play, they 
 may not be receive'd amiss by scholars and actors. 
 
 M. F. L. 
 
>y 
 
 ;h 
 of 
 e. 
 
 le 
 it 
 d 
 
 y 
 
 2. 
 
 3- 
 4. 
 
 THE HYPOTHESIS. 
 
 It is the purpose of this chapter to set forth briefly the 
 incongruities and obscurities of the play, for which an 
 explanation is sought, and the working-hypothesis which 
 is thought to account for these difficulties. 
 
 The difficulties dealt with are concerning:— 
 I. The motive and meaning of Sc. 2, Act I. 
 
 The incongruities of Macbeth's speeches referring to 
 the condition of Cawdor, in Sc. 3, Act I. 
 
 The discrepancies between Ross's words in Sc. i and 
 m Sc. 3 of Act. I. 
 
 The relation of Angus to Scenes, i and 3, Act I. 
 
 5. The attitude of Banquo towards Cawdor in Sc. 3, Act I. 
 
 • 6. The relation of Hanquo to the murder of Duncan. 
 
 7- The relation of the porter's speech, Sc. 3, Act 1 1., to 
 the play. ' 
 
 8. The conduct of Ross with reference to the murder of 
 
 Duncan and to the succession of Macbeth, and the 
 motive and central idea of Sc. 4 of Act II. 
 
 9. The relation ^aiiquo to Macbeth. 
 
 10. The identity c ; the third murderer. 
 
 11. The motive of Sc 6, Act III. 
 
 12. The relation of Koss to the murder of Lady Macduff. 
 The difficulties concerning these twelve points are nearly 
 
 all so familiar to the student of Macbeth that they scarcely 
 call for more than the mention of them, but for convenience 
 the following statements are made so that there may be no 
 misunderstanding as to what is believed to be the present 
 state of criticism regarding each point :— 
 
 I. Scene 2, Act I., is regarded by the Cambridge editors 
 
 as an interoolation. nrnhahiv K,r m:.4ji„.„_ . ^u-: . 
 
 • • r ,- •■} -"ivtuictOs: . iiicjr main 
 
 objections being that the language of the sergeant is not in 
 Shakespeare's manner, that the metre is slovenly, that the 
 
vi 
 
 HYPOTHESIS. 
 
 lines referring to Cawdor are inconsistent with the references 
 to Cawdor in Sc. 3. 
 
 Swinburne also believes the scene corrupt, but attributes 
 the corruptness to bad editing, 
 
 ' No explanation of the reason why the hvo reports of the 
 battle are given on the stage has been considered adequate. 
 
 2. Johnson, Uaniel, and Kolfe simply state that Macbeth's 
 references, in Sc. 3, to Cawdor are incongruous. 
 
 Furness' Vafiorum accepts the same view. No hypothesis 
 has been brought forward to explain these discrepancies- 
 they stand as hopelessly incongruous in all the editions. 
 The Cambridge editors cut the knot by abandoning Sc. 2. 
 
 1. Daniel and others point out the fact that Ross tells 
 utterly different stories in speaking to Duncan (Sc. 2), and 
 m relating to Macbeth what he had said to Duncan (Sc. 3.) 
 
 No editor has offered any explanation of this fact. 
 
 According to the Folio of 1623, Angus heard Ross on both 
 occasions. Modern.editors have concluded that Angus does 
 not enter with Ross in Sc. 2. 
 
 4. If Angus enters with Ross in Sc. 2, and also in Sc. 3 
 he must have heard the inconsistent stories of Ross. 
 
 If Angus does not enter in Sc. 2 the Folio is at fault. 
 
 5. Though Macbeth's references to Cawdor are said to be 
 inexplicable, Banquo, who knew as much about Cawdor as 
 we have reason to think Macbeth did, did not comment upon 
 Macbeth's inconsistency. 
 
 6. Dowden considers Banquo innocent of complicity in the 
 murder of Duncan, and says that though he was tempted 
 with Macbeth, the evil thoughts which ruin Macbeth "work 
 no evil" in the mind of Banquo: Flathe, however, holds that 
 Banquo is corrupted as well as Macbeth, though differently. 
 
 7. Coleridge rejects the Porter-scene, the Cambridge 
 
 "-; ^""- »«^"> "uiu tne same opinion. Some 
 
 editors consider it genuine* 
 
 •Mr. Churton Collins defends the scene in a book Just come to hand. 
 
 4 . 
 
f 
 
 III 
 
 I 
 
 HYPOTHESIS. 
 
 Tii 
 
 8. Scene 4, of Act 11., i not considei 'd essential to the 
 plot ; is not acted on the stage, and has never been assigned 
 an adequate motive. ,,. 
 
 9. There is a difference cf opinion as to whether Hanquo's 
 relation to Macbeth was a guilty relation : Flathe holds that 
 It was so, the greater number of critics regard Banquo as a 
 simple and upright soldier untainted by wrong ambitions. 
 
 10. The majority of editors regard the third murderer as 
 an unknown assassin. Paton believes Macbeth was the third 
 murderer; many accept Paton's belief and reasons. 
 
 11. Sc. 6, Act III, is rejected in Irving's arrangement for 
 the stage; it is not considered essential to the plot. 
 
 . 12. No adequate motive is given for the presence of Ross 
 at Macduff's castle a few moments before the murder of Lady 
 Macduff, nor is any adequate motive given for the entrance 
 of the Messenger who warns her of hf r impending fate. 
 
 It will be observed that minute points have been omUted 
 from this scheme of difficulties ; bqt if the hypothesis prove 
 sound and workable it will explain some verbal difficui ies as 
 well as these twelve points and the speeches connected with 
 them. 
 
 The hypothesis offered as an explanation of all these diffi- 
 culties may be briefly stated as follows :— 
 
 The Thane of koss, though a subordinate character, is 
 more important than has yet been shown : he is not merely 
 loquacious and weak but an ambitious intriguer, a man of 
 some ability but no moral worth, a coward, spy, and 
 murderer. 
 
 The most important departure from orthodox ejcplanation 
 of the play is the proposition that Cawdor was in /aa a loyal 
 gentleman; that Ross from a desire to cur^y favour with 
 
 Macbeth, attd f^nm nlUa*^ «»v.M>.^. /_ 1 r -.. J ........ . y- 
 
 aor : that Macbeth and Banquo allowed Cawdor to be ruined, 
 that the words of the witches might prove true; that Cawdor 
 was in the catnp unaware of the plot against him, and that 
 
VIU 
 
 HYPOTHESIS. 
 
 the conspirators, armed with the hasty command of the kimr 
 put htm to death with complete injustice. 
 
 Of course this is a grave departure from orthodox explana- 
 tion: but It must be obvious that orthodox explanation 
 confesses its failure to account for each and every one of the 
 points in question, and that it rather lies with the orthodox 
 to upset this hypothesis,. which accounts for all the facts 
 bdilf.'^"'' ^^^ hypothesis to prove its complete right to' 
 
 The subsequent career of Ross is briefly this : having put 
 Macbeth under obligation to him by his intrigue against 
 Cawdor he follows the new Thane of Cawdor to Inver- 
 ness, He does not appear in the castle on the morning of 
 the murder of Duncan, but shortly after the removal of 
 Duncan s body he is found in the neighbourhood. He tell* 
 Macduff that he means to join Macbeth at Scone. He next 
 appears at Macbeth's court evidently as chief minister of 
 that council of which Aacbeth speaks to Banquo He is- 
 jealous of Banquo who is the only courtier able to be his 
 rival as first adviser of Macbeth. He is the actual as- 
 sassm of Banquo. At the banquet he does all that a skilful 
 intriguer can to assist Lady Macbeth in protecting Macbeth 
 m h.s aberration. Later on he becomes the agent of Mac- 
 beth in the murder of the Macduffs. At this time he sees 
 Macbeth's power on the wane and deserts him, solely on that 
 account. He goes to England and finds Macduff and Mal- 
 colm: after assuring himself that Malcolm has influence 
 enough to overcome Macbeth he tells Macduff of his mur- 
 dered family, and throws in his lot with the cause he rejected 
 m Sc. 4 of Act IL, (when Macduff remained loyal toward Mal- 
 colm). He returns with the Prince, sees Macbeth defeated, 
 and as a reward of endless treachery is made an earl, escap- 
 ing immediate punishment that the Fates may torture him. 
 later, in which he resembles lago, whom he also resembles in 
 many other respects. 
 
 It is freely admitted that much of this outline is not cap- 
 
 \ 
 
i 
 
 HYPOTHESIS. 
 
 IX 
 
 able of direct proof. It was not to be expected that a sub- 
 ordinate character should be painted with the completeness, 
 of the portrait of Macbeth or his wife: and again it was not 
 to be supposed that a spy and intriguer who deceived his in- 
 timate friends and relatives would be drawn so vile as to 
 strike the reader as an open villain. 
 
 But if any critic should read this argument and should say 
 to himself, " It seems quite as easy to show that Ross- 
 was weak and foolish as to show that he was an 
 intriguing villain," it wot be fair for the critic to 
 remember that // t/te two views are equally probable that 
 which accounts satisfactorily for the hitherto incongruous 
 parts of the play must be given rank as the correct view: and 
 moreover, // the new hypothesis has merely fewer objections 
 to it than that which makes Ross innocent and Cawdor a 
 traitor, then the new hypothesis must be accepted as prefer- 
 able to the old. 
 
 /n order that this hypothesis may appear clearly and 
 prominently, the whole play has been printed again and the 
 speeches requiring new notes are in italics. Wherever the 
 interpretation of. the play is in any direct way affected by 
 the view of the characters of Cawdor and Ross here enter- 
 tained, notes explaining the interpretation are given below' 
 the passages affected. 
 
 Further consideration of the soundness of the hypothesis- 
 may now be deferred until the reader has had ah opportunity 
 of testing it by reading the play again in the light of the 
 above explanation, and of the notes. 
 
 The reading followed in this book is mainly that of the 
 
 Variorum edition. In one or two instances the readings of 
 
 the Folio have been restored, but the vindication of the Folic 
 
 at which the work aims is rather a vindication of its scenes. 
 
 than of its words and punctuation. 
 
MACBETH. 
 
 DRAMATIS PERSON.fi, 
 
 DtJKOAM, kins: of Scotland. 
 Malcolm. 1 . , 
 
 DONALBAIN, / *»'8 80n». 
 
 Maobbtii, ) ,..,,. 
 
 Bakquo, ( tfeneralsof the king's army. 
 
 Macduff, "v 
 
 Lennox 
 
 Ross, , , 
 
 Mbnteith, r "oo'emen of Scotland. 
 
 Angus, 
 
 Caithness, , 
 
 Flrancb, son to Banquo. 
 
 SiWARD, Earl of Northumberland, 
 general of the English forces. 
 
 Yftung SiWARD, his son. 
 
 Sbtton, an officer attending on Mac- 
 beth. 
 
 Boy, son to Macduff. 
 
 An English Doctor. 
 A Scotch Doctor 
 A Sei^eant. 
 A Porter. 
 An Old Man. 
 
 Ladt Macbbth. 
 Ladv Macduff. 
 Gentlewoman attending 
 Macbeth. 
 
 on 
 
 Lady 
 
 Hecate. 
 
 Three Witches. 
 
 Apparations. 
 Lords, Gentlemen, Officers, Soldiers, 
 Murderers, Attendants, and Mes- 
 sengers. 
 
 Scene : Scotla^xd : England. 
 
 ACT I. 
 
 Scene I. A desert place. 
 Thunder and Lightning. Enter three Witches. 
 
 First Witch. When shall we three meet again 
 In thunder, lightning, or in rain 1 , , • 
 
 Second Witch. When the hurlyburly's done, 
 When the battle 's lost and won. 
 
 Third Witch. That will be ere the set of sun. 
 Where the place ? 
 
 Upon the heath. 
 There to meet with Macbeth. 
 I come, Graymalkin ! 
 Padfiuck calls. 
 
 First Witch. 
 Second Witch. 
 Third Witch. 
 First Witch. 
 Second Witch. 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 4 
 
 S 
 6 
 
 '7 
 8 
 
 9 
 
12 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 Third Witch. Anon. 
 All. Fair is foul, and foul is fair : 
 Hover through the fog and filthy air. 
 
 Scene II. A camp near Forres. 
 
 \o 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 Alarum within. Enter Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, 
 Lennox, with attendants, meeting a bleeding Sergeant. 
 
 Duncan. What bloody man is that? He can report, 
 As seemeth by his plight, f the revolt 
 The newest state. 
 
 Malcolm. This is the sergeant 
 
 Who like a good and hardy soldier fought 
 'Gainst my cap(ivity.-~Hail, brave friend/ 
 Say to the king the knowledge of the broil 
 As thou didst leave it. 
 
 Sergeant. Doubtful it stood ; 
 
 As two spent swimmers, that do cling together . 
 And choke their art. The merciless Macdonwald 
 ( Worthy to be a rebel, for to that 
 The multiplying villanies of nature 
 Do swarm upon him) from the western isles 
 Of kerns and gallowglasses is supplied ; 
 And fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling, 
 Show'd like a rebel's whore : but all's too weak : 
 
 I 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 ■5 
 (y 
 
 7 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 lo 
 1 1 
 
 12 
 
 '3 
 14 
 •5 
 
 1-3. This speech tells us that the sergeant had the appearance of one who 
 had just been wounded in battle: also that the king had b^en receiving 
 reports of the revolt in earlier stages. "Revolt" may imply Duncan's keen 
 desire to learn the doings of the rebels rather than those of Norway. 
 
 3-7. Malcolm gives th« sergeant a character for courage and loyalty that 
 predisposes us to believe his story. The Prince tells us his own liberty had 
 been endangered in the battle. His speech stimulates the sergeant lo make a 
 brave story of the fight. 
 
 0-12. Maodnnwald in (ipflpnhpd fV8 & born rcbeh ill which he is & couif^let-e 
 contrast to Cavdor, the ronsi'leration of whose appearance leads Duncan 
 (L 4.) to say ' 
 
 " There's no art 
 " To find the mind's construction in the face." 
 
ACT I. SCENE TI. 
 
 13 
 
 lo 
 
 I 
 
 2 
 
 •5 
 
 7 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 lo 
 I ( 
 
 12 
 
 '3 
 14 
 IS 
 
 For brave Macbeth— well he deserves that name- 
 Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel, 
 Which sn>-ked with bloody execution, 
 Like valour's minion, carved out his passage 
 Till he faced the slave ; 
 
 Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, 
 7/7/ Ae unseam' d him from the nave to the chaps, 
 And fix' (this head upon our battlements. 
 
 Duncan. O valiant cousin ! worthy gentleman ! 
 
 Sergeant. As whence the sun 'gins his reflection 
 Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders break. 
 So from that spring whence comfort seem'd to come 
 Discomfort swells. Mark, king of Scotland, mark : 
 No sooner justice had., with valour arm'd, 
 Compelled these skippins; kerns to trust their heels, 
 But the Norweyan lord, surveying vantage. 
 With furbished arms and new supplies of men. 
 Began a fresh assault. 
 
 Duncan. Dismay'd not this * 
 
 Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo ? 
 
 Sergeant. Yes • 
 
 As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion. 
 If I say sooth, I must report they were 
 As cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they 
 Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe : 
 Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds. 
 Or memorize another Golgotha, 
 
 1 6 
 
 17 
 i8 
 
 '9 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 22 
 23 
 
 24 
 
 25 
 26 
 
 27 
 28 
 
 29 
 
 36 
 31 
 32 
 
 33 
 34 
 
 35 
 36 
 
 y? 
 
 38 
 
 39 
 
 ■40 
 
 22-23. This terribk feat is so noteworthy that it is incredible that Ross 
 should not have known it when he speaks to the king a few moments later 
 Even m a great modern battle the incident by which a prominent leader was 
 killed would rapidly spread, how much more in the compact h&nd to hand 
 struggle of Duncan's day. Yet Ross soys nothing of Macdonwald. " Fi£A his 
 head upon onr battlenmits," greatly emphasizes the publicity of the incident. 
 This is the only "personal venture" of Macbeth's referred to by the sergeant. 
 
 •2l;-b3. It appeared a great gain to overcome Macdonwald but when Norway 
 saw Duncan's generals pursuing the rebels he saw a good opportunity of 
 attacking thorn :n the rear. 
 
14 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 I cannot tell — ^i 
 
 Put 1 am faint; my gashes cry for help. 42 
 
 Duncan. So well thy words become thee as thy wounds ; 43. 
 
 They smack of honour both.~Go get him surgeons 
 Who comes here 2 
 
 Enter Ross. (Folith-Enter Ross and Angus.) 
 Malcolm. The worthy thane of Ross. 
 
 Lennox. What a haste looks through his eyes f So 
 should he look 
 That seems to speak things strange. 
 Ross. God save the king / 
 
 Duncan. Whence earnest thou, worthy thane f 
 Ross. From Fife., great king; 
 
 Where the Norweyan banners flout the sky. 
 And fan our people cold. Norway himself 
 With terrible numbers, 
 (Assisted by that most disloyal traitor 
 The thane of Cawdor), began a dismal conflict j 
 Till that Bellona^s bridegroom, lapfd in proof, 
 Confronted^him with self-comparisons, 
 Point against point rebellious, arm Against arm, 
 Curbing his lavish spirit : and, to conclude. 
 The victory fell on us; — 
 
 44 
 45 
 
 45 
 46 
 
 47 
 47 
 48 
 48 
 
 49 
 
 S« 
 52 
 5> 
 54 
 55 
 56 
 57 
 58 
 
 44. The sergeant remains, and his presence has a marked effect upon the 
 speech of Ross. 
 
 46-46. Contrast this sarcastic introduction with the welcome received by the 
 truthful sergeant. Lennox tells us that the warlike courage of Ross is in the 
 expression of his eyes. He comes up, not covered with blood from honourable 
 warfare but full of a startling story. " Seenu" is precisely the best word to 
 show the insincere loquacity of Ross. 
 
 47. " God gave the king." Contrast the blunt commencement of the ser- 
 geant. Of course the Thane should be more ceremonious. 
 
 48. " Whetice came»t thouf" Duncan had no need of asking the sergeant 
 this question. 
 
 48-58-62. This long speech, broken only at line 58 by two words from 
 Duncan, gives token of careful preparation : it is framed with the perfect 
 subtlety of a thorough intriguer. So skilfully are the names of Cawdor and 
 Norway mixed in it that at a single reading it is impossible to say which 
 s.-ftt^rr.€r.t« refer ti} the lorei^ii kiiifj and which to the Scotch Thane. Tliere is- 
 
 F 
 
 t 
 A 
 1 
 
 n 
 1 
 
 r( 
 
 ai 
 
 C( 
 
 ai 
 
 Sc 
 Sc 
 
41 
 
 42 
 
 Is; 45 
 
 44 
 
 45 
 
 45 
 46 
 
 47 
 47 
 48 
 48 
 4^ 
 
 5' 
 52 
 
 sy ■ 
 
 54 
 55 
 56 
 57 
 S8 
 
 ACT I. SCENE II. 
 
 Duncan. Great happiness ! 
 
 That now 
 Siveno, the Norway^ king, craves composition^ 
 Nor would we deign him burial of his men . 
 Till he disbursed, at Saint Colme's Inch, 
 Ten thousand dollars to our general use. 
 
 Duncan. No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive 
 Our bosom interest. —go pronounce his present death, 
 And with his former title greet Macbeth. 
 
 Ross. J'll see it done. 
 
 Duncan. What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won. 
 
 lb 
 
 59 
 60 
 .61. 
 
 62 
 
 63 
 64 
 
 ^5 
 
 67 
 - ^ [Exeunt. 
 
 little doubt that Duncan believeB lines 54^ to refer to a com.. at between 
 Macbeth and Cawdor: it seems more than highly probable that Johnson and 
 other annotators have been similarly misled by Ross's <leceitful sentence 
 Ansrus however who is present (aocording to the first Folio) takes these line* 
 (Scene 3, I 109) as referring in a general way to Norway and his forces, as- 
 of course thej do accordL.g to a grammatical analysis. If any proof of 
 this were needed it might be had by placing in brackets as we have ventured 
 to do above all that really refers to Cawdor ("assisted by that most dis- 
 mal traitor, the thane of Cawdor") and reading the speech without it 
 When however Duncan exclaims "great happiness!" Ross knows he has 
 taken his wonis to mean that Cawdor was overcome and captured and he 
 resmnes his speech by naming "Sweno, the Norway's king" fully, which he 
 would never have done if Duncan had taken the preening five lines to refer to 
 this same Sweno. Is it possible to suppose that Ross would here mention 
 Sweno elaborately if he had not been deceiving Duncan and Ai.gus T 
 speakmg ambiguously in the lines before ? 
 
 „r!r''J.'^"*'I°u!'* ■^'""'""l "« *« ^hat had silenced Duncan dMring this 
 prolonged speech his words in these lines would dispel it: his whole mind is 
 taken up with the traitorous conduct of Cawdor. He commissions Ross and 
 SeiJcawTor*** ^^^ "''«°""°" °' Cawdor, (b) greet Macbeth as the new 
 
 66-67. Ross has gained his point: while pretending to Angus to sneak 
 mainly Of Norway he has pretended to Duncan to spL mainly of Catdor 
 The king closes the scene by showing his rage against Cawdor. 
 
 The duplicity of Ross in this scene is excelled only by his duplicity in, 
 reporting it to Macbeth in Seen .. 3. It weakens both scenes greatlytr^move 
 as some have removed, the thane of Angus from Scene 2. Cawdor has been 
 condemned merely upon a parenthetical line and a half from Ross. There « 
 ahsohdely no other proof of hie guUt in the play 
 
 JV\"l^!!.!^r!'liT.!' "^ '^.'^^ commissioned by Duncan. In 
 a« I'Z^'^r". "Z "r^^"-'- ^nP -exeunt" of the Folio at the end of 
 80. 2 p. obably refers to Ross and Angus but not to Duncan and his attendants. 
 
16 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 i ! 
 
 • Scene III. a heath, 
 
 Thunder. Enter the three Witches. 
 
 First Witch. Where hast thou been, sister? 
 Second Witch. Killing swine. 
 Third Witch. Sister, where thou ? 
 First Witch. A sailor's wife had chestnuts in her lap ' 
 And munch'd. and munch'd, and munch'd. ' Give me ' 
 quoth I : ' 
 
 * Aroint thee, witch !' the rump-fed ronyon cries. 
 Her husband's to Aleppo gone, master o' the Tiger : 
 But in a sieve I'll thither sail, 
 And, like a rat without a tail, 
 I'll do, I'll do, and \% do. 
 
 Second Witch. I'll give thee a wind. 
 First Witch. Thou'rt kind. 
 Third Witch. And I another. 
 Firsf Witch. I myself havt all the other. 
 And the very ports they blow, 
 All the quarters that they know 
 I' the shipman's card. 
 
 I will drain him dry as hay: ^ 
 
 Sleep shall neither night nor day 
 
 Hang upon his pent-house lid ; 30 
 
 He shall live a man forbid : 
 Weary se'nnights nine times nine 
 Shall he dwindle, peak and pine : 
 Though his bark cannot be lost, 
 Yet it shall be tempest-tost. 
 Look what I have. 
 
 Second Witch. Show me, show me. 
 
 First Witch. Here I have a pilot's thumb, 
 Wreck'd as homeward he did come. ' iDrum within. 
 
 Third Witch. A drum, a drum ! 
 Macbeth doth come. 
 
ACT I. SCENE III. 
 
 All. The weird sisters, hand in hand, 
 Posters of the sea and land, 
 Thus do go about, about : 
 Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine. 
 And thrice again, to make up nine. 
 Peace ! the charm's wound up. 
 
 VJ 
 
 Macbeth. 
 Banquo. 
 
 Enter Macbeth and Banquo. 
 
 So foul and fair a day I have not seen. - 38 
 How far is't call'd to Forres? What are these 39 
 
 40 
 41 
 42 
 43 
 44 
 
 45 
 46 
 
 47 
 
 So wither'd, and so wild in their attire. 
 
 That look not like the inhabitants o' the earth, 
 
 And yet are on't ?— Live you ? or are you aught 
 
 That man may question .? You seem to understand me 
 
 By each at once her choppy finger laying 
 
 Upon her skinny lips: you should be women. 
 
 And yet your beards forbid me to interpret 
 
 That you are so. 
 
 Macbeth. Speak, if you can : what are you ? 
 
 First IV. All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of 
 Glamis ! 
 
 Sec IV All hail, Macbeth ! hail to thee, thane 0/ 
 Cawdor/ 
 
 49 
 Third IV. All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be hne- here- 
 after! 
 1 50 
 
 48-50. Why Is the thanedom of Glamis polluted by the lips of these «,. 
 natural sisters? Would it not be in the nmnner of ShakesLre 1 ofZ' 
 
 an unfll al desire to succeed Sine] before the appointed time? Maobeth's hZ 
 tual references to future time are Morthy of a separate sti^v M « 
 ..«. ofl^Un, at tke three all Hail', tke first im,Uio:ZT^:^l;e ll!^ 
 nnc, wh^ch^. a rather intangme for^n 0/ murder : the ZZZhTXZ 
 
 should have defended and cleared ■ this v. • ^... ... '"«<'°«"» 
 
 the horrible midnight assasHmtion ^t^ DurJUZ^^^^'^ 7^!!Z 1 
 
 2 
 
18 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 ii 
 
 Banquo. Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear 5 r 
 
 Things that do sound so fair ? I' the name of truth, 
 Are ye Jantastkal, or that indeed 
 Which flutivardly ye show f My noble partner • 
 You greet with present grace and great prediction 
 Of noble, having and of royal hope. 
 That he seems rapt withal : to me you speak not : 
 J/ you can look into the seeds 0/ time, 
 And say which grain will grow and which will not, 
 speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear 
 Your favours nor your hate. 
 
 First Witch. Hail ! 
 
 Second Witch. Hail ! 
 
 Third Witch. Hail ! 
 
 First Witch. Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. 
 
 Second Witch. Not so hafipy, yet much happier. 
 
 Third Witch. Thou Shalt get kings, though thou b-. 
 none : 
 
 So all hail, Macbeth and I5anquo ! 
 First Witch. Banquo and Macbeth, all hail ! 
 Macbeth. Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more : 
 By SinePs death I know I am thane of Glamis; 
 J^1\ Those who habitually read to find the motive of each speech n,„st 
 »r h ,V^ "r '" *""' ""^^ '" '^PP^'^' ^" "equivocator," ihat is, o„e 
 his conliLre" " ' "'""" "' ''"" "" '"' P'-''^^"'^^ ^'•-"'-•'v a, to 
 
 ciit? '"'" '""■" '""" '" "''"^•' '■''**''•■ '""••^ *^''" '-^'^ °r a,„u8ed 
 
 60.61. These words clearly show the effort of Banquo to hold himself free 
 from serious motive in consulting the witches. 
 
 65-67. Not only does Banque receive promises fitted to inflame his hopes, but 
 
 hese promises link hini indiseolubly to Macbeth, and bind him to wish for 
 
 the ulfllment both of all the witches suy reganling himself and (to that end) 
 
 of all they say regarding Macbeth. ' 
 
 70. Imperfect speakers. He knew they had spoken some truth. ' 
 of ! 1": «Z «tep in Macbeth's ascent to the throne depends upon the death 
 or ... , . .,5ne.. „5cii ..awaor, theu Duncan, if the witches spur in hin» 
 the criminal ambition of his nature, is it not reasonable to suppose that th^ 
 olimax of the three honours corresponds to a climax of three crimes ? 
 
 52 
 
 53 
 
 54 
 55 
 
 56 
 
 57 
 
 58 
 
 59 
 
 6c 
 
 61 
 
 62 
 
 65 
 64 
 
 65 
 66 
 
 67 
 68 
 
 69 
 
 7o 
 71 
 
fear $t 
 
 5* 
 53 
 
 54 
 55 
 
 56 
 
 57 
 5» 
 59 
 60 
 61 
 
 62 
 
 65 
 
 64 
 
 65 
 66 
 
 67 
 68 
 
 69 
 
 7o 
 71 
 
 t 
 
 -4Cr I. ^CiffA'J? ///. 
 
 Hu/ how of Cawdor f the thane of Cawdor lives, 
 A prosperous gentleman; and to bv king 
 Stands not within the prospect of belief. 
 No more than to be Cawdor. Say from whence 
 
 10 
 
 72 
 
 73 
 
 74 
 
 75 
 
 72-73 "The thane <>/ Cnmlor Uv.m, a pro^i^rou. i,^^i^tuZ^-~li,~rZ 
 mean, hy thiH that Cawdor ix probably where hi a,.,i J"*"*"'""- Ma<-beth 
 Scotch can,, an,, prohahly .nLn:J:;o;"div;,^ 'on;;;Z W ""' 'V'^ 
 .Imply incre^lible that thcBo word« are used Hn Z r,l "" " '" 
 
 prUoned rebel who ha,) turned traitor rthlwarhr"7''';! "' ""•"'• 
 c-o„flden« or the kin,. Better .ith 8^ ." ," It , "le'„ V""'"'^ 
 repudiate it with the Can.brid^e editorn than .neret 1 . 0.^ k'^'""'" 
 
 Kruou. U thi« Hpeech i, corrupt the whole sZh^. or". '"J^ '"'"h 
 agrees n,o«t ,H..rfectI.v with the context : the wo^ls " Ti.e thZe o rl ^ V"^*" 
 a prosperous Rentleman " are shaded down .„ "T».e ,•!,!!, n ''"""' 
 
 why do you ,lre«« me in borrowed robes 'whVnn , ^'''*'''°'' ""'''■• 
 
 Cawdor; will any reader Mievethatt^^ ".nirrtshln^d'" 'T'""' *" 
 the resuit ot corrupt rciin^s ? What meZ h^. u" t ,' T '^'■':" '* 
 Of the two sc-enes when they are perfectly ..oherc^^t , Z i o IVZT, ' 
 speech to speech, but incongruous when compared a« sceneT ' '""'" 
 
 But m reahty there is no incongruity whatever. Macbeth and lUn 
 nftuenced by the witches' predictions. In^th desire everTwoil o^thte ! hT'' 
 t.onstocome true: both Itnow Cawdor innoc'enf b,>r « wk **'"'^ t"^'''"''- 
 Cawdor if the witches are to speak truth ^,,1; t^ '^ """" '"'''^''^ 
 
 has Kiven place to Macbeth :hs trebles th^ l"?"" ^^ T' '"'* ^""'^'»- 
 that Cawdor may be out of the wa^ af, Z 1 *"'.''' "'"^ '^""'"'' 
 tells then, that Cawdor ha« been ^ui'lt^Cf t r!" "" "t" *^'''"' ^"'^^ 
 heard so; now was it in the natuT or^beth or of "lU, T' ^"^'"^ "*" 
 Cawdor? If Macbeth and Banquo arc ..otT^Hfd i.? u T '" '"^"^ "" '"'• 
 
 not press Uoss for an expIanatlT ^the do" 1 IfT' "" ""•^' '" ''^^■ 
 the prosperous Cawdor? fs it pLwieZ 1 J, "-""""" ' """""»« 
 
 ^«f,«« «» to how Candor had been a reZu ' "'^"'"'""' *""''* "-^ 
 
 To suppose Cawdor an innocent man tr,A, 1 j 
 
 curry favour with Macbeth, Ico ""dh.^S "" ''"'"!' '^ '■'^' ^'^"'^ *« 
 dor Castle is fifteen miles fro„a"ver„esn^ltr '"';"' "'""--(Cow- 
 unlike la, Vs. and partly no dourf:r Cfa UelVsTe^^c^^ "" 
 
 every arn to suppose this most probable if not Jr^Th 1 '°'"" '" 
 
 by ahund..d arjfun.ents, is to banish evervd,!.! 1'"''' '"''»'°'*^'' 
 
 less scene: to reject thisView is to taveTiesl aid", „'" '''r^'" ''"^- 
 much worse than annotators have admiUed in In, k 1 ^''""''" '■*'^'>' 
 many lines haa been o.er^oo^^^ttT.i:: i:r!:Zl'l^^^^^^^ ^ «>' 
 
 ^;::s;'ir ""^ '"'^'^' '^^ ^^'^ '^=-'" ^- exi^t^nc^ or;::::rs;::n 
 
 75. It does not, Macbeth says, stand within the prospect of belief to be 
 
20 
 
 ( I 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 You owe this strange intelhifence? or why ^g 
 
 Upon this blasted heath ydu stop our way . L 
 
 Wuh such prophetic greeting ? Speak, I charge you. 78 
 
 f IVitches vanish. 
 Banquo. The earth hath bubbles as tf>e water has, 70 
 And these are of them. Whither are they vanished ? 80 
 
 J^^'f'f\ Into the air; and what seem'd corporal 81 
 Melted as breath into the wind. Would they had stay'd 1 8i 
 Banquo. Were such things here as we do speak about? 81 
 Oi have we eaten on the insane root g^ 
 
 That takes the reason prisoner? ^ 
 
 Macbeth. Your children shall be kings. 86 
 
 « You shall be king. 
 
 And thane of Cawdor too ; went it not so? 87 
 To the selfsatne nne and words. Who's here? 88 
 Enter Ross «/»^ Angus 
 
 Manquo. 
 Macbeth. 
 Banquo. 
 
 indeed to render the possibility of being king utterly absurd. Let those JS 
 2 Cawdor was ^ilty explain these words away : they will fl„d it is l^^^. 
 ^otof a new hypothesis against an old one but of a new hypothesis no 1 
 itself improbable, against none whatever. No one will l.lieTtha bawd' 
 Z * '''"^rr^' '*"-«"«^h Macbeth-s exertions and that MaCeth wL 
 ancient battle such a thing would be absolutely impossible. 
 
 88. In order to understand Banquo this scene should be read over and over 
 ^kh Banquo alone in view. Two things will then appear , .,, .0,,,, T) 
 That Banquo makes a vacillating s( n Tgle between the free path ui' s ,•• Lvms 
 contempt for the witches and their aliuring predictions, and ,, .. . ,« .„ ■ of 
 ^riosity and hope in regard to these predictions : (2) That .ia....i. batches 
 Banquo dosely and whenever he fears Banquo is about t« mention Cawdor h^ 
 dangles the witches pron.ise before his eyes and binds him to a guilty silent 
 a« appears in the following note. ^ suence, 
 
 ^^?!:r.^ m""^.^ ^T"" *'"" ^^^"-^ •>" '^"^ ^*" •■«««>" "«« been taken 
 .^/...r. Maobeth replies with apparent irrelevance "your children shall be 
 
 v' ..«.?J'"'''*H''t "^"" "**" ^ "'"'f" «'^°^'"« *hat his mind is 
 
 •-T f I .f""^ "P**" *•"" predictions: then Macbeth says In effect 
 
 • I .. . eui to be king ..- A if your children are to rule, I must first be than» 
 
 L fhou.''"h» hT"*"" '■ '" ""f '^*^'' '** ^'**''****'' '^''"" »"«« ''"'» Angus come 
 iii. thoufc! he has every reason to enquire how that Thane has fallen. 
 
76 
 • 77 
 
 'ant's A. 
 
 79 
 So 
 
 ACT I. 8V£NE HI. 
 
 Ross. The king hath happily received, Macbeth, 
 The news of thy success; and when he reads 
 Thy personal venture in the rebels' Jight, 
 His wonders and his praises do contend 
 Which should be thine or his : silenced with that, 
 In viewing o W the rest o' the selfsame day. 
 He finds thee in the stout Norweyan ranks. 
 Nothing a/ear d of what thyself didst make. 
 Strange images of death. As thick as hail 
 Came post wtth post; and every one did bear 
 Thy praises in his kingdom's great defence. 
 And fiour'd them down be/ore him. 
 
 _A^^- We are sent 
 
 90 
 
 9i 
 
 9» 
 93 
 94 
 95 
 96 
 
 97 
 9» 
 99 
 
 00 
 
 w.thl"!!: *'"'■*' u'/^f '*'^""'«"^ f'«l»«nrf« upon the oo.npariBon of thin sp«. ■]» 
 Z';::!.t:i;r"' ""' ^'^ in so. . to „,.„ th... together .„ di..ha.,... . 
 
 Thi« Hpeech is pcrha,* the .hrewdent example of the subtle han.lhn^ .f 
 ambi^'tious phrases by an intri^ier to be met witli anywhere 
 Many will say no doubt that it is easy to read subtle meanin,^ into any 
 
 Ta >uS' il .;>"■""" h'J' '" --emembered that all the annotato^ who have 
 grappled with this speech have con,e to one of two conclusions, (a) That it 
 « corrupt or uumtelligible. (b) That Koss forgot what he actu;ilV ha.lld 
 hat Z;\ „," "'^'^ ^''r '"'""• ""' "''•^' ^"' ->■ *»"^^ -explanation 
 reply to the latter It is urged that while a play whose very subie.- I» 
 murder is hardly con.p.ete without a spy and intri'guer. such a'pCTal n^ 
 particular need of a weak-«,inde<l thane who cannot remen.ber a few hou« 
 after, the most in.portant woi-ds of his life-time. Dat.iel. who is accepted bv 
 
 Scu,^'" 'f r T ^'"' "■" ""'^^'^ *»•« ^^^ appreciation 'of the 
 difflcult.es involved, gives up the explanation in despair: "Ross and 
 Angus oo„.e fron. the King. Ross describes how the news of Macbeth. 
 
 with the title of Cawdor, and AnKUs informs Macteth that Cawdor lie* 
 CritrK '' '- -treasons capital,' but whether'^he tls t 
 
 ie klowT not r'" r. :'**' *'' '''"' [Maodonwald], or with both, 
 he known not, Ross <hd know when, in the preceding scene, he took 
 
 t a"t Tnv ? Tl "^ ''^ '''"^ • *'"* *•« '*•«*' •'P»-'"- *« hav^ forgot" 
 't. at any rate he does not betray his knowledge. Ma^hMJ.: L .r 
 
 rncrr^ory u eoen ,m,re, retnarkable than Jto^.S. He .ioesn't recollect 
 
 having, hnnsdf defeated Cawdo, but a few short hou«-we migh say m'nut« 
 
 -ago; and the Witches' prophetic greeting of him by that title, and Lt^ 
 
22 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 iil 
 
 <^f y ^o keraid thee z Uo his stg/u ' 
 
 ^oi Pay thee. "^ ' 
 
 101 
 
 1 02 
 103 
 
 104 
 
 105 
 
 106 
 107 
 
 - ■ ^'-'z 
 
 heard Duncan pronounce the fate oJcawr / ^"'"^ '° ^""^«" -^"^ 
 "Am" Of line 55 So. 2. as referrL „ rr ^ u ^^"' '^''* "«* '"t««-Pret the 
 differed from Duncan, and S;ZnL ?;;'"' '° ^"'•"'^y- ('» -hich he 
 he inquired Of Ross wLatcI^';i~?;f'^''^"^^ "^ -^ -PP<>- 
 h.m (52-53 So. 2.) as a traitor. Ros^had saH«fl h ^ ''^"""^ '^^« '^""d^^o 
 h.m that Cawdor had been guilty o, '1 ^''*.*''" ''''^'^ A"«"« by telling 
 J/ut he had not completely sTt fled hi r?''P'*'''' "°"'^«««^ "^"l Proved 
 W What wrong Cawdof had do- *'"' ''''''^'' ^^^* ''^ ^'- -t 
 
 It IS before this same Ane-us that w«»= 
 -- speech to Duncan anTi ' ch rdra^Th t""' ''" ""^°""* ^^ *»»^* 
 Banquo exclain, that Cawdor is innocenf 1 ?°' "^'^''^ "^''^«'*> -"d 
 words may be seen below : '""»««"*• Some of the an.biguities of his 
 
 (a) He gives Macbeth the impression fnr fh. 
 the messenger to Duncan : but ^e does h « "'°'"'"' *""* »>" ^«« "«* hin.self 
 s»«Pect it. ^' '^''«*' *h.8 80 carefully that Angus does not 
 
 stood it) while to Angus it brings a oUt T '^'■^''"" ^""'"^ have under- 
 (0) "Silenced with that - rrehe^h '°'"" °' ''^''"'^^ "^"^ ^^^^dor. 
 
 ;vith -nderandadn,irationb; he tZ'r* T, ^"'="' ^'^ "—^ 
 to Angus it means that Duncan was s„t,T ''^''"' '^""' ^'"^ Macdonwald : 
 
 that he paid "o attention to :henerofte\Ttt:e'*' ''"'" "* ^''"'^"^'^ ^"* 
 
 rsir„rnirj:.:r:;r3ra^"^-r^^^--*^^^^^^ 
 
 He.„n_otunde.tandwh%oXre::or4^:,^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
 
 cawd:^ wte;trh?crtri\rr n^^^^^^^^ -- o, 
 
 • involves the ruin of Cawdor SZh'h V"^" ^"^'" "'^'P''**" ^^at 
 
 f^awdvr: ■--' ««« raj- nothing io mve 
 
 lor. Banquo thinks of the witches' predictions. 
 
 ■\\} I! 
 
ACT I. SCENE III. 
 
 23 
 
 lor 
 1 02 
 103 
 104 
 105 
 106 
 
 107 
 
 >r recollecti, 
 
 IKU8 heard 
 'uncan and 
 terpret the 
 1 which he 
 ty suppose 
 alluded to 
 by telling- 
 i proved ; 
 ' does not 
 
 It of that 
 ibeth and 
 ies of his 
 
 >t himself 
 does not 
 
 nwald as 
 e under- 
 ^dor. 
 vercome 
 lonwald : 
 r's guilt 
 
 ioene 2? 
 )eeche8. 
 
 lane of 
 in that 
 le new 
 f« »ave 
 
 Macbeth. The thane of Cawdor lives : why do you 
 dress me in borrow'd robes f 
 
 Angus. Who was the thane lives yet ^ 
 
 ■ But under heavy judgment bears that life 
 Which he deserves to lose. Whether he was combined 
 With those of Norway, or did line the rebel 
 With hidden help and vantage., or that with both 
 He labour din his country's wreck, I know not; 
 But treasons capital, confess' d and proved^ 
 Have overthrown him. - -^'' 
 
 Macbeth. [Aside.] Glamis, and the thane of Cawdor / 
 The greatest is behind. Thanks for your pains. 
 
 Do you not hope your children shall be kings, 
 When those that gave the thane of Cawdor to me 
 Promised no less to them ? 
 
 Banquo. That, trttsted home, 
 
 Might yet enkindle you unto the crown, 
 
 loS 
 
 109 
 no 
 II ( 
 
 113 
 
 113 
 iid 
 i'5 
 
 116 
 117 
 
 118 
 119 
 
 120 
 121 
 
 108. Macbeth, more feebly than to the witches, protests that Cawdor lives ; 
 not that he wishes Cawdor prosperous but that he wants proof of his downfall. 
 
 Some readers may ar^ue that when Macbeth in the conversation with the 
 witchegsaid "The thane of Cawdor lives, a prosperous gentleman," he was 
 merely trying to draw them out ; Banquo might have understood him in that 
 way, they will argue. But line 108 must convince every reader that such a 
 view is utterly untenable. 
 
 109-116. This speech means, " Yes, Macbeth, the man who was thane of Caw- 
 dor is still alive but he's condenmed to die, and justly so. I do not know 
 whether his rebellious acts were overt or secret or both, but I know he has been 
 guiltv of treasons capital, because he has confesse<i as much and besides it has 
 been proved ; and on account of this high treason he has been condemned by 
 the king." 
 
 As a matter of fact Angus knew nothing about the matter except what Ross 
 had told him : it is like Shakespeare to say to the reader between the lines and 
 with grim irony "Treasons capital have overthrown him." 
 
 Does Macbeth clear up the doubts of Angus or ask for the confessions of 
 Cawdor or the proof Ross had offered Duncan? Not at aU, but thanks Ross 
 and Angus for their pains and turns to dangle the allurements of a royal oflf- 
 flpring before the eyes of the conscientious Banquo for fear he may fa;! *..o. ciz-.w- 
 nive with Ross and himself in their guilty and silent partnership. He puts the 
 promise to Banquo's children in its most favourable light and Banquo is cor- 
 rupted. Why does not Ross say to Macbeth words to this effeet,— "How can 
 
24 
 
 ' 
 
 It: 
 
 
 ■ ' 
 if- 
 
 :i! 
 
 Ill 
 
 Macbeth. 
 
 JnZ J*""^"'^'^- ButUU strange- 
 ^nd oflenttmes, to u'in us to our harm ' 
 
 ne tnstrumenls of darkness tell us truths 
 
 Tn'"d "1 T" ""•"' '"■^'' '" ""^'y '' 
 
 dn deepest consequ, .ice.— 
 Cousins, a word, I pray you. 
 Macbeth. r. . . , _ 
 
 ^^;^fPyProlo^estotHe}w:mn^:^r'^^^^ 
 
 L^«^^.J This supernatural solicitin^f 
 Cannot be ill; cannot be good :. if HI, 
 my hath itgi^en me earnest of success 
 
 m5 ', ^'^'^ ^J^^/rt'/tf that su^zestion 
 ^^-'^^■^^■^^^agedmunJ.„^ZT 
 ":" f"f' '"^ ''''''^ ^'^^^t knock at my n.bs 
 Aiatnst the use of nature? Present /aT' 
 Are ess than horribie imaginings : 
 ^^y fought, whose murder yet is but fantastical 
 Shakes so my single state of man thalfZTf' 
 
 But T:^'" .^.„«,,, and nothing Is 
 Bui what is not. 
 
 ^w „^, eiz:i!^ ""■'■" "" '""' •"' '"■^' ^"y' '4, 
 
 Without my stir. 
 plot. I8 it too much to savtlmf/l ''^: f "'■'^«- »«* to ruin his eNcellent. 
 
 He had Ross's wn,vj *i,»* g.^V ""' *"« *« ;«flm«d to silenoj.. hio -7„,.t - 
 adding that he did not know whit Z IT^'^', ^"'* "^"^^'^ '''«* ^'W the same, 
 "2. Our partner. Bv an indilSubie tie" '"'"'" "^ '^^"- 
 
 122 
 123 
 124 
 '25 
 
 '27 
 
 J2& 
 I2y 
 130 
 
 •34 
 '35 
 '36 
 
 »37 
 I3« 
 139 
 
 140 
 141 
 
 y 11 
 
ACT I. SCENE III. 
 
 25. 
 
 144. 
 
 146 
 
 47 
 
 Banquo. New honours come upon him, 
 
 Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mould 
 But with the aid of use. 
 
 Macbeth. \Asidei\ Come what come may, 
 
 Time and the hour runs through the roughest day. 
 
 Banquo. Worthy Macbeth, we stay upon your leisure. 148 
 
 Macbeth. Give me your favour : my dull brain was 149 
 wrought 
 With things forgotten. Kind gentlemen, your pains 
 Are registered where every day I turn 
 The leaf to read them. Let us toward the king.- 
 Think upon what hath chanced., and at more time, 
 The interim having weigh'd it, let us speak 
 Our free hearts each to other. 
 
 Banquo. Very gladly. 
 
 Macbeth, Till then, &XiO\x%\i.— Come, friends. Exeunt. 156 
 
 150 
 
 152 
 153- 
 '54. 
 155 
 
 144. WithoMt my stir. Just as in the case of Cawdor, where mere silence had: 
 been the only requirement. Even Duncan expresses surprige that Cawdor 
 proved a traitor; Macbeth and Banquo say nothing, beyond asking how it was 
 • possible for Macbeth to succeed a prosperous nobleman still living. Yet the 
 editors ask us to believe that Cawdor was guilty and that Macbeth had defeated, 
 him in open rel)ellion. 
 
