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Macbeth: Act III, Scene 1

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Macbeth
Act III, Scene 1

Scene 1

Forres. The palace.

  1. Enter Banquo.

Banquo

1 - 10
  1. Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
  2. As the weird women promis’d, and I fear
  3. Thou play’dst most foully for’t; yet it was said
  4. It should not stand in thy posterity,
  5. But that myself should be the root and father
  6. Of many kings. If there come truth from them—
  7. As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine—
  8. Why, by the verities on thee made good,
  9. May they not be my oracles as well,
  10. And set me up in hope? But hush, no more.
  1. Sennet sounded. Enter Macbeth as King, Lady Macbeth as
  2. Queen, Lennox, Rosse, Lords, and Attendants.

Macbeth

11
  1. Here’s our chief guest.

Lady Macbeth

12 - 14
  1.                         If he had been forgotten,
  2. It had been as a gap in our great feast,
  3. And all-thing unbecoming.

Macbeth

15 - 16
  1. Tonight we hold a solemn supper, sir,
  2. And I’ll request your presence.

Banquo

17 - 20
  1.                                 Let your Highness
  2. Command upon me, to the which my duties
  3. Are with a most indissoluble tie
  4. Forever knit.

Macbeth

21
  1. Ride you this afternoon?

Banquo

22
  1.                          Ay, my good lord.

Macbeth

23 - 26
  1. We should have else desir’d your good advice
  2. (Which still hath been both grave and prosperous)
  3. In this day’s council; but we’ll take tomorrow.
  4. Is’t far you ride?

Banquo

27 - 30
  1. As far, my lord, as will fill up the time
  2. ’Twixt this and supper. Go not my horse the better,
  3. I must become a borrower of the night
  4. For a dark hour or twain.

Macbeth

31
  1.                           Fail not our feast.

Banquo

32
  1. My lord, I will not.

Macbeth

33 - 39
  1. We hear our bloody cousins are bestow’d
  2. In England and in Ireland, not confessing
  3. Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers
  4. With strange invention. But of that tomorrow,
  5. When therewithal we shall have cause of state
  6. Craving us jointly. Hie you to horse; adieu,
  7. Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you?

Banquo

40
  1. Ay, my good lord. Our time does call upon’s.

Macbeth

41 - 49
  1. I wish your horses swift and sure of foot;
  2. And so I do commend you to their backs.
  3. Farewell.
  4. Exit Banquo.
  5. Let every man be master of his time
  6. Till seven at night. To make society
  7. The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself
  8. Till supper-time alone; while then, God be with you!
  9. Exeunt Lords with Lady Macbeth and others. Manent Macbeth
  10. and a Servant.
  11. Sirrah, a word with you. Attend those men
  12. Our pleasure?

Servant

50
  1. They are, my lord, without the palace gate.

Macbeth

51 - 78
  1. Bring them before us.
  2. Exit Servant.
  3.                       To be thus is nothing,
  4. But to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo
  5. Stick deep, and in his royalty of nature
  6. Reigns that which would be fear’d. ’Tis much he dares,
  7. And to that dauntless temper of his mind,
  8. He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valor
  9. To act in safety. There is none but he
  10. Whose being I do fear; and under him
  11. My Genius is rebuk’d, as it is said
  12. Mark Antony’s was by Caesar. He chid the sisters
  13. When first they put the name of king upon me,
  14. And bade them speak to him; then prophet-like
  15. They hail’d him father to a line of kings.
  16. Upon my head they plac’d a fruitless crown,
  17. And put a barren sceptre in my gripe,
  18. Thence to be wrench’d with an unlineal hand,
  19. No son of mine succeeding. If’t be so,
  20. For Banquo’s issue have I fil’d my mind,
  21. For them the gracious Duncan have I murder’d,
  22. Put rancors in the vessel of my peace
  23. Only for them, and mine eternal jewel
  24. Given to the common enemy of man,
  25. To make them kings—the seeds of Banquo kings!
  26. Rather than so, come fate into the list,
  27. And champion me to th’ utterance! Who’s there?
  28. Enter Servant and two Murderers.
  29. Now go to the door, and stay there till we call.
  30. Exit Servant.
  31. Was it not yesterday we spoke together?
Costume design for Lady Macbeth

Costume design for Lady Macbeth

C. Walter Hodges

Both First and Second Murderers

79
  1. It was, so please your Highness.

