SCENE IV. Forres. The palace. The Tragedy of Macbeth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Macbeth  | Act 1, Scene 4 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE IV. Forres. The palace. 

 Flourish. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, LENNOX, and Attendants  DUNCAN  Is execution done on Cawdor? Are not 

 Those in commission yet return'd? 

 MALCOLM  My liege, 

 They are not yet come back. But I have spoke 

 With one that saw him die: who did report 

 That very frankly he confess'd his treasons, 

 Implored your highness' pardon and set forth 

 A deep repentance: nothing in his life 

 Became him like the leaving it; he died 

 As one that had been studied in his death 

 To throw away the dearest thing he owed, 

 As 'twere a careless trifle. 

 DUNCAN  There's no art 

 To find the mind's construction in the face: 

 He was a gentleman on whom I built 

 An absolute trust. 



 Enter MACBETH, BANQUO, ROSS, and ANGUS  O worthiest cousin! 

 The sin of my ingratitude even now 

 Was heavy on me: thou art so far before 

 That swiftest wing of recompense is slow 

 To overtake thee. Would thou hadst less deserved, 

 That the proportion both of thanks and payment 

 Might have been mine! only I have left to say, 

 More is thy due than more than all can pay. 

 MACBETH  The service and the loyalty I owe, 

 In doing it, pays itself. Your highness' part 

 Is to receive our duties; and our duties 

 Are to your throne and state children and servants, 

 Which do but what they should, by doing every thing 

 Safe toward your love and honour. 

 DUNCAN  Welcome hither: 

 I have begun to plant thee, and will labour 

 To make thee full of growing. Noble Banquo, 

 That hast no less deserved, nor must be known 

 No less to have done so, let me enfold thee 

 And hold thee to my heart. 

 BANQUO  There if I grow, 

 The harvest is your own. 

 DUNCAN  My plenteous joys, 

 Wanton in fulness, seek to hide themselves 

 In drops of sorrow. Sons, kinsmen, thanes, 

 And you whose places are the nearest, know 

 We will establish our estate upon 

 Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter 

 The Prince of Cumberland; which honour must 

 Not unaccompanied invest him only, 

 But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine 

 On all deservers. From hence to Inverness, 

 And bind us further to you. 

 MACBETH  The rest is labour, which is not used for you: 

 I'll be myself the harbinger and make joyful 

 The hearing of my wife with your approach; 

 So humbly take my leave. 

 DUNCAN  My worthy Cawdor! 

 MACBETH  [Aside]  The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step 

 On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, 

 For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; 

 Let not light see my black and deep desires: 

 The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be, 

 Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see. 



 Exit  DUNCAN  True, worthy Banquo; he is full so valiant, 

 And in his commendations I am fed; 

 It is a banquet to me. Let's after him, 

 Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome: 

 It is a peerless kinsman. 



 Flourish. Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  Macbeth  | Act 1, Scene 4 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene 