The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 309

When all aloud the wind doth blow, And coughing drowns the parson's saw, And birds sit brooding in the snow, And Marian's nose looks red and raw, When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl, Then nightly sings the staring owl: 'Tu-who; Tu-whit, To-who'- A merry note, While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

ARMADO. The words of Mercury are harsh after the songs of Apollo.

You that way: we this way. Exeunt

THE END

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1606

THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

by William Shakespeare

Dramatis Personae

DUNCAN, King of Scotland MACBETH, Thane of Glamis and Cawdor, a general in the King's army LADY MACBETH, his wife MACDUFF, Thane of Fife, a n.o.bleman of Scotland LADY MACDUFF, his wife MALCOLM, elder son of Duncan DONALBAIN, younger son of Duncan BANQUO, Thane of Lochaber, a general in the King's army FLEANCE, his son LENNOX, n.o.bleman of Scotland ROSS, n.o.bleman of Scotland MENTEITH n.o.bleman of Scotland ANGUS, n.o.bleman of Scotland CAITHNESS, n.o.bleman of Scotland SIWARD, Earl of Northumberland, general of the English forces YOUNG SIWARD, his son SEYTON, attendant to Macbeth HECATE, Queen of the Witches The Three Witches Boy, Son of Macduff Gentlewoman attending on Lady Macbeth An English Doctor A Scottish Doctor A Sergeant A Porter An Old Man The Ghost of Banquo and other Apparitions Lords, Gentlemen, Officers, Soldiers, Murtherers, Attendants, and Messengers

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SCENE: Scotland and 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?

SECOND WITCH. When the hurlyburly's done, When the battle's lost and won.

THIRD WITCH. That will be ere the set of sun.

FIRST WITCH. Where the place?

SECOND WITCH. Upon the heath.

THIRD WITCH. There to meet with Macbeth.

FIRST WITCH. I come, Graymalkin.

ALL. Paddock calls. Anon!

Fair is foul, and foul is fair.

Hover through the fog and filthy air. Exeunt.

SCENE II.

A camp near Forres. Alarum within.

Enter Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Lennox, with Attendants, meeting a bleeding Sergeant.

DUNCAN. What b.l.o.o.d.y man is that? He can report, As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt The newest state.

MALCOLM. This is the sergeant Who like a good and hardy soldier fought 'Gainst my captivity. 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 villainies of nature Do swarm upon him -from the Western Isles Of kerns and gallowgla.s.ses is supplied; And Fortune, on his d.a.m.ned quarrel smiling, Show'd like a rebel's wh.o.r.e. But all's too weak; For brave Macbeth -well he deserves that name- Disdaining Fortune, with his brandish'd steel, Which smoked with b.l.o.o.d.y execution, Like Valor's minion carved out his pa.s.sage Till he faced the slave, Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, Till he unseam'd him from the nave to the chaps, And fix'd his 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 valor arm'd, Compell'd these skipping kerns to trust their heels, But the Norweyan lord, surveying vantage, With furbish'd arms and new supplies of men, Began a fresh a.s.sault.

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, I cannot tell- But I am faint; my gashes cry for help.

DUNCAN. So well thy words become thee as thy wounds; They smack of honor both. Go get him surgeons.

Exit Sergeant, attended.

Who comes here?

Enter Ross.

MALCOLM The worthy Thane of Ross.

LENNOX. What a haste looks through his eyes! So should he look That seems to speak things strange.

ROSS. G.o.d save the King!

DUNCAN. Whence camest thou, worthy Thane?

ROSS. From Fife, great King, Where the Norweyan banners flout the sky And fan our people cold.

Norway himself, with terrible numbers, a.s.sisted by that most disloyal traitor The Thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict, Till that Bellona's bridegroom, lapp'd in proof, Confronted him with self-comparisons, Point against point rebellious, arm 'gainst arm, Curbing his lavish spirit; and, to conclude, The victory fell on us.

DUNCAN. Great happiness!

ROSS. That now Sweno, the Norways' 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 p.r.o.nounce his present death, And with his former t.i.tle greet Macbeth.

ROSS. I'll see it done.

DUNCAN. What he hath lost, n.o.ble Macbeth hath won.

Exeunt.

SCENE III.

A heath. Thunder.