 150163. Maobeth's profuse thanks to these men are not adequately explained 
 on the mere ground that they had brought Duncan's message. 
 
 153. " What hath chanced." Without my stir. 
 
 155. Very gladly. Banquo's mind is corrupted : he struggles hard to be 
 honourable but he never frees himself from the power of evil hopes. In the- 
 act that follows he remains a passive murderer while Macbeth becomes a 
 brutal assassin. Perhaps there is no instance even in these plays where twa 
 characters are discriminated with differences so miraculously drawn. Both 
 are brave, even honourable, both are infirm of purpose ; with children MacJ.eth 
 might have resembled Banquo much more closely than he does; (too much, 
 cannot be ma^e of the fact that Macbeth has no heir ; it is the veiy cause why 
 Lady Macbeth would make up to him in public life what is lacking in their 
 domestic h*e;) but Macbeth is less conscientious and more violent ; he cares- 
 less for his conscience than for his horrible imagination, and when goaded 
 
 Oy his wife he does what Rnnmm wU}.„,,t -iinh a r— =-• ---« 
 
 ■ 1 — — i.n!it cuon a goau auu wijn a more 
 
 remote ambition could ne^ er have done. 
 
 156 Come frUnds. In massing the speeches of a scene Shakespeare never 
 forgets the emphasis of the final words. 
 
26 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 ■ n 
 
 Scene IV. Forres. The palace. 
 
 Flourish. Enter Duncan. Malcolm, Donalbain, 
 Lennox, «;?</ Attendants. 
 
 Duncan. Is execution done on Cawdor? Are not 
 
 Those in commission yet returned? 
 Malcolm. ^^ j.^^^^ 
 
 rhey are not yet come back. But I have spoke 
 
 With one that saw him die, who did report 
 
 That very frankly he confessed his treasons, 
 Implored your highness' pardon and set forth 
 A deep repentance : nothing in k^'s life 
 Became him like the leaving it; he died 
 As one that had been studied in his death, 
 
 To throw away the dearest thing he owed ' 
 As 'twere a careless trifle. 
 
 ^^"''f''- There's no art 
 
 Jo find the mind's construction in the face : 
 
 I 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 4 
 5 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 8 
 
 9 
 lo 
 
 n 
 
 12" 
 
 of ^ii^rf ''^'i' ''^P*''""' ''"'» t'o^l'l^d about news of Cawdor. In mo.nentH 
 lie than". " '"" '"*''"^ ^'^^ *^^*™«"^ - ^"^^^ ^^ conden.nedS: 
 
 2. Tho»e in commission. Ross and Angus had this commission (8c. 2, i. 64). 
 
 suppo;ed"tITr""' "' *'';«r«''h there is evidence that Ross ha« acutely 
 supposed that Duncan would have qualms of co-.science about his summary 
 convcfon of Cawdor and that the intriguer ha« sent such a reportrwou d 
 
 ?earnld1h.: ZVn T'"" ''"' "^"'^"^ '"•^^'-^^^ ^'' effect' 1^01™"^ 
 learned that though Cawdor was an atrocious hypocrite and traitor Tti!! 
 
 peasure for Duncan to hear of. His speech means "My liege there is no 
 t:::\:ZlT' execution; «««« and Angus have not rel^^ u 
 have heard from an eye-witness that Cawdor confessed his treasons and ex 
 press^deep repentance: all through his life he was a villain but he died 
 like an honourable gentleman : indeed his death PPP,na f. i,o.,„ k„„^ ->-„ j-? 
 
ACT I. SCENE IV. 
 
 27 
 
 '/ I 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 5 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 lO 
 
 If 
 
 12" 
 
 7/<? o/aj a gentleman on whom I btdlt 
 An absolute trust. — 
 
 Enter Macbeth, Bamquo, Ross, cmd Angus. 
 
 worthiest cousin! 
 The sin of my ingratitude even now 
 Was heavy on me: thou art so far before 
 That swiftest wing of recompense is slow 
 To overtake thee. Would thou had less deserved, 
 That the proportion both of thanks and payment 
 Might have been mine! only I have left to say, 
 More is thy due than more than all can pay. 
 
 Macbeth. The service and the loyalty I owe, 
 In doing it, pays itself. Your highness' part 
 Is to receive our duties : and our duties 
 Are to your throne and state, children and servants; 
 Which do but what they should, by doing every thing 
 Safe toward your love and honour. 
 
 Duncan. Welcome hither : 
 
 I have begun to plant thee, and will labour 
 To make thee full of growing.— Noble Banquo, 
 That hast no less deserved, nor must be known 
 No less to have done so : let me infold thee 
 And hold thee to my heart. 
 
 Banquo. There if I gro%v, 
 
 '3 
 14. 
 
 '4 
 
 15 
 i6 
 
 17 
 i8 
 
 '9 
 
 20 
 21 
 
 22 
 23 
 24 
 
 25 
 26 
 
 27 
 28 
 29 
 30 
 
 3' 
 32 
 
 12-14. This speech is Duncan's death-warrant. 
 
 It is not undertaking too much to say that in this play Shakespeare is most 
 careful to preserve an exalted conception of retributive justice. Even Lady 
 Macduff 18 most untrue to her noble husband before the niui-derers enter • 
 Banquo forfeits his life (not to Macbeth but to poetic justice) by his failure to 
 warn Duncan and to defend Cawdor. Duncan forfeits his life by weakly con- 
 demmnfe' on the parenthetical accusation of the thane of Ross, a nobleman who 
 had been trusted with the "bosom interest" of the king. " a gentleman on 
 whom I built an absolute trust ; " one clearly who had rivalled Macbeth .wd 
 Banquo in his counsels. 
 
 15-17. Though these lines apply to Macbeth yet the "sin of my ingratitude " 
 aeems an echo of his feelings for the murdered Cawdor. • 
 
28 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 The harvest is your own. 
 Duncan. My plenteous joys, 
 
 Wanton in fulness, seek to hide themselves 
 
 In drops of sorrow.— Sons, kinsmen, thanes, 
 
 And you whose places are the nearest, know 
 
 We will estabUsh our estate upon 
 
 Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter 
 
 The Prince of Cumberland: which honour must 
 
 Not unaccompanied invest him only. 
 
 But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine 
 
 On all deservers,— From hence to Inverness, 
 
 And bind us further to you. 
 
 Macbeth. The r*st is labour, which is not used for you : 44 
 
 I'll be myself the harbinger, and make joyful 45 
 
 The hearing of my wife with your approach ; 4^ 
 
 So, humbly take my leave. 
 Duncan. My worthy Cawdor! 47 
 
 Macbeth. {Aside?^ The Prince of Cumberland ! that is a 
 
 35 
 .34 
 35 
 36 
 37 
 38 
 
 39 
 
 40 
 
 41 
 42 
 
 4^ 
 
 step, 
 On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap. 
 For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires ; 
 Let not light see my black and deep desires : 
 The eye wink at the hand ; yet let that be 
 Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see 
 
 48 
 49 
 50 
 
 5'- 
 
 52 
 {Exit\ 53 
 
 Duncan. True, worthy Banquo ; he is full so valiant, 
 And in his commendations 1 am fed ; 
 It is a banquet to me. Let's after him, 
 Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome : 
 It is a peerless kinsman. {Flourish. Exetint. 
 
 54 
 55 
 56 
 
 57 
 58 
 
 83. The. harvest is your own. This suggests suspicion of Macbeth's loyalty. 
 47. My wortAj/ Cawdor. A slight emphasis on the adjective would imply 
 that the King is satisfying himself tuat the former thane was a traitor. 
 
or you : 
 
 3.1 
 
 U 
 35 
 3^ 
 37 
 3» 
 
 39 
 
 40 
 
 41 
 42 
 
 4^ 
 
 44 
 
 45 
 46 
 
 47 
 
 1 ! that is a 
 
 48 
 
 49 
 50 
 
 5'- 
 
 52 
 
 [Ex/n 53 
 
 valiant, 5+ 
 
 55 
 56 
 57 
 58 
 
 Exeunt. 
 
 cbeth's loyalty. 
 
 e would imply 
 traitor. 
 
 ACT L SCENE V. 29 
 
 Scene V. Inverness. A room in Macbeth' s castle. 
 
 Enter Lady Macbeth, reading a letter. 
 
 Lady Macbeth, ' They met me in the day of success : and 
 I have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in 
 them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire to 
 question them further, they made themselves air, into which 
 they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it. 
 came missives from the king, who all-hailed me " Thajie of 
 Cawdor ; " by which title, before, these weird sisters saluted 
 me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with " Hail, 
 king that shalt be ! " This have I thought good to deliver 
 thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou mightst not 
 lose the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what great- 
 ness is promised thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewell.' 
 Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be 1 3 
 
 What thou art promised : yet do I fear thy nature ; 
 It is too full o' the milk of human kindness 
 To catch the nearest way : thou wouldst be great ; 
 Art not without ambition, but without 
 The illness should attend it : what thou wouldst highly, 
 That wouldst thou holily ; wouldst not play false, 
 And yet wouldst wrongly win : thou'ldst have, great 20 
 
 Glamis, 
 
 13. QUmiB thou art, and Cawdor. It seems from this way of receiving these 
 tidiiiKs that these ambitions were common domestic topics between Macbeth 
 and his wife. Had they not discussed the death of Sinel and the title of Caw- 
 dor many a time ? 
 
 20. Olamig. She knows his nature in reference to such matters, not by 
 analogy but by his words in reference to his two former ambitions. When he 
 was Glamis he wished to be Cawdor; when his father was alive he wished to 
 inherit. Had his father died or Cawdor been ruined he would have been 
 pleased, though he would have feared to cause the death of either. 
 
 Banquo's exclamation upon hearing of Duncan's death is, 
 
 " Dear Dnff, I prithee, contradio.t thyself 
 And say it is not 80." -"ft 
 
 Banquo felt repentance, he wished he had warned and protected Duncan ; 
 Macbeth felt only remorse, he would have committed the crime again. 
 
j.y ; 
 
 1 • 
 
 1 
 i 
 
 i ■ : 
 
 1 
 
 i^ » — . 
 
 i 
 
 ao 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 25- 
 
 That which cries * Thus thou must do, if thou have it ; ' 
 
 And t/uii which rather thou dost fear to do 
 
 Than ivishest should be undone. Hie thee hither, 
 
 That I may pour my spirits in thine ear, 
 
 And chastise with the valour of my tongue 
 
 All that impedes thee from the golden round, 
 
 Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem 
 
 To have thee crovvn'd withal. 
 
 Enter a Messenger. 
 
 What is your tidings ? 
 Messenger. The king com'es here to-night. 
 Lady Macbeth. Thou'rt mad to say it : 
 
 Is not thy master with him ? who, were't so, 3o 
 
 Would have inform'd for preparation. 
 
 Messenger. So please you, it is true : our thane is coming : 
 
 One of my fellows had the speed of him. 
 
 Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely more 
 
 Than would make up his message. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. Give him tending ; 
 
 H e brings great news. VExit Messenger. 
 
 The raven himself is hoarse 
 That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan 
 Under my battlements. Come, you spirits 
 I hat.tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here. 
 And fill meTrom the crown to the toe top-full 
 Of direst cruelty ! make thick my blood ; 
 Stop up the access and passage to remorse. 
 That no compunctious visitings of nature 
 Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between 
 The effect and it ! Come to my woman's breasts, 
 And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers, 
 Wherever in your sightless substances 
 You wHil on natures mis^;inct : ^,r^ti>e, inii,«. i.io-.-j 
 And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, 
 That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, 
 
 40. 
 
 5«> 
 
ACT I. SCENE V. 31 
 
 Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark 
 To cry ' Hold, hold ! ' 
 
 Enter Macbeth. 
 
 Great Glamis ! worthy Cawdor ' 
 Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter ! 
 Thy letters have transported me beyond 
 This ignorant present, and I feel now 
 The future in the instant. 
 
 Macbeth. My dearest love, ' /- 
 
 Duncan comes here to-night. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. And when goes hence ? 
 
 Macbeth. To-morrow, as he purposes. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. q, never 
 
 onall sun that morrc y see ! 
 
 Your face, my thane, is as a book where men 60 
 
 May read strange matters. To beguile the time. 
 Look like the ti.ne ; bear welcome in your eye, 
 Your hand, your tongue : look like the innocent flower, 
 But be the serpent under 't. He that's coming 
 Must be provided for : and j/^w shall put gy 
 
 This nighfs great business into my dispatch; 66 
 
 Which shall to all our nights and days to come 67 
 
 Give solely sovereign S7my and masterdom. 6» 
 
 Macbeth. We will speak further. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. Only look up clear ; 
 
 1 o alter favour ever is to fear : 
 
 Leave all the rest to me. 
 
 69 
 70 
 
 _^____^_^ {.Exeunt. 
 
 65.^ This speech makes his murder of Dnncan seem to him merely passive 
 bke his nmrtler of Cawdor : it bridges the two murdei^. ' 
 
M 
 
 32 MACBETH. 
 
 \ 
 
 Scene VI. Be/ore Macbeth! s Castle. 
 
 Hautboys and torches. Enter DuNCAN, Malcolm, Donal- 
 BAiN, Lennox, Macduff, Ross, Angus and Attend- 
 ants. 
 
 Duncan. This castle has a pleasant seat ; the air 
 Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself 
 Unto our gentle senses. 
 
 Banquo This guest of summer , 3 
 
 The temple-haunting martlet^ does approve 4 
 
 By his loved mansionry that the heaven's breath 5 
 
 Smells wooingly here : no jutty, frieze, 6 
 
 Buttress, norcoie^n of vantage, but this bird 7 
 
 Hath made his pendent bed and procreant cradle : 8 
 
 Where they most breed and haunt, I have observed 9 
 
 The air is delicate. 10 
 
 Enter Lady Macbeth. 
 
 10 
 
 Duncan. See, see, our honour'd hostess ! 
 
 The love that follows us sometime is our trouble, 
 Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you 
 How you shall bid God 'ild us for your pains, 
 And thank us for your trouble. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. All our service, 
 
 In every point twice done, and then done double, 
 Were poor and single business, to contend 
 Against those honours deep and broad, wherewith 
 Your majesty loads our house : for those of old, 
 And the late dignities heap'd up to them. 
 We rest your hermits. 
 
 Duncan. Where 's the thane of Cawdor? 
 
 We coursed him at the heels, and had a purpose 21 
 
 To be his purveyor : but he rides well ; 
 
 3-10. This soothingr speech is criminal : but Banquo always satisfies his con- 
 soienoe and like other seH-deceivers passes for honourable. 
 
r., 
 
 3 
 
 
 4 
 
 t 
 
 5 
 
 
 6 
 
 
 7 
 
 e : 
 
 8 
 
 ;ed 
 
 9 
 
 
 lO 
 
 stess ! 
 
 lO 
 
 e, 
 
 
 you 
 
 
 satisfles his con- 
 
 ACT L SCENE VII. 
 
 And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath holp him 
 To his home before us. Fair and noble hostess. 
 We are your guest to-night. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. \'our servants ever 
 
 Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs, in compt, 
 To make their audit at your highness' pleasure, 
 Sl^ill to return your own. 
 
 Duncan- Give me your hand ; 
 
 Conduct me to mine host : we love him highly, 
 And shall continue our graces towards him. 
 By your leave, hostess. 
 
 83 
 
 30 
 {^Exeunt. 
 
 SCEN^ VII. Macbeth's castle. 
 
 ^^"S 7i ^'''''^T ^^^'"^ " ^^^^'■' ^"^ ^i^<^^^ Servants 
 .^/ttlACBE?H '''^'''' ''"'^^'''' '"'^'^' ''''^'- ^^'''" 
 
 Macbeth. If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well 
 It were done quickly: if the assassination 
 Could trammel up the consequence, and catch, 
 With his surcease, success ; that but this blow 
 Might be the be-all and the end-all here, 
 But here, upon this bank and shoal of time. 
 We 'Id jump the life to come. But in these cases 
 We still have judgment here ; that we but teach 
 Bloody instructions, which being taught return 
 To plague the inventor : this even-handed justice 10 
 
 Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice 
 To our own lips. He 's here in double trust ; 
 First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, 
 Strong both against the deed ; then, as his host, 
 Who should against his murderer shut the door. 
 Not ^ar the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan 
 Hath boriic his facuUieb so meek, hath been 
 «o clear in his great office, that his virtues 
 Will plead like angels trumpet-tongued against 
 
 •O 
 
II ii 
 
 84 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 20 
 
 The deep .damnation of his takin^-off- 
 And pity, like a naked ncw-boin babe" 
 
 Upon the sightless couriers of the air 
 
 Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye 
 
 That tears shall drown the wind. I havi no spur 
 
 ro pnck the sides of my intent, but only 
 
 V aulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself 
 
 And falls on the other. 
 
 Enter Lady Macjikih. 
 
 How now ! what news? 
 .efUltc"; "= "- ^'-" -PP'^ ■ WX have ,„„ 
 Macdet/t. kath he ask'd for me ? 
 
 Lady Macbeth. v 
 
 ,, , , Know you not he has ? 10 
 
 Hetlt- '^f."'" P"^^^^ "« ^-^'-^ '" this busines 
 He hath honour'd me of late ; and I have bought " 
 
 Golden opinions from all sorts of people, 
 VVh.ch would be worn now in their newest gloss 
 Not cast aside so soon. ^ ' 
 
 Lady Macbeth. Was the hope drunk 
 
 Wherein you dress'd yourself .? hath it slept since ? 
 And wakes It now, to look so green and pale 
 At what It did so freely.? From this time 
 Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard ' 
 ro be the same in thine own act and valour 
 
 As thou art in desire ? Wouldst thou have that 
 
 Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life 
 
 And live a coward in thine own esteem, ' 
 
 i^ettmg ' I dare not ' wait upon 'I would.' 
 
 Like the poor cat i' the adage ? 
 Macbeth. p .,, 
 
 I dare do an that .ay become a ^n"'^''^^-- ^ 
 
 39 
 40 
 4« 
 
ACT 1. SCENE VI I . 
 Who dares do more is none. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. What beast was't then 
 
 That made you break this enterprise to me ? 
 When you durst do it, then you were a man ; 
 And, to be more than what you were, you would 
 Be so much more the man. Nor time nor phice 
 Did then adhere, and yet you would make both : 
 They have made themselves, and that their fitness now 
 Does unmake you. I have given suck, and know 
 How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me : ^' 
 I would, while it was smiling in my face, 
 Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums 
 And dash'd the brains out. had I so sworn as you 
 Have done to this. 
 
 ^<^heth. If we should fail .? 
 
 Lady Macbeth. . yV^ f^j| 
 
 But screw your courage to the sticking-place, 
 And we'll not fail. When I Juncan is asleep— 
 Whereto the rather shall his day's hard journey 
 Soundly invite him -his two chamberlains 
 Will I with wine and wassail so convince, 
 That memory, the warder of the brain. 
 Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason 
 A limbec only : when in swinish sleep 
 Their drenched natures lie as in a death. 
 What cannot you and I perform upon 
 The unguarded Duncan .? what not put upon 
 His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt 
 Of our great quell ? 
 
 Macbeth. Bring forth men-children only ; 
 
 For thy undaunted mettle should compose 
 Nothing but males. WHll it not be received * 
 ., t...ii ,,c iiuvc marK a wilh biood those sleepy two 
 Of his own chamber, and used their very daggers, 
 That they have done 't.? 
 
 ^ 
 
 50 
 
 6o> 
 
 lO' 
 
36 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 ^ Lady Macbeth. Who dares receive it other, 
 
 As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar 
 Upon his death ? 
 
 Macbeth. I am settled, and bend up 
 
 Each corporal agent to this terrible feat. 
 Away, and mock the time with fairest show: 
 False face must hide what the false heart doth know. 
 
 80 
 
 {Exeunt. 
 
 ACT II. 
 
 Scene I. Court of Macbeth' s castle. 
 Enter Banquo, and Fleance bearing a torch before him. 
 
 Banqno. How goes the night., boy ? * j 
 
 Fleance. The moon is down ; I have not heard the clock. 2 
 
 Banquo. And she goes down at twelve. 
 
 Fleance. i take 't, 'tis later, sir. 
 
 Banq. Hold, take my sword. There's husbandry in heaven; 
 Their candles are all out. Take thee that too. 
 A heavy summons lies like lead upon me., 
 And yet I would not sleep : merciful powers., 
 Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature 
 Gives way to in repose / 
 
 Enter Macbeth and a Servant with a torch. 
 Give me my sword. — 
 
 Who's there ? 
 
 10 
 
 1. Why is Banquo represented as restless here if he has no fears for Duncan? 
 
 4-9. This speech pf Banquo's is the very epitome of his character, kindly 
 oonnoientious, poetical, but weak and vaeillatinjf : he gives up sword anddamrer 
 
 , — ,.„,„ .^t uciciiuiiij; trie King irom tne ratu Uie witches 
 
 have predicted. On hearing Macbeth his purpose shifts again ; he wants his 
 sword back. " The king's a-bed," shows where his thoughts are in calling for 
 iiis sword— and proves his guilty silence. 
 
ACT II. SCENE I. 
 
 37 
 
 Macbeth. A friend. 
 
 Banquo. What, sir, not yet at rest ? The king 's a-bed : 
 He hath been in unusual pleasure, and 
 Sent forth great largess to your offices. 
 This diamond he greets your wife withal, 
 By the name of most kind hostess ; and shut up 
 In measureless content. 
 
 Macbeth. Being unprepared, 
 
 Our will became the servant to defect ; 
 Which else should free have wrought. 
 
 Banquo. All's well, . "" 
 
 1 dreamt last night of the three weird sisters : 20 
 
 To you they have shoiifd some truth. 
 
 Macbeth. \ think not of them : 
 
 Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve, 
 We would spend it in some words upon that business, 
 If you would grant the time. 
 
 Banquo. At your kind'st leisure. 
 
 Macbeth. If you shall cleave to my consent, when 'tis, 
 ' It shall make honour for you. 
 
 Banquo. So I lose none 
 
 In seeking to augment it, but still keep 
 My bosom franchised and allegiance clear, 
 I shall be counsell'd. . 
 
 Macbeth. Good repose the while ! ■ 
 
 Banquo. Thanks, sir : the like to you ! 
 
 {Exeunt Banquo and Fleance. 
 
 Macbeth'. Go bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready. 
 
 She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed.— [£".r// Servant. 
 
 20. He had dreamed of the witches' prophecy, they had spoken truly for 
 Macbeth, his cursed thoujfhts would make him a traitor. Macbeth is not the 
 first here to mention' the ivitehes' predintinns oh he was in Sc«ne 3. Act !. 
 
 26 5o / lo»e none. The motive of this scene is to show the attitude of 
 Banquo to the murder of Duncan. In effect he says " Proceed with the crime, 
 but do not ask me to countenance it. I may profit by it, though." 
 
38 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 Is this a dagger which I see before me, 
 
 The handle toward my hand ? Come, let me clutch thee. 
 
 J have thee not, and yet I see thee still. 
 
 An thou not, fatal vision, sensible 
 
 To feeling as to sight ? or art thou but 
 
 A dagger of the mind, a false creation, 
 
 Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain ? 
 
 1 see thee yet, in form as palpable 
 
 As this which now I draw. 
 
 Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going ; 
 
 And such an instrument I was to use. 
 
 Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses, 
 
 Or else worth all the rest : I see thee still ; 
 
 And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood. 
 
 Which was not so before. There's no such thing : 
 
 It is the bloody business which informs 
 
 Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one half-world 
 
 Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse 
 
 The curtain'd sleep ; witchcraft celebrates 
 
 Pale Hecate's offerings, and wither'd murder, 
 
 Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf. 
 
 Whose howl 's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace, 
 
 With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design ' 
 
 Moves like a ghost.— Thou sure and firm-set earth. 
 
 Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear 
 
 Thy very stones prate of my whereabout, 
 
 .\nd take the present horror from the time, 
 
 Which now suits with it.— Whiles I threat he lives : 
 
 Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives. 
 
 . • [A bell rin^s. 
 
 t go, and it is done ; the tell invites me. 
 
 Hear it not, Duncan ; for it is a knell 
 
 Thit summons thee to heaven or to hell. [Exit. 
 
 40 
 
 50 
 
 60 
 
ACT II. SCENE U. 
 
 39 
 
 Scene II. T/ie same. 
 Enfer Lady Macbeth. 
 
 • 
 
 La(fy Macbeth. That which hath made them drunk hath 
 
 made me bold ; 
 What hath quench'd them hath given me fire. — H ark ! Peace ! 
 It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bellman, 
 Which gives the stern'st good-night. He is about it : 
 The doors are open, and the surfeited grooms 
 Ho mock their charge with snores : I have drugged their 
 
 possets, '"" 
 
 That death and nature do contend about them, 
 Whether they live or die. 
 
 Macbeth. [ Within.] Who's there ? what, ho ! 
 
 Lady Macbeth. Alack, I am afraid they have awaked, 
 And 'tis not done. The attempt and not the deed jo 
 
 Confounds us. Hark ! I laid their daggers ready ; 
 He could not rniss 'em. Had he not resembled 
 My father as he slept, I had done 't. 
 
 Enter Macbeth. 
 
 My husband ! 
 Macb. I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise? 
 
 Lady M. I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. 
 Macbeth. Did not you speak? 
 Lady Macbeth. When? Now? ' 
 
 Macbeth. As I descended. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. Ay. 
 Macbeth. Hark ! - 
 Who lies i' the second chamber ? 
 
 Lady Macbeth. Donalbain. 
 
 Macbeth. This is a sorry sight. 20 
 
 Lady Macbeth. A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. 
 
 Macbeth. There's one did laugh in 's sleep, and one cried 
 ' Murder !' 
 
40 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 Il 
 
 11 
 
 Burth.^''l^J'' ''"'? '"''' °'^"'" = ^ ^^°°^ ^"d heard them r 
 But they did say their prAyers, and addrsss'd them 
 Again to sleep. 
 
 Ladj Macbeth. There are two lodged together 
 
 AslT'f •. °"^"'^^'^'«d bless us!' and 'Amen' the other, 
 As they had seen me with these hangman's hands • 
 Listening their fear, I could not say ' Amen,' ' " 
 
 When they did say 'God bless us !' 
 Lady Macbeth. Consider it not so deeply. 3^ 
 
 Macbeth. But wherefore could not I pronounce ' Amen ?' 
 I had most need of blessing, and ' Amen ' ' 
 
 Stuck in my throat. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. These deeds must not be thought 
 After these ways ; so, it will make us mad. 
 
 Macbeth. Methought I heard a voice cry ' .Sleep no more r 
 Macbeth doth murder sleep,' the innocent sleep ' ' 
 
 J^leep that knits np the raveli'd sleeve of care 
 The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath, 
 BaLm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, 
 Chief nourisher in life's feast,— 
 Lady Macbeth. ' What do you mean .^ * 4c. 
 
 ' rf r w'.. ^''" '! '"'^ ' ^^'^'P "° '""^^ '■ *° -» the house : 
 Clams hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor 42 
 
 Shall sleep to more : Macbeth shall sleep no more: 43 
 
 Lady Macbeth. Who was it that thus cried ? Why, worthy 
 
 You do unbend your noble strength, to think 
 
 „* *i, i ,. '"^J"""^''" reaaer tne vmd cation of th.. r. 
 
 o these two hnes must ^o a long way to prove that Macbeth "^1': I 
 •!i ijiicc crimes liinr.Aiui ,,f /.«u 1. ..^ , . "- s 
 
 of three crirHcs instead of one. 
 in the old explanation. 
 
 •i?i!fv 
 
 li-very reader must have thought them weak. 
 
ACT II. SCENE 11. 
 
 41 
 
 So brainsickly of things. Go get some water, 
 And wash this filthy witness from your hand. 
 Why did you bring these daggers from the place ? 
 They must lie there : go carry them, and smear 
 The sleepy grooms with blood. 
 
 Macbeth. I'll go no more : 50- 
 
 I am afraid to think what I have done ; 
 Look on't again I dare not. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. Infirm of purpose ! . 
 
 Give me the daggers : the sleeping and the dead 
 Are but as pictures : 'tis the eye of childhood ^^ 
 
 That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed, 
 I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal ; 
 For it must seem their guilt. {Exit. Knocking within: 
 
 Macbeth. Whence is that knocking .? 
 
 How is't with me, when every noise appals me ? 
 Whr i hands are here } ha ! they pluck out mine eyes. 
 Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood 60- 
 
 Clean from my hand t No ; this my hand will rather 
 The multitudinous seas incarnadine, 
 Making the green one red. 
 
 Re-enter Lady Macbeth. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. My hands are of your colour; but I shame 
 
 To wear a heait so white. {Knocking ivithin.l I hear a 
 knocking 
 
 At the south entry : retire we to our chamber : 
 
 A little water clears us r <" -his deed : 
 
 How easy is it, then ! Your constancy 
 
 Hath left you unattended. [Knocking within.] Hark! more 
 knocking : 
 
 Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us 70. 
 
 And show us to be watchers. Be not lost 
 So poorly in your thoughts. 
 
 Macbeth. To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself.. 
 
 [Knocking within. 
 Wake Duncan with ihy knocking ! I would thou couldst ! 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
42 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 Scene III. The same. 
 Knocking within. Enter a Porter. 
 Porter. Here's a knocking indeed ! If a man were porter 
 ofhell-gate, he should have old turning ihek^y.lKnoc/cing 
 withtn.-\ Knock, knock, knock ! Who's there, i' the name 
 of Beelzebub.? i¥^;r'^«/«r/«^r, that hanged himself on the 
 expectation of plenty : come in time ; have napkins enow 
 about you ; here you'll sweat for't. {Knocking within.] 
 Knock, knock! Who's there, in th' other devil's name? 
 taith, here's an equivocator, that could swear in both the 
 scales against either scale ; who committed treason enough 
 for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven : O come 
 in equivocator. [Knocking within.] Knock, knock, knock ! 
 Who's there ? Faith, hej:e's an English tailor come hither, 
 for stealingout of a French hose : come in, tailor ; here you 
 may roast your goose. [Knocking within.] ■ Knock, knock ; 
 never at quiet ! What are you ? But this place is too cold 
 for hell. I'll devil-porter it no further: I had thought to 
 have let in some of all professions, that go the primrose way 
 to the everlasting bonfire. [Kfiocking within.] Anon, anon ! 
 I pray you ^ remember the porter. 
 
 lOpens the gate. 
 
 Enter Macduff and Lennox. 
 
 Macduff. Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed. 
 That you do lie so late ? 
 
 Porter. Faith, sir, we were carousing till the second cock ; 
 and dririk, sir, is a great provoker of three things. 
 
 4. The farmer who hang:ed hin.self on the expectation of plenty is a stranjre 
 fanciful parallel to the ambitious Macbeth : the fatel castle is hell, the porter 
 l3 at hell.gr.te and on this terrible night more than one seeks admittance The 
 equivocator is just such a drunken parallel to Ban(,uo as the fanner to Mac 
 beth. It IS inconceivable that a speech of this tragic and harmonious humour 
 refleotmg the whole pBycholojfical storm raging around the'dninken porter (as 
 an untrue mirror reflects the facv, ir. ~..;m distoFtion) can have been luter- 
 .polated. 
 
 19. We might remember the porter by studying his speech. 
 
ACT IT. SCENE III. 
 
 4a 
 
 / 
 
 Macdufi. What three things does drink especially provoke ? 
 
 Porter. Marry, sir, nose-pain;injf, sleep, and urine. 
 Lechery, sir, it provjkes and unprovokes ; it provokes the 
 desire, but it takes away the performance : therefore much 
 drink may be said to be an equivocator with lechery : it 
 makes him and it mars him ; it sets him on and it takes him 
 off; it persuades him and disheartens him; makes him 
 stand to and not stand to ; in conclusion, equivocates 'him in 
 a sleep, and, giving him the lie, leaves him. 
 
 MacdUj^. I believe drink gave thee the lie last night. 
 
 Porter. That it did, sir, i' the very throat on me : butl" 
 requited him for his lie ; and, I think, being too strong for 
 him, though he took up my legs sometime, yet I made a shift 
 to cast him. 
 
 Macdu_ff. Is thy master stirring .? 
 Enter Macbeth. 
 
 Our knocking has awaked him ; here he comes. 
 Lennox. (Jood morrow, noble sir. 
 
 Macbeth. Good morrow, both. 
 
 Macduff. Is the king stirring, worthy thane } 
 Macbeth. jsjot ygj 
 
 Macduff. He did command me to call timely on him : 
 I have almost slipp'd the hour. 
 
 Macbeth. Y\\ bring you to him. 
 
 Macduff. I know this is a joyful trouble to you ; 
 But yet 'tis one. 30 
 
 Macbeth. The labor we delight in physics pain. 
 This is the door. 
 
 Macduff. I'll make so bold to call, 
 
 For 'tis my limited service. [Exit. 
 
 Lennox. Goes the king hence to day 1 
 Macbeth. He does : he did appoint so. 
 
44 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 Lamentings herd!' fh? "' ""^' "' '^^^ ^^y- 
 
 prupnesying with accents terrible 
 Of dire combustion and confused events 
 
 • Macbeth. , 
 
 I was a rough night. 
 
 A mZlo i^' '"""^ -™e„b,a„ce ca„„„, parallel 
 
 Re-enter Macdlff. 
 Macdttffi O horror, horror horror i r 
 Cannot conceive nor name th;e °"^"' ""•' "^^^'-^ 
 
 40 
 
 What 's the in after ? 
 
 SO 
 
 Macbeth. ) 
 Lennox. \ 
 
 Th:it^.;\"rrc"''"'''"''=''''^'^-- 
 
 Macbeth. Wh.* • • 
 
 What IS It you say? the life? 
 Z.««^^. Mean you his majesty ? 
 
 ■see, and .,e„ spea. ,„„.el.e,. lE.eJSt:.^,,, ,,„,_^ 
 Rin. the alarum.ben.-Murder and rea:;::"'' ' 
 
 '" eon„,^„a„fe H, 'r °f- ="^ "^'^ '■''' Bp,l,„, 
 
 —■on„,e„a„ce *is honor. Ring ,he Wl. 
 
 60- 
 
 [i9^// rings. 
 
we lay, 
 say, 
 " death, 
 
 ird 
 rth 
 
 I night, 
 -allel 
 
 ■ nor heart 
 
 e matter ? 
 Jrpiece ! 
 
 40 
 
 >'our sight 
 'id Lennox. 
 
 60 
 'ell rings. 
 
 O gentle lady, 
 
 ACT II. SECNE in. 
 
 Enter Lady Macbeth. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. What 's the busiriess, 
 That such a hideous trumpet calls to parley 
 The sleepers of the house ? speak, speak ! 
 
 Macduff. 
 'Tis not for you to hear what I can speak : 
 The repetition, in a woman's ear, 
 Would murder as it fell. — 
 
 Enter Banquo. 
 
 O Banquo, Banquo ! 
 Our royal master 's murder'd. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. Woe, alas ! 
 
 What, in our house.? 
 
 Banquo. Too cruel any where. 
 
 Dear Duff, I prithee, contradict thyself. 
 And say it is not so. 
 
 Re-enter Macbeth and Lennox. 
 
 Macbeth. Had I but died an hour before this chance, 
 I had lived a blessed time ; for from this instant 
 There's nothing serious in mortality : 
 AH is but toys : renown and grace is dead ; 
 The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees , 
 
 Is left this vault to brag of. 
 
 Enter Malcolm and Donalbain. ■* 
 Donalbain. What is amiss ? 
 
 Macbeth. You are, and do not know 't : 
 
 1 he spring, the head, the fountain of your blood 
 Is stopped ; the very source of it is stopp'd. 80 
 
 Macduff. Your royal father 's murdered. 
 
 Malcolm. q, by whom .? 
 
 46 
 
 70 
 
 >-7l. The comment of the equivooator. Banquo is not Burprioed. 
 
i! i 
 
 40 
 
 MA CBETll. 
 
 They stared, and were distracted ; no man's life 
 V\ as to be trusted with them. 
 
 That I did kill them. ^' 
 
 ^«^v/«^. Wherefore did you so? 
 
 ^rnr:.^i;?!::!!'—!^'-"Pe-e and ..ions. 
 
 Loyal and neutral, in a moment ? No man • 
 
 I he expedition of my violent love 
 
 Outrun the pauser reason. Here lay Dunca. 
 
 His silver skin laced with his golden blood, ^ 
 And his gash'd stabs look'd like a breach in nature 
 For rum's wasteful entrance : there, the n-urd r"' 
 S eep'd in the colours of their trade, their dagg • ' 
 Unmannerly breech'd with gore : who cou:d refra n 
 That had a heart to love, and in that hea-.t ' 
 
 Courage to make 's love known.? 
 
 Lady Macbeth. u^. , 
 
 Help me hence, ho 
 Macduff. Look to the lady. 
 
 Malcolm. {Aside to Don.'X Whv do w^ h^M 
 
 "Tur f«r * """^ ^''-' ^'"""^ "^ spoken l,e,e, „„er. 
 
 Hid in an auger-hole, may rush, and seize us ' 
 Let s away ; 
 
 Our tears are not yet brew'd. 
 
 Un^f 'f T ^^f ' '' ^'"-^ ^'^ «"'• strong sorrow 
 Upon the foot of motion. 
 
 9t 
 
 IJO- 
 
 Note Ross never appears i-^any piace^an..^ h..,ZT~T— : ~ 
 
 «n tui scene, in the next scene he !r fn,.n^ 'Z'"" '"" '^"'■"'^^ "'"'" i^'i* 
 
ACT 11. SCENE III. 
 
 lianguo. 
 
 47 
 
 Look to the lady : 
 
 A J L , ^^-^^'^y M<^cbeth is carried nuf 
 
 And when we have our naked frailties hid 
 
 That suffer in exposure, let us meet 
 An-' quest-on this most bloody piece of work 
 To know It further. Fears and scruples shake us ■ 
 In the great hand of God I stand, and thence 
 Af^ainsi the undivul^ied pretence / Ji^/it 
 0/ treasonous malice. 
 
 Macduff, Arid so do I. 
 
 'All. „ „ 
 
 So all. 
 
 Macbeth Let's briefly put on manly readiness, 
 And meet i' the hall together. 
 
 Well contented. 
 AT , , {Exeunt all but Malcolm and Donalhai» 
 
 Malcolm. What will you do .^ Let's not con.ort wiiZhem 
 I o show an unfelt sorrow is an office 
 Which the false man does easy. I '|l to England 
 
 Ponalbain. To Ireland, I ; our separated fortune , ^o 
 Shall keep us both the safer : where we are, 
 There s daggers in men's smiles : the near in blood, 
 The nearer bloody. ' 
 
 ^^^.t"'T^ ,• u '^^'^ i^u'derous shaft that 's shot 
 Hath not yet lighted, and our safest way 
 Is to avoid the aim. i herefore to horse • 
 And let us not be dainty of leave-taking ' 
 But shift away : there 's warrant in that' theft 
 ^^!!!!!!i!!!!l!!!!^^ {Exeunt. 
 
 to declarintf in public what SZyTT. . "«»«•"« B«n<{uo can come 
 
 says, ..X ^^^rij;^:s:':T^xzV'Vz:::^t^^^^^^^^^ '- 
 
 he hopes he may prosper from foul mear.s, himself ^"""'"^ '^'''"' 
 
 This Saofch Hvt^a t^u~ u-j. ... . . 
 
 ^ '"" ■■"'"' "' "''acnetii upon him irrevocably. - 
 
 o,u3rrS:S.*''"" ^"^"^•^ '"^•^^ -- «' «<>^. ^et he could „o. 
 
 no 
 
48 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 SCKNiilV. Outside Macbeth^ s castle, 
 ^^/^r Ross ««^a;i old Man 
 
 Ross. . , 
 
 Thou sPf>^f fj,« k ' ^^"'^ fi^ther, 
 
 And yet dark r.^ .^^^^i:^^ , 
 Is t n.ght's predominance, or the day's slfamT' ' 
 I hat darkness does the face of earth 'entomb ' 
 
 When livmg hght should kiss it ? 
 Old Man. ,_. 
 
 Even like the deed that 's done On Tue".^'"^"' 
 
 A falcon, towering in her pride of pla^J,""''^^ '"^' 
 
 Was by a mousmg owl hawk'd at and kille'd 
 Jioss. And Duncan's horses-a fhin„ 
 
 certain- ^ ^'""^ "^^^t strange and 
 
 Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race 
 
 0/./^a«. 'Tis said they eat each other 
 ThfTook^d'uTon '!"' ^''^^-— ^ /--.^.. 
 
 -£'«/^^ Macduff. 
 
 ■^.«'^... the ^orld^ ,,,, ,";'^, •^^'"^^ *h^ g-°d Macduff 
 Macduff, 
 Ro,, r.'.f, , Why, see you not ? 
 
 20 
 
 (I ! 
 
ACT II, SCENE ir. 
 Macduff. Those that Macbeth hath slain. 
 
 46 
 
 Alas^ the day! 
 
 V 
 
 5-0 
 
 Hoss. 
 
 W/tat good could they pretend f 
 
 Macduff. T. , 
 
 Mai . I ^ l^ .. ^"^y ^^'■^ suborn'd : 
 
 MalcohTi and Donalbain, the king's two sons 
 
 Are stol'n aVay and fled, which puts upon them 
 t>iispicion of the deed. 
 
 Ross. u- • J 
 
 ^, ..,, , (-xunst nature still . 
 
 I ti rift less addition, that wilt ravin up 
 
 Thine own lije's means .' Then 'tis most like 
 
 The so^'ereignty will fall upon Macbeth. 
 
 Macduff He is already named, and gone to Scone 
 1 be mvested. 
 
 ^^^^- Where is Duncan's body f 
 
 Macduff. Carried to Colme-kill, 
 
 The sacred storehouse of his predecessors 
 
 And guardian of their bones. 
 
 Ross. ■■!/ ^ ,-. 
 
 ill you to Scone ? 
 
 Macduff. No, cousin, Pll to Fife. 
 
 Well, I will thither. 
 Macduff. Well may you see things well done there : adieu ' 
 Lest our old ro bes sit easier than our new / 
 
 oontraBt ,: candid and lova^^lZiS .u I ''"'■"*''" "' '""* ^««"* *« '<> 
 They show the e"e iL o, the T^'^'rTT^ ""' >"--»"« Ron. 
 Macbeth's stroke. ^^ ^' "''"*'"* **' '^^ "°*"'^« «" "-arinK of 
 
 ^32. Wkere U Duncan's 6od,; Unti. that is safely bestowed Rosa wi,, hold 
 36. "No, cousin, I'll to Fife." 
 
 ..„r „ " '*'««. f will thither." 
 
 Hell, may ,,ou see things well done there." 
 
60 
 
 ilii 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 : 3 
 
 ^oss. Farewell, faf/ter, 
 
 ThS:- jc-:;::f t:; ^- -« -"> >'>ose '' 
 
 •^'""^ 'y '^'^'^. ^nd friends of foes / 
 
 « 
 
 < ACT iir. 
 
 Scene! Forres. The Palace. 
 Fn/erBASQuo. 
 
 And set me up i„ hope? Bu, hush ! „„ „,„„. 
 
 ^^rf' Attendants. 
 
 ^«.^.M. Here's our chief guest. 
 l.a(ly Macbeth. 
 
Mac- 
 
 ACT III. SGENH I. 
 
 61 
 
 Banquo. Let your highness 
 
 Command upon me ; to the which my duties 
 Are with a niost indissoluble tie 
 For ever knit. 
 
 Macbeth. Ride you this afternoon ? 
 
 Banquo. Ay, my good lord. . 19 
 
 Macbeth. We should have else desired your good advice. 
 Which still hath been both grave and prosperous, 
 In this day's council; but we'll take to-morrow. 
 Is 't far you ride ? 
 
 Banquo. As far, my lord, as will fill up the time 
 'Twixt this and supper : go not my horse the better, 
 I must become a borrower of the night 
 For a dark hour or twain. 
 
 Macbeth 
 
 Fail not our feast. 
 
 Banquo. My lord, I will not. 
 
 Macbeth. We hear our bloody cousins are bestow'd 
 In England and in Ireland, not confessing 
 Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers 
 With strange invention : but of that to-morrow. 
 When therewithal we shall have cause of state 
 Craving us jointly. Hie you to horse : adieu. 
 Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you > 
 
 Banquo. Ay, my good lord : cur titne does call upon 's. 
 
 30 
 
 17. Indigsoluble tie. This immoral allegiance is accounted for by the fact 
 that their fortunes since Macbeth is king are bound up indissolubly in the pre- 
 dictions of the witches. All that the sisters predicted for Macbeth has come 
 true : Banquo now fully hopes, Macbeth equally fears, that what they predicted 
 for Banquo may come true next. The effect upon Banquo of the verification 
 of the third part of the witches' prediction concerning Macbeth fully accounts 
 for all the otherwise unaccountable words of Banquo in this damning scene. 
 Now that the witches have completely overcome his better nature his doom is 
 not, far off, and who should with greater appropriateness give him his quietus 
 than Macbeth and Ross, who witnessed his first step in crime when he failed ta 
 speak up for Cawdor. 
 
 18-40. Ross hears all this. 
 
$2 
 
 in 
 
 'I!) 
 
 !Mi 
 
 II ! 
 
 ill 
 
 Ih 
 
 ii '' I 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 ■ J^^'^^f' I wish your horses swift and sure of foot • 
 ^d so^do I commend you to their backs. ''°°^ ' 
 
 iet every man be master of his time ^"^''"^ ^''''^'*''' 
 
 Tdl seven at night : to make society - ^^^ 
 
 The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself 
 T.11 supper-tmie alone j while then, God be with you ' 
 
 Sirrah. \ .^^^''''''' ""^^ ^'''' ^^'^''^ '^"^ ^n attendant. 
 Sirrah a word with you : attend those men 
 Our pleasure? 
 
 A<U„4an,. They are, my lord, wiehouuhe palace ga.e 
 
 Bu. .„ be safely ,hu=. Our fear. i„ Ba^q': "" "' ""'"'"^ ' 
 
 Stick deep ; and in his royalty of nature 
 
 Keigns tliat wliich would be feat^rf ■ >,i. _ u ,. . 
 
 -And to that dauntless tem'^efoftis iT '^ '^'''^ '^ 
 
 ^ hath a wtsdom that doth guide his valour 
 
 Toaa tn safety. There is none but he 
 
 Whose bemg 1 do fear : and under him 
 
 My Genius is rebuked, as it is said 
 
 Wh'.n fi"?7'' ^'' •'^ ''^'^'' "^ <^'^''i the sisters 
 When first they put the name of king upon me 
 
 ^d bade them speak to him : then prophe ^^L 
 
 They hail'd hnn father to a line of kings 
 
 Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown, go 
 
 And put a barren sceptre in my gripe, ^ 
 
 Thence to be wrench'd with an unlineal hand, 
 
 No son of mme succeeding, if 't be so, 
 
 For Banquo's issue have I filed my mind ; 
 
 For them the gracious Duncan have I murder'd ; 
 ^u rancours m the vessel of my peace 
 
 •Only for them ; and mine eternal jewel 
 
 «iven to the common enemy of man, 
 
 RaZ'^^.t '""" ^'"^'' '""^ '^^^ °^ S^"q"° kings : 
 Kather than so, come, fate, into the list, 
 
 ' 70 
 
ACT III. SCENE I. 
 
