Macbeth by William Shakespeare (top ten books of all time .TXT) 📕

sleeping and the dead
Are but as pictures: ’tis the eye of childhood
That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed,
I’ll gild the faces of the grooms withal;
For it must seem their guilt. Exit. Knocking within. Macbeth

Whence is that knocking?
How is’t with me, when every noise appals me?
What hands are here? ha! they pluck out mine eyes.
Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather
The multitudinous seas in incarnadine,
Making the green one red.

Re-enter Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth

My hands are of your colour; but I shame
To wear a heart so white. Knocking within. I hear a knocking
At the south entry: retire we to our chamber:
A little water clears us of this deed:
How easy is it, then! Your constancy
Hath left you unattended. Knocking within. Hark! more knocking.
Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us,
And show us to be watchers. Be not lost
So poorly in your thoughts.

Macbeth

To know my deed, ’twere best not know myself. Knocking within.
Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst! Exeunt.

Scene III

The same.

Knocking within. Enter a Porter. Porter Here’s a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key. Knocking within. Knock, knock, knock! Who’s there, i’ the name of Beelzebub? Here’s a farmer, that hanged himself on the expectation of plenty: come in time; have napkins enow about you; here you’ll sweat for’t. Knocking within. Knock, knock! Who’s there, in the other devil’s name? Faith, here’s an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough for God’s sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven: O, come in, equivocator. Knocking within. Knock, knock, knock! Who’s there? Faith, here’s an English tailor come hither, for stealing out of a French hose: come in, tailor; here you may roast your goose. Knocking within. Knock, knock; never at quiet! What are you? But this place is too cold for hell. I’ll devil-porter it no further: I had thought to have let in some of all professions that go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire. Knocking within. Anon, anon! I pray you, remember the porter. Opens the gate. Enter Macduff and Lennox. Macduff

Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed,
That you do lie so late?

Porter ’Faith sir, we were carousing till the second cock: and drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things. Macduff What three things does drink especially provoke? Porter Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine. Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes; it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance: therefore, much drink may be said to be an equivocator with lechery: it makes him, and it mars him; it sets him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him, and disheartens him; makes him stand to, and not stand to; in conclusion, equivocates him in a sleep, and, giving him the lie, leaves him. Macduff I believe drink gave thee the lie last night. Porter That it did, sir, i’ the very throat on me: but I requited him for his lie; and, I think, being too strong for him, though he took up my legs sometime, yet I made a shift to cast him. Macduff Is thy master stirring? Enter Macbeth. Our knocking has awaked him; here he comes. Lennox Good morrow, noble sir. Macbeth Good morrow, both. Macduff Is the king stirring, worthy thane? Macbeth Not yet. Macduff

He did command me to call timely on him:
I have almost slipp’d the hour.

Macbeth I’ll bring you to him. Macduff

I know this is a joyful trouble to you;
But yet ’tis one.

Macbeth

The labour we delight in physics pain.
This is the door.

Macduff

I’ll make so bold to call,
For ’tis my limited service. Exit.

Lennox Goes the king hence to-day? Macbeth He does: he did appoint so. Lennox

The night has been unruly: where we lay,
Our chimneys were blown down; and, as they say,
Lamentings heard i’ the air; strange screams of death,
And prophesying with accents terrible
Of dire combustion and confused events
New hatch’d to the woeful time: the obscure bird
Clamour’d the livelong night: some say, the earth
Was feverous and did shake.

Macbeth ’Twas a rough night. Lennox

My young remembrance cannot parallel
A fellow to it.

Re-enter Macduff. Macduff

O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart
Cannot conceive nor name thee!

Macbeth
Lennox What’s the matter? Macduff

Confusion now hath made his masterpiece!
Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope
The Lord’s anointed temple, and stole thence
The life o’ the building!

Macbeth What is’t you say? the life? Lennox Mean you his majesty? Macduff

Approach the chamber, and destroy your sight
With a new Gorgon: do not bid me speak;
See, and then speak yourselves. Exeunt Macbeth and Lennox. Awake, awake!
Ring the alarum-bell. Murder and treason!
Banquo and Donalbain! Malcolm! awake!
Shake off this downy sleep, death’s counterfeit,
And look on death itself! up, up, and see
The great doom’s image! Malcolm! Banquo!
As from your graves rise up, and walk like sprites,
To countenance this horror! Ring the bell. Bell rings.

Enter Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth

What’s the business,
That such a hideous trumpet calls to parley
The sleepers of the house? speak, speak!

Macduff

O gentle lady,
’Tis not for you to hear what I can speak:
The repetition, in a woman’s ear,
Would murder as it fell.

Enter Banquo.

O Banquo, Banquo,
Our royal master’s murder’d!

Lady Macbeth

Woe, alas!
What, in our house?

Banquo

Too cruel any where.
Dear Duff, I prithee, contradict thyself,
And say it is not so.

Re-enter Macbeth and Lennox, with Ross. Macbeth

Had I but died an hour before this chance,
I had lived a blessed time; for, from this instant,
There’s nothing serious in mortality:
All is but toys: renown and grace is dead;
The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees
Is left this vault to brag of.

Enter Malcolm and Donalbain. Donalbain What is amiss? Macbeth

You are, and do not know’t:
The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood
Is stopp’d; the