MACBETH 1.3

A heath near Forres.

[Thunder. Enter the three Witches]

First Witch Where hast thou been, sister?

Second Witch Killing swine.

Third Witch Sister, where thou?

First Witch A sailor's wife had chestnuts in her lap,

And munch'd, and munch'd, and munch'd:-- 5

'Give me,' quoth I:

'Aroint thee, witch!' the rump-fed ronyon cries.

Her husband's to Aleppo gone, master o' the Tiger:

But in a sieve I'll thither sail,

And, like a rat without a tail, 10

I'll do, I'll do, and I'll do.

Second Witch I'll give thee a wind.

First Witch Thou'rt kind.

Third Witch And I another.

First Witch I myself have all the other, 15

And the very ports they blow,

All the quarters that they know

I' the shipman's card.

I will drain him dry as hay:

Sleep shall neither night nor day 20

Hang upon his pent-house lid;

He shall live a man forbid:

Weary se'nnights nine times nine

Shall he dwindle, peak and pine:

Though his bark cannot be lost, 25

Yet it shall be tempest-tost.

Look what I have.

Second Witch Show me, show me.

First Witch Here I have a pilot's thumb,

Wreck'd as homeward he did come. 30

[Drum within]

Third Witch A drum, a drum!

Macbeth doth come.

ALL The weird sisters, hand in hand,

Posters of the sea and land,

Thus do go about, about: 35

Thrice to thine and thrice to mine

And thrice again, to make up nine.

Peace! the charm's wound up.

[Enter MACBETH and BANQUO]

MACBETH So foul and fair a day I have not seen.

BANQUO How far is't call'd to Forres? What are these 40

So wither'd and so wild in their attire,

That look not like the inhabitants o' the earth,

And yet are on't? Live you? or are you aught

That man may question? You seem to understand me,

By each at once her chappy finger laying 45

Upon her skinny lips: you should be women,

And yet your beards forbid me to interpret

That you are so.

MACBETH Speak, if you can: what are you?

First Witch All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!

Second Witch All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! 50

Third Witch All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!

BANQUO Good sir, why do you start; and seem to fear

Things that do sound so fair? I' the name of truth,

Are ye fantastical, or that indeed

Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner 55

You greet with present grace and great prediction

Of noble having and of royal hope,

That he seems rapt withal: to me you speak not.

If you can look into the seeds of time,

And say which grain will grow and which will not, 60

Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear

Your favours nor your hate.

First Witch Hail!

Second Witch Hail!

Third Witch Hail! 65

First Witch Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.

Second Witch Not so happy, yet much happier.

Third Witch Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none:

So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!

First Witch Banquo and Macbeth, all hail! 70

MACBETH Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more:

By Sinel's death I know I am thane of Glamis;

But how of Cawdor? the thane of Cawdor lives,

A prosperous gentleman; and to be king

Stands not within the prospect of belief, 75

No more than to be Cawdor. Say from whence

You owe this strange intelligence? or why

Upon this blasted heath you stop our way

With such prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge you.

[Witches vanish]

BANQUO The earth hath bubbles, as the water has, 80

And these are of them. Whither are they vanish'd?

MACBETH Into the air; and what seem'd corporal melted

As breath into the wind. Would they had stay'd!

BANQUO Were such things here as we do speak about?

Or have we eaten on the insane root 85

That takes the reason prisoner?

MACBETH Your children shall be kings.

BANQUO You shall be king.

MACBETH And thane of Cawdor too: went it not so?

BANQUO To the selfsame tune and words. Who's here? 90

[Enter ROSS and ANGUS]

ROSS The king hath happily received, Macbeth,

The news of thy success; and when he reads

Thy personal venture in the rebels' fight,

His wonders and his praises do contend

Which should be thine or his: silenced with that, 95

In viewing o'er the rest o' the selfsame day,

He finds thee in the stout Norweyan ranks,

Nothing afeard of what thyself didst make,

Strange images of death. As thick as hail

Came post with post; and every one did bear 100

Thy praises in his kingdom's great defence,

And pour'd them down before him.

