第2章

WitchesvanishBANQUOTheearthhathbubbles，asthewaterhas，Andtheseareofthem。Whitheraretheyvanish\'d？MACBETHIntotheair;andwhatseem\'dcorporalmeltedAsbreathintothewind。Wouldtheyhadstay\'d！BANQUOWeresuchthingshereaswedospeakabout？

OrhaveweeatenontheinsanerootThattakesthereasonprisoner？MACBETHYourchildrenshallbekings。BANQUOYoushallbeking。MACBETHAndthaneofCawdortoo:wentitnotso？BANQUOTotheselfsametuneandwords。Who\'shere？

EnterROSSandANGUSROSSThekinghathhappilyreceived，Macbeth，Thenewsofthysuccess;andwhenhereadsThypersonalventureintherebels\'fight，HiswondersandhispraisesdocontendWhichshouldbethineorhis:silencedwiththat，Inviewingo\'ertheresto\'theselfsameday，HefindstheeinthestoutNorweyanranks，Nothingafeardofwhatthyselfdidstmake，Strangeimagesofdeath。AsthickashailCamepostwithpost;andeveryonedidbearThypraisesinhiskingdom\'sgreatdefence，Andpour\'dthemdownbeforehim。ANGUSWearesentTogivetheefromourroyalmasterthanks;

Onlytoheraldtheeintohissight，Notpaythee。ROSSAnd，foranearnestofagreaterhonour，Hebademe，fromhim，calltheethaneofCawdor:

Inwhichaddition，hail，mostworthythane！

Foritisthine。BANQUOWhat，canthedevilspeaktrue？MACBETHThethaneofCawdorlives:whydoyoudressmeInborrow\'drobes？ANGUSWhowasthethanelivesyet;

ButunderheavyjudgmentbearsthatlifeWhichhedeservestolose。WhetherhewascombinedWiththoseofNorway，ordidlinetherebelWithhiddenhelpandvantage，orthatwithbothHelabour\'dinhiscountry\'swreck，Iknownot;

Buttreasonscapital，confess\'dandproved，Haveoverthrownhim。MACBETH[Aside]Glamis，andthaneofCawdor！

Thegreatestisbehind。

ToROSSandANGUS

Thanksforyourpains。

ToBANQUO

Doyounothopeyourchildrenshallbekings，WhenthosethatgavethethaneofCawdortomePromisednolesstothem？BANQUOThattrustedhomeMightyetenkindleyouuntothecrown，BesidesthethaneofCawdor。But\'tisstrange:

Andoftentimes，towinustoourharm，Theinstrumentsofdarknesstellustruths，Winuswithhonesttrifles，tobetray\'sIndeepestconsequence。

Cousins，aword，Iprayyou。MACBETH[Aside]Twotruthsaretold，AshappyprologuestotheswellingactOftheimperialtheme。——Ithankyou，gentlemen。

AsideCannotbeill，cannotbegood:ifill，Whyhathitgivenmeearnestofsuccess，Commencinginatruth？IamthaneofCawdor:

Ifgood，whydoIyieldtothatsuggestionWhosehorridimagedothunfixmyhairAndmakemyseatedheartknockatmyribs，Againsttheuseofnature？PresentfearsArelessthanhorribleimaginings:

Mythought，whosemurderyetisbutfantastical，ShakessomysinglestateofmanthatfunctionIssmother\'dinsurmise，andnothingisButwhatisnot。BANQUOLook，howourpartner\'srapt。MACBETH[Aside]Ifchancewillhavemeking，why，chancemaycrownme，Withoutmystir。BANQUONewhorrorscomeuponhim，Likeourstrangegarments，cleavenottotheirmouldButwiththeaidofuse。MACBETH[Aside]Comewhatcomemay，Timeandthehourrunsthroughtheroughestday。BANQUOWorthyMacbeth，westayuponyourleisure。MACBETHGivemeyourfavour:mydullbrainwaswroughtWiththingsforgotten。Kindgentlemen，yourpainsAreregister\'dwhereeverydayIturnTheleaftoreadthem。Letustowardtheking。

Thinkuponwhathathchanced，and，atmoretime，Theinterimhavingweigh\'dit，letusspeakOurfreeheartseachtoother。BANQUOVerygladly。MACBETHTillthen，enough。Come，friends。

