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Act 3. scene 1.Forres, hall in the palace

Act 2 scene 4

Act 3 scene 2

ROSS, LENNOX, and Lords discovered
Enter BANQUO

BANQUO
Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
As the weird women promised, and, I fear,
Thou play'dst most foully for't: yet it was said
It should not stand in thy posterity,
But that myself should be the root and father
Of many kings. If there come truth from them--
As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine--
Why, by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my oracles as well,
And set me up in hope? But hush! no more.

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Sennet sounded. Enter MACBETH, as king, LADY MACBETH, as queen, LENNOX, ROSS, Lords, Ladies, and Attendants

MACBETH
Here's our chief guest.

LADY MACBETH
If he had been forgotten,
It had been as a gap in our great feast,
And all-thing unbecoming.

MACBETH
To-night we hold a solemn supper sir,
And I'll request your presence.

BANQUO
Let your highness
Command upon me; to the which my duties
Are with a most indissoluble tie
For ever knit.

Notes and Glossary
NOTES Act III Scene I Banquo's soliloquy opens the second part of the play, concerned with his murder. It is closely linked with the previous scene, which concluded with Macdufr s doubts about Macbeth; this begins with Banquo's certainty of his guilt. Their speeches shine. 'The brilliant fulfillment of their predictions show obviously.' ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 924 But, hush,. no more. These words are in perfect moral keeping with Banquo ' s previous resolute fighting aginst evil suggestions. See Act ii- ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 928 All-thing. ' All ways,' 'every way.' ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 929 A solemn supper. This was a phrase used in Shakespeare's time to express a feast or banquet given on a particular occasion, to solemnise some special event, such as a birth, mauiage, coronation.&c. ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 939 We'll take tomorrow. This is a familiar colloquial idiom; "take" being used in the sense of 'appropriate,' 'employ,' 'use.' ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 942 Go not my horse the better. 'Should my horse not go well, , or 'if my horse do not go better than slowly. , ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 946 My Lord, I will not. This reply comes with fearfully impressive significance of effect, when we find that the pledge given in the flesh is fulfilled in the spirit; and that the promise which the living man makes to be present at the feast is kept by his dead apparition. ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 947 Bloody cousins. Murderous kinsmen. ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 947 Bestowed. Settled. ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 961 While then, God be with you! "While" is here used in the sense of'till' or 'until. ' See Act iv "Twelfth Night." ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 962 Sirrah. A tenn used to address inferiors. ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 968 Royalty of nature. 'Exaltedness of nature,; 'elevated quality of nature.' ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 970 And to that dauntless temper. 'in addition to. , ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 972 Safety. Here used for 'moral safety,' 'righteous precaution, , 'virutous course. ' The instinctive perception that Macbeth has of Banquo's superiority in purity and integrity is pathetic: The recognition of the beauty of truth and goodness by those who allow themselves to be uglied over and soiled by vice, is among the most affecting of hurnanity's strange inconsistencies; and Shakespeare has wonderfully portrayed it here. ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 974 My Genius. The attendant spirit believed to preside over each human being's actions, guiding and influencing him to good or evil. See Act ii "Julius Caesar ." ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 983 Fil ' d ' Defiled. , ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 986 Mine eternal jewel. 'My immortal soul.' ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 990 To the utterance. A phrase derived from the French expression, a l' outrance,. which signified that a combat was to be fought out 'to the utternost' 'to extremity,' or unto death. The sentence in the text means, 'Rather than this should be so, come, fate, into the list, and fight in support of thy decree against me to the last extremity ., ACT 3 Scene I Line 995 Under fortune. Beneath the good fortune you deserved. ACT 3 Scene I Line 997 Pass'd in probation with you. 'Proved to you in detail.' ACT 3 Scene I Line 998 Borne in hand 'Beguiled by false espectations,' 'lured on by a deceitful encouragement.' ACT 3 Scene I Line 1000 That might to half a soul. 'Even' is elliptically understood between "might" and "to" here. ACT 3 Scene I Line 1003 And went farther, which is now, etc. Macbeth means '1 did make it known to you; and I went farther, suggesting to you resentment and revenge for what I made known to you. ACT 3 Scene I Line 1004 Our point of second meeting 'The point (or object) of our second meeting.' ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 1006 Are you so gospell ' d Are you so schooled in gospel precept? ' Are you so imbued with the spirit of Christain charity?' ACT 3 Scene I Line 1015 Shoughs. Shaggy dogs. ACT 3 Scene I Line 1015 Clep'd 'Called.' ACT 3 Scene I Line 1016 The valu'dfile. Here is one of Shakespeare's elliptically and inclusively used epithets. "The valu' d file" means not only the file or list where dogs valuable for particular qualities are entered; it also means the file in which dogs have their several qualities valued, described, and specially stated. He uses the word "valu'd" here so as to combine its sense of 'esteemed' and , estimated. , ACT 3 Scene I Line 1021 Particular addition, from the bill. "Addition" is here used m its sense of 'a title or claim to superiority,' 'reputation for a certain quality.' ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 1027 Grapples. Binds. ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 1035 Tugged Dragged about. ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 1036 Set. ..chance. Risk my life for any opportunity . ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 1045 must not, for certain friends. "For" is here used to express 'because of. ' See Act iv "Romeo and Juliet". ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 1047 But wail his fall. In the present sentence the "must" m 'yet I must not' gives 'must' to be elliptically understood before "wail" here. ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 1050 Masking the business from the common eye. Observe with what significance the general, commonplace word "business", is given the royal murderer's mouth here; as well as into his wife's and his own previously in the play, where she says, "You shall put this night's great business into my despatch, " and where he says, "We will proceed no farther in this business. " ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 10,59 And something from the palace. ' At some distance from the palace. , ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 1060 Always thought that I require a clearness. ' Always bearing m mind that I must be held clear from suspicion, and that I require neatness and completeness in the task you have undertaken. ' "Clearness," as here used, includes both these senses. ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 1061 Rubs. Roughnesses, imperfections. ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 1061 Botches. Bunglings. ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 1065 Resolve. ..apart. Make up your minds in private. ACT 3 Scene 1 Line 1066 Anon. Immediately.

