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Act 3, page 3

Table of Contents

ACT 3, SCENE 3
Setting: A park near the palace.

[Enter Three Murderers]

First Murderer But who did bid thee join with us?
Third Murderer Macbeth.
Second Murderer He needs not our mistrust, since he delivers
Our offices and what we have to do
To the direction just.
First Murderer Then stand with us.
The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day:
Now spurs the lated traveller apace
To gain the timely inn; and near approaches
The subject of our watch.
Third Murderer Hark! I hear horses.
BANQUO [Within] Give us a light there, ho!
Second Murderer Then 'tis he: the rest
That are within the note of expectation 10
Already are i' the court.
First Murderer His horses go about.
Third Murderer Almost a mile: but he does usually,
So all men do, from hence to the palace gate
Make it their walk.
Second Murderer A light, a light!

[Enter BANQUO, and FLEANCE with a torch]

Third Murderer Tis he.
First Murderer Stand to't.
BANQUO It will be rain to–night.
First Murderer Let it come down.
[They set upon BANQUO]
BANQUO O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!
Thou mayst revenge. O slave!
[Dies. FLEANCE escapes]
Third Murderer Who did strike out the light?
First Murderer Wast not the way?
Third Murderer There's but one down; the son is fled.
Second Murderer We have lost
Best half of our affair. 20
First Murderer Well, let's away, and say how much is done.
[Exeunt]

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Act 3, page 4

Table of Contents

ACT 3, SCENE 4
Setting: The same. A hall in the palace.

[A banquet prepared. Enter MACBETH, LADY MACBETH, ROSS, LENNOX, Lords, and Attendants ]

MACBETH You know your own degrees; sit down: at first
And last the hearty welcome.
Lords Thanks to your majesty.
MACBETH Ourself will mingle with society,
And play the humble host.
Our hostess keeps her state, but in best time
We will require her welcome.
LADY MACBETH Pronounce it for me, sir, to all our friends;
For my heart speaks they are welcome.
[First Murderer appears at the door]
MACBETH See, they encounter thee with their hearts' thanks.
Both sides are even: here I'll sit i' the midst: 10
Be large in mirth; anon we'll drink a measure
The table round.
[Approaching the door]
There's blood on thy face.
First Murderer Tis Banquo's then.
MACBETH Tis better thee without than he within.
Is he dispatch'd?
First Murderer My lord, his throat is cut; that I did for him.
MACBETH Thou art the best o' the cut–throats: yet he's good
That did the like for Fleance: if thou didst it,
Thou art the nonpareil.
First Murderer Most royal sir,
Fleance is 'scaped. 20
MACBETH Then comes my fit again: I had else been perfect,
Whole as the marble, founded as the rock,
As broad and general as the casing air:
But now I am cabin'd, cribb'd, confined, bound in
To saucy doubts and fears. But Banquo's safe?
First Murderer Ay, my good lord: safe in a ditch he bides,
With twenty trenched gashes on his head;
The least a death to nature.
MACBETH Thanks for that:
There the grown serpent lies; the worm that's fled
Hath nature that in time will venom breed, 30
No teeth for the present. Get thee gone: to–morrow
First Witch Why, how now, Hecate! you look angerly.
HECATE Have I not reason, beldams as you are,
Saucy and overbold? How did you dare
To trade and traffic with Macbeth
In riddles and affairs of death;
And I, the mistress of your charms,
The close contriver of all harms,
Was never call'd to bear my part,
Or show the glory of our art?
And, which is worse, all you have done 10
Hath been but for a wayward son,
Spiteful and wrathful, who, as others do,
Loves for his own ends, not for you.
But make amends now: get you gone,
And at the pit of Acheron
Meet me i' the morning: thither he
Will come to know his destiny:
Your vessels and your spells provide,
Your charms and every thing beside.
I am for the air; this night I'll spend 20
Unto a dismal and a fatal end:
Great business must be wrought ere noon:
Upon the corner of the moon
There hangs a vaporous drop profound;
I'll catch it ere it come to ground:
And that distill'd by magic sleights
Shall raise such artificial sprites
As by the strength of their illusion
Shall draw him on to his confusion:
He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear 30
He hopes 'bove wisdom, grace and fear:
And you all know, security
Is mortals' chiefest enemy.
[ Music and a song within: 'Come away, come away,' &c ]
Hark! I am call'd; my little spirit, see,
Sits in a foggy cloud, and stays for me.
[Exit]
First Witch Come, let's make haste; she'll soon be back again.
[Exeunt]

