The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, William Shakespeare [book recommendations based on other books txt] 📗

To plague the inventor. This even-handed justice Commends the ingredients of our poison’d chalice To our own lips. He’s here in double trust: First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murtherer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels trumpet-tongued against The deep damnation of his taking-off, And pity, like a naked newborn babe

Striding the blast, or heaven’s cherubin horsed Upon the sightless couriers of the air, Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself And falls on the other.

 

Enter Lady Macbeth.

 

How now, what news?

LADY MACBETH. He has almost supp’d. Why have you left the chamber?

MACBETH. Hath he ask’d for me?

LADY MACBETH. Know you not he has?

MACBETH. We will proceed no further in this business: He hath honor’d me of late, and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon.

LADY MACBETH. Was the hope drunk

Wherein you dress’d yourself? Hath it slept since?

And wakes it now, to look so green and pale At what it did so freely? From this time Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard To be the same in thine own act and valor As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life And live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would”

Like the poor cat i’ the adage?

MACBETH. Prithee, peace!

I dare do all that may become a man;

Who dares do more is none.

LADY MACBETH. What beast wast then

That made you break this enterprise to me?

When you durst do it, then you were a man, And, to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place Did then adhere, and yet you would make both.

They have made themselves, and that their fitness now Does unmake you. I have given suck and know How tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me-I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums And dash’d the brains out had I so sworn as you Have done to this.

MACBETH. If we should fail?

LADY MACBETH. We fail?

But screw your courage to the sticking-place And we’ll not fail. When Duncan is asleep-Whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey Soundly invite him-his two chamberlains Will I with wine and wassail so convince That memory, the warder of the brain, Shall be a fume and the receipt of reason A limbeck only. When in swinish sleep Their drenched natures lie as in a death, What cannot you and I perform upon

The unguarded Duncan? What not put upon His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt Of our great quell?

MACBETH. Bring forth men-children only, For thy undaunted mettle should compose Nothing but males. Will it not be received, When we have mark’d with blood those sleepy two Of his own chamber and used their very daggers, That they have done’t?

LADY MACBETH. Who dares receive it other, As we shall make our griefs and clamor roar Upon his death?

MACBETH. I am settled and bend up

Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.

Away, and mock the time with fairest show: False face must hide what the false heart doth know.

Exeunt.

 

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ACT II. SCENE I.

Inverness. Court of Macbeth’s castle.

 

Enter Banquo and Fleance, bearing a torch before him.

 

BANQUO. How goes the night, boy?

FLEANCE. The moon is down; I have not heard the clock.

BANQUO. And she goes down at twelve.

FLEANCE. I take’t ‘tis later, sir.

BANQUO. Hold, take my sword. There’s husbandry in heaven, Their candles are all out. Take thee that too.

A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, And yet I would not sleep. Merciful powers, Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature Gives way to in repose!

 

Enter Macbeth and a Servant with a torch.

 

Give me my sword.

Who’s there?

MACBETH. A friend.

BANQUO. What, sir, not yet at rest? The King’s abed.

He hath been in unusual pleasure and

Sent forth great largess to your offices.

This diamond he greets your wife withal, By the name of most kind hostess, and shut up In measureless content.

MACBETH. Being unprepared,

Our will became the servant to defect, Which else should free have wrought.

BANQUO. All’s well.

I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters: To you they have show’d some truth.

MACBETH. I think not of them;

Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve, We would spend it in some words upon that business, If you would grant the time.

BANQUO. At your kind’st leisure.

MACBETH. If you shall cleave to my consent, when ‘tis, It shall make honor for you.

BANQUO. So I lose none

In seeking to augment it, but still keep My bosom franchised and allegiance clear, I shall be counsel’d.

MACBETH. Good repose the while.

BANQUO. Thanks, sir, the like to you.

Exeunt Banquo. and Fleance.

MACBETH. Go bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready, She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed. Exit Servant.

Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.

I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.

Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible

To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?

I see thee yet, in form as palpable

As this which now I draw.

Thou marshal’st me the way that I was going, And such an instrument I was to use.

Mine eyes are made the fools o’ the other senses, Or else worth all the rest. I see thee still, And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before. There’s no such thing: It is the bloody business which informs Thus to mine eyes. Now o’er the one half-world Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse The curtain’d sleep; witchcraft celebrates Pale Hecate’s offerings; and wither’d Murther, Alarum’d by his sentinel, the wolf,

Whose howl’s his watch, thus with his stealthy pace, With Tarquin’s ravishing strides, towards his design Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth, Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear Thy very stones prate of my whereabout, And take the present horror from the time, Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives; Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.

A bell rings.

I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.

Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell That summons thee to heaven, or to hell. Exit.

 

SCENE II.

The same.

 

Enter Lady Macbeth.

 

LADY MACBETH. That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold; What hath quench’d them hath given me fire. Hark! Peace!

It was the owl that shriek’d, the fatal bellman, Which gives the stern’st good night. He is about it: The doors are open, and the surfeited grooms Do mock their charge with snores. I have drugg’d their possets That death and nature do contend about them, Whether they live or die.

MACBETH. [Within.] Who’s there’ what, ho!

LADY MACBETH. Alack, I am afraid they have awaked And ‘tis not done. The attempt and not the deed Confounds us. Hark! I laid their daggers ready; He could not miss ‘em. Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done’t.

 

Enter Macbeth,

 

My husband!

MACBETH. I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?

LADY MACBETH. I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry.

Did not you speak?

MACBETH. When?

LADY MACBETH. Now.

MACBETH. As I descended?

LADY MACBETH. Ay.

MACBETH. Hark!

Who lies i’ the second chamber?

LADY MACBETH. Donalbain.

MACBETH. This is a sorry sight. [Looks on his hands.

LADY MACBETH. A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight.

MACBETH. There’s one did laugh in ‘s sleep, and one cried, “Murther!”

That they did wake each other. I stood and heard them, But they did say their prayers and address’d them Again to sleep.

LADY MACBETH. There are two lodged together.

MACBETH. One cried, “God bless us!” and “Amen” the other, As they had seen me with these hangman’s hands.

Listening their fear, I could not say “Amen,”

When they did say, “God bless us!”

LADY MACBETH. Consider it not so deeply.

MACBETH. But wherefore could not I pronounce “Amen”?

I had most need of blessing, and “Amen”

Stuck in my throat.

LADY MACBETH. These deeds must not be thought After these ways; so, it will make us mad.

MACBETH. I heard a voice cry, “Sleep no more!

Macbeth does murther sleep” -the innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the ravel’d sleave of care, The death of each day’s life, sore labor’s bath, Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, Chief nourisher in life’s feast-LADY MACBETH. What do you mean?

MACBETH. Still it cried, “Sleep no more!” to all the house; “Glamis hath murther’d sleep, and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more.”

LADY MACBETH. Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy Thane, You do unbend your noble strength, to think So brainsickly of things. Go, get some water And wash this filthy witness from your hand.

Why did you bring these daggers from the place?

They must lie there. Go carry them, and smear The sleepy grooms with blood.

MACBETH. I’ll go no more.

I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on’t again I dare not.

LADY MACBETH. Infirm of purpose!

Give me the daggers. The 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 incarnadine,

Making the green one red.

 

Re-enter Lady Macbeth.

 

LADY MACBETH. My hands are of your color, but I shame To wear a heart so white. [Knocking within.] I hear 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.

 

Enter a Porter. Knocking within.

 

PORTER. Here’s a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of Hell Gate, he should