Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1
A cavern. In the middle, a boiling cauldron.
The Original
Plain Modern English
Thunder. Enter the three Witches.
First Witch
Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.
First Witch
Three times the striped cat has meowed.
Second Witch
Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined.
Second Witch
Three times and once more the hedgehog whined.
Third Witch
Harpier cries 'Tis time, 'tis time.
Third Witch
Harpier, my spirit, cries: 'It's time, it's time!'
First Witch
Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelter'd venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot.
First Witch
Circle round the cauldron, go;
toss the poisoned guts below.
First, a toad that under a cold stone
spent thirty-one days and nights
sweating out venom in its sleep —
boil first in the enchanted pot.
All
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
All
Double, double toil and trouble;
fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Second Witch
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg and owlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Second Witch
A slice of swamp snake,
boil and bake in the cauldron;
eye of newt and toe of frog,
fur of bat and tongue of dog,
a viper's forked tongue and a blindworm's stinger,
a lizard's leg and a baby owl's wing —
for a charm of powerful trouble,
boil and bubble like a broth from hell.
All
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
All
Double, double toil and trouble;
fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Third Witch
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witches' mummy, maw and gulf
Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark,
Root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark,
Liver of blaspheming Jew,
Gall of goat, and slips of yew
Silver'd in the moon's eclipse,
Nose of Turk and Tartar's lips,
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-deliver'd by a drab,
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger's chaudron,
For the ingredients of our cauldron.
Third Witch
Dragon scale, wolf tooth,
mummified witch flesh, the gullet and stomach
of a gorged deep-sea shark,
hemlock root dug up in the dark,
a blaspheming man's liver,
goat's bile, and yew twigs
cut during a lunar eclipse,
a Turk's nose and a Tartar's lips,
the finger of a baby strangled at birth,
born in a ditch to a prostitute —
make the stew thick and gluey.
Then add a tiger's entrails
to round out our cauldron's recipe.
All
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
All
Double, double toil and trouble;
fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Second Witch
Cool it with a baboon's blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.
Second Witch
Cool it down with baboon's blood,
and the charm is set and solid.
Enter Hecate to the other three Witches.
Hecate
O well done! I commend your pains;
And every one shall share i' the gains;
And now about the cauldron sing,
Live elves and fairies in a ring,
Enchanting all that you put in.
Hecate
Well done! I applaud your hard work,
and everyone will share the rewards.
Now sing around the cauldron,
like elves and fairies in a ring,
enchanting everything you've thrown in.
Music and a song: 'Black spirits,' &c. Hecate retires.
Second Witch
By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.
Open, locks,
Whoever knocks!
Second Witch
By the pricking of my thumbs,
something wicked this way comes.
Open, locks,
for whoever knocks!
Enter Macbeth.
Macbeth
How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags!
What is't you do?
Macbeth
Well, well — you secret, black, midnight hags!
What are you up to?
All
A deed without a name.
All
A deed without a name.
Macbeth
I conjure you, by that which you profess,
Howe'er you come to know it, answer me:
Though you untie the winds and let them fight
Against the churches; though the yesty waves
Confound and swallow navigation up;
Though bladed corn be lodged and trees blown down;
Though castles topple on their warders' heads;
Though palaces and pyramids do slope
Their heads to their foundations; though the treasure
Of nature's germens tumble all together,
Even till destruction sicken; answer me
To what I ask you.
Macbeth
I command you, by the dark arts you practice —
however you get your knowledge — answer me.
Even if you have to unleash the winds and let them tear
churches down; even if the foaming waves
swallow every ship at sea;
even if ripe grain is flattened and trees blown over;
even if castles collapse on their guards' heads;
even if palaces and pyramids bow
their heads down to their foundations; even if
all the seeds of nature are dumped out together
until destruction itself is sick of destroying — answer
what I ask you.
First Witch
Speak.
First Witch
Speak.
Second Witch
Demand.
Second Witch
Ask.
Third Witch
We'll answer.
Third Witch
We'll answer.
First Witch
Say, if thou'dst rather hear it from our mouths,
Or from our masters?