MACBETH
Ride you this afternoon?

BANQUO
Ay, my good lord.

MACBETH
We should have else desired your good advice,
Which still hath been both grave and prosperous,
In this day's council; but we'll take to-morrow.
Is't far you ride?

BANQUO
As far, my lord, as will fill up the time
'Twixt this and supper: go not my horse the better,
I must become a borrower of the night
For a dark hour or twain

MACBETH
Fail not our feast.

BANQUO
My lord, I will not.

MACBETH
We hear, our bloody cousins are bestow'd
In England and in Ireland, not confessing
Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers
With strange invention: but of that to-morrow,
When therewithal we shall have cause of state
Craving us jointly. Hie you to horse: adieu,
Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you?

BANQUO
Ay, my good lord: our time does call upon 's.

MACBETH
I wish your horses swift and sure of foot;
And so I do commend you to their backs. Farewell.

Exit BANQUO

Let every man be master of his time
Till seven at night: to make society
The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself
Till supper-time alone: while then, God be with you!

Exeunt all but MACBETH, and an attendant

Sirrah, a word with you: attend those men
Our pleasure?

ATTENDANT
They are, my lord, without the palace gate.

MACBETH
Bring them before us.

Exit Attendant

To be thus is nothing;
But to be safely thus.--Our fears in Banquo
Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature
Reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much he dares;
And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,
He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour
To act in safety. There is none but he
Whose being I do fear: and, under him,
My Genius is rebuked; as, it is said,
Mark Antony's was by Caesar. He chid the sisters
When first they put the name of king upon me,
And bade them speak to him: then prophet-like
They hail'd him father to a line of kings:
Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown,
And put a barren sceptre in my gripe,
Thence to be wrench'd with an unlineal hand,
No son of mine succeeding. If 't be so,
For Banquo's issue have I filed my mind;

For them the gracious Duncan have I murder'd;
Put rancours in the vessel of my peace
Only for them; and mine eternal jewel
Given to the common enemy of man,
To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings!
Rather than so, come fate into the list.
And champion me to the utterance! Who's there!

Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers

Now go to the door, and stay there till we call.

Exit Attendant

Was it not yesterday we spoke together?

First Murderer
It was, so please your highness.

MACBETH
Well then, now
Have you consider'd of my speeches? Know
That it was he in the times past which held you
So under fortune, which you thought had been
Our innocent self: this I made good to you
In our last conference, pass'd in probation with you,
How you were borne in hand, how cross'd,
the instruments,
Who wrought with them, and all things else that might
To half a soul and to a notion crazed
Say 'Thus did Banquo.'

First Murderer
You made it known to us.

MACBETH
I did so, and went further, which is now
Our point of second meeting. Do you find
Your patience so predominant in your nature
That you can let this go? Are you so gospell'd
To pray for this good man and for his issue,
Whose heavy hand hath bow'd you to the grave
And beggar'd yours for ever?

First Murderer
We are men, my liege.

MACBETH
Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men;
As hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs,
Shoughs, water-rugs and demi-wolves, are clept
All by the name of dogs: the valued file
Distinguishes the swift, the slow, the subtle,
The housekeeper, the hunter, every one
According to the gift which bounteous nature
Hath in him closed; whereby he does receive
Particular addition. from the bill
That writes them all alike: and so of men.
Now, if you have a station in the file,
Not i' the worst rank of manhood, say 't;
And I will put that business in your bosoms,
Whose execution takes your enemy off,
Grapples you to the heart and love of us,
Who wear our health but sickly in his life,
Which in his death were perfect.

Second Murderer
I am one, my liege,
Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world
Have so incensed that I am reckless what
I do to spite the world.

First Murderer
And I another
So weary with disasters, tugg'd with fortune,
That I would set my life on any chance,
To mend it, or be rid on't.

MACBETH
Both of you
Know Banquo was your enemy.

Both Murderers
True, my lord.

MACBETH
So is he mine; and in such bloody distance,
That every minute of his being thrusts
Against my near'st of life: and though I could
With barefaced power sweep him from my sight
And bid my will avouch it, yet I must not,
For certain friends that are both his and mine,
Whose loves I may not drop, but wail his fall
Who I myself struck down; and thence it is,
That I to your assistance do make love,
Masking the business from the common eye
For sundry weighty reasons.

Second Murderer
We shall, my lord,
Perform what you command us.

First Murderer
Though our lives--

MACBETH
Your spirits shine through you. Within this hour at most
I will advise you where to plant yourselves;
Acquaint you with the perfect spy o' the time,
The moment on't; for't must be done to-night,
And something from the palace; always thought
That I require a clearness: and with him--
To leave no rubs nor botches in the work--
Fleance his son, that keeps him company,
Whose absence is no less material to me
Than is his father's, must embrace the fate
Of that dark hour. Resolve yourselves apart:
I'll come to you anon.

Both Murderers
We are resolved, my lord.

MACBETH
I'll call upon you straight: abide within.

Exeunt Murderers

It is concluded. Banquo, thy soul's flight,
If it find heaven, must find it out to-night.

Exuent