Cordelia on the Ingratitude of her Sisters. Had you not been their father, these white flakes Against my fire; and wast thou fain, poor father, Scene between Lear and Cordelia. Cord. How does my royal lord? how fares your majesty? Lear. You do me wrong to take me out o' the grave. Thou art a soul in bliss; but I am bound Cord. Sir, do you know me? Lear. You are a spirit, I know; when did you die? Cord. Still, still far wide! [pity Cord. O look upon me, Sir, And hold your hands in benediction o'er me: No, Sir, you must not kneel. Lear. Pray, do not mock me: I am a very foolish fond old man, Fourscore and upward: and, to deal plainly, I fear I am not in my perfect mind. Methinks I should know you, and know this Lear to Cordelia, when taken Prisoners. No, no, no, no! come, let's away to prison: We two alone will sing like birds i' the cage: When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down, And ask of thee forgiveness: so we'll live, And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh At gilded butterflies, and hear poor rogues Talk of court news; and we'll talk with them too [outWho loses, and who wins; who's in, who's And take upon us the mystery of things, As if we were God's spies; and we'll wear out, In a wall'd prison, packs and sects of great ones, That ebb and flow by the moon. Edm. Take them away. Lear. Upon such sacrifices, my Cordelia, The gods themselves throw incense. The Justice of the Gods. The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices Make instruments to scourge us. Edgar's Account of his discovering himself to his Father, &c. List a brief tale : And, when 'tis told, O that my heart would burst! The bloody proclamation to escape, That follow'd me so near (O our lives' sweetness! That with the pain of death we 'd hourly die, Bast. This speech of yours hath mov'd me, And shall, perchance, do good: but speak you on; You look as you had something more to say. Alb. If there be more, more woful, hold For I am almost ready to dissolve, [it in, Hearing of this. Edg. This would have seem'd a period To such as love not sorrow: but another, Phys. Be comforted, good madam: the great To amplify too much, would make much more rage, And top extremity. Whilst I was big in clamor, came there a Lady Macbeth, on the News of Duncan's man, Who having seen me in my worst estate, Shunn'd my abhorr'd society; but, then, finding Who 'twas that so endur'd, with his strong arms He fasten'd on my neck, and bellow'd out And there I left him tranc'd. Lear on the Death of Cordelia. Howl, howl, howl, howl! ( you are men of stones! Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so That heaven's vault should crack.-O, she is gone for ever! I know when one is dead, and when one lives; This feather stirs; she lives! If it be so, Kent. O, my good master! A plague upon you, murderers, traitors all! ever!— Approach. That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under my battlements. Come, come you spirits The raven himself is hoarse, That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, nisters, Wherever in your sightless substances [night, Macbeth's Irresolution. It were done quickly: if the assassination [well If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere cases, We still have judgement here; that we but True Fortitude. I dare do all that may become a man! Who dares do more, is none. The murdering Scene. Macbeth alone. I have thee not; and yet I see thee still. Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going; And such an instrument I was to use. [senses, Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other Or else worth all the rest :-I see thee still; And on thy blade, and dudgeon, gouts of blood, Which was not so before-There's no such thing: It is the bloody business, which informs Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse about it: 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. Macb. [Within] Who's there?-what, ho! Lady. Alack! I am afraid they have awak'd, And 'tis not done :-the attempt, and not the deed, [ready, Confounds us!-hark!-I laid their daggers He could not miss 'em.-Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had don't.