SCENE IV. Country near Birnam wood. The Tragedy of Macbeth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Macbeth  | Act 5, Scene 4 

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 Drum and colours. Enter MALCOLM, SIWARD and YOUNG  SIWARD, MACDUFF, MENTEITH, CAITHNESS, ANGUS, LENNOX, ROSS, and Soldiers, marching  MALCOLM  Cousins, I hope the days are near at hand 

 That chambers will be safe. 

 MENTEITH  We doubt it nothing. 

 SIWARD  What wood is this before us? 

 MENTEITH  The wood of Birnam. 

 MALCOLM  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. 

 Soldiers  It shall be done. 

 SIWARD  We learn no other but the confident tyrant 

 Keeps still in Dunsinane, and will endure 

 Our setting down before 't. 

 MALCOLM  '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. 

 MACDUFF  Let our just censures 

 Attend the true event, and put we on 

 Industrious soldiership. 

 SIWARD  The 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  Shakespeare homepage  |  Macbeth  | Act 5, Scene 4 

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