Act 1 Scene 5
(Enter Lady Macbeth, with a letter )
1 Lady Macbeth (reading) “They met me in the day of success, 2 and I have learned by the perfect’st report they have 3 more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in 4 desire to question them further, they made themselves 5 air, into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in the 6 wonder of it came missives from the King, who all-hailed 7 me ‘Thane of Cawdor’, by which title before these weird 8 sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of 9 time with ‘Hail, King that shalt be!’ This have I thought 10 good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness, 11 that thou mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing by being 12 ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it to 13 thy heart, and farewell.”
14 Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be
15 What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature.
16 It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness 17 To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great, 18 Art not without ambition, but without
19 The illness should attend it. What thou wouldst highly, 20 That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false, 21 And yet wouldst wrongly win. Thou’dst have, great
Glamis,
22 That which cries “Thus thou must do” if thou have it, 23 And that which rather thou dost fear to do
24 Than wishest should be undone. Hie thee hither, 25 That I may pour my spirits in thine ear
26 And chastise with the valour of my tongue 27 All that impedes thee from the golden round 28 Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem 29 To have thee crowned withal.
(Enter a Servant)
What is your tidings?
30 Ser vant The King comes here tonight.
Lady Macbeth Thou’rt mad to say it.
31 Is not thy master with him, who, were ’t so, 32 Would have informed for preparation?
33 Ser vant So please you, it is true. Our thane is coming, 34 One of my fellows had the speed of him,
35 Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely more 36 Than would make up his message.
Lady Macbeth Give him tending;
37 He brings great news.
(Exit Servant)
The raven himself is hoarse 38 That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
39 Under my battlements. Come, you spirits 40 That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, 41 And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full 42 Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood, 43 Stop up th’ access and passage to remorse, 44 That no compunctious visitings of nature
45 Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between 46 Th’ effect and it. Come to my woman’s breasts, 47 And take my milk for gall, you murd’ring ministers, 48 Wherever in your sightless substances
49 You wait on nature’s mischief. Come, thick night, 50 And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
51 That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, 52 Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark
53 To cry “Hold, hold!”
(Enter Macbeth)
Great Glamis, worthy Cawdor, 54 Greater than both by the all-hail hereafter,
55 Thy letter s have transported me beyond 56 This ignorant present, and I feel now 57 The future in the instant.
MEASURE F OR MEASURE
Act 4 Scene 2
104 Messenger (giving a paper to Provost) My lord hath sent 105 you this note, and by me this further charge: that you 106 swerve not from the smallest article of it, neither in 107 time, matter, or other circumstance. Good morrow;
108 for, as I take it, it is almost day.
109lPr ovost I shall obey him.
(Exit Messenger)
110 Duke (aside) This is his pardon, purchased by such sin 111 For which the pardoner himself is in.
112 Hence hath offence his quick celerity, 113 When it is borne in high authority.
114 When vice makes mercy, mercy's so extended 115 That for the fault's love is th' offender
friended.-116 Now sir, what news?
117 Pr ovost I told you: Lord Angelo, belike thinking me
118 remiss in mine office, awakens me with this unwonted 119 putting-on; methinks strangely, for he hath not used
120 it before.
121 Duke Pray you let's hear.
122 [Pr ovost] (reading the letter ) "Whatsoever you may hear 123 to the contrary, let Claudio be executed by four of the 124 clock, and in the afternoon Barnardine. For my better 125 satisfaction, let me have Claudio's head sent me by five.
126 Let this be duly performed, with a thought that more 127 depends on it than we must yet deliver. Thus fail not 128 to do your office, as you will answer it at your peril."
129 What say you to this, sir?
130 Duke What is that Barnardine, who is to be executed in
131 th' afternoon?
132 Pr ovost A Bohemian born, but here nursed up and bred;
133 one that is a prisoner nine years old.
134 Duke How came it that the absent Duke had not either 135 delivered him to his liberty or executed him? I have 136 heard it was ever his manner to do so.
137 Pr ovost His friends still wrought reprieves for him; and 138 indeed his fact, till now in the government of Lord 139 Angelo, came not to an undoubtful proof.
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196 Duke The contents of this is the return of the Duke. You 197 shall anon over-read it at your pleasure, where you 198 shall find within these two days he will be here. This 199 is a thing that Angelo knows not, for he this very day 200 receives letter s of strange tenor, perchance of the Duke's 201 death, perchance entering into some monastery; but 202 by chance nothing of what is writ. Look, th' unfolding 203 star calls up the shepherd. Put not yourself into
204 amazement how these things should be. All difficulties 205 are but easy when they are known. Call your
206 executioner, and off with Barnardine's head. I will give 207 him a present shrift, and advise him for a better place.
208 Yet you are amazed; but this shall absolutely resolve 209 you. Come away, it is almost clear dawn.
(Exeunt)
Act 4 Scene 3
Pr ovost I am your free dependant.
88 Duke Quick, dispatch, and send the head to Angelo.
(Exit Provost)
89 Now will I write letter s to
Angelo-90 The Provost, he shall bear them-whose contents 91 Shall witness to him I am near at home,
92 And that by great injunctions I am bound 93 To enter publicly. Him I'll desire
94 To meet me at the consecrated fount 95 A league below the city, and from thence, 96 By cold gradation and well-balanced form, 97 We shall proceed with Angelo.
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Isabella I am directed by you.
134 Duke This letter , then, to Friar Peter give.
135 'Tis that he sent me of the Duke's return.
136 Say by this token I desire his company
137 At Mariana's house tonight. Her cause and yours 138 I'll perfect him withal, and he shall bring you 139 Before the Duke, and to the head of Angelo 140 Accuse him home and home. For my poor self, 141 I am combin by a sacred vow,
142 And shall be absent.
(Giving the letter )
Wend you with this letter .
143 Command these fretting waters from your eyes 144 With a light heart. Trust not my holy order 145 If I pervert your course.
Act 4 Scene 4
1 Escalus Every letter he hath writ hath disvouched other.
2 Angelo In most uneven and distracted manner. His
3 actions show much like to madness. Pray heaven his 4 wisdom be not tainted. And why meet him at the gates, 5 and redeliver our authorities there?
6 Escalus I guess not.
Act 4 Scene 5
1 Duke These letter s at fit time deliver me.
2 The Provost knows our purpose and our plot.
3 The matter being afoot, keep your instruction, 4 And hold you ever to our special drift,
5 Though sometimes you do blench from this to that 6 As cause doth minister. Go call at Flavio's house, 7 And tell him where I stay. Give the like notice 8 To Valentinus, Rowland, and to Crassus, 9 And bid them bring the trumpets to the gate.
10 But send me Flavius first.
Fr iar It shall be speeded well.
(Exit)