First Witch
Tell us — would you rather hear it from our mouths,
or from our masters?
Macbeth
Call 'em; let me see 'em.
Macbeth
Call them. Let me see them.
First Witch
Pour in sow's blood, that hath eaten
Her nine farrow; grease that's sweaten
From the murderer's gibbet throw
Into the flame.
First Witch
Pour in the blood of a sow that ate
her own nine piglets; add grease that's dripped
from a hanged murderer's gallows —
into the flame.
All
Come, high or low;
Thyself and office deftly show!
All
Come, from high or low;
show yourself and your purpose, quick!
Thunder. First Apparition: an armed Head.
Macbeth
Tell me, thou unknown power,—
Macbeth
Tell me, you unknown power—
First Witch
He knows thy thought:
Hear his speech, but say thou nought.
First Witch
He already knows your thoughts.
Listen to him — but say nothing.
First Apparition
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff;
Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough.
First Apparition
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff!
Beware the Thane of Fife. Release me. That's all.
Descends.
Macbeth
Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks;
Thou hast harp'd my fear aright: but one word more,—
Macbeth
Whatever you are — thanks for the good warning.
You've hit my fear exactly. But one more word—
First Witch
He will not be commanded: here's another,
More potent than the first.
First Witch
He won't take orders. Here's another,
more powerful than the first.
Thunder. Second Apparition: a bloody Child.
Second Apparition
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!
Second Apparition
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!
Macbeth
Had I three ears, I'ld hear thee.
Macbeth
If I had three ears, I'd listen with all of them.
Second Apparition
Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn
The power of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth.
Second Apparition
Be bloody, bold, and determined. Laugh off
the power of any man — because no one born of woman
will ever harm Macbeth.
Descends.
Macbeth
Then live, Macduff: what need I fear of thee?
But yet I'll make assurance double sure,
And take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live;
That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies,
And sleep in spite of thunder.
Macbeth
Then live, Macduff — why should I fear you?
But still, I'll double my insurance
and make fate sign a contract: you die anyway.
Then I can tell my pale-hearted fear it's a liar,
and sleep right through the thunder.
Thunder. Third Apparition: a Child crowned, with a tree in his hand.
Macbeth
What is this
That rises like the issue of a king,
And wears upon his baby-brow the round
And top of sovereignty?
Macbeth
What is this —
rising up like the child of a king,
wearing on its baby forehead the crown
and symbol of royalty?
All
Listen, but speak not to't.
All
Listen — but don't speak to it.
Third Apparition
Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care
Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are:
Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until
Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill
Shall come against him.
Third Apparition
Be lion-hearted and proud. Don't worry about
who rages, who schemes, or where the plotters hide.
Macbeth will never be defeated until
great Birnam Wood marches up high Dunsinane Hill
to attack him.
Descends.
Macbeth
That will never be
Who can impress the forest, bid the tree
Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements! good!
Rebellion's head, rise never till the wood
Of Birnam rise, and our high-placed Macbeth
Shall live the lease of nature, pay his breath
To time and mortal custom. Yet my heart
Throbs to know one thing: tell me, if your art
Can tell so much: shall Banquo's issue ever
Reign in this kingdom?
Macbeth
That will never happen.
Who can draft a forest into an army, or order a tree
to pull up its earthbound roots? Sweet prophecies! Excellent!
Rebellion, never raise your head until Birnam Wood
gets up and walks — and Macbeth, set on high,
will live out his natural lifespan and surrender his breath
only to time and ordinary death. But my heart
is pounding to know one thing. Tell me — if your art
can see that far — will Banquo's descendants ever
reign in this kingdom?
All
Seek to know no more.
All
Ask nothing more.
Macbeth
I will be satisfied: deny me this,
And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know.
Why sinks that cauldron? and what noise is this?
Macbeth
I WILL have my answer. Refuse me,
and may an eternal curse fall on you! Tell me.
Why is the cauldron sinking? And what's that music?
Hautboys.
First Witch
Show!
First Witch
Show!
Second Witch
Show!
Second Witch
Show!
Third Witch
Show!
Third Witch
Show!
All
Show his eyes, and grieve his heart;
Come like shadows, so depart!
