Category: Wizard of Oz

edMe Reading app for Wizard of Oz(TM). It has high-quality formative questions to ensure that your student gets the most out of this great book.

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Question #4

Malcolm says:

"Let 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."
Act 5, Scene 4, Lines 4–7

What does "hew" mean in this passage?





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Act 2, page 2

Table of Contents

ACT 2, SCENE 2
Setting: The same.

[Enter LADY MACBETH]

LADY MACBETH That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold;
What hath quench'd them hath given me fire.
Hark! Peace!
It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bellman,
Which gives the stern'st good–night. He is about it: 5
The doors are open; and the surfeited grooms
Do mock their charge with snores: I have drugg'd
their possets,
That death and nature do contend about them,
Whether they live or die. 10
MACBETH [Within] Who's there? what, ho!
LADY MACBETH Alack, I am afraid they have awaked,
And 'tis not done. The attempt and not the deed
Confounds us. Hark! I laid their daggers ready;
He could not miss 'em. Had he not resembled 15
My father as he slept, I had done't.
[Enter MACBETH]
My husband!
MACBETH I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?
LADY MACBETH I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry.
Did not you speak? 20
MACBETH When?
LADY MACBETH Now.
MACBETH As I descended?
LADY MACBETH Ay.
MACBETH Hark! 25
Who lies i' the second chamber?
LADY MACBETH Donalbain.
MACBETH This is a sorry sight.
[Looking on his hands]
LADY MACBETH A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight.
MACBETH There's one did laugh in's sleep, and one cried 30
Murder!'
That they did wake each other: I stood and heard them:
But they did say their prayers, and address'd them
Again to sleep.
LADY MACBETH There are two lodged together. 35
MACBETH One cried 'God bless us!' and 'Amen' the other;
As they had seen me with these hangman's hands.
Listening their fear, I could not say 'Amen,'
When they did say 'God bless us!'
LADY MACBETH Consider it not so deeply. 40
MACBETH But wherefore could not I pronounce 'Amen'?
I had most need of blessing, and 'Amen'
Stuck in my throat.
LADY MACBETH These deeds must not be thought
After these ways; so, it will make us mad. 45
MACBETH Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more!
Macbeth does murder sleep', the innocent sleep,
Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleeve of care,
The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath,
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, 50
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 Cawdor
Shall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more.' 55
LADY MACBETH Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy thane,
You do unbend your noble strength, to think
So brainsickly of things. Go get some water,
And wash this filthy witness from your hand.
Why did you bring these daggers from the place? 60
They must lie there: go carry them; and smear
The sleepy grooms with blood.
MACBETH I'll go no more:
I am afraid to think what I have done;
Look on't again I dare not. 65
LADY MACBETH Infirm of purpose!
Give me the daggers: the sleeping and the dead
Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood
That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed,
I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal; 70
For it must seem their guilt.
[Exit. Knocking within]
MACBETH Whence is that knocking?
How is't with me, when every noise appals me?
What hands are here? ha! they pluck out mine eyes.
Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood 75
Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather
The multitudinous seas in incarnadine,
Making the green one red.
[Re–enter LADY MACBETH]
LADY MACBETH My hands are of your colour; but I shame
To wear a heart so white. 80
[Knocking within]
I hear a knocking
At the south entry: retire we to our chamber;
A little water clears us of this deed:
How easy is it, then! Your constancy
Hath left you unattended. 85
[Knocking within]
Hark! more knocking.
Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us,
And show us to be watchers. Be not lost
So poorly in your thoughts.
MACBETH To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself. 90
[Knocking within]
Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!
[Exeunt]

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Question #14

Who is the porter pretending to be as he answers the knock at the gate?





Please enter the first three words of a sentence that shows your answers is correct.

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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?





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Act 4, page 1

Table of Contents

ACT 4, SCENE 2
Setting: Fife. Macduff's castle.