Macbeth

80 - 89
  1.                                  Well then, now
  2. Have you consider’d of my speeches?—know
  3. That it was he in the times past which held you
  4. So under fortune, which you thought had been
  5. Our innocent self? This I made good to you
  6. In our last conference, pass’d in probation with you:
  7. How you were borne in hand, how cross’d, the instruments,
  8. Who wrought with them, and all things else that might
  9. To half a soul and to a notion craz’d
  10. Say, “Thus did Banquo.”

First Murderer

90
  1.                         You made it known to us.

Macbeth

91 - 97
  1. I did so; and went further, which is now
  2. Our point of second meeting. Do you find
  3. Your patience so predominant in your nature
  4. That you can let this go? Are you so gospell’d,
  5. To pray for this good man, and for his issue,
  6. Whose heavy hand hath bow’d you to the grave,
  7. And beggar’d yours forever?

First Murderer

98
  1.                             We are men, my liege.

Macbeth

99 - 115
  1. Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men,
  2. As hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs,
  3. Shoughs, water-rugs, and demi-wolves are clipt
  4. All by the name of dogs; the valued file
  5. Distinguishes the swift, the slow, the subtle,
  6. The house-keeper, the hunter, every one,
  7. According to the gift which bounteous nature
  8. Hath in him clos’d; whereby he does receive
  9. Particular addition, from the bill
  10. That writes them all alike: and so of men.
  11. Now, if you have a station in the file,
  12. Not i’ th’ worst rank of manhood, say’t,
  13. And I will put that business in your bosoms,
  14. Whose execution takes your enemy off,
  15. Grapples you to the heart and love of us,
  16. Who wear our health but sickly in his life,
  17. Which in his death were perfect.
Costume design for Lady Macbeth

Costume design for Lady Macbeth

circa 1875

Second Murderer

116 - 119
  1.                                  I am one, my liege,
  2. Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world
  3. Hath so incens’d that I am reckless what
  4. I do to spite the world.

First Murderer

120 - 123
  1.                          And I another,
  2. So weary with disasters, tugg’d with fortune,
  3. That I would set my life on any chance,
  4. To mend it, or be rid on’t.

Macbeth

124 - 125
  1.                             Both of you
  2. Know Banquo was your enemy.

Both First and Second Murderers

126
  1.                             True, my lord.

Macbeth

127 - 137
  1. So is he mine; and in such bloody distance,
  2. That every minute of his being thrusts
  3. Against my near’st of life; and though I could
  4. With barefac’d power sweep him from my sight,
  5. And bid my will avouch it, yet I must not,
  6. For certain friends that are both his and mine,
  7. Whose loves I may not drop, but wail his fall
  8. Who I myself struck down. And thence it is
  9. That I to your assistance do make love,
  10. Masking the business from the common eye
  11. For sundry weighty reasons.

Second Murderer

138 - 139
  1.                             We shall, my lord,
  2. Perform what you command us.

First Murderer

140
  1.                              Though our lives—

Macbeth

141 - 152
  1. Your spirits shine through you. Within this hour, at most,
  2. I will advise you where to plant yourselves,
  3. Acquaint you with the perfect spy o’ th’ time,
  4. The moment on’t, for’t must be done tonight,
  5. And something from the palace; always thought
  6. That I require a clearness: and with him—
  7. To leave no rubs nor botches in the work—
  8. Fleance his son, that keeps him company,
  9. Whose absence is no less material to me
  10. Than is his father’s, must embrace the fate
  11. Of that dark hour. Resolve yourselves apart,
  12. I’ll come to you anon.

Both First and Second Murderers

153
  1.                        We are resolv’d, my lord.

Macbeth

154 - 156
  1. I’ll call upon you straight; abide within.
  2. Exeunt Murderers.
  3. It is concluded: Banquo, thy soul’s flight,
  4. If it find heaven, must find it out tonight.
  1. Exit.
Viola Allen as Lady Macbeth

Viola Allen as Lady Macbeth

White Studio, photographer; circa 1900

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