ARKCODEX
Act V, Scene 4
1Country near Birnam wood.
2Drum and colours. Enter Malcolm, old Siward and his Son, Macduff, Menteith, Caithness, Angus, Lennox, Ross, and Soldiers, marching.
3MalcolmCousins, I hope the days are near at hand
That chambers will be safe.
4MenteithWe doubt it nothing.
5SiwardWhat wood is this before us?
6MenteithThe wood of Birnam.
7MalcolmLet 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.
8SoldiersIt shall be done.
9SiwardWe learn no other but the confident tyrant
Keeps still in Dunsinane, and will endure
Our setting down before’t.
10Malcolm’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.
11MacduffLet our just censures
Attend the true event, and put we on
Industrious soldiership.
12SiwardThe 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.