ROSS               Norway himself, with numbers terrible, Assisted by that most disloyal traitor The Thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict, Till that Bellona’s bridegroom, lapped in proof, Confronted him with self-comparisons, Point against point, rebellious arm ‘gainst arm, Curbing his lavish spirit; and to conclude, The victory fell on us— KING                                       Great happiness! ROSS                                       […]

Enter Ross and Angus KING               Who comes here? MALCOLM      The worthy Thane of Ross. LENNOX         What a haste looks through his eyes! So should he look That seems to speak things strange. ROSS               God save the King! KING               Whence cam’st thou, worthy thane? ROSS               From Fife, great King, Where the Norwegian banners flout the sky […]

CAPTAIN        Yes— As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion. If I say sooth, I must report they were As cannons over-charged with double cracks, so they Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe. Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds Or memorize another Golgotha, I cannot tell. But I am faint; my gashes cry […]

CAPTAIN        As whence the sun ’gins his reflection Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders threaten, So from that spring whence comfort seemed to come Discomfort swells. Mark, King of Scotland, mark. No sooner justice had, with valour armed, Compelled these skipping kerns to trust their heels, But the Norwegian lord, surveying vantage, With furbished arms and […]

CAPTAIN                    But all’s too weak; For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name— Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like Valour’s minion carved out his passage Till he faced the slave; Which ne’er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops […]

CAPTAIN                                           Doubtful it stood, As two spent swimmers that do cling together And choke their art. The merciless Macdonald– Worthy to be a rebel, for to that The multiplying villainies of nature Do swarm […]

Alarum within. Enter King, Malcolm, Donalbain, Lennox, with attendants, meeting a bleeding Captain KING               What bloody man is that? He can report As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt The newest state. MALCOLM                                          This is the sergeant Who, like a good and hardy soldier, fought ’Gainst my captivity. Hail, brave friend! Say to […]

Thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches FIRST WITCH            When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain? SECOND WITCH        When the hurly-burly’s done, When the battle’s lost and won. THIRD WITCH           That will be ere the set of sun. FIRST WITCH            Where the place? SECOND WITCH        Upon the heath. THIRD WITCH           There […]