ANGUS We are sent

To give thee from our royal master thanks;

Only to herald thee into his sight, 105

Not pay thee.

ROSS And, for an earnest of a greater honour,

He bade me, from him, call thee thane of Cawdor:

In which addition, hail, most worthy thane!

For it is thine. 110

BANQUO What, can the devil speak true?

MACBETH The thane of Cawdor lives: why do you dress me

In borrow'd robes?

ANGUS Who was the thane lives yet;

But under heavy judgment bears that life

Which he deserves to lose. Whether he was combined

With those of Norway, or did line the rebel 115

With hidden help and vantage, or that with both

He labour'd in his country's wreck, I know not;

But treasons capital, confess'd and proved,

Have overthrown him.

MACBETH [Aside] Glamis, and thane of Cawdor! 120

The greatest is behind.

[To ROSS and ANGUS]

Thanks for your pains.

[To BANQUO]

Do you not hope your children shall be kings,

When those that gave the thane of Cawdor to me

Promised no less to them? 125

BANQUO That trusted home

Might yet enkindle you unto the crown,

Besides the thane of Cawdor. But 'tis strange:

And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,

The instruments of darkness tell us truths, 130

Win us with honest trifles, to betray's

In deepest consequence.

Cousins, a word, I pray you.

MACBETH [Aside]Two truths are told,

As happy prologues to the swelling act 135

Of the imperial theme.--I thank you, gentlemen.

[Aside] This supernatural soliciting

Cannot be ill, cannot be good: if ill,

Why hath it given me earnest of success,

Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor:

If good, why do I yield to that suggestion

Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair

And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,

Against the use of nature? Present fears

Are less than horrible imaginings:

My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,

Shakes so my single state of man that function

Is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is

But what is not.

BANQUO Look, how our partner's rapt.

MACBETH [Aside] If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me,

Without my stir.

BANQUO New horrors come upon him,

Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mould

But with the aid of use. 140

MACBETH [Aside] Come what come may,

Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.

BANQUO Worthy Macbeth, we stay upon your leisure.

MACBETH Give me your favour: my dull brain was wrought

With things forgotten. Kind gentlemen, your pains 145

Are register'd where every day I turn

The leaf to read them. Let us toward the king.

Think upon what hath chanced, and, at more time,

The interim having weigh'd it, let us speak

Our free hearts each to other. 150

BANQUO Very gladly.

MACBETH Till then, enough. Come, friends.

[Exeunt]

First Witch	A sailor's wife had chestnuts in her lap,
	And munch'd, and munch'd, and munch'd:--	5
	'Give me,' quoth I:
	'Aroint thee, witch!' the rump-fed ronyon cries.
	Her husband's to Aleppo gone, master o' the Tiger:
	But in a sieve I'll thither sail,
	And, like a rat without a tail,	10
	I'll do, I'll do, and I'll do.

First Witch	I myself have all the other,	15
	And the very ports they blow,
	All the quarters that they know
	I' the shipman's card.
	I will drain him dry as hay:
	Sleep shall neither night nor day	20
	Hang upon his pent-house lid;
	He shall live a man forbid:
	Weary se'nnights nine times nine
	Shall he dwindle, peak and pine:
	Though his bark cannot be lost,	25
	Yet it shall be tempest-tost.
	Look what I have.

First Witch	Here I have a pilot's thumb,
	Wreck'd as homeward he did come.	30
	[Drum within]

ALL	The weird sisters, hand in hand,
	Posters of the sea and land,
	Thus do go about, about:	35
	Thrice to thine and thrice to mine
	And thrice again, to make up nine.
	Peace! the charm's wound up.
	[Enter MACBETH and BANQUO]

BANQUO	How far is't call'd to Forres? What are these	40
	So wither'd and so wild in their attire,
	That look not like the inhabitants o' the earth,
	And yet are on't? Live you? or are you aught
	That man may question? You seem to understand me,
	By each at once her chappy finger laying	45
	Upon her skinny lips: you should be women,
	And yet your beards forbid me to interpret
	That you are so.

