Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Act 4 - Scene 1
A cavern. In the middle, a boiling cauldron.
First Witch : Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.
Second Witch : Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined.
Third Witch : Harpier cries 'Tis time, 'tis time.
First Witch : Round about the cauldron go;
[p]In the poison'd entrails
throw.
[p]Toad, that under cold stone
[p]Days and nights has
thirty-one
[p]Swelter'd venom sleeping got,
[p]Boil thou first i' the
charmed pot.
All : Double, double toil and trouble;
[p]Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Second Witch : Fillet of a fenny snake,
[p]In the cauldron boil and bake;
[p]Eye of
newt and toe of frog,
[p]Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
[p]Adder's
fork and blind-worm's sting,
[p]Lizard's leg and owlet's wing,
[p]For
a charm of powerful trouble,
[p]Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
All : Double, double toil and trouble;
[p]Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Third Witch : Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
[p]Witches' mummy, maw and gulf
[p]Of
the ravin'd salt-sea shark,
[p]Root of hemlock digg'd i' the
dark,
[p]Liver of blaspheming Jew,
[p]Gall of goat, and slips of
yew
[p]Silver'd in the moon's eclipse,
[p]Nose of Turk and Tartar's
lips,
[p]Finger of birth-strangled babe
[p]Ditch-deliver'd by a
drab,
[p]Make the gruel thick and slab:
[p]Add thereto a tiger's
chaudron,
[p]For the ingredients of our cauldron.
All : Double, double toil and trouble;
[p]Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Second Witch : Cool it with a baboon's blood,
[p]Then the charm is firm and good.
Hecate : O well done! I commend your pains;
[p]And every one shall share i' the
gains;
[p]And now about the cauldron sing,
[p]Live elves and fairies
in a ring,
[p]Enchanting all that you put in.
Second Witch : By the pricking of my thumbs,
[p]Something wicked this way
comes.
[p]Open, locks,
[p]Whoever knocks!
Macbeth : How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags!
[p]What is't you do?
All : A deed without a name.
Macbeth : I conjure you, by that which you profess,
[p]Howe'er you come to know
it, answer me:
[p]Though you untie the winds and let them
fight
[p]Against the churches; though the yesty waves
[p]Confound and
swallow navigation up;
[p]Though bladed corn be lodged and trees blown
down;
[p]Though castles topple on their warders' heads;
[p]Though
palaces and pyramids do slope
[p]Their heads to their foundations;
though the treasure
[p]Of nature's germens tumble all
together,
[p]Even till destruction sicken; answer me
[p]To what I ask
you.
First Witch : Speak.
Second Witch : Demand.
Third Witch : We'll answer.
First Witch : Say, if thou'dst rather hear it from our mouths,
[p]Or from our
masters?
Macbeth : Call 'em; let me see 'em.
First Witch : Pour in sow's blood, that hath eaten
[p]Her nine farrow; grease that's
sweaten
[p]From the murderer's gibbet throw
[p]Into the flame.
All : Come, high or low;
[p]Thyself and office deftly show!
Macbeth : Tell me, thou unknown power,--
First Witch : He knows thy thought:
[p]Hear his speech, but say thou nought.
First Apparition : Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff;
[p]Beware the thane of
Fife. Dismiss me. Enough.
Macbeth : Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks;
[p]Thou hast harp'd
my fear aright: but one
[p]word more,--
First Witch : He will not be commanded: here's another,
[p]More potent than the
first.
Second Apparition : Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!
Macbeth : Had I three ears, I'ld hear thee.
Second Apparition : Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn
[p]The power of man, for
none of woman born
[p]Shall harm Macbeth.
Macbeth : Then live, Macduff: what need I fear of thee?
[p]But yet I'll make
assurance double sure,
[p]And take a bond of fate: thou shalt not
live;
[p]That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies,
[p]And sleep in
spite of thunder.
[p][Thunder. Third Apparition: a Child crowned, with
a tree in his hand]
[p]What is this
[p]That rises like the issue of a
king,
[p]And wears upon his baby-brow the round
[p]And top of
sovereignty?
All : Listen, but speak not to't.
Third Apparition : Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care
[p]Who chafes, who frets, or
where conspirers are:
[p]Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be
until
[p]Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill
[p]Shall come
against him.
Macbeth : That will never be
[p]Who can impress the forest, bid the
tree
[p]Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements!
good!
[p]Rebellion's head, rise never till the wood
[p]Of Birnam rise,
and our high-placed Macbeth
[p]Shall live the lease of nature, pay his
breath
[p]To time and mortal custom. Yet my heart
[p]Throbs to know
one thing: tell me, if your art
[p]Can tell so much: shall Banquo's
issue ever
[p]Reign in this kingdom?
All : Seek to know no more.
Macbeth : I will be satisfied: deny me this,
[p]And an eternal curse fall on
you! Let me know.
[p]Why sinks that cauldron? and what noise is this?
First Witch : Show!
Second Witch : Show!
Third Witch : Show!
All : Show his eyes, and grieve his heart;
[p]Come like shadows, so
depart!
[p][A show of Eight Kings, the last with a glass in]
[p]his
hand; GHOST OF BANQUO following]
Macbeth : Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo: down!
[p]Thy crown does sear
mine eye-balls. And thy hair,
[p]Thou other gold-bound brow, is like
the first.
[p]A third is like the former. Filthy hags!
[p]Why do you
show me this? A fourth! Start, eyes!
[p]What, will the line stretch
out to the crack of doom?
[p]Another yet! A seventh! I'll see no
more:
[p]And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass
[p]Which shows
me many more; and some I see
[p]That two-fold balls and treble
scepters carry:
[p]Horrible sight! Now, I see, 'tis true;
[p]For the
blood-bolter'd Banquo smiles upon me,
[p]And points at them for
his.
[p][Apparitions vanish]
[p]What, is this so?
First Witch : Ay, sir, all this is so: but why
[p]Stands Macbeth thus
amazedly?
[p]Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprites,
[p]And show the
best of our delights:
[p]I'll charm the air to give a sound,
[p]While
you perform your antic round:
[p]That this great king may kindly
say,
[p]Our duties did his welcome pay.
Macbeth : Where are they? Gone? Let this pernicious hour
[p]Stand aye accursed
in the calendar!
[p]Come in, without there!
Lennox : What's your grace's will?
Macbeth : Saw you the weird sisters?
Lennox : No, my lord.
Macbeth : Came they not by you?
Lennox : No, indeed, my lord.
Macbeth : Infected be the air whereon they ride;
[p]And damn'd all those that
trust them! I did hear
[p]The galloping of horse: who was't came by?
Lennox : 'Tis two or three, my lord, that bring you word
[p]Macduff is fled to
England.
Macbeth : Fled to England!
Lennox : Ay, my good lord.
Macbeth : Time, thou anticipatest my dread exploits:
[p]The flighty purpose
never is o'ertook
[p]Unless the deed go with it; from this
moment
[p]The very firstlings of my heart shall be
[p]The firstlings
of my hand. And even now,
[p]To crown my thoughts with acts, be it
thought and done:
[p]The castle of Macduff I will surprise;
[p]Seize
upon Fife; give to the edge o' the sword
[p]His wife, his babes, and
all unfortunate souls
[p]That trace him in his line. No boasting like
a fool;
[p]This deed I'll do before this purpose cool.
[p]But no more
sights!--Where are these gentlemen?
[p]Come, bring me where they are.
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Next: Act 4 - Scene 2
