Ban. I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters: To you they have shew'd some truth. Macb. All's well. I think not of them; Yet, when we can intreat an hour to serve, Would spend it in some words upon that business, If would you Ban. At your kind'st leisure. when 'tis, Macb. If you shall cleave to my consent 113), It shall make honour for you. Ban. So I lose none In seeking to augment it, but still keep Macb. Good repose the while! Ban. Thanks, Sir; the like to you. [Exit Banquo.] Mach. Go, bid thy mistress, when my drink 1) is ready, She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed. Is this a dagger, which I see before me, [Exit Servant. ] 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 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, only had it in our power to show the king our willingness to serve him. Had we received sufficient notice of his coming, our zeal should have been more clearly manifested by our acts. Which refers to will. Malone. 113) consent has sometimes the power of the Latin concentus. The meaning of Macbeth is then as follows: If you shall cleave to my consent i. e, if you shall stick, or adhere, to my party when 'tis, i. e. at the time when such a party is formed, your conduct shall produce honour for you. Steevens. 114) See note 121). - And on thy blade, and dudgeon, gouts of blood 115), Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er one half the world Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse The curtain'd sleep; now 116) witchcraft celebrates Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf, Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace, Moves like a ghost 117). Thou sure and firm-set earth, Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear Thy very stones prate of my where- about, And take the present horror from th time, Which now suits with it 118). While I threat, he lives; Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives 119). I go, and it is done; the bell invites me. SCENE II. The same. Enter Lady Macbeth. [A bell rings.] [Exit/] Lady M. That which hath made them drunk, hath ma de me bold; What hath quench'd them, hath given me fire. Hark! vens. - 'Peace! 115) dudgeon the haft, the handle of a dagger. Steegouts, drops. 116) The word, now has been added for the sake of metre. Probably Shakspeare wrote: The curtain'd sleeper. Steevens. 117) Tarquin is in this place the general name of a ravisher. Johnson. Whoever has been reduced to the necessity of finding his way about a house in the dark, must know that it is natural to take large strides, in order to feel before us whether we have a safe footing or not. The ravisher or murderer would naturally take such strides, not only on the same account, but that their steps might be fewer in number, and the sound of their feet be repeated as seldom as possible. Steevens. *18) Macbeth would have nothing break through the universal silence that added such a horror to the night, as suited well with the bloody deed he was about to perform. Steevens. ́119) gives, give. It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bellman, Which gives the stern'st good-night. He is about it: Do mock their charge with snores 120). I have drugg'd their possets 121), That death and nature do contend about them, Whether they live or die. Macb. (within) Who's there? -! what, ho! Lady M. Alack! I am afraid they have awak'd, And 'tis not done: the attempt, and not the deed, Confounds us. Hark! I laid their daggers ready, He could not miss them Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done't. Enter Macbeth. My husband? Mach. I have done the deed. - Didst thou not hear a noise? Lady M. I heard the owl scream, and the crickets cry.~ Macb. This is a sorry sight. Donalbain. [Looking on his hands. ] Lady M. A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. Mach. There's one did laugh in his sleep, and one cry'd, murder!" They waked each other, and I stood and heard them: But they did say their prayers, and address'd them Lady M. There are two lodg'd together. Mach. One cry'd, God bless us! and, Amen! the other; - 120) the surfeited· snores; i. e. by going to sleep, they trifle and make light of the trust reposed in them, that of watching by their king. Malone. 121) their possets. It appears from this passage, as well as from many others in our old dramatick performances, that it was the general custom to eat possets just before bedtime. Steevens. As they had seen me 122); with these hangman's hands. When they did say, God bless us. Lady M. Consider it not so deeply. Macb. But wherefore could not I pronounce Amen? I had most need of blessing, and Amen Stuck in my throat. Lady M. These deeds must not be thought After these ways; so, it will make us mad. Macb. Methought, I heard a voice cry, Sleep no more! Macbeth doth murder sleep, the innocent sleep; Sleep, that knits up the ravell'd sleave 124) of care, Lady M. What do you mean? Mach. Still it cried, Sleep no more! to all the house: Glamis hath murder'd sleep; and therefore Cawdor Lady M. Who was it, that thus cried? Why, worthy You do unbend your noble strength, to think So brain-sickly of things. Go, get some water, Macb. I'll go no more; I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on't again, I dare not. Lady M. Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers: the sleeping, and the dead 122) As they had seen me, i. e. as if. Steevens. 123) Listening their fear, i. e. listening to their fear. Steevens. 124) Sleave is properly silk which has not been twisted. Steevens. 125) The death of each day's life means the end of each day's labour, the conclusion of all that bustle and fatigue that each day's life brings with it. Steevens. 82 I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal, For it must seem their guilt. Macb. [Exit. Knocking within.] How is't with me, when every noise appals me? Clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather Making the green - one red. Re-enter Lady Macbeth. Lady M. My hands are of your colour; but I shame To wear a heart so white 12). [Knock. 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 unattended. you [Knocking.] Hark! more knocking! Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us, So poorly in your thoughts. Macb. To know my deed, Be not lost 'twere best not know myself 128). [Knocking.] Ay, 'would thou '[Exeunt.] Wake Duncan 129) with thy knocking! Gouldst ! Por. SCENE III. The same. Enter a Porter. Knocking within. of Here's a knocking, indeed! if a man were porter hell-gate, he should have old 130) turning the key. [Knocking.] Knock, knock, knock. Who's there, the name of Belzebub? Here's a farmer, that hang'd himself on the expec 126) To incarnadine is to stain any thing of a flesh colour, 127) Man hielt nämlich weisses Blut für or red. Steevens. ein Zeichen der Zagheit. 126) Not know myself i. e. while I were best not know, or be have the thoughts of this deed, lost to myself. This is an answer to the lady's reproof: be not 129) Macbeth lost so poorly in your thoughts. Warburton. is addressing the person who knocks at the outward gate. Malone. 130) old 1. e. frequent, more than enough. Steevens. |