 ^ 
 
 And champion me to the utterance ! Who's there ? 
 
 ^^-^«/^A- Attendant, wt'^A two Murderers. 
 
 Now go to the door, and stay there till we call. 
 
 {Exit Attendant.. 
 Was it not yesterday we spoke together? 
 
 First Murderer. It was, so please your highness. 
 
 Macbeth. • Well then, nowr 
 
 Have you consider'd of my speeches ? Know 
 That it was he in the times past which held you 
 So under fortune, which you thought had been '^'' 
 
 Our innocent self : this I made good to you 
 In ou'- '^sl conference, pass'd in probation with you, 79) 
 
 How you were borne in hand, how cross'd, the instruments,. 
 W . .ought with them, and all things else that might 
 To half a soul and to a notion crazed 
 Say ' Thus did Banquo.' 
 
 First Murderer. You made it known to us> 
 
 Macbeth. I did so, and went further, which is now 
 Our point of second meeting. Do you find 
 Your patience so predominant in your nature 
 That you can let this go ? Are you so gospell'd 
 To pray for this good man and for his issue, 
 Whose heavy hand hath bow'd you to the grave 
 And beggar'd yours for ever ? 
 
 First Murderer. We are men, my liege, gcc 
 
 Macbeth. Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men ; 
 
 As hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs, 
 
 Shoughs, water-rugs and demi-wolves, are clept 
 
 All by the name of dogs : the valued file 
 
 Distinguishes the swift, the slow, the subtle. 
 
 The housekeeper, the hunter, every one 
 
 Arrnrrltncr to tVio trifV urVtir-l-* K/Mintor>iie «'>*■"»■'» 
 
 Hath in him closed, whereby he does receive 
 
 Particular addition, from the bill 
 
 That writes them all alike : and so of men. • 100 
 
I! II 
 
 t 
 
 y-i 
 
 Nil 
 
 [.'■ 
 
 II l: 
 
 i 1 
 
 fif 
 
 !^!1 
 
 54, 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 Now f you have a station in the file, 
 Not 1 the worst rank of manhood, say 't • 
 And I w,ll put that business in your bo oms 
 Whose execution takes your enemy off, ' 
 
 Grapples you to the heart and love of us 
 
 Who wear our health but sickly in his li/e ■ 
 Which m his death were perfect. 
 
 Second Murderer t 
 
 Whom the vile blows and buffet, of .h^wtld""' '"^'' 
 Have so mcensed ,ha, I am reckless what 
 « do to spite the world. 
 
 First Murderer. And I another 
 
 So weary woh disasters, tuggy „i,h onL 
 That I would set my life „„ any chance 
 To mend it or be rid on 't. 
 Uacbelh. "■ g . 
 
 Know Banquo was your enemy. ° *""" 
 Both Murderers. t- 
 
 Madetk. So is he mine , .^™"' "">■ ''"■''• 
 
 ThateveryminureofhTr/.ir.:'"'"'"'^^'--- 
 
 trr,,:L"M;r,';teeri:!m r ' """■ 
 
 And bid my wilLouch",Te "mTn'oT ^'''' 
 
 m<::ro:?;ryrr^f''i3a'„dii„e, 
 
 That to your assistance do make love 
 
 ^^^ ^t*ndrywetghty reasons. ^ 
 
 Second Murderer. w« ei, n 
 
 Perform what you command „T "'"■""'"'■•''• ' 
 First Murderer. . t.. 
 
 Macbeth. Your smrit, «V J ^"^ ''"' '""'- 
 
 rour spirits shme throueh you H^-y/-- 
 nour at most^ " ^^ ttnin 
 
 no 
 
 I2(> 
 
 ^/zzj 
 
 m. •• wiM„ ,h,. ta,,„ ,, n,™,-;;;;;;;;;^ 
 
 '(t 
 
liege, 
 
 no 
 
 ACT III. SCENE I. 56, 
 
 1 will advise you where to plant yourselves, 
 
 Acquaint you with the perfect spy <?' the time. 
 
 The moment on Vy for 't must be done to-night, 130 
 
 And something from the palace ; always thought 
 
 That I require a clearness : and with him — 
 
 To leave no rubs nor blotches in the work — 
 
 Fleance his son, that keeps him company. 
 
 Whose absence is no less material to me 
 
 Than is his father's, must embrace the fate 
 
 Of thai: dark hour. Resolve yourselves apart : 
 
 ril come to you anon. 
 
 Both Murderers. We are resolved, my lord. 
 
 Macbeth. — Pll call upon you straight: abide within. 
 
 \Exeunt Murderers. 
 It is concluded : Banquo, thy soul's flight, 140 
 
 If it find heaven, must find it out to-night. \Erit. 
 
 stance 
 
 129. Aeqxiaint you with the perfect tpy 0' the time. Whether spy mea'ns 
 person or act it points to Ross : the character of spy is not merely marked in 
 Ross, it is Ross himself : love of spying is the mainspring of his nature and 
 out of it grow his love of informing and lying. He is the prototype of all 
 detectives and informers. It is this that leads Shakespeare to make this 
 character's baseness so plausible as to have escaped condemnation, thus 
 masking the business to the common eye, for sundry weighty reasons. He was 
 the Fouch6 of the elaborate system of espionage of which Macbeth boasts in the 
 fourth scene of this act (line 131). 
 
 It will be remembered that Colli3r'8 MS. has "a perfect spy." 
 
 Macbeth says " Within this hour at most 1 will advise 3'cu," " I'll come to you 
 anon," "I'll call upon you straight"; how could Shakespeare tell us more 
 plainly that Macbeth retired to consult ivith his confidant, and who could that 
 confld; it be but Ross? Macbeth at first pretends that he is retiring to give the 
 nmrderers an opportunity of consulting each other, but when they declare they 
 are resolved, Macbeth says in effect " Well, I must leave you anyway " ; can any- 
 one doubt that he went to consult the third murder? 
 
 rrccri miS 
 

 HI 
 
 II illy 
 
 ■ ' t- 
 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 I ! 
 
 I ! I 
 
 •Ml' I 
 
 it ' 
 
 MAOBBtk. 
 
 Scene ii. m palace. 
 
 ^ '^"'■''■LwvMAcnE-.Ha^a' a Servant 
 
 ^«»^».*.«. Is Ba„,uo gone from cou,.> " 
 
 .ottw'':^; -^"^ '" ■"= '''"^. • -'<• a«en' ^. ,e,s„re 
 
 f'"-'- Madam, I will. ^^ .^ 
 
 Lady Macbeth. ., , L^-*"''^- 
 
 Where our desire is go. „i,houc coneZ" ""''' "" '^ '^^'' 
 
 Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy, 
 
 ^«/e-r Macbeth 
 How now, my lord! ^4^ ^,_,,^^' 
 
 iSESiS^i"%^i^edied 
 
 Should be withLtrej::;rrdrrd:r-^ 
 
 sht^'ra^db^Terrfr-^^--""^'-- 
 -™;nsmdange:ts:rt:r'":*^ 
 
 xfshfjrn^Cjrt't^rhe dead 
 
 frf:he*:~.^mlx^r-- 
 
 in restless ecstasy. Duncan k in i • 
 
 A<.er,ife.slitfu,fLrhrsC«|'.^^'^^^^ 
 
 i f^eason has done his 7vni'<:f • i,^ . ', 
 
 Malice domestic, Jel:tvy-t'"°'''*°"' 
 Can touch him further. ^' 
 
 Zrt<;^ Macbeth. ^ 
 
 «e bngh, and jov.al among your guests to-night. 
 
 lO 
 
 20 
 
ACT II L SCENE II. 
 
 6T 
 
 Macbeth, So shall I, love ; and so, I pray, be you : 
 Let your remembrance apply to Banquo ; So- 
 
 Present him eminence, both with eye and tongue : 
 Unsafe the while, that we 
 
 Must lave our honours in these flattering streams, - 
 And make our faces visards 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 eterlie. 
 
 Macbeth. There 's comfort yet ; they are assailable ; 40^ 
 Then be thou jociuid : ere the bat hath flown 
 His cloister'd flight, ere to black Hecate's summons 
 The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums 
 Hath run j' 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 7ne pale ! Light thickens, and the crow ^o- 
 
 Makes wing to the rooky wood : 
 Good things of day begin to droop and drowse ; 
 
 49. That great bond which keeps me pale. The existence of Banquo re- 
 mindeci him of the " indissoluble tie" to which Banquo alludea : it means : 
 
 (a) Their common guilt in trusting to the evil sisters. 
 
 (b) Their common guilty silenee in ruining Cawdor. • . 
 
 (e) Their common guilty knowledge of Duncan's murder. 
 
 (f) The hope of Banquo, and fear of Macbeth, that Banquo's heirs would 
 succeed Macbeth. 
 
 62-53. These two hnes show the contrast in Maobeth's heftrt between thfr 
 days when Lady M. and their child were his companions and the present whetv 
 R088 with his spies and assassins begin their rule : henceforward Lady M. loses 
 all power over hini. 
 
68 
 
 ^ WBETU, 
 
 Thou marve ,'stt '^'"^^ ^° ^^eir preys dn 
 
 rtivenst at my worHc . u . ^^^"^ "o rouse 
 
 ' • Jh'ngs bad begun mlZZt "J ^'^'^ '^^^ stiJI 
 
 ■^o, prithee, go with me "^ ''^^'"^«>v«s by iJ^L ' 
 
 e [Exeunt. 
 
 i>CENE III. A J, . 
 
 rMr,Mun,erl '""'"''"'" J"'»^<tH us > 
 ■S^c. Afurd IT n^ 
 
 ■O-"- offices ai,j !"'"'"""'""■ "us/n,,, ■ ^'^iM. 
 
 °*^ — — -^— _ 
 
 *««"'"e that it is Macbeth h^'"' **' ^»«''«th ca, ^ «..« * ""'^^^^^ »dva„t. 
 
 " '8 because ShaltesDear"^ '■^'■' '^ ^« hope to estah. u "*'''""« obscurity » 
 "P the „au.e of thL^^, L'„" '^-""f -ith the"^ JJ^^'f ' J^^" i* « clear tl^lt 
 
 '- -i^ht, reir^ "°"^ -^ -Hosit,. :: ;'::7;-^- the n^^st 
 
 ,^^P«ton'8 ei^ht a,^ume„ts in '"«■ *''« ''»«"'ess 
 
 '""^erer areas/oS>ws P'*^' °' ^is view that v . 
 
 1. Although the baTueT w^ . ''*' '^ '"« third 
 
 there until „e,,,J^;'efc was to commence at seven M k 
 
 .2. His entrance to thTr^ '*°'''*^ ^'^ "ot go 
 
 ^•nultaneous. ^' ''" ' ^^^ the appearance of .h 
 
 ^4- Sodeartohi heart was .,e ^"^ •""">— re almost 
 
 ,:■ j^e ^-trmoiTrr ^'^^ --'' " "' '" *" ^-^'>"^--« ■ 
 
 like the wort a» i.- ,. '"""hers was a noo^i 
 
ACT III. SCENE III. 
 
 59 
 
 use. 
 J: 
 
 55 
 
 Macbeth, 
 delivers 
 
 bis tool. 
 
 'ar in mind 
 ibJe advant- 
 ollow If we 
 obscurity ? 
 9 clear tbat 
 ises to give 
 Pearedoes 
 iiystery in 
 ' business 
 
 tbe third 
 
 i not go 
 
 e almost 
 
 four or 
 'tended 
 1th the 
 
 ;wo, he 
 would 
 
 n, not 
 
 usual 
 Qs to 
 
 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. 
 
 7. There was a levity in Macbeth's manner with the murderer at the banquet, 
 ■which is quite explicable if he personally knew that Banquo was dead. 
 
 8. When the. ghost rises, Macbeth asks those about him, " which of them " 
 had done it ; evidently to take suspicion off himself, and he says, in effect, to 
 the ghost " In yon black struggle you could never know me." 
 
 In replying to these arguments it may be said generally that most of them 
 apply well to Macbeth, but better to Ross. More particularly they are met as 
 follows :— 
 
 1. Macbeth went to the banquet as soon as Ross had returned by a short 
 way, and reported. 
 
 2. The murderer (who certainly did not know the short way home) reached 
 Macbeth about twent}' minutes la*^3r than Ross. 
 
 3. Macbeth had passed a terrible time of inactivity before Ross returned, 
 and that unhinged his mind : he is more unstrung through that horrible 
 imagining than he had been by the murder of Duncan. 
 
 4. Ross was Macbeth's chief confidant at thm tiiM, and was the first to 
 Announce the result. 
 
 5. The twenty mortal nmrthers was extremely characteristic of that poltroon 
 Ross panic-stricken and stabbing in the dark a rival who had recognized him. 
 
 6. Ross knew the place and the guests as only such a spy could know them : 
 he struck down the light after the terrible recognition of Banquo's " O, slave." 
 ■which applies infinitely better to this spy than to Macbeth. Ross owed his 
 power to his service of Macbeth. // Macbeth might have been recognized by 
 Banquo, as Mr. Patontays, why ivas he not recognized by the murderer»? 
 
 7. Macbeth was amused by the comparison of the account of the murderer 
 with that of Ross. The fact that he had the news accounts for his levity. Ross 
 haa given Macbeth hopes that the murderers might have pursued Fleance, and 
 the only point Macbeth really wants information about is the death or escape 
 ■of Fleance. 
 
 8. When the ghost arises Macbeth asks those about him " which of tliem " 
 had done it, because he suspects his colleague in crime. On returning to the 
 room he sees the man whom Ross and the murderer at the door had sworn to 
 be dead ; he suspects his colleague naturally. Ross endeavours to mislead the 
 other nobles at the banquet and to defend Macbeth. When Mr. Paton says 
 that Macbeth says in effect to the ghost "In yoii biaok btiu^gie you could 
 never know me " he probably alludes to the speech of Macbeth " Thou canst 
 jiot say I did it," which means that he was not present at the murder. 
 
 8. Hark ! I hear horses. The third murderer is the most aleri. 
 
60 
 
 macbhtb, 
 
 J^^ona Murderer ""' '' ^''^'^ ^^'^re, Ho f 
 
 ^i^-^i Murderer. "* 
 
 ^^^irct Murderer ^, ^'' ^'""-''^ go al^out. 
 
 . ^'^'''-^''- JUnquo and P, . 
 
 «>7rtr i- LEANCE 7£;//A . 
 
 ^^'"9^0. u will be rain , 
 
 ^^--s, Murderer. '■ "'" '° "'^^t. 
 
 f*-^^..^. r,ere's tut one do ^'' ' "°^ ^^^ "ay . 
 
 Second Murderer. '*"^''^' '^^ ^on is fled ' 
 
 ^''^^'^l/of our affair. " . ^e have lost 
 
 ^^rstMurd Well/.,, 
 
 '^^"^ (el's aivav att^ . 2) 
 
 -________^ ^> ^'^^^^-^^'-^'^^^.^ /.«'.«,. 
 
 f* '^-•^^ " [-E-veun/. 
 
 '^ awtge (iirection ? Sn^iT "'^'"^■' *^hy does s!h»t 
 
 ;:.5-SSS«^_; 
 
ACT III. SCENE IV. 
 Sc EN E I V. //a// in the palace. 
 
 61 
 
 A banquet prepared. Enter Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, 
 Ross, Lennkx, 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 r .igle with society 
 And play the humble host. 
 Our hostess keeps her state, it in best time 
 We will require her welcome. 
 
 Uidy Macbeth. Pronounce it for me, sir, to all our frieuds ; 
 For my heart speaks they are welcome. 
 
 First Murderer appears at the door. 
 
 Macbeth. See, they encounter thee with their hearts' thanks. 
 Both sides are even : here I'll sir i' the midst : lo 
 
 Be large in mirth ; anon we'll drink a measure 
 The table round. {Approaching the door.^ There 's blood 
 upon thy face. 
 
 Murderer. ' Tis Banquds then. 
 
 Macbeth. 'Tis better thee without than he within. 
 Is he dispatch' d ^ 
 
 Murderer. My lord, his throat is cut ; that I did iox him. 
 
 Macb. Thou art the best d the cut-throats : yet he 's good 
 That did the like for Fleance : if thou didst it, 
 Thou art the nonpareil. 
 
 12. There's blood upon thy face. The first nuudcrer knows this, it is part of 
 his r61e. 
 
 14. If this were an aside it might mean, "T'is better to be thee without the 
 banquet than Ross within." "Thee" would pass for a predicate better than 
 ■*'he" for an objective. 
 
 15. That I did, boastingly. 
 
 15. The best o' the cut-throatn. Recalls Macbeth's classiflcatinn of dogs. 
 
62 
 
 r 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 Most royal sir, 
 
 Fleance is 'scaped. . 
 
 Afuae/A. \Aside.^ Then comes my fit again : I had else 
 been perfect, 
 Whole as the marble, founded as the rock, 
 As broad and general as the casing air : 
 But now I am cabin'd, cribb'd, confined, bound in 
 To saucy doubts and fears.— /V/// Banquds safe? 
 
 Murderer. Ay, my good lord : safe in a ditch he bides, 
 With twenty trenched gashes on his head, 
 The least a death to nature. 
 
 Macbeth. Thanks for that. 
 
 {Aside?^ There the grown serpent lies ; the worm that's fled 
 Hath nature that in time will venom breed, 
 No teeth for the present.— Get thee gone : to-morrow 
 We'll hear ourselves again. Exit Murderer. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. My royal lord, 
 
 You do not give the cheer ; the feast is sold 
 That is not often vouch'd, while 'tis a-making, 
 'Tis given with welcome : to feed were best at home ; 
 From thence the sauce to meat is ceremony ; 
 Meeting were bare without it. 
 
 Macbeth. Sweet remembrancer ! 
 
 Now good digestion wait on appetite. 
 And health on both ! 
 
 20. Th^re'* but om dotm : the son Ufled. He is anxious on all ac-counts to 
 have Fleance killed but is afraid to remain longer to entfage in the pursuit. 
 
 21. The second murderer probably pursues Fleance: he wants the full 
 reward. 
 
 2 1 The fli'st murderer is foolishly anxious to prove his manhood to Macbeth • 
 he shows this difference from the other all through: he talks more than the 
 other, and IS quite sentimental just before the assassination; when Banquo is 
 attacked he gives the order rather than the blow, probably. 
 
 24. But Banquo' s nafef He wants confirmation of Ross's account The 
 (mde» of this passage should convince anyone that Macbeth was not an eve- 
 witness of Banquo's death. ^ 
 
ACT III. aOE^E IV. 
 
 63^ 
 
 Lennox. May 't please your highness sit. 
 
 [The Ghost of Banquo enters, and sits in Macbeth' s place. 
 
 Macbeth. Here had we now our country's honour roof'd, 
 Were the K'raced person of our Banquo present ; 4 1 
 
 Who may I rather challenge for unkuidness 
 Than pity for mischance ! 
 
 Ross. 
 
 u is absence, sir, 
 
 Lays blame upon his / roniise. '^lease 'tyour highness 
 To grace us with you r< 'al con Sany. 
 Macbeth. The table ^ it]!. 
 
 Lennox. Here is a place reserved, sir. 
 
 Macbeth. Where? 
 
 Lettnox. Here, my good lord. What is 't that moves your 
 highness .'' • 
 
 Macbeth. Which of you have done this ? 
 
 ^'''''^'' What, my good lord > 
 
 Macbeth. Thou canst not say I did it : never shale 50 
 Thy gory locks at me. 
 
 Ross. Gentlemen, rise : his hi^^hness is not well. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. Sit, worthy friends : my lord is often thus. 
 And hath been from his youth : pray you, keep seat ; 
 The fit is momentary ; upon a thought 
 He will again be well : if much you note him. 
 You shall offend him and extend his passion : 
 
 42. A wish not wholly insincer. .on.inding ,;h of hie wyinK, "Wake Duncan 
 with thy knocking, I wish thou couldst." 
 
 43-46. Ro88_ finds Macbeth's last words coming too near the fatal subject and 
 endeavours to close that .ubject for him and o,«3n another. Imagine a friend 
 of Banquo s using the words Ross uses here. They are the words of an enemy 
 or rather of a murderer posing as an ordinal' enemy. They show tha» Ros^ 
 was known by all to be Banquo's rival. 
 
 51. Since Ross is the one who actually " didii." hio «n«A^h is .-.♦«-fi.. m 
 
 I niessKoss 18 guilty how are these speeches to be explained-he wa8''fuirof 
 cunosity and just the man to show a prying desire t- draw Macbeth out. This 
 \^xiot^veUtxopri'iuApii inasmuch as Ross's weakness for prying is admitted by 
 
■S64 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 I ■■ 
 
 in 
 
 60 
 
 Feed, and regard him not. Are you a man ? 
 
 Macbeth. Ay, and a bold one, that dare look upon that 
 "Which might appal the devil. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. Q proper stuff ] 
 
 This is the very painting of your fear : 
 This is the air-drawn dagger which, you saidy 
 Led you to Duncan. O, these flaws and starts, 
 Impostors to true fear, would well become 
 A woman's story at a winter's fire, 
 Authorized by her grandam. Shame itself! 
 Why do you make such faces ? When all 's done, 
 You look but on a stool. 
 
 Macb. Prithee, see there! behold ! look ! lo ! how say you ' 
 Why, what pare 1 1 If thou canst nod, speak too. 
 If charnel-houses and'our graves must send 71 
 
 Those that we bui-y back, our monuments 
 Shall be the maws of kites. \Ghost vanishes. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. What, quite unmann'd in folly ? 
 
 Macbeth. If I stand here, I saw him. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. . Fie, for shame ! 
 
 Macbeth. Blood hath been shed ere now, i' the olden time. 
 Ere human statute purged the general weal ; 
 Ay, and since too, murders have been perform'd 
 Too. terrible for the ear : the time has been, 
 That, when the brains were out, the man would die. 
 
 And there an end ; but now they rise again, 
 With twenty mortal murthers on their crowns, 
 And push us from our stools : this is more strange 
 Than such a murder is. 
 
 L^dy Macbeth. My worthy lord, 
 
 Your noble friends do lack you. 
 
 Macbeth. I do forget. 
 
 Do i.ot muse at me, my most worthy friends : 
 I have a strange intirmity, which is nothing 
 To ' ose that know me. Come, love and health to all ; 
 
 Zo 
 
ACT HI. SCENE ir. 
 
 05 
 
 90 
 
 Then I'll sit down. Give me some wine, fill full. 
 I drink to the general joy o' the whole table, 
 And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss ; 
 
 Would he were here ! to all and him we thirst, 
 And all to all. 
 
 Lords. Our duties, and the pledge. 
 
 Re-enter Ghost. , . 
 
 Macb. Avaunt ! and quit my sight ! let the earth hide thee ! 
 Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold ; 
 Thou hast no speculation in those eyes 
 Which thou dost glare with. ■ ^^ 
 
 Lady Macbeth. Think of this, good peers, 
 
 But as a thing of custom : 'tis no other ; 
 Only it spoils the pleasure of the time. 
 
 Macbeth. What man dare, I dare : 
 Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear, loo 
 
 The arm'd rhinoceios, or the Hyrcan tiger ; 
 Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves 
 ishall never tremble : or be alive again, 
 And dare me to the desert with thy sword ; 
 If trembling I inhabit then, protest me 
 The baby of a girl. Hence, horribio shadow I 
 Unreal mocker>', hence ! \Ghost vanishes. 
 
 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 overcome us like a summer's cloud, 
 Without our special wonder .? You make me strange 
 
 no 
 
 106. This crux .would SRPm tn inoan •<V/>., w.^— --,v *-_ .. 
 
 J. - ~* • i-ft^M iiic lur i;ov.-arairc in 
 
 Bending my deputy to kill you ; dare me to the desert where I can rely only on 
 my own strength and skill, if I then cower behind .ny kingly power at home 
 call me a weak baby." ' 
 
 6 
 
C6 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 Even to the disposition that I owe 
 
 When now I think you can behold such sights, 
 
 /^nd keep the natural ruby of your cheeks, 
 When mine is blaneh'd with fear. 
 