BANQUO	Good sir, why do you start; and seem to fear
	Things that do sound so fair? I' the name of truth,
	Are ye fantastical, or that indeed
	Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner	55
	You greet with present grace and great prediction
	Of noble having and of royal hope,
	That he seems rapt withal: to me you speak not.
	If you can look into the seeds of time,
	And say which grain will grow and which will not,	60
	Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear
	Your favours nor your hate.

Third Witch		Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none:
		So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!

MACBETH	Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more:
	By Sinel's death I know I am thane of Glamis;
	But how of Cawdor? the thane of Cawdor lives,
	A prosperous gentleman; and to be king
	Stands not within the prospect of belief,	75
	No more than to be Cawdor. Say from whence
	You owe this strange intelligence? or why
	Upon this blasted heath you stop our way
	With such prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge you.
	[Witches vanish]

BANQUO		The earth hath bubbles, as the water has,	80
		And these are of them. Whither are they vanish'd?

MACBETH		Into the air; and what seem'd corporal melted
		As breath into the wind. Would they had stay'd!

BANQUO	Were such things here as we do speak about?
	Or have we eaten on the insane root	85
	That takes the reason prisoner?

BANQUO		To the selfsame tune and words. Who's here?	90
		[Enter ROSS and ANGUS]

ROSS	The king hath happily received, Macbeth,
	The news of thy success; and when he reads
	Thy personal venture in the rebels' fight,
	His wonders and his praises do contend
	Which should be thine or his: silenced with that,	95
	In viewing o'er the rest o' the selfsame day,
	He finds thee in the stout Norweyan ranks,
	Nothing afeard of what thyself didst make,
	Strange images of death. As thick as hail
	Came post with post; and every one did bear	100
	Thy praises in his kingdom's great defence,
	And pour'd them down before him.

ANGUS	We are sent
	To give thee from our royal master thanks;
	Only to herald thee into his sight,	105
	Not pay thee.

ROSS	And, for an earnest of a greater honour,
	He bade me, from him, call thee thane of Cawdor:
	In which addition, hail, most worthy thane!
	For it is thine.	110

MACBETH		The thane of Cawdor lives: why do you dress me
		In borrow'd robes?

ANGUS	Who was the thane lives yet;
	But under heavy judgment bears that life
	Which he deserves to lose. Whether he was combined
	With those of Norway, or did line the rebel	115
	With hidden help and vantage, or that with both
	He labour'd in his country's wreck, I know not;
	But treasons capital, confess'd and proved,
	Have overthrown him.

MACBETH	[Aside] Glamis, and thane of Cawdor!	120
	The greatest is behind.
	[To ROSS and ANGUS]
	Thanks for your pains.
	[To BANQUO]
	Do you not hope your children shall be kings,
	When those that gave the thane of Cawdor to me
	Promised no less to them?	125

BANQUO	That trusted home
	Might yet enkindle you unto the crown,
	Besides the thane of Cawdor. But 'tis strange:
	And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
	The instruments of darkness tell us truths,	130
	Win us with honest trifles, to betray's
	In deepest consequence.
	Cousins, a word, I pray you.

MACBETH	[Aside]Two truths are told,
	As happy prologues to the swelling act	135
	Of the imperial theme.--I thank you, gentlemen.
	[Aside] This supernatural soliciting
	Cannot be ill, cannot be good: if ill,
	Why hath it given me earnest of success,
	Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor:
	If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
	Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
	And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,
	Against the use of nature? Present fears
	Are less than horrible imaginings:
	My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,
	Shakes so my single state of man that function
	Is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is
	But what is not.

MACBETH		[Aside] If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me,
		Without my stir.

BANQUO	New horrors come upon him,
	Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mould
	But with the aid of use.	140

MACBETH		[Aside] Come what come may,
		Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.

MACBETH	Give me your favour: my dull brain was wrought
	With things forgotten. Kind gentlemen, your pains	145
	Are register'd where every day I turn
	The leaf to read them. Let us toward the king.
	Think upon what hath chanced, and, at more time,
	The interim having weigh'd it, let us speak
	Our free hearts each to other.	150