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Act 3, page 6

Table of Contents

ACT 3, SCENE 6
Setting: Forres. The palace.

[Enter LENNOX and another Lord]

LENNOX My former speeches have but hit your thoughts,
Which can interpret further: only, I say,
Things have been strangely borne. The
gracious Duncan
Was pitied of Macbeth: marry, he was dead:
And the right–valiant Banquo walk'd too late;
Whom, you may say, if't please you, Fleance kill'd,
For Fleance fled: men must not walk too late.
Who cannot want the thought how monstrous
It was for Malcolm and for Donalbain
To kill their gracious father? damned fact! 10
How it did grieve Macbeth! did he not straight
In pious rage the two delinquents tear,
That were the slaves of drink and thralls of sleep?
Was not that nobly done? Ay, and wisely too;
For 'twould have anger'd any heart alive
To hear the men deny't. So that, I say,
He has borne all things well: and I do think
That had he Duncan's sons under his key––
As, an't please heaven, he shall not––they
should find
What 'twere to kill a father; so should Fleance. 20
But, peace! for from broad words and 'cause he fail'd
His presence at the tyrant's feast, I hear
Macduff lives in disgrace: sir, can you tell
Where he bestows himself?
Lord The son of Duncan,
From whom this tyrant holds the due of birth
Lives in the English court, and is received
Of the most pious Edward with such grace
That the malevolence of fortune nothing
Takes from his high respect: thither Macduff
Is gone to pray the holy king, upon his aid 30
To wake Northumberland and warlike Siward:
That, by the help of these––with Him above
To ratify the work––we may again
Give to our tables meat, sleep to our nights,
Free from our feasts and banquets bloody knives,
Do faithful homage and receive free honours:
All which we pine for now: and this report
Hath so exasperate the king that he
Prepares for some attempt of war.
LENNOX Sent he to Macduff?
Lord He did: and with an absolute 'Sir, not I,' 40
The cloudy messenger turns me his back,
And hums, as who should say 'You'll rue the time
That clogs me with this answer.'
LENNOX And that well might
Advise him to a caution, to hold what distance
His wisdom can provide. Some holy angel
Fly to the court of England and unfold
His message ere he come, that a swift blessing
May soon return to this our suffering country
Under a hand accursed!
Lord I'll send my prayers with him.
[Exeunt]

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Question #2

Banquo says:

"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."
Act 3, Scene 1, Lines 3–6

What does the word "root" mean in this passage?





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Question #3

Macbeth says:

"Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown,
And put a barren scepter in my gripe,
Thence to be wrenched with an unlineal hand,
No son of mine succeeding."
Act 3, Scene 1, Lines 64–67

What does "barren" mean in this passage?





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Question #4

Macbeth tells the murderers:

"Within this hour at most
I will advise you where to plant yourselves…"
Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 141–142

What does "plant" mean in this sentence?





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Question #5

Macbeth says,

"Ere we will eat our meal in fear and sleep
In the affliction of these terrible dreams
That shake us nightly…"
Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 17–18

What does "affliction" mean in this sentence?





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Question #6

Macbeth says:

"You know your own degrees, sit down: at first
And last the hearty welcome."
Act 3, Scene 4, Lines 1–2

What does "degrees" mean in this sentence?