 ' ^^ai sights, my lord ? 
 
 J-^dyM. I pray you, speak not ; he grows worse and worse - 
 Question enrages him. At once, good night : 
 Stand not upon the order of your going 
 But go at once. 
 
 AttrS majesty! ^^°^ "'^'^^^ -^ 'setter health .::o 
 Lady Macbeth. A kind good night to all ' 
 
 il^^eunt all but Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. 
 
 StZTXi k"'" f '"' ^'^'^^ '■ ^'^y '^y ^'--^ -•" have blood • 
 Stones have been known to move and trees to speak • 
 
 Augurs and understood relations have ' 
 
 By maggot-pies and choughs and rooks brought forth 
 The secret'st man of blood. What is the night ? 
 Lady M Almost at odds with morning, which is which. 
 
 Attritt SZT ^'^"' "^" '''''''''-'- '^' ^--^ • 
 Lady Macbeth. Did you send to him, sir. ^ 
 
 Macbeth. I hear it by the way, but I will send : , ,o 
 
 There s not a one of them but in his house ^ 
 
 Ikeepas en,antfee'd I will to-morrow, 
 
 Macbeth , opportuni/rexplaiX^'hint" '''""' ^•^"-^^ »« ^-es 
 .reateo,.,aptandseei.„,,„eS;;; .^t^^^^^^^^^^^^ with 
 
 Macbeth did not ^Z ttt t^'ZV^^Z''"''' " ^ "''''' "'''' ^"^ ^'^'^^ 
 
 M^eti: ':; t; zi';;::::: "-^-^ *°''^. ^'^^ ^^^ ^^ --^ - - - 
 
 iai-132.i While these lines startle us wifh tho h-. . . 
 
 administration they point directly to Valduil^ '0.^ '"' «-''^*'^-«- 
 
ACT III. SCENi: V. 
 
 «7 
 
 And betimes I will, to the weird sisters : 
 
 More shall they speak, for now I am bent to know, 
 
 By the worst means, the worst. For mine own good 
 
 All causes shall give way : I am in blood 
 
 Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more, 
 
 Returning were as tedious as go o'er. 
 
 .Strange things I have in head that will fo /land, 
 
 Which must be acted ere they may be scann'd. * 140 
 
 Lady Macbeth. You lack the season of all natures, sleep. 
 
 Macbeth. Come, we'll to sleep. My strange and self-abuse 
 Is the initiate fear that wants hard use : 
 We are yet but young in deed. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene V. A heath. 
 Thunder. Enter the three ^'wdnts, meeting Hv-ChTK. 
 
 First Witch. Why, how now, Hecate ! you look angerly. 
 
 Hecate. Have I not reason, beldams as you are. 
 Saucy and overbold ? How-did you dare 
 To trade and traffic with Macbeth 
 In riddles and affairs of death ; 
 And I, the mistress of your charms, 
 The close contriver of all harms, 
 Was never call'd to bear my part. 
 Or show the glory of our art ? 
 
 And, which is worse, all you have d.one 10 
 
 Hath been but for a wayward son, 
 Spiteful and wrathful ; who, as others do; 
 Loves for his own ends, not for you. , 
 
 144. He tells us plainly that their ambitious scheming: (ind passive jpuKlers 
 had preceded their murder of Duncan. 
 
 The Heoftte of this scene thinks of evil as others think of good, hende the 
 tragedy reticiies Uie siiioothuass of comedy : she is cahn, conJldent, and even 
 conscientious in devotion to evil, and the resulting smoothness of her speech 
 has misi^ those who colild not conceive of tragedy at 'this pitch where 
 extremes appear to meet. • < 
 
68 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 3=> 
 
 But make amends now : get you gone, 
 
 And at the pit of Acheron 
 
 Meet me i' the morning : thither he 
 
 Will come to know his destiny : 
 
 Your vessels and your spells provide, 
 
 Your charms and every thing beside! 
 
 I rm for the air ; this night I'll spend 
 
 Unto a dismal and a fatal end : 
 
 Great business must be wrought ere noon • 
 
 Upon the corner of the moon 
 
 There hangs a vaporous drop profound ; 
 
 I'll catch it ere it come to ground : 
 
 And that, distill'd by magic sleights, 
 
 Shall raise such artificial sprites 
 
 As by the strength of their illusion 
 
 Shall draw him on to his confusion : 
 
 He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear 
 
 His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace and fear : 
 
 And you all know security 
 
 Is mortals' chiefest enemy. 
 
 [Music and a song within : ' Come away, come Iway ' &c 1 
 Hark ! I am call'd ; my little spirit, see, ' -' 
 
 Sits m a foggy cloud, and stays for me. ' f^^,^ 
 
 First Witch. Come, let's make haste; she '11 soon be 
 back agam. ^ _ 
 
 ynxeunt. 
 
 Scene VI. Forres. The palace. 
 
 Enter Lennox and another Lord, (possibly Angus). 
 
 J^_^nox. My forn:er speeches have but hit your thoughts 
 
 Which can interpret further . only I say 
 
 Things have been strangely borne. The gracious Duncan 
 
 If Ro88 were not Macbeth's accomplice he would nr«i, ' '■ 
 
 So far as the speeches of the other Lord in this scen^ show ohar«.t„r ♦k 
 «eem to harmonize well with the honourable sloM-ness of A.gus. "^""^ 
 
 20 
 
ACT III. SCENE VL 
 
 69 
 
 me away,'&c.J 
 
 3US Duncan 
 
 Was pitied of Macbeth : marry, he was dead : 
 
 And the right-valiant Banquo walk'd too late, 
 
 Whom, you may say, if 't please you, Fleance kill'd. 
 
 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 ? danined 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 r 
 
 For 'twould have ai.ger'd 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 h<^. 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 fail'd 
 
 His presence at the tyrant's feast, I hear 
 
 Macdufif lives in disgrace : sir, can you tell 
 
 Where he bestows himself? , 
 
 Lor^- 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 Macdufif 
 ^ Is gone to pray the holy king, upon his aid 
 To wake Northumberland and warlike Si ward ; 
 That by 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 the king that he 
 
 lo 
 
 20 
 
 .30 
 
.' 
 
 70 
 
 MACBJSTU. 
 
 Prepares for some attempt of war. 
 
 Lennox'. 
 
 Lord H*^-. . Sent he tfi Macd«i(r? 
 
 Th , . *'' = *"*^ ^'^^ an absolute ' Sir .nf - . 
 The cloudy messenger turns n.c his ba^ ' "' '' '^ 
 
 And hums, as wk^ should sav Vn„.,, ' - 
 That clogs me with .X,^^ , °" " '"^ ^^ ^'-^ 
 
 Lennox. 
 
 ^dvise hto ,0 a camion ,0 h„,d ..^l;""'';''' '"'«'■' 
 H.S w„do„, can provide. Some hofy : " "' 
 
 "fe^auu rtna unroJci 
 
 ■'-"■■^ I'll J 
 
 1 II send my pray,!,, with him. 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 ACT IV. 
 
 SCBKE,. Aca.em. 'n tHe „iM. a ioiUng c.u,U.o„. 
 
 Thunder. Enter the three SNachti 
 T'Tuf- ™«"'='»'"<'l=''ca,ha.hmew.d 
 
 /■»-r»*'f ""■■P""- "■== ""3 <ime, .,is ,ime.' 
 
 ':Xt^^e:r.ht:.'*'-""™-^ 
 
 i oad, that under cold stone 
 
 i>ays and nights has thirty-one 
 
 Swelter'd venom sleeping got " 
 
 Boil thou first i' the charmed pot. 
 
 ^//. Double, double, toil and trouble • 
 Fire burn and cauldron bubble. ' 
 
 Second Wi/rlf ir;ii-, -. - 
 
 I « ^K , , " ' ""^'^ °^ ^ 'enny snake 
 
 In the cauldrc- boil and bake: 
 
 ^o 
 
ACT IV: SCENE T. 
 
 71 
 
 t 1,' 4G 
 
 I mighr 
 
 I him. 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 ■luldron. 
 hined. 
 
 l& 
 
 20 
 
 30 
 
 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 liell-broth boil and bubble. v 
 
 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 ravin'd salt-sea shark, 
 Root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark, 
 Liver of blaspheming Jew, 
 Gall of goat, and slips of yew 
 Silver'd in the moon's eclipse, 
 Nose of Turk and Tartar's lips. 
 Finger of birth-strangled babe 
 Ditch-deliver'd by a drab, 
 Make the gruel thick and slab : 
 Add thereto a tiger's chaudron, 
 For the ingredients 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 H ECATE to the other three Witches. 
 
 Hecate O, well done ! I commend your pains ; 
 And every one shall share i' the gains ; 
 And now about the cauldron sing, 
 Like elves and fairies in a ring. 
 Enchanting all that you put in. - 
 
 [Music and a song: ' Black spirts,' &c, Hecate retires'] 
 
 Second Witch. By the pricking of my thumbs, 
 
 49 
 
 ^^•^^%, 
 
Ml. L 
 
 m I 
 
 ■:i| 
 iill i 
 
 !!! 
 
 72 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 SO 
 
 Something TwV/f^^/ this way comes. 
 Open, locks, 
 
 Whoever knocks J 
 
 £n/er Macbeth. 
 
 A deed without a name. 
 J^^f^^^- 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 ' 
 Agamst the churches ; though the yesty waves 
 Confound and swallow navigation up ; 
 
 Thoufh ^^^y '°'" ""' '°^^^^ ^"d '^''^ blown down • 
 Though castles topple on their warders' Leads ; 
 
 Though palaces and pyramids do slope 
 
 The,r 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. 
 
 J^trs/ mich. Speak. 
 
 Second Witch. Demand. 
 
 Third Witch. vi7» n\ 
 
 We '11 answer. 
 
 Ftrst w. Say, if thou'dst rather hear it from our mouths 
 Or from our masters ? "«uuins, 
 
 Macbeth. Call 'em ; let me see 'em. 
 
 F^st Witch. Pour in sow's blood, that hath eaten 
 Her nme farrow ; grease that 's sweaten 
 I-rom the murderer's gibbet throw 
 Into the flame. 
 
 T^^^\c . Come, high or low ; 
 
 Thyself and office deftly show ! 
 
 TV..... S- »-■ 
 
 . r^unuer. Ftnt Apparaiion : an armed head. 
 Macbeth. Tell me, thou unknown power,- 
 
 60 
 
ACT IV. SCENE I. 
 
 7^ 
 
 Ftrsi Witch. He knows thy thought : 
 
 Hear his speech, but say thou nought. 70 
 
 First App. 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. Second Apparation : a bloody Child 
 
 Second Apparation. Macbeth ! Macbeth 1 Macbeth ! " 
 
 Macbeth. Had I three ears, I 'Id hear thee. 
 
 Second App. 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 '11 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 Apparation : 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. Listen, but speak not to 't. 
 
 Third App. Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care 
 Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are : 
 Macbeth shall never vanquished be until 
 
 (^irc/rt Titvvf/w^M natnn/i //i hitrh T)tt9ici*ijiMJ> hill ■ ^ 
 
 91. Tt t! icles use ambiguity, " the traitor's shield and shaft," to mislead 
 Macbeth. Ross used the same means of deceiving Macbeth in Scene 3 of Act I. 
 
74 
 
 MACBETH, 
 
 him. 
 
 [Vesce/tds. 
 
 Ido 
 
 titboys. 
 
 ■Shat'f ''■Kac ag... 
 
 ^.«/v/^. That will never be : 
 
 ^ h^' tan impress the forest, hid the tree 
 
 Kebelhon s head, nse never. fDI .'.e wood " 
 
 Shahve the lease of n 
 To t. ne and mortalcstom. Yet my heart 
 Throbs to know one thing : tell me, if your art 
 Can tell so much : shall Banquo's issue ever 
 '<eign m this kingdom ? 
 
 All 
 
 ' Seek to know no more. 
 
 Macbeth. I will be satisfied : deny me this. 
 And an ,e , curse fall upon you ! ^Let Leknow 
 Why smks that cauldron ? and what noise is th.s " 
 
 First Witch. Show! ^^ 
 
 Second Witch. Show ! 
 Third Witch. Show! 
 
 <^ome like shadows, s- depart I - , 
 
 A sho^ ofei^htKln^sth.^ last ^.th a ^lass in his hand, 
 Bnnquds host follovnng. 
 
 Macbeth. Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo • down < 
 I hy crown does sear mine eye-balls And thy hair' 
 
 A third ,shke the former. Pithy Lags! 
 Why do you show me this ? ' ..r^K » c. _. 
 Whaf will fu r ■ ^ "" S^^rt, eye^ ' 
 
 What, will the Ime stretn. out ' . the rr-.rt ,^f J^ 
 
 Another yet ! A seven' I' -.! ""^ ' 
 
 \^A , »<=venc. i see no more : 
 
 Vh r. ^^^''^"PP' "*'• - bears a glass • 
 
 ;l''^^ sho.,ys me many ,.ore ; and some! sJ 
 ^«uc rHo-loiU balls and treble sceptres carry ; 
 ^ornble sight ! Now I see 'tis true ; ' 
 
 no 
 
 1 11' ' ■'- 
 
ACT IV. SCENE I. 
 
 75 
 
 For the blood-boltev'd Banquo smiles upon.mc, 
 And points at them for his. {Apparitiom vanish 
 
 What, is this so ? 
 
 First Witch. Ay, sir, all this is so : but why 
 Stands Macbeth thus amazedly? 
 < ome, sisters, cheer we up his sprites. 
 And show the best of our delights : 
 1 '11 charm the air to give a sound. 
 
 While you perform your antic round, 1 30 
 
 That this great king may ' 'ndly say 
 Our duties did his welcome pay. 
 
 ^ Music. The Witches dance, and then Tanish^ with Hecate. J 
 Macbeth. Where are they? (ione r 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 ? 
 
 I enno.v. No my lord. 
 
 ■fbeth. 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? 140 
 
 Lennox. Ti uvo or three, my lord, that brini_^ you word 
 Macduff is fled to England. 
 
 Macbeth. Fled to England ! 
 
 Lennox. Ay, my good lord. 
 
 Macbeth. \Aside\ Time, thou ancicipatest my dread exploits: 
 The flighty purpose never is o crtook .: 
 
 '.'.tivj^ •.*■*. ••• v^t &*' ...\i» It ■ »■...♦.. ...... --..-*.■ ..r^..^ 
 
 The very firstlings of my heart shall be 
 The firstling of my hand. And even now^ 
 
 1 
 
76 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 jp»r„?.r.^-:'jr:i'?j.'--^'--e.. 
 
 150 
 
 Tk , ' "'""Kuis With acts he 
 
 Thai trace him Th , ""•"""""(e soul, 
 
 Bm no more sigh.Tl-wv '^"''""" ""'• 
 
 Come, bri„, mfJhere ^eHr::' """ ^'-""""^^ 
 
 ^»(iy Macduff. Wlnf ha^ 1, ^ 
 
 Lady Macduff. ' 
 
 His flight was madness • 7/,A .^ "^ ^^^ "^"e : 
 
 Our fears do ,nake TtrJton. "''"'"''^ '^ ""^'^ 
 
 Ross, 
 
 Whether it wa^ A,c , • v ^"^ ^"^'^'^ **oi 
 
 'f'^ashts wisdom or his fear. 
 Lady Macduff Wisdom! to leave hi, v 
 
 babes, '^'^'^^ "'s wife, to leave his 
 
 ?rl"'T'"" '"^ ^'^ ^'^'^"^ >■" a place 
 ^rom whence himself does flv ? /Jw 
 
 He wants the natural touch f f '^'^ ^" ''''^' * 
 The most diminutive of ,,s til thT" """' 
 
 So runs against all reason. ^ . 
 
 156. Who were "f-hoo ~ ' 
 
 So^ne II. Is it possible to read f hi« ^^• 
 
 «> vardly hypocrite throughout l' J^'' ""^ "°* ««« ^^at Ross plays the 
 
 ~^'"^«*^^^"i^"h':^e?thI'M:^,fr' '" ""** "^ '^-■'-«- ^^s ham 
 
ACT IV. SCENE 11. 
 
 n 
 
 ndd 
 Dol ; 
 
 one 
 
 150 
 
 [£^.reu/t/. 
 
 >s. 
 
 y the land? 
 i none : 
 
 leave his 
 
 10 
 
 *W8 that 
 
 >lai's the 
 8 ahnost 
 
 lis hard 
 
 /ioss. My dearest coz, 
 
 f pray you, school yourself: but for your husband, 
 He is noble, wise, ju(/tctous, and best knows 
 The fits o" the 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 (ear, yet know not what we fear, 20 
 
 But float upon a wild and violent sea 
 Each way and move. 1 take my leave of you : 
 Shall not be long but I'll be here again : 
 Things at the worst will cease, or else climb upwards 
 To what they were before. My pretty cousin, -•-''' 
 
 Blessing upon you ! 
 
 Lady Macduff. Father'd he is, and yet he 's fatherless. 
 
 Ross. I am so much a fool, should I stay longer, 
 // would be my disgrace and your discomfort : 
 J take my leave at once. [Exit. 
 
 Lady Macduff. Sirrah, your father 's dead : 30 
 
 17. / dare not speak much further. The rest of this speech is difficult on 
 the assumption that Ross is a man of honour. If he came as a friend to warn 
 the lady of danger, why did he leave with a few remote hints? The fact is he 
 came as Macbeth's spy to lead a gang of assassins : during his interview with 
 the lady the murderers await him outside and within three minutes of his exit 
 they enter, within four minutes the poor little fellow is dead, and within five 
 minutes the lady is butchered . Where is the sword of Ross \ ho has just said, 
 *' Shall not be long but 1 '11 be here again " ? It has not occun ^ to any critic 
 that this question needs an answer, yet Shakespeare could hardiy have made 
 it plainer that we should look into this : if possible it is made plainer by Ross's 
 account of this butchery to Macduff (iv., 3, '?04), when he thus narrates it, 
 
 " Your castle is surprised : your wife and babes 
 Savagely slaughtered : to relate the manner 
 Were on the quarry of these murdered deer. 
 To add the death of you." 
 
 Unless Ross can be cleared «'. this > harge of allowing the Macduffs to be nmr- 
 dered before he had left the castl. (there is much to show that he directed the 
 assassins) his character is worse (ban his master's. 
 
 29. It would be my disgrace and your discomfort. He poses as a man of 
 sensibility, but his vile ambiguity bears a darker meaning. " One word with 
 wo meanings is the traitor's shield and shaft." 
 
78 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 A.^whatwi,„oudo„owP How wi„ ,ou live . 
 - ^^'^^ As b,rds do, mother. 
 
 ^«^ Macduff: yij, 
 
 Son. With what I ^et I n, '"'^ ^"""^^ ^"^ ^''^^ -^ 
 
 ^^^^^.Poorbid i"V'"^ 
 1 he pitfall nor the gin " ^"' ""'''' ^'^' "^^ "et nor lime, 
 
 Son. Why should f, mother? P u- 
 set for. ' °*''^'- Poor birds they are not 
 
 ^ady Macduff Why I can h 
 
 ^'^^ Was my father a traitor, mother? 
 '^^^^. What is a traitor.? 
 
 ^rt^^' Macduff. Whv nn« .1 
 
 ^-«. And bf all ; '^"'^''^ ^'^''' ^'■^-• 
 
 Z;"'^''^^" traitors that do so? 
 Lady Macduff Every one th-if H. 
 must be hanged. ^ ""'^^ ^''^^ ^^ '« a traitor, and 
 
 Son. And must they all be hamr.^.K ^^ 
 
 Lady Macduff Every one """ "'^' ''^ " 
 
 ^^«. Who must hang them ? 
 LadyMacdrcff Why the honest men 
 
 them. ''^'^t the honest men and hang up 
 
 Lady Macduff. Now Pnr? i i ,. 
 how wiJt thou do for a father? ^ ^ ' P^°'' "^^"'^^y 
 
 '^'''' '''^'"^'•'^^^^^'. you 'Id weep for him -if ^' 
 
 H lor mm ; if you would 
 
 But 
 59 
 
ACT IV. SCENE II. 
 
 79- 
 
 ns and flies ? 
 
 -y- 
 
 ^et nor lime, 
 'ey are not 
 
 >»■ a father ? 
 
 »y market, 
 yet i' faith. 
 
 "or, and 
 
 49 
 ■^ lie ? 
 
 lere are 
 lang up 
 
 ^! But 
 
 59 
 
 would 
 
 not, it were a good sign that I should quickly have a new 
 father. 
 
 Lady Macduff. Poor prattler, how thou talk'st ! 
 Enter a Messenger. 
 
 Messenger. Bless you, fair dame ! I am not to you known,. 
 Though in your state of honour I am i>erfect. 
 I doubt some danger does approach you nearly : 
 If you will take a homely man's advice, 
 Be not found here ; hence with your little ones. 
 To fright you thus, methinks 1 am too savage ; 
 To do worse to you were fell cruelty, " 70- 
 
 Which is too nigh your person. Heaven preserve you ! 
 I dare abide no longer. \E.vtt. 
 
 Lady Macduff. Whither should I fly } 
 
 I have done no harm. But I remember now 
 I am in this earthly world, where to do harm 
 Is often laudable, to do good sometimes 
 Accounted dangerous folly : why then, alas, 
 Do I put up that womanly defence. 
 To say I have done nc harm } 
 
 Enter Murderers, 
 
 , What are these faces ? 
 
 Eirst Murderer. Where is your husband ! 
 
 Lady Macduff. I hope, in no place so unsanctified 80 
 
 Where such as thou mayst find him. 
 
 First Murderer. He's a traitor. 
 
 Son. Thou liest, thod shag-hair'd villain ! 
 
 First Murderer. What, you egg 1 
 
 [^Stabbing hitn. 
 Young fry of treachery ! 
 
 Son. He has kill'd me, mother : 
 
 Run away, I pray you ! [Dies. 
 
 \_r^-^tt s^tiilj' irLtxt^iiitJJ ^ vrj-trtv .Tit:iucr . 
 
 Exeunt Murderers, following her. 
 
 \ I 
 
 This messenger may come from Lady Ma: jeth. 
 
I f 
 
 MACBETH. 
 ^'^---V^- Bnglan,. Before,^ ^,„^,^^,^^ 
 Enter Malcolm and Macduff 
 
 Macduff. . 
 
 Hold fas. the „„„„, 3„„.d. and^L'^rdten 
 
 Malcolm. wko* r u ■• 
 
 As I shall find the time to friend, I will 
 This tvlt ': ^""''l " "'^ ^^ - P-^h-ce. 
 
 You may deservfe of him th ough m" 'Z^ '' T' ''"'^''"^ 
 To offpr i.r> o 1 """ugn me, and wisdom 
 
 ' o Otter up a weak poor innocent lamb 
 ^ o appease an angry god, 
 
 Macduff^. I am not treacherous. 
 Malcolm. ^ 
 
 A good and virtuous nature may recoil' ""'"' "' 
 <n an imperial charge. But I shall ^.o 
 That which you are^my ^1:^^::::^::^^'''- ' 
 ^ngels are bnght still, though the brightest fj ' 
 Though all things foul would wear the h-! i" 
 Yet grace must still look so "^' ''^^''''' 
 
 Macduff. r u , 
 
 /i^ / , ^ "^^^ 'ost my hopes. 
 
 w^^t.rr^7o:trat^:^i?r"---- 
 
 Those Drecious mQH.,»o .u__. . '" ^""Q, 
 
 Without ieave.t;i;i„gr'i';a;;:r '""'^ °"°™' 
 
 20 
 
ACTIV. SGENE III. 
 
 81 
 
 Let not my jealousies be your dishonours, 
 
 But mine own safeties. You may be rightly just, 
 
 "Whatever I shall think. " ' 
 
 30 
 
 Macduff. Bleed, bleed, poor country! 
 
