Thunder. Enter the three Witches.
FIRST WITCH
Thrice the brinded cat hath mewed.
SECOND WITCH
Thrice, and once the hedge-pig whined.
THIRD WITCH
Harpier cries “’Tis time, ’tis time!”
FIRST WITCH
Round about the cauldron go;
5 In the poisoned entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days
and nights has thirty-one
Sweltered venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i’ th’ charmèd pot.
⌜The Witches circle the cauldron.⌝
ALL
10 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,
15 Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork and blindworm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg and howlet’s wing,
For a charm of powerful
trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
ALL
20 Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
THIRD WITCH
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witch’s mummy, maw and gulf
Of the ravined salt-sea shark,
25 Root of hemlock digged i’ th’ dark,
Liver of blaspheming
Jew,
Gall of goat and slips of yew
Slivered in the moon’s eclipse,
Nose of Turk and Tartar’s lips,
30 Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-delivered by a drab,
Make the gruel thick and slab.
Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron
For th’ ingredience of our cauldron.
ALL
35 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.
Enter Hecate ⌜to⌝ the other three Witches.
HECATE
O, well done! I commend your pains,
40 And everyone shall share i’ th’ gains.
And now about the cauldron sing
Like elves and fairies in a ring,
Enchanting all that you put in.
Music and a song: “Black Spirits,” etc. ⌜Hecate exits.⌝
SECOND WITCH
By the pricking of my thumbs,
45 Something wicked this way
comes.
Open, locks,
Whoever knocks.
Enter Macbeth.
MACBETH
How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags?
What is ’t you
do?
ALL 50 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 yeasty waves
55 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
60 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.
FIRST
WITCH 65 Speak.
SECOND WITCH Demand.
THIRD WITCH We’ll answer.
FIRST WITCH
Say if th’
hadst rather hear it from our mouths
Or from our masters’.
MACBETH 70 Call ’em. Let me see ’em.
FIRST WITCH
Pour in sow’s blood that hath eaten
Her nine farrow; grease that’s sweaten
From the murderers’ gibbet throw
Into the flame.
ALL 75 Come high or low;
Thyself and office deftly show.
Thunder. First Apparition, an Armed Head.
MACBETH
Tell me, thou unknown power—
FIRST WITCH He knows thy
thought.
80 Hear his speech but say thou naught.
FIRST APPARITION
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff!
Beware the Thane of Fife! Dismiss me.
Enough.
He descends.
MACBETH
Whate’er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks.
Thou hast harped my fear aright. But one word
85 more—
FIRST
WITCH
He will not be commanded. Here’s another
More potent than the first.
Thunder. Second Apparition, a Bloody Child.
SECOND APPARITION Macbeth! Macbeth!
Macbeth!—
MACBETH Had I three ears, I’d hear thee.
SECOND APPARITION
90 Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn
The power of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth.⌜He⌝ descends.
MACBETH
Then live, Macduff; what need I fear of thee?
But yet I’ll make assurance
double sure
95 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.
Thunder. Third Apparition, a Child
Crowned, with a tree
in his hand.
What is this
That rises like the issue of a king
100 And wears upon his baby brow the round
And top of
sovereignty?
ALL Listen but speak not to ’t.
THIRD APPARITION
Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care
Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are.
105 Macbeth shall never vanquished be until
Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill
Shall come against him.⌜He⌝ descends.
MACBETH That will never be.
Who can impress the forest, bid the tree
110 Unfix his earthbound root? Sweet bodements, good!
Rebellious dead, 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
115 Throbs to know one thing. Tell me, if your art
Can tell so much: shall Banquo’s issue ever
Reign in this kingdom?
ALL Seek to know no more.
MACBETH
I will be satisfied. Deny me
this,
120 And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know!
⌜Cauldron sinks.⌝ Hautboys.
Why sinks
that cauldron? And what noise is this?
FIRST WITCH Show.
SECOND WITCH Show.
THIRD WITCH Show.
ALL
125 Show his eyes and
grieve his heart.
Come like shadows; so depart.
A show of eight kings, ⌜the eighth king⌝ with a glass in
his hand, and Banquo
last.
MACBETH
Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo. Down!
Thy crown does sear mine eyeballs. And thy hair,
Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first.
130 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 th’ crack of doom?
Another yet? A seventh? I’ll see no more.
And
yet the eighth appears who bears a glass
135 Which shows me many more, and some I see
That twofold balls and treble scepters carry.
Horrible sight! Now I see ’tis true,
For the blood-boltered
Banquo smiles upon me
And points at them for his.
⌜The Apparitions disappear.⌝
140 What, is this so?
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.
145 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.
Music. The Witches dance and
vanish.
MACBETH
Where are they? Gone? Let this pernicious hour
150 Stand aye accursèd in the calendar!—
Come in, without there.
Enter Lennox.
LENNOX What’s your Grace’s will?
MACBETH
Saw you the Weïrd Sisters?
LENNOX No, my lord.
MACBETH
155 Came they not by you?
LENNOX No, indeed, my lord.
MACBETH
Infected be the air whereon they ride,
And damned all those that trust them! I
did hear
The galloping of horse. Who was ’t came by?
LENNOX
160 ’Tis two or three, my lord, that bring you word
Macduff is fled to England.
MACBETH Fled to England?
LENNOX Ay, my good lord.
MACBETH, ⌜aside⌝
Time, thou anticipat’st my dread
exploits.
165 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
170 done:
The castle of Macduff I will surprise,
Seize upon Fife, give to th’ edge o’ th’ sword
His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls
That trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool;
175 This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool.
But no more sights!—Where are these gentlemen?
Come bring me where they are.
They exit.