Macbeth - Act 5 - Scene 4

SCENE IV. Country near Birnam wood.

    Drum and colours. Enter MALCOLM, SIWARD and YOUNG SIWARD, MACDUFF, MENTEITH, CAITHNESS, ANGUS, LENNOX, ROSS, and Soldiers, marching

MALCOLM

    Cousins, I hope the days are near at hand
    That chambers will be safe.

MENTEITH

    We doubt it nothing.

SIWARD

    What wood is this before us?

MENTEITH

    The wood of Birnam.

MALCOLM

    Let every soldier hew him down a bough
    And bear't before him: thereby shall we shadow
    The numbers of our host and make discovery
    Err in report of us.

Soldiers

    It shall be done.

SIWARD

    We learn no other but the confident tyrant
    Keeps still in Dunsinane, and will endure
    Our setting down before 't.

MALCOLM

    'Tis his main hope:
    For where there is advantage to be given,
    Both more and less have given him the revolt,
    And none serve with him but constrained things
    Whose hearts are absent too.

MACDUFF

    Let our just censures
    Attend the true event, and put we on
    Industrious soldiership.

SIWARD

    The time approaches
    That will with due decision make us know
    What we shall say we have and what we owe.
    Thoughts speculative their unsure hopes relate,
    But certain issue strokes must arbitrate:
    Towards which advance the war.

    Exeunt, marching