 Great tyranny ! lay thou thy basis sure. 
 For goodness dare not check thee : wear thou thy wrongs ; 
 The title is affeer'd. Fare thee well, lord : 
 I would not be the villain that thou think'st 
 For the whole space that 's in the tyrant's grasp, 
 And the rich East to boot. 
 
 Malcolm. Be not offended : 
 
 1 speak not as in absolute fear of you, 
 1 think our country sinks beneath the yoke ; 
 It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash 
 Is added to her wounds : I think withal 
 There would be hands uplifted in my rignt ; 
 And here from gracious England have I offer 
 Of goodly thousands : but all for this, 
 When I shall tread upon the tyrant's head, 
 Or wear it on my sword, yet my poor country 
 Shall have more vices than it had before, 
 More suffer and more sundry ways than ever, 
 By him that shall succeed. 
 
 Macduff. What should he be } 
 
 Malcolm, It is myself I mean : in whom I know 
 All the particulars of vice so grafted 
 That, when they shall be open'd, black Macbeth 
 Will seem as pure as snow, and the poor state 
 Esteem him as a lamb, being compared 
 With my confineless harms. 
 
 Macduff. Not in the legions 
 
 Of horrid hell can come a devil more damn'd 
 In evils to top Macbeth, 
 
 Malcilm. I grant him bloody, 
 
 Luxuricius, avaricious, false, deceitful. 
 
 40 
 
 50 
 
 \ 
 
82 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 ''Udden, malicious, smackinc^ . e 
 
 Thaf h^e o ■ smacking of every sin 
 
 Vou, matrons ^ndVL 1^1 "''' ^'"" ■'""Kk'ers, 
 
 Macduff. „ 
 
 In nature is a tyranny ; „ ba.hTeen"' '"'™P--- 
 
 in^'i::t:x:f"^'-r^-'^- 
 
 T^ ♦ 1 ^ "^'ngs. But fear not vpf 
 
 T o take upon you what is vour. ■ , ^ 
 
 We have w llg ^^^ "™ ''^ '«/ - hoodwink : 
 
 Finr;7sor,irer'"'^ "■-'-- 
 
 Malcolm. vv.'fK »i • , 
 
 ;n n,y .„. Hi^ontposed 'I'r^T""^ 
 A stanchless avarice that, were J k „" 
 
 'should cut offthe nobles for thWr^Ls. 
 Des,reh,3 jewels and this other's h„"e^ 
 And my more-having „„u,d be as a sa'ce 
 
 Destroying them for wealth ''"'"°>-^'' 
 
 Macduff. 
 
 ?-s^z:;S^tr7^^~ 
 
 The sword of our s^^^' ^"^ '' '^"^^ "^^^^ 
 v/iu ui our sJain kinj's : vet rin n,^^ r 
 
 Scotland hath foisons to tilt „p fol'; ' '^'■'■- 
 Of your mere own • all fhp«^ T "^ wni, 
 
 With other graces wfhu'"''''^' 
 
 '^«/c./.«. But 1 have none : the kin. b... • 
 
 ine Km^-becoming graces, 
 
 6o 
 
 7o 
 
 So 
 
 90 
 
 ■****'»jfr'?-i»t^)»„ ,0, 
 
ACT IV. SCENE III. 
 
 83 
 
 As justice, verity, temperance, stableness, 
 
 Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness. 
 
 Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude, 
 
 I have no relish of them, but abound 
 
 In the division of each several crime, 
 
 Acting in many ways. Nay, had I power, 1 should 
 
 Pour the sweet milk of concord into hell. 
 
 Uproar the universal peace, confound 
 
 All unity on earth. 
 
 Macduj^. O Scotland, Scotland ! \<Xi 
 
 Malcolm. If such a one be fit to govern, speak ; 
 I am as I have spoken. 
 
 Macduff. Fit to govern! 
 
 No, not to live, O nation miserable, 
 \\ ith an unsettled tyrant bloody-scepter'd. 
 When shalt thou see thy wholesome days again, 
 Since that the truest issue of thy throne 
 By his own interdiction stands accursed, 
 And does blaspheme his breed ? Thy royal father 
 Was a most sainted king : the queen that bore thee, 
 Oftener upon her knees than on her feet, 
 Died every day she lived. Fare thee well ! 
 These evils thou repeat'st upon thyself 
 Have banish'd me from Scotland. O my breast, 
 Thy hope ends here ! 
 
 Malcolm. Macduff, this noble passion 
 
 Child of integrity, hath from mv soul 
 Wiped the black scruples, reconciled my thoughts 
 To thy gv)od truth and honour. Devilish Macbeth 
 By many of ».i.?b. jVi no hath sought to win me 
 Into his pov ■ I, :>ntl inodest wisdom plucks me 
 From over-r du'oi'S haste : but God above 120 
 
 Deal betwee.i l!;ee and me ! for even now 
 I put m* self to thy diieciion, and 
 Unspeak mine own detraction, here abjuie 
 The taints and blames I laid upon njyself, 
 
 1 10 
 
84 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 li) i 
 
 l!i ! 
 
 » I 
 
 For Strangers to my nature. I am yet 
 
 No es m ,r,,h than life : my first false speakin.. 
 Was this upon myself: what I am truly, ^ ' 
 Is thme and my poor countru'<= * 
 
 Whither indeed, before their h ''""""'"^ ' 
 f\\A c- J . ' """"^^ ineir here-approach 
 Old S.ward, with ten thousand warl.ke me ' 
 Already at a point, was setting forth ' 
 
 "r warranted quarrel ! Why are you silent ^ 
 'T.f h::dfo .e'rcir ^•"^ ^-^ "--^^-^ ^^-^- - once 
 
 En/er a Doctor 
 
 icty nis cure . their malady convinces 
 The great assay of art; but at hLouch 
 
 Such styh,,h heaven given hi3 hand, 
 i hey presently amend. ' 
 
 Malcolm. t ♦»,. i 
 
 M w nat s the disease ne means > 
 Malcolm. 
 
 pe mere despair of sur^erv. h. „., J ' 
 "anging a g»Me„ stamp abou.iheirn'Us, 
 
 ^30 
 
 ISO 
 
 I !< fc. in 
 
 liiil 
 
ACT IV. SCENE III. 
 
 86 
 
 i3o 
 
 t? 
 
 It once 
 
 forth, I 
 140 
 
 lis 
 
 Doctor 
 e evil ; 
 
 'SO 
 
 Put on with holy prayers : and Uis spoken. 
 
 To the succeeding royalty he leaves. 
 
 The healing benediction. With this strange virtue, 
 
 He hath a heavenly gift of prophecy. 
 
 And sundry blessings hang about his throne 
 
 That speak him full of grace. 
 
 Enter VsysA. 
 
 Macduff. 
 Malcolm. 
 Macdu_ff. 
 Malcolm. 
 
 See, who comes here ? 
 My countryman ; but yet I know him not. 1 60 
 My ever-gentle cousin, welcome hither. 
 I know him now. Good God, betimes remove 
 The means that makes us strangers ! 
 
 Ross. Sir, cimen. 
 
 Macdujff. Stands Scotland where it did ? 
 
 Ross. ' Alas, poor country ! 
 
 Almost afraid to know itself. It cannot 
 Be call'd our mother, but our grave ; where nothing 
 But who knows nothing, is once seen to smile ; 
 Where sighs and groans and shrieks that rend the air 
 Are made, not mark'd ; where violent sorrow seems 
 A modern ecstasy : the dead man's knell 170 
 
 Is there scarce ask'd for who ; and good men's lives 
 Expire before the flosver in their caps, 
 Dying or ere they sicken. 
 
 Macdujff. Oy relation 
 
 Too nice, and yet too true ! 
 
 Malcolm. What 's the newest grief? 
 
 154-6. It should be borne in mind that Shakespeare writinif in the rei(,'n of 
 James I. found it necessary to conciliate the Court. One reMon why Banquo's 
 character has escaped his readers is that as the ancestor of James he had to be 
 treated cautiously. 
 
 Ifil, V>.'Kr 2ent!n. Just the epithet that Maoiiiff might use in pleasure at 
 seeing Ross : not a great compliment in that age, rather a taunt, coming from 
 Macduff. 
 
 173. reJMwn., too nice. Too elaborate and oratorical to be heart-felt. 
 
 1 
 
86 
 
 MAC BETS. 
 
 ^oss. That of an hoM^% ^ ^ 
 ^-chn^inufeteLsaZ^'^'^^^^i^-^he speaker; 
 Macduff: 
 
 ^oss. my,weil. "«^ does my wife? 
 
 Macduff. A J „ 
 
 /?oss. A"d all my children? 
 
 MacduJ. Thetvranfi, ^ell too. 
 
 ^ I ne tyrant has not batter'H nt tt, • 
 Ross. /v„ . fL^„ ""iiicra at their peace ? 
 
 ^-*^. B. no, a Zt^T" "''" ' "'■" ""- ■-■ 
 '^''«- When I came U^ '"""' 'P""* ' '"'«' 8oes 't » 
 
 ^^''/ch , have hea:rbot::h::rr' '"- "*"^'' ■^' 
 
 "O" is ehe time „f 'I r '"""■ "■'»<« ■ 
 
 Would c.a,et,d?r:^ •;!::" '^'"^"''»'' 
 
 To doff their dire dSeTi,! ' "'°""" ''^'"' 
 Malcolm. 
 
 --riii:^:::-^-^^^^^^^^^ • 
 
 ^"f'stendom gives out. 
 Jioss. 
 
 If fomfort ^m the like ^ ^^'^/--«/^«;..^.^ 
 T^rt/ would be howPd n,.f • f! ''^'^ '^^''^ 
 
 does he ? Ma^ui' I- '*'"*'''^'''' *"««'«>• haa been <? ^ . ""'^ *^ *«" '»'» 
 
 190 
 
ACT IV. aOENE III. 
 
 9n 
 
 190 
 
 ^^JJ- No mind thafs honest 
 
 But in it shares some woe; though the main part 
 Pertains to you alone. 
 
 Macduff. If it be mine, 
 
 Keep it not from me, quickly let me have it. 200 
 
 Ross. Let not your ears despise my tongue for erer, 
 Which shall possess them with the heaviest soumi 
 That ever yet they heard. 
 
 Macduff. Hum ! I guess at it. 
 
 Hoss. Your castle is surprised; your wife and babes 
 Savagely slaughter'd : to relate the manner, 
 Were, on the quarry of these murder' d deer. 
 To add the death of you. 
 
 Malcolm. Merciful heaven ! 
 
 What, man ! ne'er pull your hat upon your brows ; 
 Ciive sorrow words : the grief that does not speak 
 Whispers the o'er-fraught heart and bids it break. 210 
 
 Macduff. My children too ? 
 
 ■^^■^•J- Wife, children^ servants^ all 
 
 That could be found. 
 
 'Macduff. And I must be from thence ! 
 
 My wife kill'd too.!* 
 
 Ross. I have said. 
 
 Malcolm. fie comforted : 
 
 Let's make us medicines of our great revenge. 
 To cure this deadly grief. 
 
 Macduff. He has no children. All my pretty ones ? 
 I lid you say all .? O hell -kite ! All ? 
 What, all my pretty chickens and their dam 
 At one fell swoop ? 
 
 Malcolm. . i;ispute it like a man. 
 
 ata. 1 relate the manner. He told the worst as It was : his ow-n conduct 
 alone he concealed : why is there no nientii -1 of his visit if he aoteu well by 
 Lady Macciuff ? He speaks no word furtl n- exo.i|»t the shameful " I have said " ; 
 yet he was hahitually loquacious. 
 
88 
 
 ^AOBSTff. 
 
 They were all struck for , I, ^''f"' Macduff, 
 
 ^«/a/»/. lie ihis ... V ^'''=" ■•«' 'hem now ' 
 Miu duff, o ; \A ' ®"'age it. 
 
 . ^"/ «^°« all intermission Lnfr'''"''^'^^^^^''^ 
 Bring thou thi^ fiend nf q ' , ^"^ '^'^"^ 
 
 Within my ..^:Tx:i^:'^i' ^"' '^^•^^^^'• 
 
 Heaven ^.-.ive him too ' '"^ '" ''^^ '^^^Pe, 
 
 Come. ^:o •,., to the kin^ • n ^""^ ^"^' '"^niy. 
 
 ^-'-^-nothir^wtH:'""^^^'-^^^^^ 
 ^« ripe for .l.akin/and H ''' ^^^'^^'^ 
 
 P"t on their inst;umen?3''7°^^^'-^ ^'^^^ 
 
 -^eni.htision,t;r:tjfir:hX"^-- 
 
 [^reunf. 
 
 ACT V. 
 Scene! Z?^«,,>,,,^, _ . 
 
 ^«^-«DoctorofP. . "'""''"' ''^^^---^Z- 
 
 doctor of Physic and a Waiting r *., 
 ^^'^or. I have t "^^'^'"^^-Gentlewoman. 
 
 perceive no tnuh • ""^ "'^^'^ vvatched with vo,, i 
 walked C '""" '" ""- -Po«. VVhen'tr," ' jl:' j^™ 
 
 Gentlewoman. Sinrp k; " • 
 
 have s«„ her rise fr„„\'\,7,!7««' into ,he field, , 
 her. unlnrL- »,«-•-, "ea, throw hot- r,;-^u._. ' ^ 
 
 ^"'^'■' '* "'"'■ p^p". fold hrx:;^ 
 
ACf V. SCENE I. 
 
 9» 
 
 220 
 
 Ofty 
 
 read it, afterwards seal it, and again return to bed ; yet all 
 this while in a most fast sleep. g 
 
 Doctor. A great perturbation in nature, t . receive at once 
 the benefit of sleep and do the effects of ,ing ! In this 
 
 slumbery agitation, besides her walki ,d other actual 
 
 performances, what, at any time, have yu heard her say? 
 
 Gentlexvoman. That, sir, which I will n(/f report after her. 
 
 Doctor. You may to me, and 'tis most meet you should. 
 
 Gentlewotnan. Neither to you nor any one, having na 
 witnc- to confirm my speech. 
 
 Enter Lady Macbeth, with a taper. 
 
 Lo you, here she comes ! This is her very guise ; and, 
 upon my life, fast asleep. Observe her ; stand close. 20 
 
 Doctor. How came she by that light? 
 
 Gentlewoman. Why, it stood by her : she has light by 
 hir continually ; 'tis her command. 
 
 Doctor. You see, her eyes are open. 
 
 Gentlewomdft. Ay, but their sense is shut. 
 
 Doctor. What is it she does now ? Lo6k how she rubs 
 ber hands. 
 
 Gentlewoman. It is an accustomed action with her, to 
 seem thus washing her hands: I have known her continue in 
 this a quarter of an hour. ^q, 
 
 Lady Macbeth. Yet here 's a spot. 
 
 Doctor. Hark ! she speaks : I will set down what comes 
 from her, to satisfy my remembrance the more strongly. 
 
 Lady Macbeth. Out, damned spot ! out, I say !— One : 
 two : why, then 'tis time to do 't.— Hell is murky !— Fie, my 
 lord, fie ! a soldier, and afeared ? What need we fear who 
 knows it, when none can call our power to account?— Yet 
 
 who would have thniiorhf fli«» r»lH mo ,^ i,o<,« u.>j 1. 
 
 blood in him ? 
 
 Doctor. Do you mark that ? 
 
^ 
 
 ^^>< 
 
 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
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 riiutf^dpiuC 
 
 ^Sciences 
 Corporation 
 
 23 WIST MAIN STiin 
 
 WiBSTIR.N.Y. MSM 
 
 (716) •73-4S03 
 
90 
 
 MA.CBETE. 
 
 ^'^y Macbeth Tk^ ti. 
 
 « that, my lord. „o more TtL ^ "'"*" '-^^'^ "^ore 
 staiimg. "°'* ° that : you mar all with this 
 
 Doctor. Go to, go to • vo.. k. . 
 not. ' «^° '° ' y°" have known what yo« should 
 
 Gentlewoman «Jh« u 
 
 I-«ly Macielh. Here -s ,!,» „ ""'"• 
 
 *« P.rfu„,es of An-bTa Vil. „r °"'" '"°«' «"' ^ »'l 
 Oh, oh, oh ! *'" "•' '"Mien this liitle hand 
 
 Gentiewoman. I woulH ««♦ u 
 
 '«»on.foM,.di,„,,":ft:i.X'"" " ''~" '" -^ 
 
 ^'^""-- Well, well, well,- 
 ^"^/««,««. Pray Cod i, be, sir. 
 
 knowrrhos^rrrvi' X' r,h'"^"'« ^ '« ■ *■- 
 
 l-ed holily in ,h,j, bed,. "'"' '" ">«■■ "«P who have 
 
 ■'^*^ Macbilh. Wash „«... 1, J 
 •ook not so ^^X^-~TityZl^:^^^\'- yournightgown; 
 cannot come out on \ grave. ' ^^"^^^'^ buried ; he 
 
 Doctor. Even so? 
 
 -^^' Macbeth. To bed »« k ^ .' . 
 
 f te : come. come, come ^ol^' J''^^^'^ ^^^^^-^ at the 
 
 <lone cannot be undone. Z^ZZl '^l' ^^'- ^^ ^afs 
 
 ^^^z'^'-. Will she .TO „ u ' ^*^' '° '^^ ' f^-»'>'- 
 
 "' *"e go now to bed ? 
 
 Gentlewotnan. Directly. 
 
 i^ot^ed un?at:f Sir. ll'^T' : """«»"-' ^-^s 
 To their deaf pillows w" , ^ ehat^ rn;"" '' 
 
 More needs she n,« ^- • ."^"^^^ '"«««■ secrets : 
 «od, G«, fo^!:::'^?/.';'- !»- "■= Physician. 
 o -^.«lx- t.oQk after her ; 
 
ACT V. SCENE IT. 
 
 91 
 
 s sorely 
 in my 
 
 71 
 
 Remove from her the means of all annoyance, 
 And still keep eyes upon her. So, good night : 
 My mind she has mated, aiid amazed my sight. 
 I think, but dare not speak. 
 
 Genflewontan. (^ood night, good doctor. 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 SCENK II. The country near Dunsinane. 
 
 Drums and colours. Enter Menteith, Caithness, Angus, 
 Lennox, and Soldiers. 
 
 Menteith. The English power is near, led on by Malcolm, 
 His uncle Siward and the good Ma-duff: 
 Revenges burn in them ; i^t their near causes 
 ^^'ould to the bleeding and the grim alarm 
 Excite the mortified man. 
 
 Angtts. Near Birnam wood 
 
 •Shall we well meet them : that way are they coming. 
 
 Caithness. Who knows if Donalbain be with his brother ? 
 
 Lennox. For certain, sir, he is not : I have a file 
 Of all the gentry : there is Siward's son. 
 And many unrough youths, that even now lo 
 
 Protest their first of manhood. 
 
 Menteith. What does the tyrant ? 
 
 Caithness. Great Dunsinane he strongly for^fies : 
 Some say he 's mad ; others that lesser hate him 
 Uo call it valiant fury : but, for certain. 
 He cannot buckle his distemper'd cause 
 Within the belt of rule. . 
 
 ^»^^s. Now does he feel 
 
 His secret murders sticking on his hands; 
 Now minutely upbraid his faith-breach ; 
 Those he commands move only in command^ 
 Nothing in love : now does he feel his title 20 
 
 j-iang loose about him, like a giants robe 
 upon a dwarfish thief. 
 
92 
 
 Macbeth. 
 
 Caithtuss. 
 To give obedience where 'tis tru!y o^ed •'"''''' "' '"' 
 Meet we the medicine of the sickl ^ea, 
 
 T« J .' ^'' ^^ much as it needs 
 
 SCENE m. />«„^,„,, A roon, i„ ,He cas,U 
 tnur Macbeth, Doctor, WA.te„d,„,s 
 
 ^r^r^o/z™J^r'.-^--' 
 
 Shall .:'hX ,e ;°o:rj»' v:™;' 7™" 
 
 Th.m„d,,«,ybya„d.heh«r.rh;ar 
 ihall never sag wi.h doub, nor shake ,vi,h fear. 
 
 Enter a Servan'. 
 The devil damn thee bJark »i,^ , 
 
 Where got'st thou that ^^o;:^^^^^^^ '-" ' 
 
 Servant. There is ten thousand- 
 
 Macbeth. 
 
 Sen,ant. . Geese, villain ? 
 
 Macbeth. Gonrirkth«fo . Soldiers, sir. 
 
 Thou lilHiver-d b^r W^ ildi. " '"'t '"' ''''' 
 n—4.1. -.-.. ' vvnai soldiers, oarrh ? 
 
 • '^""' - ^ny soul i th >se linen cheeks of thine 
 
 10 
 
 *^'***^'»'**a«w«M«» 
 
ACT V. 80ENE HI. 
 
 93 
 
 30 
 
 ching. 
 
 II: 
 
 ;s. 
 
 10 
 
 sir. 
 
 Are counsellors to fear. What soldiers, whey-face ? 
 
 Servant. The English force, so please you. 
 
 Macbeih. Take thy face hence. [Exit Servant. 
 
 Seyton !— I am sick at heart. 
 When 1 behold -Seyton, I say !— This push 20 
 
 Will cheer me ever, or disseat me now. 
 I have lived long enough . my way of life 
 Is fall'n into the sear, the yellow leaf ; 
 And that which should accompany old age, ^ 
 
 As honour, love, obedience, troops^of friends, "^ 
 
 I must not look to have ; but, in their stead. 
 Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, 
 Which the poor heart would fain der y and dare not. 
 Seyton \ \ 
 
 Enter Seyton. 
 
 Seyton. What's your gracious pleasure ? 
 M<^<^b(fh. What news more ? 30 
 
 Seyton. All is confirm'd, my lord, which was reported. 
 Macbeth. I'll figh* till from my bones my flesh be hack'd. 
 Give me my armour. 
 
 Peyton. ' Tis not needed yet. 
 
 Macbeth. I'll put it on. 
 Send out more horses ; skirr the country round ; 
 Hang those that talk of fear. Give me mine armour. 
 How does your patient, doctoc ? 
 
 ^o<:'o^- Not so sick, my lord, 
 
 As she is troubled with thick-coming fancies, 
 That keep her from !ier rest. 
 
 M<*cbeth. Cure her of that. 
 
 Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased, 
 Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow, 
 Raze out the written troubles of the brain. 
 And with some sweet oblivious antidote 
 cleanse the stuif'd bosonr. of that perilous stuff 
 Which weighs upon the heart ? 
 
 40 
 
H 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 Therein the patient 
 
 SO 
 
 Doctor. * 
 
 Must minister to himself. 
 
 1 h= water of my iand, find h.r diseaU ' "" 
 And purge ,t ,o a sound and prisiine h«l,h 
 I would applaud ,hee ,o ,he very «:ho, ' 
 
 w^fTr^r^rrnc;:^-- 
 
 ■ Makes „, hJ'sZe^^g! ' ' """' "'''' '"'^''"•' 
 Macbeth. n • ■ , 
 
 ; will not be afraid Of dea.Ka"d".^r" ■"•• 
 "" ^'"'»'» '""»' come to Ounsinane 
 
 p.^t^iisi ra:dVd:r„;:rr' -- - -- 
 
 SCENKIV. Country „,ar Bir„..,„ , ,00^ 
 
 Nox, ROSS, wso.dre::;"j:w:^™''^»^' ^""^'^ '--■ 
 Th«i£be.'°:;rb; L-'r "^ "^^^ "^ -' - ■>»"'' 
 
 Menteith. \u^ a x • 
 
 e- ^ We doubt It nothinif. 
 
 St^ard. What wood is thi. before us ^ 
 
 Menteith. 
 
 Err in report of us ' ' '""''" ^'^°^^^^ 
 
 JSoldtet-t , 
 
 H shall be done. 
 
Fit. 
 