ExeuntSCENEIV。Forres。Thepalace。Flourish。EnterDUNCAN，MALCOLM，DONALBAIN，LENNOX，andAttendantsDUNCANIsexecutiondoneonCawdor？ArenotThoseincommissionyetreturn\'d？MALCOLMMyliege，Theyarenotyetcomeback。ButIhavespokeWithonethatsawhimdie:whodidreportThatveryfranklyheconfess\'dhistreasons，Imploredyourhighness\'pardonandsetforthAdeeprepentance:nothinginhislifeBecamehimliketheleavingit;hediedAsonethathadbeenstudiedinhisdeathTothrowawaythedearestthingheowed，As\'twereacarelesstrifle。DUNCANThere\'snoartTofindthemind\'sconstructionintheface:

HewasagentlemanonwhomIbuiltAnabsolutetrust。

EnterMACBETH，BANQUO，ROSS，andANGUS

Oworthiestcousin！

ThesinofmyingratitudeevennowWasheavyonme:thouartsofarbeforeThatswiftestwingofrecompenseisslowToovertakethee。Wouldthouhadstlessdeserved，ThattheproportionbothofthanksandpaymentMighthavebeenmine！onlyIhavelefttosay，Moreisthyduethanmorethanallcanpay。MACBETHTheserviceandtheloyaltyIowe，Indoingit，paysitself。Yourhighness\'partIstoreceiveourduties;andourdutiesAretoyourthroneandstatechildrenandservants，Whichdobutwhattheyshould，bydoingeverythingSafetowardyourloveandhonour。DUNCANWelcomehither:

Ihavebeguntoplantthee，andwilllabourTomaketheefullofgrowing。NobleBanquo，Thathastnolessdeserved，normustbeknownNolesstohavedoneso，letmeenfoldtheeAndholdtheetomyheart。BANQUOThereifIgrow，Theharvestisyourown。DUNCANMyplenteousjoys，Wantoninfulness，seektohidethemselvesIndropsofsorrow。Sons，kinsmen，thanes，Andyouwhoseplacesarethenearest，knowWewillestablishourestateuponOureldest，Malcolm，whomwenamehereafterThePrinceofCumberland;whichhonourmustNotunaccompaniedinvesthimonly，Butsignsofnobleness，likestars，shallshineOnalldeservers。FromhencetoInverness，Andbindusfurthertoyou。MACBETHTherestislabour，whichisnotusedforyou:

I\'llbemyselftheharbingerandmakejoyfulThehearingofmywifewithyourapproach;

Sohumblytakemyleave。DUNCANMyworthyCawdor！MACBETH[Aside]ThePrinceofCumberland！thatisastepOnwhichImustfalldown，orelseo\'erleap，Forinmywayitlies。Stars，hideyourfires;

Letnotlightseemyblackanddeepdesires:

Theeyewinkatthehand;yetletthatbe，Whichtheeyefears，whenitisdone，tosee。

ExitDUNCANTrue，worthyBanquo;heisfullsovaliant，AndinhiscommendationsIamfed;

Itisabanquettome。Let\'safterhim，Whosecareisgonebeforetobiduswelcome:

Itisapeerlesskinsman。

Flourish。ExeuntSCENEV。Inverness。Macbeth\'scastle。EnterLADYMACBETH，readingaletterLADYMACBETH\'Theymetmeinthedayofsuccess:andIhavelearnedbytheperfectestreport，theyhavemoreinthemthanmortalknowledge。WhenIburnedindesiretoquestionthemfurther，theymadethemselvesair，intowhichtheyvanished。WhilesIstoodraptinthewonderofit，camemissivesfromtheking，whoall—hailedme\'ThaneofCawdor;\'bywhichtitle，before，theseweirdsisterssalutedme，andreferredmetothecomingonoftime，with\'Hail，kingthatshaltbe！\'ThishaveIthoughtgoodtodeliverthee，mydearestpartnerofgreatness，thatthoumightstnotlosetheduesofrejoicing，bybeingignorantofwhatgreatnessispromisedthee。Layittothyheart，andfarewell。\'

Glamisthouart，andCawdor;andshaltbeWhatthouartpromised:yetdoIfearthynature;

Itistoofullo\'themilkofhumankindnessTocatchthenearestway:thouwouldstbegreat;

Artnotwithoutambition，butwithoutTheillnessshouldattendit:whatthouwouldsthighly，Thatwouldstthouholily;wouldstnotplayfalse，Andyetwouldstwronglywin:thou\'ldsthave，greatGlamis，Thatwhichcries\'Thusthoumustdo，ifthouhaveit;

AndthatwhichratherthoudostfeartodoThanwishestshouldbeundone。\'Hietheehither，ThatImaypourmyspiritsinthineear;

AndchastisewiththevalourofmytongueAllthatimpedestheefromthegoldenround，WhichfateandmetaphysicalaiddothseemTohavetheecrown\'dwithal。