SCENE I. A cavern. In the middle, a boiling cauldron. The Tragedy of Macbeth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Macbeth  | Act 4, Scene 1 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE I. A cavern. In the middle, a boiling cauldron. 

 Thunder. Enter the three Witches  First Witch  Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd. 

 Second Witch  Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined. 

 Third Witch  Harpier cries 'Tis time, 'tis time. 

 First Witch  Round about the cauldron go; 

 In the poison'd entrails throw. 

 Toad, that under cold stone 

 Days and nights has thirty-one 

 Swelter'd venom sleeping got, 

 Boil thou first i' the charmed pot. 

 ALL  Double, double toil and trouble; 

 Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. 

 Second Witch  Fillet of a fenny snake, 

 In the cauldron boil and bake; 

 Eye of newt and toe of frog, 

 Wool of bat and tongue of dog, 

 Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, 

 Lizard's leg and owlet's wing, 

 For a charm of powerful trouble, 

 Like a hell-broth boil and bubble. 

 ALL  Double, double toil and trouble; 

 Fire burn and cauldron bubble. 

 Third Witch  Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf, 

 Witches' mummy, maw and gulf 

 Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark, 

 Root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark, 

 Liver of blaspheming Jew, 

 Gall of goat, and slips of yew 

 Silver'd in the moon's eclipse, 

 Nose of Turk and Tartar's lips, 

 Finger of birth-strangled babe 

 Ditch-deliver'd by a drab, 

 Make the gruel thick and slab: 

 Add thereto a tiger's chaudron, 

 For the ingredients of our cauldron. 

 ALL  Double, double toil and trouble; 

 Fire burn and cauldron bubble. 

 Second Witch  Cool it with a baboon's blood, 

 Then the charm is firm and good. 



 Enter HECATE to the other three Witches  HECATE  O well done! I commend your pains; 

 And every one shall share i' the gains; 

 And now about the cauldron sing, 

 Live elves and fairies in a ring, 

 Enchanting all that you put in. 



 Music and a song: 'Black spirits,'  & c 

 HECATE retires  Second Witch  By the pricking of my thumbs, 

 Something wicked this way comes. 

 Open, locks, 

 Whoever knocks! 



 Enter MACBETH  MACBETH  How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags! 

 What is't you do? 

 ALL  A deed without a name. 

 MACBETH  I conjure you, by that which you profess, 

 Howe'er you come to know it, answer me: 

 Though you untie the winds and let them fight 

 Against the churches; though the yesty waves 

 Confound and swallow navigation up; 

 Though bladed corn be lodged and trees blown down; 

 Though castles topple on their warders' heads; 

 Though palaces and pyramids do slope 

 Their heads to their foundations; though the treasure 

 Of nature's germens tumble all together, 

 Even till destruction sicken; answer me 

 To what I ask you. 

 First Witch  Speak. 

 Second Witch  Demand. 

 Third Witch  We'll answer. 

 First Witch  Say, if thou'dst rather hear it from our mouths, 

 Or from our masters? 

 MACBETH  Call 'em; let me see 'em. 

 First Witch  Pour in sow's blood, that hath eaten 

 Her nine farrow; grease that's sweaten 

 From the murderer's gibbet throw 

 Into the flame. 

 ALL  Come, high or low; 

 Thyself and office deftly show! 



 Thunder. First Apparition: an armed Head  MACBETH  Tell me, thou unknown power,-- 

 First Witch  He knows thy thought: 

 Hear his speech, but say thou nought. 

 First Apparition  Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff; 

 Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough. 



 Descends  MACBETH  Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks; 

 Thou hast harp'd my fear aright: but one 

 word more,-- 

 First Witch  He will not be commanded: here's another, 

 More potent than the first. 



 Thunder. Second Apparition: A bloody Child  Second Apparition  Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! 

 MACBETH  Had I three ears, I'ld hear thee. 

 Second Apparition  Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn 

 The power of man, for none of woman born 

 Shall harm Macbeth. 



 Descends  MACBETH  Then live, Macduff: what need I fear of thee? 

 But yet I'll make assurance double sure, 

 And take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live; 

 That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies, 

 And sleep in spite of thunder. 



 Thunder. Third Apparition: a Child crowned, with a tree in his hand  What is this 

 That rises like the issue of a king, 

 And wears upon his baby-brow the round 

 And top of sovereignty? 

 ALL  Listen, but speak not to't. 

 Third Apparition  Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care 

 Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: 

 Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until 

 Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill 

 Shall come against him. 



 Descends  MACBETH  That will never be 

 Who can impress the forest, bid the tree 

 Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements! good! 

 Rebellion's head, rise never till the wood 

 Of Birnam rise, and our high-placed Macbeth 

 Shall live the lease of nature, pay his breath 

 To time and mortal custom. Yet my heart 

 Throbs to know one thing: tell me, if your art 

 Can tell so much: shall Banquo's issue ever 

 Reign in this kingdom? 

 ALL  Seek to know no more. 

 MACBETH  I will be satisfied: deny me this, 

 And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know. 

 Why sinks that cauldron? and what noise is this? 



 Hautboys  First Witch  Show! 

 Second Witch  Show! 

 Third Witch  Show! 

 ALL  Show his eyes, and grieve his heart; 

 Come like shadows, so depart! 



 A show of Eight Kings, the last with a glass in his hand; GHOST OF BANQUO following  MACBETH  Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo: down! 

 Thy crown does sear mine eye-balls. And thy hair, 

 Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first. 

 A third is like the former. Filthy hags! 

 Why do you show me this? A fourth! Start, eyes! 

 What, will the line stretch out to the crack of doom? 

 Another yet! A seventh! I'll see no more: 

 And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass 

 Which shows me many more; and some I see 

 That two-fold balls and treble scepters carry: 

 Horrible sight! Now, I see, 'tis true; 

 For the blood-bolter'd Banquo smiles upon me, 

 And points at them for his. 



 Apparitions vanish  What, is this so? 

 First Witch  Ay, sir, all this is so: but why 

 Stands Macbeth thus amazedly? 

 Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprites, 

 And show the best of our delights: 

 I'll charm the air to give a sound, 

 While you perform your antic round: 

 That this great king may kindly say, 

 Our duties did his welcome pay. 



 Music. The witches dance and then vanish, with HECATE  MACBETH  Where are they? Gone? Let this pernicious hour 

 Stand aye accursed in the calendar! 

 Come in, without there! 



 Enter LENNOX  LENNOX  What's your grace's will? 

 MACBETH  Saw you the weird sisters? 

 LENNOX  No, my lord. 

 MACBETH  Came they not by you? 

 LENNOX  No, indeed, my lord. 

 MACBETH  Infected be the air whereon they ride; 

 And damn'd all those that trust them! I did hear 

 The galloping of horse: who was't came by? 

 LENNOX  'Tis two or three, my lord, that bring you word 

 Macduff is fled to England. 

 MACBETH  Fled to England! 

 LENNOX  Ay, my good lord. 

 MACBETH  Time, thou anticipatest my dread exploits: 

 The flighty purpose never is o'ertook 

 Unless the deed go with it; from this moment 

 The very firstlings of my heart shall be 

 The firstlings of my hand. And even now, 

 To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done: 

 The castle of Macduff I will surprise; 

 Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o' the sword 

 His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls 

 That trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool; 

 This deed I'll do before this purpose cool. 

 But no more sights!--Where are these gentlemen? 

 Come, bring me where they are. 



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