All
Show his eyes what will grieve his heart;
come like shadows, and vanish the same way!
A show of Eight Kings, the last with a glass in his hand; Ghost of Banquo following.
Macbeth
Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo: down!
Thy crown does sear mine eye-balls. And thy hair,
Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first.
A third is like the former. Filthy hags!
Why do you show me this? A fourth! Start, eyes!
What, will the line stretch out to the crack of doom?
Another yet! A seventh! I'll see no more:
And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass
Which shows me many more; and some I see
That two-fold balls and treble scepters carry:
Horrible sight! Now, I see, 'tis true;
For the blood-bolter'd Banquo smiles upon me,
And points at them for his.
Macbeth
You look too much like Banquo's ghost. Get down!
Your crown burns my eyeballs. And you — your hair
under that gold band — you look just like the first one.
And a third, just like the others. Filthy hags!
Why are you showing me this? A fourth! Eyes, pop out of my head!
What — does this royal line stretch to the end of the world?
Another one! A seventh! I won't look anymore —
and yet an eighth appears, carrying a mirror
that shows me many more. And some of them carry
double orbs and triple scepters. (A nod to King James, who ruled two kingdoms — and was in the audience.)
Horrible sight! Now I see it's true —
blood-matted Banquo is smiling at me
and pointing at them: his.
Apparitions vanish.
Macbeth
What, is this so?
Macbeth
What — is this real?
First Witch
Ay, sir, all this is so: but why
Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?
Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprites,
And show the best of our delights:
I'll charm the air to give a sound,
While you perform your antic round:
That this great king may kindly say,
Our duties did his welcome pay.
First Witch
Yes, sir, all of it is real. But why
does Macbeth stand there so stunned?
Come, sisters, let's cheer him up
and show him the best of our entertainments.
I'll charm the air into music
while you dance your wild circle dance,
so this great king can graciously say
we gave him a proper royal welcome.
Music. The witches dance and then vanish, with Hecate.
Macbeth
Where are they? Gone? Let this pernicious hour
Stand aye accursed in the calendar!
Come in, without there!
Macbeth
Where are they? Gone? Let this poisonous hour
stand cursed forever on the calendar!
You outside — come in!
Enter Lennox.
Lennox
What's your grace's will?
Lennox
What does Your Grace command?
Macbeth
Saw you the weird sisters?
Macbeth
Did you see the weird sisters?
Lennox
No, my lord.
Lennox
No, my lord.
Macbeth
Came they not by you?
Macbeth
They didn't pass you?
Lennox
No, indeed, my lord.
Lennox
No, truly, my lord.
Macbeth
Infected be the air whereon they ride;
And damn'd all those that trust them! I did hear
The galloping of horse: who was't came by?
Macbeth
May the air they ride on be infected,
and damned be everyone who trusts them! I heard
horses galloping. Who came past?
Lennox
'Tis two or three, my lord, that bring you word
Macduff is fled to England.
Lennox
Two or three riders, my lord, bringing word
that Macduff has fled to England.
Macbeth
Fled to England!
Macbeth
Fled to England!
Lennox
Ay, my good lord.
Lennox
Yes, my good lord.
Macbeth
Time, thou anticipatest my dread exploits:
The flighty purpose never is o'ertook
Unless the deed go with it; from this moment
The very firstlings of my heart shall be
The firstlings of my hand. And even now,
To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done:
The castle of Macduff I will surprise;
Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o' the sword
His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls
That trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool;
This deed I'll do before this purpose cool.
But no more sights!—Where are these gentlemen?
Come, bring me where they are.
Macbeth
(to himself) Time, you keep beating me to my own terrible plans.
An intention flies away unless
the deed travels with it. So from this moment on,
the very first impulse of my heart will also be
the first act of my hand. Starting right now —
to crown thought with action, let it be thought and done in one:
I'll take Macduff's castle by surprise,
seize Fife, and put to the sword
his wife, his children, and every unlucky soul
related to him. No fool's boasting —
I'll do this deed before the intention cools.
But no more visions! — Where are these messengers?
Come, take me to them.
Exeunt.