 SO 
 
 f them ? 
 
 i clear, 
 ■ reun/. 
 
 nd his 
 Len- 
 
 nam. 
 
 06^ 
 
 lO 
 
 ACT V. SCENE V. 
 
 Stivard. We learn no other but the confident tyrant 
 Keeps still in Dunsinane, and will endure 
 Our setting down before 't. 
 
 Malcolm. .jis his main hope : 
 
 For where there is advantage to be given, 
 Both more and less have given him the revolt, 
 But none serve with him but constrained things 
 Whose hearts are absent too. 
 
 Macduff. Let our just censures 
 
 Attend the true event, and put we on 
 Industrious soldiership. 
 
 Siward. The time approaches 
 
 That will with due decision make us know 
 What we shall say we have and what we owe. 
 Thoughts speculative their unsure hopes relate, 
 But certain issue strokes must arbitrate : jc 
 
 Towards which advance the war. {Exeunt, ,nanhing. 
 
 Scene V. Dunsinane. Within the castle. 
 
 Enter Macbeth, Seyton, and Soldiers, with drum 
 and colours, 
 
 Macbeth. Hang out our banners on the outwa. d walls'- 
 The cry is still ' They come ' : our castle's strength 
 Will laugh a siege to scorn : here let them lie 
 Till famine and the ague eat them up : 
 Were they not forced with those that should be ours 
 We might have met them dareful, beard to beard, 
 And beat them backward home. {A cry of women within. 
 
 What is that noise ? 
 
 20 
 
 Seyton. It is the cry of women, my good lord. 
 
 Macbeth. I have almost forgot the taste of fears : 
 The time has been, my senses would have cool'd 
 To hear a night shriek, and my fell of hair 
 Would at a dismal treatise rouse and stir 
 As if life were in 't : I have supp'd full with horrors ; 
 
 [Exit. 
 
 lo 
 
1)6 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 ¥■ 
 
 l^irenc«, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts. 
 Cannot once start me. * 
 
 Re-enter Sevton. 
 
 Wherefore was that crv ? 
 Peyton. The queen, my lord, is dead ^ 
 
 Macbeth. She should have died hereafter : 
 There would have been a time for such a word 
 To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, 
 Creeps in this petty pace from day to day 
 To the last syllable of recorded time 
 And all our yesterdays have lighted fools 
 The way to dusty death. Out, out. brief candlei 
 Life s but a walking shadow, a poor player 
 That struts and frets his hour upon the stage 
 And then is heard no more : it is a tale 
 Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury 
 -Signifying nothing. ' 
 
 Enter a Messenger. 
 Thou comest to use thy tongue ; thy story quickly. 
 
 Messenger. Gracious my lord, 
 I should report that which I say I saw, 
 But know not how to do it. 
 
 ^'*'^''f'- Well, say, sir. 
 
 Messenger. As I did stand my watch upon the hill 
 1 looked toward Bimam, and anon, methought ' 
 
 1 he w ood began to move. 
 
 ^'^"'^- Liar and slave I 
 
 Within this three mile may you see it coming • 
 1 say, a moving grove. ' 
 
 ..^'^^'l^^' Ifthouspeak'st false, 
 
 Upon the next tree shalt thou hang alive 
 Till famine cling thee : if thy speech be sooth. 
 J care not if thmi Hncf f«.. ^- — l 
 
 20 
 
 40 
 
30 
 
 ACT r. aoBSB vir. 
 
 I pill! in resolution and begin 
 
 To doubt the equivocation of the fiend 
 
 rhat lies like truth : • fear not. til! Birnam wood 
 
 Uo come to Dunsinane' : and now a wood 
 
 Comes toward Dunsinane. Arm, arm, and out I 
 
 If this which he avouches does appear, 
 
 There is nor flying hence nor tarrying here. 
 
 ' g«n to be aweary of the sun, 
 
 And wish the estate o' the world were now undone, 
 
 R ng the alarum-bell ! Blow, wind ! come, wrack ! 
 
 At least we '11 die with harness on our back. 
 
 »7 
 
 50 
 
 [Exeunf. 
 
 y> 
 
 I, 
 
 so 
 
 SCENK VI. Dunsinane. Be/ore the castle. 
 
 Drunu -nd colours. Enter Malcolm, old .S.ward, Mac- 
 DLFF, andthetr Army, with boughs. 
 
 Malcolm. Now near enough: your le.vy screens throw 
 
 And show' like thos^you are. You, woi thy uncle. 
 Shall with my cousin, your right-noble son. 
 Lead our first battle : worthy .Macduff and we 
 Shall take upon 's what else remains to do, 
 According to our order. 
 
 Siward. Fare you well. 
 
 Do we but find the tyrant's powe^ to-night. 
 Let us be beaten, if we cannot fight. 
 
 Macd Make all our trumpets speak ; give them all breath 
 Those clamorous harbingers of blood and death. IslTnt. 
 
 40 
 
 SCE^KVII. Another part 0/ the field 
 
 Alarums. Enter Uacbkih. 
 
 Jf-cbeth. They have tied me to a stake ; I cannot fly 
 But, bear-like, I must fight the course. What 's he 
 
96 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 That was not born of woman ? Such a one 
 Am I to fear, or none. 
 
 Enter youn^ Siward. 
 
 Young Siw. What is thy name? 
 
 Macbeth. ri. .1. • 
 
 I, ,.. • '^""" 'I '^e afraid to hear it. 
 
 Jl/<uit/i. My „^,„^ 1^ Macbeth. 
 
 M^ZeS^oi:;:r:::^''"-'^-"'^-P-unceati.ie 
 ^^^^^^^Z'. No, nor more fearful. ' 
 
 -^^I5:ne^;;::r;:ii.r""'-"'- 
 
 ^«.^.M. ^'^'''^''''' '"It'''""' '"'""'"'' '""''- 
 
 ZT^ll '-'' '' ^-^-^ 'aulh Tp"" "^^^°'-" 
 
 Brand,sh'd by man that's of a woman born. [£-^,.,. 
 
 A/arums. Enter VfAcuuFF. 
 
 If ^of^',. '','''' "'i '''' """^ '^^ "Ty^^"'' «how thy face • 
 If thou be St slam and with no stroke of mine, ' 
 
 My w.fe and children's ghosts will haunt me still 
 I cannot stnke at wretched kerns, whose arms * 
 Are h.red to bear their staves : either thou, Macbeth 
 Or else my sword with an unbatter'd edge ' 
 
 I sheathe again undeeded. There thou shouldst be ; 
 By th.s great clatter, one of greatest note 
 Seems bruited. Let me find him, fortune t 
 And more I beg not. rr- v a. 
 
 {Exit. Alarums. 
 
 Enter Malcolm rtWo/r/SiWARD. 
 
 JW This way, my lord ; the castle's gently render'd • 
 I he tyrant's people on both sides do fight • ' 
 
 X «e r;obic thanes d.) bravely in the war • 
 
 20 
 
ACT V. SCENE VIII. 
 
 The day almost itself professes yours, 
 And little is to do. 
 
 Malo>hn. We have met with foes 
 
 I hat strike beside us. 
 
 Siwant Enter, sir, the castle. 
 
 {^Exeunt. 
 
 90 
 
 Alarutn. 
 
 {Exit. 
 
 zo 
 
 Scene Vlir. Another part of the field. 
 
 Entet Macheth. 
 
 Macbeth. Why should I play the Roman fool, and die 
 On mine own sword ? whiles I see lives, the gashes 
 Do better upon them. 
 
 Enter Macduff. 
 
 Macduff. Turn, hell-hound, turn ! 
 
 Macbeth. Of all men else I have avoided thee • 
 Hut get thee back ; my soul is too much charged 
 With blood of thine already. 
 
 Macduff. • Ihave no words: 
 
 My voice is m my sw^w ; thou bloodier villain 
 Than terms can give tnee out ! [Thi^yfiicht 
 
 , ^'''^'^^' Thou losest labour : 
 
 i^ s easy mayst thou the intrenchant air 
 Wiih thy keen sword impress as make me bleed • 
 Let fall thy blade on vulnerable crests ; 
 I bear a charmed life, which must not yield 
 To one of woman born. 
 
 ^^/f'f I'espairthycharm; 
 
 And let the angel whom thou still hast served 
 Fell thee, Macduff was from his mother's womb • 
 tntimely ripp'd. 
 
 Macbeth Accursed be that tongue that tells me so, 
 f or It hath cow'd my better part of man ! 
 
 \9 
 
100 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 30 
 
 And Ik. ihese jugKling fiends no more believed 
 'hat palter with us in a double sense ; ' 
 
 That keep the word of promise to our ear. 
 And break .t to our hope. I'll not fight ^th thee. 
 MacduJ. Then yield thee coward, 
 
 We 'II r '! !;! '"' '"''" ^"^ *^«'^ «' 'he time : 
 We I have thee, as our rarer monsters are. 
 Pamted upon a pole, and underwrit, 
 Here may you see the tyrant.' 
 
 And to be bated with the rabble's curse. 
 Though Birnain wood be come to iJunsinane 
 And thou opposed, being of no woman born ' 
 Yet I will try the last. Before my body 
 
 ii/dZMrf*^'!;'*^''- Lay on. Macduff. 
 And damn d be h.m that first cries ' Hold, enough ! ' 
 
 iKxeunt,fighting. Alarums. 
 
 ^clt'nnT/"''- ^''"''■' "^''^ ^^'^^ ^^ colours Mal 
 COLM. ././ StWARD. Ross, the other Thanes. anU Sddi^rs 
 
 MaUolm. r would the friends we miss were safe arrived. 
 Stward. Some must go off: and yet by these I see 
 So great a day as this is cheaply bought ' 
 
 Malcolm Macduff is missing and your noble son. 
 
 wTZi 1 *'7k'°"'. '"^ '°''^' ^^ P«'d a soldier's debt • 
 He only lived but till he was a man ; ' ' 
 
 in the unshrmkmg station where he fought 
 But like a man he died. 
 
 ^/W Then he is dead .^ 
 
 J^-^ye, and brought off the field : your cause of sorrow 
 
 soldierly Siwaitl. '«l"en«e. He receire. scant eoi.rteiy from the 
 
 20 
 
101 
 
 ACT V. SCENE VIII. 
 
 Must not be measured by his worth, for then 
 it hath no end. 
 
 Stwatff. Had he his hurt before? 
 
 /foss. Ay, on tk^ front. 
 
 AW. vVhy then, God's soldier be he < 
 
 Had I as many sons as I have hairs, 
 I would not wish them to a fairer death : 
 And so his knell is knoli'd. 
 
 A^tTim w u "«'» ^-orth more sorrow. 50 
 
 And that I 'II spend for him. 
 
 Siwant. U-. ». i_ 
 
 Ti,-„ u . "® * ^''"h no more : 
 
 They say he parted well and paid his score : 
 
 And so God be with him ! Here comes newer comfort. 
 
 Re-enter Macduff wM Macbeih's Amtt. 
 
 Mjudu^, Hail, king! for so thou art: »Hehold, where stands 
 The usurper's cursed head : the time is free ■ 
 I see thee compass'd with thy kingdom's pearl, 
 I hat speak my salutation in their minds : 
 Whose voices I desire aloud with mine : 
 Hail, King of Scotland ! 
 
 '^"' Hail, King of .Scotland! {Flourish 
 
 Malcolm. We shall not spend a large expense of time 
 Before we reckon with your several loves, <. 
 
 HenrTf^llT ''''", ^''^ y°"- ^^ •»'^"«« ^^^ kinsmen. 
 Henceforth be earls, the first that ever .Scotland 
 
 In such an honour named. What 's more to do. 
 
 Which would be planted newly with the time, 
 AS callmg home our exiled friends abroad 
 
 ««-47. 8lw»rd «u«. Ro« th.t honourable death i. to be longed for 
 thl"L'Sl'^!l"r"''-*"r«!l»l'--rl. lagoi. not kined outright. 
 
102 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 That fled the snares of watchful tyranny ; 
 
 Producing forth the cruel ministers 
 
 Of this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen, 
 
 Who, as 'tis thought, by self and violent hands 70 
 
 Took off her life ; this, and Arhat needful else 
 
 That calls upon us, by the grace of Grace 
 
 We will perform in measure, time and place : 
 
 So, thanks to all at once and to each one. 
 
 Whom we invite to see us crown'd at Scone. 
 
 {.Flourish. Exeunt. 
 
70 
 
 FINAL CONSIDERATION OF THE HYPOTHESIS. 
 
 eunt. 
 
 How the Hypothesis answers the Twelve Points of the 
 Introduction.— The reader has now had an opportunity of 
 observing to what extent the wording of the play supports the 
 theory that Cawdor was '->nocent, and the conclusions 
 concerning the conduct of , . Thane of Ross, which follow 
 from that theory. It is not supposed that any reader will 
 believe Ross to have been the third murderer, who has not 
 previously come to believe that he destroyed Cawdor ; but it 
 is confidently believed that any who may accept the latter 
 view will hardly question the former, inasmuch as Ross's 
 relation to Macbeth must in that case have been the relation 
 of chief confidant, and every thing, by almost general con- 
 sent, goes to prove that the third murderer was Macbeth's 
 chief confidant. 
 
 So that we might rest the argument here, and leave the 
 conclusion to time and the discerningly truthful spirit of 
 modern higher criticism. While the theory set forth is 
 offered with serious conviction and confidence, it is offered 
 without much hope that many readers will soon accept it, 
 with some fear that unforeseen objections may be urged 
 against' it, and with the certainty that many of the ablest 
 Shakespearean scholars through sheer distaste for new 
 readings of works which have beccme the consolation and 
 dearest pleasure of life in the old readings, will either pass it 
 by in silence, or point out the extreme improbability that any 
 change of such gravity in their views of Macbeth could be 
 discovered at this time of day. 
 
 ./livti prejiivt«,c3 aic uuiii zcspcwiituic aiiu auiinruuic, iinu in 
 
 •an dge of '■^Baconian theories" have salutary effect upon the 
 
 originality of ignorance with which this continent is familiar. 
 
104 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 consideration of the subject. ""P"""' 
 
 Twelve points were raised in the introductory chanter .„rf 
 
 a summary of generally accepted views on thos^twewlpo nts 
 
 ::nS;se"ifder^ TVe-cV'r ■""' ''""^ -"'^ "'^ 
 hvnnt»,« " '° °f ^^"- The condusions reached upon the 
 
 hypothesis are briefly as foljows ; 
 
 I. Scene 2, Act I. is intended to contrast the plain bh.nf 
 bombasfc story of the truthful sergeant with tL si ' 
 Plaus.ble, and oratorical story of theltrigui^ R^'s ad 
 to allow us to compare what Ross did say to Dunc.n wkh 
 What Ross told Macbeth later on that he had said ; uj ' 
 can. The language of tlie scene is believed to be periecUv 
 
 :er:ir:er"^'- ---v ^n points ^i:z 
 
 h.':u^T^1^'" "IT^"' '■"^"'■""^ ^« C^^dor are believed to 
 be absolutely truthful and serious on Macbeth's part. 
 
 speecIL'in S.?"''''il' '^''" P°'"'^^ °"^) between Ross's 
 speeches m Scene 2 and h.s speeches in Scene 3, are exactly 
 accounted for by the fact that he had ruined CawtrLZ e 
 Macbeth, that he had to tell Macbeth of his scheme befoe 
 others, and m such a way that Macbeth should noTdestVoy 
 h.s plans by exclamations of honest surprise, and finally thit 
 Angus was present both when Ross conversed with iunt^ 
 and when Ross reported his interview to Macbeth. 
 
 4. Angus was unquestionably present in Scene 2 and in 
 thatThU P--^^Iy^^the Folio indicates. It seems incredible 
 that this can ever be disputed again. 
 
 5. Banquo, in Scene .1, knew Cawdor to be innocent ; with 
 h.s usual just impulses he was inclined to yinjlicate Candor's 
 reputation for loyalty, but his desire to see the whches> 
 
 Dromises fi.lfill^^ .„,^„ u: . ^"^ witcties 
 
 Ma^h^/h 7- • ""T. """ ''"''' ""''' e4"'vocai position ; 
 
 Macbeth, discerning this, silenced him by dangling those 
 promises alluringly before him. aangjing those 
 
 
FINAL CONSIDERATION. 
 
 10& 
 
 6. Kanquo not only suspected that the Macbeths meant to- 
 murder Duncan on the night of his stay at Inverness, but he 
 felt certain of it. His conduct is plainly a marked struggle 
 between warning Duncan and allowing Macbeth to pursue his 
 course, in the hope that Macbeth's success would lead to the 
 fulfilment of his own hopes. 
 
 7. The Porter's speech is believed to be a . \ng member of 
 the tragedy, allied to it by a hundred veins and arteries, and 
 filling a necessary gap in the action. In its relation to the 
 present hypothesis, it receives confirmation of this view hy 
 the allusion to Banquo in the word " equivocator." 
 
 8. Ross is never presented to us as partaking in any scene 
 of open bloodshed. What he could do in the dark or by in- 
 trigue he did, always making sure of his own safety. In so 
 dangerous a stroke as the murder of the rightful king he does 
 not participate. As soon as Macbeth's succession is assured 
 Ross joins him. Scene 4 of Act II. has for its sole motive 
 the contrast between a selfish intriguer and a man of untar- 
 nished honour. It tells us as* plainly as words can tell" us, 
 that in the face of honour and loyalty Ross is going to push 
 his fortunes at the court of the usurper. 
 
 9. Banquo bore an equivocal relation to Macbeth. As long 
 as Macbeth was cHmbing to the golden round he had Banquo's. 
 criminal friendship outwardly and passively ; but Banquo 
 assumed this attitude through selfish motives. As soon as 
 Macbeth became King, Banquo becar e anxious to see the 
 fulfilment of the promises to himself ; then Macbeth had him 
 murdered. 
 
 10. It is no longer seriously contended that the third 
 murderer was a person of no consequence, A few will still 
 hold that it makes no difference who he was. But it is evi- 
 dent that Shakespeare purposely insists upon making a 
 irijsiefy of his identity. Ross was a spy and intriguer if he 
 ruined Cawdor, he went to court to push his way as a coun- 
 seller, Banquo was his only rival ; every word he utters in the 
 
106 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 Banquet scene proclaims him the third murderer; while there 
 uno ad a„.,ge to the play in supposing Macbeth to hav" 
 been the assassin, ,t would complete the character of Ross to 
 
 :nrere;s"did" 'T ''°^^°^^^' ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ " 
 PaTol^^LttntioT ""^"'^^ ^^^'^^' =-"^^^-• ^° ^^• 
 
 slowiv?" ^"'\ ;^''"' f ^'^ "'• '^ ^^^'^"^d ^° ^hov. how 
 
 o MLb^^h " t T .'r "^ ^^^"^'"^^^ *''^ ^^^ character 
 
 of Macbeh. It ,s highly probable that the conjecture that 
 
 he other lord of this Scene was Angus, is correct, and ha 
 
 he Scene accentuates the character of Angus and increases 
 
 the^probability that he was duped by Rossin SceL: .and 3 
 
 12. Ross's relation to' Lady Macduff is mysterious in the 
 last degree, and by design. The situation is such as to lead 
 
 of MacdT' H " f ''' ''"'"* ""^'^^^ '" ^'^'^-^ ^he castle 
 l^t ," ^^'""''- ^"^ '' '' i'^POssible to say more 
 
 than this in cool judgment. This state of things harmonizes 
 perfectly with the shady charaSter of his conduct throughout 
 
 2^! -^"^ ^"^^^ ^"^'-^^ ^'» of course be said that 
 .th^Pnma facte case against Cawdor is Conclusive. That 
 
 any other view of the matter somewhat temerarious. Yet' 
 what are the facts of the cas3 on the face of it? Ross 
 had strong motives for ruining Cawdor in Macbeth's interest, 
 as he plainly shows us, when in the face of .Macdufl's 
 sneers (Sc. 4, Act II.) he goes to Macbeth's court to 
 claim h.s reward. The sole ground of Cawdor's ruin is an 
 ambiguous speech by Koss, which contains a reference to 
 
 th'jfr t1^ ""'.^""^ ^ ^^'^- ^"^^"'^ P^^*"ly ^'^»««' first, 
 that the Thane of Cawdor lives a prosperous gentleman, and 
 second, that the Thane of Cawdor lives, omitting .h. r^L.;^^ 
 ot his prosperity because the witches and Ro°ss agreed so 
 well, and because it was so greatly to Macbeth's interest that 
 
FINAL CONSIDERATION. 
 
 im 
 
 Cawdor should not prosper. Where then is the prima facie 
 evidence of Cawdor's guilt ^ Why, surely, it will be said it lies 
 in t^e fact . at he was put to death for treason. But is even 
 this phase of the case made prominent in the play. By no 
 means ; the execution of Cawdor is remarkable for the vague- 
 ness of the report which announces it, and sc, (though of 
 course the fact of the execution is not questioned), the guilt 
 of Cawdor is not impressed upon us by Shakespeare through 
 any vivid or even clear account of the execution itself What 
 follows this dark transaction ? The King is told by the inex- 
 perienced Malcolm that Cawdor died (according to the reports 
 sent to the palace by the commissioners) like a man of hon- 
 our. Does the King question this .? By no means; Duncan 
 contradicts Malcolm's bad estimate of Cawdor's general 
 course of life, by telling him Cawdor was a man whose bearing 
 was so unimpeachable that his fall might well shake and des- 
 troy confidence in the human race. Dogmatism, though alas 
 too common among editors of these plays, is unpardonable, 
 but it is surely dogmatic to tell us that this is a prima facie 
 case against Cawdor. Were not the fear of this same dog- 
 matism before us, we might venture to express the opinion 
 that, if the present generation of Shakespeare readers had 
 been told from the beginning and without argument, that 
 Cawdor was innocent and Ross an intriguer, they would not 
 only have accepted that view without question, but they would 
 have scouted with much scorn the view of Cawdor's conduct 
 « Avhich they at present hold as the true one. And on the 
 strength of this opinion we may hope that some at least of 
 those who may study the argument and who may perceive its 
 vital importance to the character of Banquo, to the full signi- 
 ficance of the words of the witches, to the mysterious parts of 
 the tragedy, to the character grouping and shading of Mac- 
 beth, Banquo and Ross, (all of whom it implicates in a great 
 and complex study, infinitely subtle and minute, of murder 
 and intrigue, and all of whom, together with the more brutal 
 assassins, it grades and classifies on grounds of courage, pur- 
 pose and mental powers in relation to murder), to the sound- 
 
108 
 
 MACBETH. 
 
 should not be a sanguine hope whil IrH;- ^" ^''P^ 
 
 telligent and enlightened as Mr W k '° ^"'^''^'^ *"" 
 
 following words, aLcho of DnSa:;:,'^^^^^^^ "" T'^ '^^ 
 very play :—«Hert ^in fh« r . ^hnson, about this 
 
 ge^uiLUndfrthrJnL'n'l^'.^''''^'^^ ^'^'"^ '^ ««-- 
 of self.co„,plactV sciS LtT" k"' '^'"^'^^ ^P'"'- 
 Shakespeare » Ut us sav wi h H "''^ '""' "^^^ '^^^ 
 "^ust soon become dear that t'"''"^ ^''"■'"^^' ^^"* '^ 
 the subtlest, that ■.f7.^':^.^t altllr.^'^^ ^^ 
 pJacent sciolism can an «« ^ /^«'ea its art, that self-com- 
 Macl>eik is he most 0.0"' ^rther here than elsewhere, that 
 
 the artworks ofX?orid, *'' "'"'^ ^P''"^-"'^^ ^' 
 
 Germans and Enl'L ti.Vh '^"' °' '"^'^^^ ^"^>^ ^^"^ 
 understood nor hkelv ^ b. ".'IT^'^'^" °'^''^ P^^^ '« "«^ 
 renunciation of s^^platnTlllS^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^'^ '^^ 
 
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