[Enter LADY MACDUFF, her Son, and ROSS]

LADY MACDUFF What had he done, to make him fly the land?
ROSS You must have patience, madam.
LADY MACDUFF He had none:
His flight was madness: when our actions do not,
Our fears do make us traitors.
ROSS You know not
Whether it was his wisdom or his fear.
LADY MACDUFF Wisdom! to leave his wife, to leave his babes,
His mansion and his titles in a place
From whence himself does fly? He loves us not;
He wants the natural touch: for the poor wren,
The most diminutive of birds, will fight, 10
Her young ones in her nest, against the owl.
All is the fear and nothing is the love;
As little is the wisdom, where the flight
So runs against all reason.
ROSS My dearest coz,
I pray you, school yourself: but for your husband,
He is noble, wise, judicious, and best knows
The fits o' the season. I dare not speak
much further;
But cruel are the times, when we are traitors
And do not know ourselves, when we hold rumour
From what we fear, yet know not what we fear, 20
But float upon a wild and violent sea
Each way and move. I take my leave of you:
Shall not be long but I'll be here again:
Things at the worst will cease, or else climb upward
To what they were before. My pretty cousin,
Blessing upon you!
LADY MACDUFF Father'd he is, and yet he's fatherless.
ROSS I am so much a fool, should I stay longer,
It would be my disgrace and your discomfort:
I take my leave at once.
[Exit]
LADY MACDUFF Sirrah, your father's dead; 30
And what will you do now? How will you live?
Son As birds do, mother.
LADY MACDUFF What, with worms and flies?
Son With what I get, I mean; and so do they.
LADY MACDUFF Poor bird! thou'ldst never fear the net nor lime,
The pitfall nor the gin.
Son Why should I, mother? Poor birds they are not set for.
My father is not dead, for all your saying.
LADY MACDUFF Yes, he is dead; how wilt thou do for a father?
Son Nay, how will you do for a husband?
LADY MACDUFF Why, I can buy me twenty at any market. 40
Son Then you'll buy 'em to sell again.
LADY MACDUFF Thou speak'st with all thy wit: and yet, i' faith,
With wit enough for thee.
Son Was my father a traitor, mother?
LADY MACDUFF Ay, that he was.
Son What is a traitor?
LADY MACDUFF Why, one that swears and lies.
Son And be all traitors that do so?
LADY MACDUFF Every one that does so is a traitor, and must be hanged. 50
Son And must they all be hanged that swear and lie?
LADY MACDUFF Every one.
Son Who must hang them?
LADY MACDUFF Why, the honest men.
Son Then the liars and swearers are fools,
for there are liars and swearers enow to beat
the honest men and hang up them.
LADY MACDUFF Now, God help thee, poor monkey!
But how wilt thou do for a father? 60
Son If he were dead, you'ld weep for
him: if you would not, it were a good sign
that I should quickly have a new father.
LADY MACDUFF Poor prattler, how thou talk'st!
[Enter a Messenger]
Messenger Bless you, fair dame! I am not to you known,
Though in your state of honour I am perfect.
I doubt some danger does approach you nearly:
If you will take a homely man's advice,
Be not found here; hence, with your little ones.
To fright you thus, methinks, I am too savage; 70
To do worse to you were fell cruelty,
Which is too nigh your person. Heaven preserve you!
I dare abide no longer.
[Exit]
LADY MACDUFF Whither should I fly?
I have done no harm. But I remember now
I am in this earthly world; where to do harm
Is often laudable, to do good sometime
Accounted dangerous folly: why then, alas,
Do I put up that womanly defence,
To say I have done no harm?
[Enter Murderers]
What are these faces?
First Murderer Where is your husband? 80
LADY MACDUFF I hope, in no place so unsanctified
Where such as thou mayst find him.
First Murderer He's a traitor.
Son Thou liest, thou shag–hair'd villain!
First Murderer What, you egg!
[Stabbing him]
Young fry of treachery!
Son He has kill'd me, mother:
Run away, I pray you!
[Dies]

[Exit LADY MACDUFF, crying 'Murder!' Exeunt Murderers, following her ]

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Act 2, page 3

Table of Contents

ACT 2, SCENE 3
Setting: The same.

