Macbeth - Act 2 - Scene 3

SCENE III. The same.

    Knocking within. Enter a Porter

Porter

    Here's a knocking indeed! If a
    man were porter of hell-gate, he should have
    old turning the key.

    Knocking within
    Knock,
    knock, knock! Who's there, i' the name of
    Beelzebub? Here's a farmer, that hanged
    himself on the expectation of plenty: come in
    time; have napkins enow about you; here
    you'll sweat for't.

    Knocking within
    Knock,
    knock! Who's there, in the other devil's
    name? Faith, here's an equivocator, that could
    swear in both the scales against either scale;
    who committed treason enough for God's sake,
    yet could not equivocate to heaven: O, come
    in, equivocator.

    Knocking within
    Knock,
    knock, knock! Who's there? Faith, here's an
    English tailor come hither, for stealing out of
    a French hose: come in, tailor; here you may
    roast your goose.

    Knocking within
    Knock,
    knock; never at quiet! What are you? But
    this place is too cold for hell. I'll devil-porter
    it no further: I had thought to have let in
    some of all professions that go the primrose
    way to the everlasting bonfire.

    Knocking within
    Anon, anon! I pray you, remember the porter.

    Opens the gate

    Enter MACDUFF and LENNOX

MACDUFF

    Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed,
    That you do lie so late?

Porter

    'Faith sir, we were carousing till the
    second cock: and drink, sir, is a great
    provoker of three things.

MACDUFF

    What three things does drink especially provoke?

Porter

    Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and
    urine. Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes;
    it provokes the desire, but it takes
    away the performance: therefore, much drink
    may be said to be an equivocator with lechery:
    it makes him, and it mars him; it sets
    him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him,
    and disheartens him; makes him stand to, and
    not stand to; in conclusion, equivocates him
    in a sleep, and, giving him the lie, leaves him.

MACDUFF

    I believe drink gave thee the lie last night.

Porter

    That it did, sir, i' the very throat on
    me: but I requited him for his lie; and, I
    think, being too strong for him, though he took
    up my legs sometime, yet I made a shift to cast
    him.

MACDUFF

    Is thy master stirring?

    Enter MACBETH
    Our knocking has awaked him; here he comes.

LENNOX

    Good morrow, noble sir.

MACBETH

    Good morrow, both.

MACDUFF

    Is the king stirring, worthy thane?

MACBETH

    Not yet.

MACDUFF

    He did command me to call timely on him:
    I have almost slipp'd the hour.

MACBETH

    I'll bring you to him.

MACDUFF

    I know this is a joyful trouble to you;
    But yet 'tis one.

MACBETH

    The labour we delight in physics pain.
    This is the door.

MACDUFF

    I'll make so bold to call,
    For 'tis my limited service.

    Exit

LENNOX

    Goes the king hence to-day?

MACBETH

    He does: he did appoint so.

LENNOX

    The night has been unruly: where we lay,
    Our chimneys were blown down; and, as they say,
    Lamentings heard i' the air; strange screams of death,
    And prophesying with accents terrible
    Of dire combustion and confused events
    New hatch'd to the woeful time: the obscure bird
    Clamour'd the livelong night: some say, the earth
    Was feverous and did shake.

MACBETH

    'Twas a rough night.

LENNOX

    My young remembrance cannot parallel
    A fellow to it.

    Re-enter MACDUFF

MACDUFF

    O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart
    Cannot conceive nor name thee!

MACBETH LENNOX

    What's the matter.

MACDUFF

    Confusion now hath made his masterpiece!
    Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope
    The Lord's anointed temple, and stole thence
    The life o' the building!

MACBETH

    What is 't you say? the life?

LENNOX

    Mean you his majesty?

MACDUFF

    Approach the chamber, and destroy your sight
    With a new Gorgon: do not bid me speak;
    See, and then speak yourselves.

