Macbeth Act 1 Scene 5
Inverness. Macbeth's castle.
The Original
Plain Modern English
Enter Lady Macbeth, reading a letter.
Lady Macbeth
'They met me in the day of success: and I have
learned by the perfectest report, they have more in
them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire
to question them further, they made themselves air,
into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in
the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who
all-hailed me 'Thane of Cawdor;' by which title,
before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred
me to the coming on of time, with 'Hail, king that
shalt be!' This have I thought good to deliver
thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou
mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being
ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it
to thy heart, and farewell.'
Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be
What thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature;
It is too full o' the milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great;
Art not without ambition, but without
The illness should attend it: what thou wouldst highly,
That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false,
And yet wouldst wrongly win: thou'ldst have, great Glamis,
That which cries 'Thus thou must do, if thou have it;
And that which rather thou dost fear to do
Than wishest should be undone. Hie thee hither,
That I may pour my spirits in thine ear;
And chastise with the valour of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden round,
Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem
To have thee crown'd withal.
Lady Macbeth
(reading) 'They met me on the day of my victory, and I've learned
from the most reliable evidence that they know more
than any mortal should. When I was burning
to ask them more, they turned themselves into air
and vanished. While I stood there stunned,
messengers arrived from the king
and hailed me as Thane of Cawdor — the exact title
the weird sisters had just used on me, before pointing
to the future with: Hail, king
that shall be! I wanted you to know right away,
my dearest partner in greatness, so you
wouldn't miss a single moment of celebrating
the greatness that's been promised you.
Take it to heart, and farewell.'
You're Glamis. You're Cawdor. And you will be
what you were promised. But I worry about your nature:
it's too full of the milk of human kindness
to take the shortcut. You want to be great,
and you're not short on ambition — you're just missing
the mean streak that has to go with it. Whatever you want badly,
you want to get honestly. You won't cheat —
but you'll happily keep what cheating wins. Great Glamis, you want
the prize that screams 'here's what you must do to have me' —
the deed you're more afraid of doing
than sorry to see done. Hurry home,
so I can pour my courage into your ear
and use the sheer force of my words to beat back
everything standing between you and the golden crown
that fate and supernatural forces clearly intend
to set on your head.
Enter a Messenger.
Lady Macbeth
What is your tidings?
Lady Macbeth
What's your news?
Messenger
The king comes here to-night.
Messenger
The king arrives here tonight.
Lady Macbeth
Thou'rt mad to say it:
Is not thy master with him? who, were't so,
Would have inform'd for preparation.
Lady Macbeth
You're insane.
Isn't your master with him? If this were true,
he'd have sent word so we could prepare.
Messenger
So please you, it is true: our thane is coming:
One of my fellows had the speed of him,
Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely more
Than would make up his message.
Messenger
With respect, madam, it's true. Our thane is on his way —
one of my coworkers outran him,
and he was so out of breath he could barely
gasp out the message.
Lady Macbeth
Give him tending;
He brings great news.
Lady Macbeth
Take care of him.
He brings great news.
Exit Messenger.
Lady Macbeth
The raven himself is hoarse
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood;
Stop up the access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts,
And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers,
Wherever in your sightless substances
You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,
To cry 'Hold, hold!'
Lady Macbeth
Even the raven has croaked itself hoarse
announcing Duncan's fatal arrival
under my battlements. Come, you spirits
that wait on murderous thoughts: strip my womanhood away,
and fill me, from head to toe,
brim-full of the direst cruelty. Thicken my blood.
Block every path remorse could travel,
so that no guilty twinge of conscience
shakes my deadly purpose, or steps between
the plan and the deed. Come to my woman's breasts
and swap my milk for poison, you agents of murder,
wherever your invisible forms
lurk waiting for evil to serve. Come, thick night,
and wrap yourself in the darkest smoke of hell,
so my sharp knife can't see the wound it makes,
and heaven can't peek through the blanket of darkness
and shout 'Stop! Stop!'
Enter Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth
Great Glamis! worthy Cawdor!
Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter!
Thy letters have transported me beyond
This ignorant present, and I feel now
The future in the instant.
Lady Macbeth
Great Glamis! Worthy Cawdor!
And greater than both, by the promised 'hail hereafter'!
Your letter launched me right out of
this clueless present moment — I can feel
the future happening right now.
Macbeth
My dearest love,
Duncan comes here to-night.
Macbeth
My dearest love —
Duncan arrives tonight.
Lady Macbeth
And when goes hence?
Lady Macbeth
And when does he leave?
Macbeth
To-morrow, as he purposes.
Macbeth
Tomorrow. That's his plan.
Lady Macbeth
O, never
Shall sun that morrow see!
Your face, my thane, is as a book where men
May read strange matters. To beguile the time,
Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye,
Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower,
But be the serpent under't. He that's coming
Must be provided for: and you shall put
This night's great business into my dispatch;
Which shall to all our nights and days to come
Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.
Lady Macbeth
Oh, that tomorrow
will never see the sun.
Your face, my thane, is an open book —
anyone can read the strange plot inside. To fool everyone,
look the way they expect: welcome in your eyes,
your handshake, your words. Look like the innocent flower —
but be the snake underneath it. Our incoming guest
must be 'provided for.' Leave
tonight's great business to my management —
it's going to hand every night and day we have left
total royal power and control.
Macbeth
We will speak further.
Macbeth
We'll talk more about this.
Lady Macbeth
Only look up clear;
To alter favour ever is to fear:
Leave all the rest to me.
Lady Macbeth
Just keep your face calm and bright —
a twitchy expression is a confession.
Leave everything else to me.
Exeunt.