Knocking within. Enter a Porter.

Porter Here'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 th'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?
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.
But this place is too cold for hell. [Knocking within.]
Anon, anon! I pray you, remember the porter. [Opens the gate.]
Enter MACDUFF and LENNOX.
MACDUFF Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed,
That you do lie so late?
Porter Faith sir, we were carousing till the second cock: and drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things.
MACDUFF What three things does drink especially provoke?
Porter Marry, 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.
MACDUFF I believe drink gave thee the lie last night. 42
Porter That 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.
MACDUFF Is thy master stirring?
Enter MACBETH.
Our knocking has awaked him; here he comes.
LENNOX Good morrow, noble sir.
MACBETH Good morrow, both.
MACDUFF Is the king stirring, worthy thane?
MACBETH Not yet. 50
MACDUFF He did command me to call timely on him:
I have almost slipp'd the hour.
MACBETH I'll bring you to him.
MACDUFF I know this is a joyful trouble to you;
But yet 'tis one.
MACBETH The labour we delight in physics pain.
This is the door.
MACDUFF I'll make so bold to call,
For 'tis my limited service.
Exit
LENNOX Goes the king hence to–day?
MACBETH He does: he did appoint so.
LENNOX The night has been unruly: where we lay,
Our chimneys were blown down; and, as they say, 60
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.
MACBETH Twas a rough night.
LENNOX My young remembrance cannot parallel
A fellow to it.
Re–enter MACDUFF.
MACDUFF O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart
Cannot conceive nor name thee!
MACBETH
What's the matter. 70
LENNOX
MACDUFF Confusion now hath made his masterpiece!
Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope
The Lord's anointed temple, and stole thence
The life o' the building!
MACBETH What is 't you say? the life?
LENNOX Mean you his majesty?
MACDUFF Approach 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! 80
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.
Enter LADY MACBETH.
LADY MACBETH What's the business,
That such a hideous trumpet calls to parley
The sleepers of the house? speak, speak!
MACDUFF O gentle lady,
Tis not for you to hear what I can speak:
The repetition, in a woman's ear, 91
Would murder as it fell.
Enter BANQUO.
O Banquo, Banquo,
Our royal master 's murder'd!
LADY MACBETH Woe, alas!
What, in our house?
BANQUO Too cruel any where.
Dear Duff, I prithee, contradict thyself,
And say it is not so.
Re–enter MACBETH and LENNOX, with ROSS.
MACBETH Had 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 100
Is left this vault to brag of.
Enter MALCOLM and DONALBAIN.
DONALBAIN What is amiss?
MACBETH You 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.
MACDUFF Your royal father 's murder'd.
MALCOLM O, by whom?
LENNOX Those of his chamber, as it seem'd, had done 't:
Their hands and faces were an badged with blood;
So were their daggers, which unwiped we found
Upon their pillows:
They stared, and were distracted; no man's life 110
Was to be trusted with them.
MACBETH O, yet I do repent me of my fury,
That I did kill them.
MACDUFF Wherefore did you so?
MACBETH Who 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, 120
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?
LADY MACBETH Help me hence, ho!
MACDUFF Look to the lady.
MALCOLM Aside to DONALBAIN. Why do we hold our tongues,
That most may claim this argument for ours?
DONALBAIN Aside 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.
MALCOLM Aside to DONALBAIN. Nor our strong sorrow
Upon the foot of motion. 130
BANQUO Look 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.
MACDUFF And so do I.
ALL So all.
MACBETH Let's briefly put on manly readiness,
And meet i' the hall together.
ALL Well contented. 140
Exeunt all but Malcolm and Donalbain.
MALCOLM What 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.
DONALBAIN To 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.
MALCOLM This 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, 150
But shift away: there's warrant in that theft
Which steals itself, when there's no mercy left.
Exeunt.