    Exeunt MACBETH and LENNOX
    Awake, awake!
    Ring the alarum-bell. Murder and treason!
    Banquo and Donalbain! Malcolm! awake!
    Shake off this downy sleep, death's counterfeit,
    And look on death itself! up, up, and see
    The great doom's image! Malcolm! Banquo!
    As from your graves rise up, and walk like sprites,
    To countenance this horror! Ring the bell.

    Bell rings

    Enter LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH

    What's the business,
    That such a hideous trumpet calls to parley
    The sleepers of the house? speak, speak!

MACDUFF

    O gentle lady,
    'Tis not for you to hear what I can speak:
    The repetition, in a woman's ear,
    Would murder as it fell.

    Enter BANQUO
    O Banquo, Banquo,
    Our royal master 's murder'd!

LADY MACBETH

    Woe, alas!
    What, in our house?

BANQUO

    Too cruel any where.
    Dear Duff, I prithee, contradict thyself,
    And say it is not so.

    Re-enter MACBETH and LENNOX, with ROSS

MACBETH

    Had I but died an hour before this chance,
    I had lived a blessed time; for, from this instant,
    There 's nothing serious in mortality:
    All is but toys: renown and grace is dead;
    The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees
    Is left this vault to brag of.

    Enter MALCOLM and DONALBAIN

DONALBAIN

    What is amiss?

MACBETH

    You are, and do not know't:
    The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood
    Is stopp'd; the very source of it is stopp'd.

MACDUFF

    Your royal father 's murder'd.

MALCOLM

    O, by whom?

LENNOX

    Those of his chamber, as it seem'd, had done 't:
    Their hands and faces were an badged with blood;
    So were their daggers, which unwiped we found
    Upon their pillows:
    They stared, and were distracted; no man's life
    Was to be trusted with them.

MACBETH

    O, yet I do repent me of my fury,
    That I did kill them.

MACDUFF

    Wherefore did you so?

MACBETH

    Who can be wise, amazed, temperate and furious,
    Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man:
    The expedition my violent love
    Outrun the pauser, reason. Here lay Duncan,
    His silver skin laced with his golden blood;
    And his gash'd stabs look'd like a breach in nature
    For ruin's wasteful entrance: there, the murderers,
    Steep'd in the colours of their trade, their daggers
    Unmannerly breech'd with gore: who could refrain,
    That had a heart to love, and in that heart
    Courage to make 's love kno wn?

LADY MACBETH

    Help me hence, ho!

MACDUFF

    Look to the lady.

MALCOLM

    [Aside to DONALBAIN] Why do we hold our tongues,
    That most may claim this argument for ours?

DONALBAIN

    [Aside to MALCOLM] What should be spoken here,
    where our fate,
    Hid in an auger-hole, may rush, and seize us?
    Let 's away;
    Our tears are not yet brew'd.

MALCOLM

    [Aside to DONALBAIN] Nor our strong sorrow
    Upon the foot of motion.

BANQUO

    Look to the lady:

    LADY MACBETH is carried out
    And when we have our naked frailties hid,
    That suffer in exposure, let us meet,
    And question this most bloody piece of work,
    To know it further. Fears and scruples shake us:
    In the great hand of God I stand; and thence
    Against the undivulged pretence I fight
    Of treasonous malice.

MACDUFF

    And so do I.

ALL

    So all.

MACBETH

    Let's briefly put on manly readiness,
    And meet i' the hall together.

ALL

    Well contented.

    Exeunt all but Malcolm and Donalbain.

MALCOLM

    What will you do? Let's not consort with them:
    To show an unfelt sorrow is an office
    Which the false man does easy. I'll to England.

DONALBAIN

    To Ireland, I; our separated fortune
    Shall keep us both the safer: where we are,
    There's daggers in men's smiles: the near in blood,
    The nearer bloody.

MALCOLM

    This murderous shaft that's shot
    Hath not yet lighted, and our safest way
    Is to avoid the aim. Therefore, to horse;
    And let us not be dainty of leave-taking,
    But shift away: there's warrant in that theft
    Which steals itself, when there's no mercy left.

    Exeunt