ARKCODEX
Act II, Scene 3
1The same.
2Knocking within. Enter a Porter.
3PorterHere’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.
4Enter Macduff and Lennox.
5MacduffWas it so late, friend, ere you went to bed,
That you do lie so late?
6Porter’Faith sir, we were carousing till the second cock: and drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things.
7MacduffWhat three things does drink especially provoke?
8PorterMarry, 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.
9MacduffI believe drink gave thee the lie last night.
10PorterThat 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.
11MacduffIs thy master stirring?
12Enter Macbeth.
13Our knocking has awaked him; here he comes.
14LennoxGood morrow, noble sir.
15MacbethGood morrow, both.
16MacduffIs the king stirring, worthy thane?
17MacbethNot yet.
18MacduffHe did command me to call timely on him:
I have almost slipp’d the hour.
19MacbethI’ll bring you to him.
20MacduffI know this is a joyful trouble to you;
But yet ’tis one.
21MacbethThe labour we delight in physics pain.
This is the door.
22MacduffI’ll make so bold to call,
For ’tis my limited service. Exit.
23LennoxGoes the king hence to-day?
24MacbethHe does: he did appoint so.
25LennoxThe 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.
26Macbeth’Twas a rough night.
27LennoxMy young remembrance cannot parallel
A fellow to it.
28Reenter Macduff.
29MacduffO horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart
Cannot conceive nor name thee!
30Macbeth
Lennox What’s the matter?
31MacduffConfusion now hath made his masterpiece!
Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope
The Lord’s anointed temple, and stole thence
The life o’ the building!
32MacbethWhat is’t you say? the life?
33LennoxMean you his majesty?
34MacduffApproach 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.
35Enter Lady Macbeth.
36Lady MacbethWhat’s the business,
That such a hideous trumpet calls to parley
The sleepers of the house? speak, speak!
37MacduffO gentle lady,
’Tis not for you to hear what I can speak:
The repetition, in a woman’s ear,
Would murder as it fell.
38Enter Banquo.
39O Banquo, Banquo,
Our royal master’s murder’d!
40Lady MacbethWoe, alas!
What, in our house?
41BanquoToo cruel any where.
Dear Duff, I prithee, contradict thyself,
And say it is not so.
42Reenter Macbeth and Lennox, with Ross.
43MacbethHad 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.
44Enter Malcolm and Donalbain.
45DonalbainWhat is amiss?
46MacbethYou 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.
47MacduffYour royal father’s murder’d.
48MalcolmO, by whom?
49LennoxThose of his chamber, as it seem’d, had done’t:
Their hands and faces were all 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.
50MacbethO, yet I do repent me of my fury,
That I did kill them.
51MacduffWherefore did you so?
52MacbethWho 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 known?
53Lady MacbethHelp me hence, ho!
54MacduffLook to the lady.
55MalcolmAside to Donalbain. Why do we hold our tongues,
That most may claim this argument for ours?
56DonalbainAside 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.
57MalcolmAside to Donalbain. Nor our strong sorrow
Upon the foot of motion.
58BanquoLook 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.
59MacduffAnd so do I.
60AllSo all.
61MacbethLet’s briefly put on manly readiness,
And meet i’ the hall together.
62AllWell contented. Exeunt all but Malcolm and Donalbain.
63MalcolmWhat 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.
64DonalbainTo 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.
65MalcolmThis 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.