Read the excerpt from act 1, scene 7 of The Tragedy of Macbeth.Macbeth. If we should fail,— Lady Macbeth. We fail!But screw your courage to the sticking-place,And we’ll not fail. When Duncan is asleep,Whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journeySoundly invite him, his two chamberlainsWill I with wine and wassail so convinceThat memory, the warder of the brain,Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reasonA limbeck only; when in swinish sleepTheir drenched natures lie, as in a death,What cannot you and I perform uponThe unguarded Duncan? what not put uponHis spongy officers, who shall bear the guiltOf our great quell?
Read the excerpt from act 2, scene 2 of The Tragedy of Macbeth.Macbeth. Methought I heard a voice cry, "Sleep no more!Macbeth does murder sleep,” the innocent sleep,Sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleave of care,The death of each day’s life, sore labour’s bath,Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course,Chief nourisher in life’s feast,— Lady Macbeth. What do you mean? Macbeth. Still it cried, "Sleep no more!” to all the house;"Glamis hath murder’d sleep, and therefore CawdorShall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more.” Lady Macbeth. Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy thane,You do unbend your noble strength, to thinkSo brainsickly of things. Go get some water,And wash this filthy witness from your hand.Why did you bring these daggers from the place?They must lie there: go carry them, and smearThe sleepy grooms with blood.
Read the excerpt from act 1, scene 7 of The Tragedy of Macbeth.Macbeth. He’s here in double trust:First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,Who should against his murderer shut the door,Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this DuncanHath borne his faculties so meek, hath beenSo clear in his great office, that his virtuesWill plead like angels trumpet-tongu’d againstThe deep damnation of his taking-off;And pity, like a naked new-born babe,Striding the blast, or heaven’s cherubin, hors’dUpon the sightless couriers of the air,Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spurTo prick the sides of my intent, but onlyVaulting ambition, which o’er-leaps itselfAnd falls on the other.
Read the excerpt from act 1, scene 5 of The Tragedy Macbeth.Lady Macbeth. Great Glamis! worthy Cawdor!Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter!Thy letters have transported me beyondThis ignorant present, and I feel nowThe future in the instant.
Read the excerpt from act 1, scene 7 of The Tragedy of Macbeth.Lady Macbeth. Was the hope drunk,Wherein you dress’d yourself? hath it slept since,And wakes it now, to look so green and paleAt what it did so freely? From this timeSuch I account thy love. Art thou afeardTo be the same in thine own act and valourAs thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have thatWhich thou esteem’st the ornament of life,And live a coward in thine own esteem,Letting ‘I dare not’ wait upon ‘I would,’Like the poor cat i’ the adage?
Read the excerpt from act 1, scene 7 of The Tragedy of Macbeth.[Macbeth.] He’s here in double trust:First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,Who should against his murderer shut the door,Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this DuncanHath borne his faculties so meek, hath beenSo clear in his great office, that his virtuesWill plead like angels trumpet-tongu’d againstThe deep damnation of his taking-off;And pity, like a naked new-born babe,Striding the blast, or heaven’s cherubin, hors’dUpon the sightless couriers of the air,Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spurTo prick the sides of my intent, but onlyVaulting ambition, which o’er-leaps itselfAnd falls on the other.—
Read the excerpt from act 2, scene 1 of The Tragedy of Macbeth.Banquo. All’s well.[Speaking privately to MACBETH.] I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters:To you they have show’d some truth. Macbeth. I think not of them:Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve,We would spend it in some words upon that business,If you would grant the time. Banquo. At your kind’st leisure. Macbeth. If you shall cleave to my consent, when ’tis,It shall make honour for you. Banquo. So I lose noneIn seeking to augment it, but still keepMy bosom franchis’d and allegiance clear,I shall be counsell’d.
Read the excerpt from act 1, scene 7 of The Tragedy of Macbeth.Lady Macbeth. Was the hope drunk,Wherein you dress’d yourself? hath it slept since,And wakes it now, to look so green and paleAt what it did so freely? From this timeSuch I account thy love. Art thou afeardTo be the same in thine own act and valourAs thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have thatWhich thou esteem’st the ornament of life,And live a coward in thine own esteem,Letting ‘I dare not’ wait upon ‘I would,’Like the poor cat i’ the adage? Macbeth. Prithee, peace.I dare do all that may become a man;Who dares do more is none.
Read the excerpt from act 1, scene 5 of The Tragedy of Macbeth.Lady Macbeth. Give him tending;He brings great news.—[Exit Messenger.] The raven himself is hoarseThat croaks the fatal entrance of DuncanUnder my battlements. Come, you spiritsThat tend on mortal thoughts! unsex me here,And fill me from the crown to the toe top fullOf direst cruelty; make thick my blood,Stop up the access and passage to remorse,That no compunctious visitings of natureShake my fell purpose, nor keep peace betweenThe effect and it! Come to my woman’s breasts,And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers,Wherever in your sightless substancesYou wait on nature’s mischief! Come, thick night,And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,To cry, "Hold, hold!”
Read the excerpt from act 1, scene 7 of The Tragedy of Macbeth.Lady Macbeth. We fail!But screw your courage to the sticking-place,And we’ll not fail. When Duncan is asleep,Whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journeySoundly invite him, his two chamberlainsWill I with wine and wassail so convinceThat memory, the warder of the brain,Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reasonA limbeck only; when in swinish sleepTheir drenched natures lie, as in a death,What cannot you and I perform uponThe unguarded Duncan? what not put uponHis spongy officers, who shall bear the guiltOf our great quell? Macbeth. Bring forth men-children only;For thy undaunted mettle should composeNothing but males. Will it not be receiv’d,When we have mark’d with blood those sleepy twoOf his own chamber, and us’d their very daggers,That they have done ’t? Lady Macbeth. Who dares receive it other,As we shall make our griefs and clamour roarUpon his death? Macbeth. I am settled, and bend upEach corporal agent to this terrible feat.Away, and mock the time with fairest show:False face must hide what the false heart doth know. [Exeunt.]
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