The Tragedy of Macbeth: ACT III , SCENE I. Forres. The palace.

The Tragedy of Macbeth: ACT III


	Introduction

	ACT I

	ACT II

	ACT III

		SCENE I. Forres. The palace.

		SCENE II. The palace.

		SCENE III. A park near the palace.

		SCENE IV. The same. Hall in the palace.

		SCENE V. A Heath.

		SCENE VI. Forres. The palace.

	ACT IV

	ACT V

	About the Play

	Feedback



	Search:
	for:

SCENE I. Forres. The palace.

Enter BANQUO

BANQUO

      Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
      As the weird women promised, and, I fear,
      Thou play'dst most foully for't: yet it was said
      It should not stand in thy posterity,
5     But that myself should be the root and father
      Of many kings. If there come truth from them--
      As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine--
      Why, by the verities on thee made good,
      May they not be my oracles as well,
10    And set me up in hope? But hush! no more.

Sennet sounded. Enter MACBETH, as king, LADY MACBETH, as queen, LENNOX, ROSS, Lords, Ladies, and Attendants

MACBETH

Here's our chief guest.

LADY MACBETH

      If he had been forgotten,
      It had been as a gap in our great feast,
      And all-thing unbecoming.

MACBETH

15 To-night we hold a solemn supper sir,
And I'll request your presence.

BANQUO

      Let your highness
      Command upon me; to the which my duties
      Are with a most indissoluble tie
20    For ever knit.

MACBETH

Ride you this afternoon?

BANQUO

Ay, my good lord.

MACBETH

      We should have else desired your good advice,
      Which still hath been both grave and prosperous,
25    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
30    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
35    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

40 Ay, my good lord: our time does call upon 's.

MACBETH

I wish your horses swift and sure of foot;
And so I do commend you to their backs. Farewell.

Exit BANQUO

      Let every man be master of his time
      Till seven at night: to make society
45    The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself
      Till supper-time alone: while then, God be with you!

Exeunt all but MACBETH, and an attendant

Sirrah, a word with you: attend those men
Our pleasure?

ATTENDANT

They are, my lord, without the palace gate.

MACBETH

50 Bring them before us.

Exit Attendant

      To be thus is nothing;
      But to be safely thus.--Our fears in Banquo
      Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature
      Reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much he dares;
55    And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,
      He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour
      To act in safety. There is none but he
      Whose being I do fear: and, under him,
      My Genius is rebuked; as, it is said,
60    Mark Antony's was by Caesar. He chid the sisters
      When first they put the name of king upon me,
      And bade them speak to him: then prophet-like
      They hail'd him father to a line of kings:
      Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown,
65    And put a barren sceptre in my gripe,
      Thence to be wrench'd with an unlineal hand,
      No son of mine succeeding. If 't be so,
      For Banquo's issue have I filed my mind;
      For them the gracious Duncan have I murder'd;
70    Put rancours in the vessel of my peace
      Only for them; and mine eternal jewel
      Given to the common enemy of man,
      To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings!
      Rather than so, come fate into the list.
75    And champion me to the utterance! Who's there!

Re-enter Attendant, with 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, now
80    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 our last conference, pass'd in probation with you,
85    How you were borne in hand, how cross'd,
      the instruments,
      Who wrought with them, and all things else that might
      To half a soul and to a notion crazed
      Say 'Thus did Banquo.'

First Murderer

90 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
95    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.

MACBETH

      Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men;
100   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
105   According to the gift which bounteous nature
      Hath in him closed; whereby he does receive
      Particular addition. from the bill
      That writes them all alike: and so of men.
      Now, if you have a station in the file,
110   Not i' the worst rank of manhood, say 't;
      And I will put that business in your bosoms,
      Whose execution takes your enemy off,
      Grapples you to the heart and love of us,
      Who wear our health but sickly in his life,
115   Which in his death were perfect.

Second Murderer

      I am one, my liege,
      Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world
      Have so incensed that I am reckless what
      I do to spite the world.

First Murderer

120   And I another
      So weary with disasters, tugg'd with fortune,
      That I would set my lie on any chance,
      To mend it, or be rid on't.

MACBETH

Both of you
125 Know Banquo was your enemy.

Both Murderers

True, my lord.

MACBETH

      So is he mine; and in such bloody distance,
      That every minute of his being thrusts
      Against my near'st of life: and though I could
130   With barefaced power sweep him from my sight
      And bid my will avouch it, yet I must not,
      For certain friends that are both his and mine,
      Whose loves I may not drop, but wail his fall
      Who I myself struck down; and thence it is,
135   That I to your assistance do make love,
      Masking the business from the common eye
      For sundry weighty reasons.

Second Murderer

We shall, my lord,
Perform what you command us.

First Murderer

140 Though our lives--

MACBETH

      Your spirits shine through you. Within this hour at most
      I will advise you where to plant yourselves;
      Acquaint you with the perfect spy o' the time,
      The moment on't; for't must be done to-night,
145   And something from the palace; always thought
      That I require a clearness: and with him--
      To leave no rubs nor botches in the work--
      Fleance his son, that keeps him company,
      Whose absence is no less material to me
150   Than is his father's, must embrace the fate
      Of that dark hour. Resolve yourselves apart:
      I'll come to you anon.

Both Murderers

We are resolved, my lord.

MACBETH

I'll call upon you straight: abide within.

Exeunt Murderers

155 It is concluded. Banquo, thy soul's flight,
If it find heaven, must find it out to-night.

Exit

Return to top of page ... or ... Go to next scene