The Tragedy of Macbeth: ACT II , SCENE III. The same.

The Tragedy of Macbeth: ACT II


	Introduction

	ACT I

	ACT II

		SCENE I. Court of Macbeth's castle.

		SCENE II. The same.

		SCENE III. The same.

		SCENE IV. Outside Macbeth's castle.

	ACT III

	ACT IV

	ACT V

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SCENE III. The same.

Knocking within. Enter a Porter

Porter

      Here's a knocking indeed! If a
      man were porter of hell-gate, he should have
      old turning the key.

Knocking within

      Knock,
5     knock, knock! Who's there, i' the name of
      Beelzebub? Here's a farmer, that hanged
      himself on the expectation of plenty: come in
      time; have napkins enow about you; here
      you'll sweat for't.

Knocking within

10    Knock,
      knock! Who's there, in the other devil's
      name? Faith, here's an equivocator, that could
      swear in both the scales against either scale;
      who committed treason enough for God's sake,
15    yet could not equivocate to heaven: O, come
      in, equivocator.

Knocking within

      Knock,
      knock, knock! Who's there? Faith, here's an
      English tailor come hither, for stealing out of
20    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
25    it no further: I had thought to have let in
      some of all professions that go the primrose
      way to the everlasting bonfire.

Knocking within

Anon, anon! I pray you, remember the porter.

Opens the gate

Enter MACDUFF and LENNOX

MACDUFF

Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed,
30 That you do lie so late?

Porter

      'Faith sir, we were carousing till the
      second cock: and drink, sir, is a great
      provoker of three things.

MACDUFF

What three things does drink especially provoke?

Porter

35    Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and
      urine. Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes;
      it provokes the desire, but it takes
      away the performance: therefore, much drink
      may be said to be an equivocator with lechery:
40    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.

MACDUFF

45 I believe drink gave thee the lie last night.

Porter

      That it did, sir, i' the very throat on
      me: but I 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
50    him.

MACDUFF

Is thy master stirring?

Enter MACBETH

Our knocking has awaked him; here he comes.

LENNOX

Good morrow, noble sir.

MACBETH

Good morrow, both.

MACDUFF

55 Is the king stirring, worthy thane?

MACBETH

Not yet.

MACDUFF

He did command me to call timely on him:
I have almost slipp'd the hour.

MACBETH

I'll bring you to him.

MACDUFF

60 I know this is a joyful trouble to you;
But yet 'tis one.

MACBETH

The labour we delight in physics pain.
This is the door.

MACDUFF

I'll make so bold to call,
65 For 'tis my limited service.

Exit

LENNOX

Goes the king hence to-day?

MACBETH

He does: he did appoint so.

LENNOX

      The night has been unruly: where we lay,
      Our chimneys were blown down; and, as they say,
70    Lamentings heard i' the air; strange screams of death,
      And prophesying with accents terrible
      Of dire combustion and confused events
      New hatch'd to the woeful time: the obscure bird
      Clamour'd the livelong night: some say, the earth
75    Was feverous and did shake.

MACBETH

'Twas a rough night.

LENNOX

My young remembrance cannot parallel
A fellow to it.

Re-enter MACDUFF

MACDUFF

O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart
80 Cannot conceive nor name thee!

MACBETH
LENNOX

What's the matter.

MACDUFF

      Confusion now hath made his masterpiece!
      Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope
      The Lord's anointed temple, and stole thence
85    The life o' the building!

MACBETH

What is 't you say? the life?

LENNOX

Mean you his majesty?

MACDUFF

      Approach the chamber, and destroy your sight
      With a new Gorgon: do not bid me speak;
90    See, and then speak yourselves.

Exeunt MACBETH and LENNOX

      Awake, awake!
      Ring the alarum-bell. Murder and treason!
      Banquo and Donalbain! Malcolm! awake!
      Shake off this downy sleep, death's counterfeit,
95    And look on death itself! up, up, and see
      The great doom's image! Malcolm! Banquo!
      As from your graves rise up, and walk like sprites,
      To countenance this horror! Ring the bell.

Bell rings

Enter LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH

      What's the business,
100   That such a hideous trumpet calls to parley
      The sleepers of the house? speak, speak!

MACDUFF

      O gentle lady,
      'Tis not for you to hear what I can speak:
      The repetition, in a woman's ear,
105   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

110   Too cruel any where.
      Dear Duff, I prithee, contradict thyself,
      And say it is not so.

Re-enter MACBETH and LENNOX, with ROSS

MACBETH

      Had I but died an hour before this chance,
      I had lived a blessed time; for, from this instant,
115   There 's nothing serious in mortality:
      All 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

120   You are, and do not know't:
      The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood
      Is stopp'd; the very source of it is stopp'd.

MACDUFF

Your royal father 's murder'd.

MALCOLM

O, by whom?

LENNOX

125   Those of his chamber, as it seem'd, had done 't:
      Their hands and faces were an badged with blood;
      So were their daggers, which unwiped we found
      Upon their pillows:
      They stared, and were distracted; no man's life
130   Was to be trusted with them.

MACBETH

O, yet I do repent me of my fury,
That I did kill them.

MACDUFF

Wherefore did you so?

MACBETH

      Who can be wise, amazed, temperate and furious,
135   Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man:
      The expedition my violent love
      Outrun the pauser, reason. Here lay Duncan,
      His silver skin laced with his golden blood;
      And his gash'd stabs look'd like a breach in nature
140   For ruin's wasteful entrance: there, the murderers,
      Steep'd in the colours of their trade, their daggers
      Unmannerly breech'd with gore: who could refrain,
      That had a heart to love, and in that heart
      Courage to make 's love known?

LADY MACBETH

145 Help me hence, ho!

MACDUFF

Look to the lady.

MALCOLM

(Aside to DONALBAIN) Why do we hold our tongues,
That most may claim this argument for ours?

DONALBAIN

      (Aside to MALCOLM) What should be spoken here,
150   where our fate,
      Hid in an auger-hole, may rush, and seize us?
      Let 's away;
      Our tears are not yet brew'd.

MALCOLM

(Aside to DONALBAIN) Nor our strong sorrow
155 Upon the foot of motion.

BANQUO

Look to the lady:

LADY MACBETH is carried out

      And when we have our naked frailties hid,
      That suffer in exposure, let us meet,
      And question this most bloody piece of work,
160   To know it further. Fears and scruples shake us:
      In the great hand of God I stand; and thence
      Against the undivulged pretence I fight
      Of treasonous malice.

MACDUFF

And so do I.

ALL

165 So all.

MACBETH

Let's briefly put on manly readiness,
And meet i' the hall together.

ALL

Well contented.

Exeunt all but Malcolm and Donalbain

MALCOLM

      What will you do? Let's not consort with them:
170   To show an unfelt sorrow is an office
      Which the false man does easy. I'll to England.

DONALBAIN

      To Ireland, I; our separated fortune
      Shall keep us both the safer: where we are,
      There's daggers in men's smiles: the near in blood,
175   The nearer bloody.

MALCOLM

      This murderous shaft that's shot
      Hath not yet lighted, and our safest way
      Is to avoid the aim. Therefore, to horse;
      And let us not be dainty of leave-taking,
180   But shift away: there's warrant in that theft
      Which steals itself, when there's no mercy left.

Exeunt

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