Macbeth Act IV. FIRST WITCH Round about the cauldron go; In the poisoned entrails throw.

Transcription

1 Macbeth Act IV ACT IV SCENE I. A cavern. In the middle, a boiling cauldron.[thunder. Enter the witches, putting horrible things in their soup cauldron] FIRST WITCH Round about the cauldron go; In the poisoned entrails throw. BOTH WITCHES Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. SECOND WITCH Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, BOTH WITCHES Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble. 1

2 THIRD WITCH By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes. [Enter ] How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags! What is it you do? ALL WITCHES A deed without a name. I conjure you, by that which you profess, However you come to know it, answer me to what I ask you. FIRST WITCH Speak. SECOND WITCH Demand. THIRD WITCH We'll answer. Look within our cauldron. FIRST GHOSTLY APPARITION Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff; Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough. [Apparition Descends.] [ Thunder. Second Apparition: A bloody Child] SECOND APPARITION Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! 2

3 Had I three ears, I'd hear thee. SECOND APPARITION Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn the power of man, For none of woman born shall harm Macbeth. [Descends] Then live, Macduff: what need I fear of thee? But yet I'll make assurance double sure - Thou shalt not live. [Thunder. Third Apparition: 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 crown of sovereignty? ALL Listen, but speak not to it. THIRD APPARITION Macbeth shall never vanquished be Until great Birnham wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come against him. [ Third apparition descends] That will never be. Yet my heart throbs to know one thing: Shall Banquo's children ever reign in this kingdom? ALL Seek to know no more. I will know! WITCHES Show! [The image of Banquo arises, smiling] 3

4 Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo! Down! Horrible sight! The bloody Banquo smiles upon me! [Apparitions vanish; then witches vanish] Where are they? Gone? [Enter LENNOX] LENNOX What's your grace's will? Saw you the weird sisters? LENNOX No, my lord. Infected be the air whereon they ride. And damned be all those that trust them! LENNOX My lord, I bring you word: Macduff is fled to England. Fled to England! LENNOX Ay, my good lord. [Exit] The castle of Macduff I will surprise; seize upon Fife; Give to the edge of the sword to his wife, his babes, And all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line. 4

5 SCENE II. Fife. Macduff's castle. [Enter LADY, her Son, and ] LADY What had he done, to make him fly the land? You must have patience, madam. LADY His flight was madness. You know not whether it was his wisdom or his fear. LADY Wisdom! To leave his wife, to leave his babes, In a place from whence he himself does fly? He loves us not. Your husband is noble, wise, and judicious. I dare not speak much further. [Exit] LADY Sirrah, your father's dead; and what will you do now? How will you live? SON Was my father a traitor, mother? LADY 5

6 Ay, that he was. [Enter Murderers] What are these faces? MURDERER Where is your husband? LADY I hope, in no place where such as thou mayst find him. MURDERER He's a traitor. SON Thou liest, villain! MURDERER Young son of treachery! [Stabbing him] SON He has killed me, mother: [Dies] [LADY, crying 'Murder!' dies] 6

7 SCENE III. England. Before the King's palace. Enter and Let us seek out some desolate shade, and there weep our sad bosoms empty. Not in the legions of horrid hell can come a devil more damned than Macbeth. [Enter ] Sir. Stands Scotland where it did? Alas, poor country! Almost afraid to know itself. What's the newest grief? Each minute brings a new one. How does my wife? Let not your ears despise my tongue: Your castle is surprised; your wife and babes savagely slaughtered. 7

8 Merciful heaven! My children too? Wife, children, servants, all. Be comforted: Let's make us medicines of our great revenge He has no children. All my pretty ones? Did you say all? O hell! All? What, all my pretty chickens and their mother at once? Dispute it like a man. I shall do so. But I must also feel it as a man. Let grief convert to anger. Gentle heavens, bring thou this fiend of Scotland within my sword's length! I will have his head cut off and on a pole under it written: Thus with tyrants! Come, our power is ready; Macbeth is ripe for shaking. [Exeunt] 8

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