ACT 1
[Enter LADY MACBETH, reading a letter]
LADY MACBETH
'They met me in the day of success: and I have
'They met me on the day I won the battle.
learned by the perfectest report, they have more in
I learned from their most accurate report
them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire
they know more than a mere mortal. When I wanted
to question them further, they made themselves air,
to question them further, they vanished into thin air,
into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in
completely disappearing. As I stood
the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who
in wonder of them, along came messengers from the king
all-hailed me 'Thane of Cawdor;' by which title,
who all called me 'Thane of Cawdor;' by which title
before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred
those weird women called me earlier, and then declared
me to the coming on of time, with 'Hail, king that
that one day they will say, "Hail, to the future king!"
shalt be!' This have I thought good to deliver
I thought it right to send this news to you,
thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou
my dearest and most wonderful partner, so that you
mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being
waste no time in rejoicing by not knowing
ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it
of greatness that will one day come to you.
to thy heart, and farewell.'
Keep this news close to your heart, and farewell.'
Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be
You're Thane of Glamis and Cawdor, and you'll be
What thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature;
The king; although I fear it's not your nature;
It is too full o' the milk of human kindness
You are too full of kindness in your heart
To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great;
To snatch your first chance. You do strive for greatness,
Art not without ambition, but without
And you have high ambition, but without
The illness should attend it: what thou wouldst highly,
The ruthlessness that's needed. Things you do,
That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false,
You do with decency; you do not lie;
And yet wouldst wrongly win: thou'ldst have, great Glamis,
But you'll take what's not yours. You have within you
That which cries 'Thus thou must do, if thou have it;
A voice which cries, 'Do what you have to do,
And that which rather thou dost fear to do
Even if you're scared of what's required,
Than wishest should be undone.' Hie thee hither,
Instead of getting what you wish. Come home soon,
That I may pour my spirits in thine ear;
So I can share my strong opinion with you,
And chastise with the valour of my tongue
And dismiss with all the strength that I can muster
All that impedes thee from the golden round,
All points preventing you from being king,
Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem
Which fate and supernatural forces seem to
To have thee crowned withal.
Believe you will be crowned.
[Enter a Messenger]
What is your tidings?
What is your message?
MESSENGER
The king comes here to-night.
The king comes here tonight.
LADY MACBETH
Thou'rt mad to say it:
You must be joking!
Is not thy master with him? Who, were't so,
Is not your lord Macbeth with him? If so
Would have informed for preparation.
He would have warned me so I could prepare.
MESSENGER
So please you, it is true: our thane is coming:
You'll be most pleased to know it's true. He's coming.
One of my fellows had the speed of him,
One fellow servant sped ahead of him,
Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely more
Who then, gasping for breath, could barely speak
Than would make up his message.
To pass the message to me.
LADY MACBETH
Give him tending;
Give him rest.
He brings great news.
He brings great news.
[Exit Messenger]
The raven himself is hoarse
This messenger is an omen
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
That tells me Duncan's coming here to die
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
Within my castle walls. Come, evil spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
That make me think of death, make me more manly,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
And fill me from my head down to my toes
Of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood;
With awful cruelty! Thicken my blood,
Stop up the access and passage to remorse,
And stop remorseful pangs before they've started
That no compunctious visitings of nature
So that I will not feel compelled by nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
To break my plans, and make sure all these actions
The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts,
Are followed through! Come to my woman's breasts
And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers,
And turn my milk to bile, murderous forces,
Wherever in your sightless substances
Wherever you might hide yourself away
You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night,
In waiting to do evil! Come dark night
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
And wrap up in the thickest smoke of hell
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,
So that my knife won't see the wounds it makes,
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,
Nor heaven can observe me through the darkness
To cry 'Hold, hold!'
And shout, 'Stop that!'
[Enter MACBETH]
Great Glamis! Worthy Cawdor!
Great Thane of Glamis and Cawdor!
Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter!
Greater than both, from now, we'll all salute you!
Thy letters have transported me beyond
Your letter has promoted me beyond
This ignorant present, and I feel now
The present moment's ignorance, and now
The future in the instant.
This feels like the future.
MACBETH
My dearest love,
My dearest love,
Duncan comes here to-night.
Duncan is coming here tonight.
LADY MACBETH
And when goes hence?
He leaves when?
MACBETH
To-morrow, as he purposes.
Tomorrow. That's his plan.
LADY MACBETH
O, never
Oh, but he'll never
Shall sun that morrow see!
See the sun tomorrow!
Your face, my thane, is as a book where men
My lord, your face is read just like a book
May read strange matters. To beguile the time,
Revealing bad intentions. To deceive them,
Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye,
Be like them, with a welcoming expression
Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower,
In actions and in words. Look like a flower,
But be the serpent under't. He that's coming
But be the snake below. The king who's coming
Must be provided for: and you shall put
Now must be taken care of, and you have to
This night's great business into my dispatch;
Let me take care of business for the night.
Which shall to all our nights and days to come
Once done, from this day forth and all days planned,
Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.
We'll be the king and queen of all this land.
MACBETH
We will speak further.
Let's talk about this more.
LADY MACBETH
Only look up clear;
Look up, serene,
To alter favour ever is to fear:
Else they might fear what your expressions mean.
Leave all the rest to me.
Leave everything else to me.
[Exeunt]