--My husband? Macb. One cried, "God bless us!" and "Amen!" the other; [hands, As they had seen me, with these hangman's Listening their fear. I could not say, Amen, When they did say, God bless us. Lady. Consider it not so deeply. [Amen? Macb. But wherefore could not I pronounce I had most need of blessing, and Amen Stuck in my throat. Lady. These deeds must not be thought After these ways; so it will make us mad. Macb. Methought I heard a voice cry, Sleep no more! 66 Macbeth doth murder sleep, the innocent sleep. Sleep, that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care, The death of each days's life, sore labor's bath, Balm of hurt minds, great_nature's second Chief nourisher in life's feast." [course, Lady. What do you mean? [the house: Macb. Still it cried, "Sleep no more!" to all "Glamis hath murder'd sleep; and therefore Cawdor [more!" Shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no Lady. Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy Thane, You do unbend your noble strength, to think So brain-sickly of things: go, get some water, And wash this filthy witness from your hand. Why did you bring these daggers from the place? They must lie there: go, carry them; and smear The sleepy grooms with blood. Much. I'll go no more: I am afraid to think what I have done ; Lady. Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers: the sleeping, and the dead, Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood Knocking within. [Exit. Mach. Whence is that knocking? [Starting. How is 't with me, when ev'ry noise appals me? What hands are here? Ha! they pluck out mine eyes! Lady. My hands are of your color; but I [Knock. shame To wear a heart so white. I hear a knocking Macb. To know my deed-'twere best not know myself. Wake, Duncan, with this knocking! I would thou couldst! With them they think on? Things without all remedy [done. Should be without regard: what's done, is Macb. We have scotch'd the snake, not kill'd it; [malice She'll close and be herself, whilst our poor Remains in danger of her former tooth. But let the frame of things disjoint, both the worlds suffer, Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep In restless ecstasy.-Duncan is in his grave; O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife! Thou know'st that Banquo and his Fleance lives. Lady. But in them nature's copy's not eterne. Macb. There's comfort yet, they are assailable; Then be thou jocund: ere the bat hath flown His cloister'd flight; ere, to black Hecate's summons, The shard-borne beetle, with his drowsy hums, Hath rung night's yawning peal, there shall be A deed of dreadful note. [done Lady. What's to be done? Macb. Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, [night, Till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day; And, with thy bloody and invisible hand, Cancel, and tear to pieces, that great bond Which keeps me pale! Light thickens: and Makes wing to the rooky wood: [the crow Good things of day begin to droop and drowse; While night's black agents to their prey do Macb. Here had we now our country's ho nor roof'd, Were the grac'd person of our Banquo present; Whom I may rather challenge for unkindness, Than pity for mischance. Rosse. His absence, Sir, [highness Lays blame upon his promise. Please it your To grace us with your royal company? Macb. The table's full! [Starting. Len. Here is a place reserv'd, Sir. Macb. Where? Len. Here, my good lord. Macb. Thou canst not say, I did it: never Thy gory locks at me. [shake Rosse. Gentlemen, rise; his highness is not well. [thus, Lady. Sit, worthy friends :-my lord is often And hath been from his youth: pray you, keep The fit is momentary; upon a thought [seat; He will again be well: if much you note him, You shall offend him, and extend his passion! Feed, and regard him not.-Are you a man? [To Mach aside. Mucb. Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on Which might appal the devil. [that Lady. O proper stuff! This is the very painting of your fear : [Aside. This is the air-drawn dagger, which, you said, Led you to Duncan. O these flaws and starts (Impostors to true fear) would well become A woman's story at a winter's fire, Authoriz'd by her grandim. Shame itself! Why do you make such faces? when all's done, You look but on a stool. Macb. Pr'ythee, see there! Behold! look! lo! how say you? [Pointing to the Ghost. Why, what care I? if thou canst nod, speak too. If charnel-houses and our graves must send Those, that we bury, back-our monuments Shall be the maws of kites. [The Ghost vanishes. Lady. What! quite unmann'd in folly? Macb. If I stand here, I saw him. Lady. Fie, for shame! [olden time, Macb. Blood hath been shed ere now, i the Ere human statute purg'd the gen'ral weal; Ay, and since too, murders have been perform'd Too terrible for the ear: the times have been, That, when the brains were out, the man would die; I drink to the general joy of the whole table, And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss: Would he were here! to all, and him, we And all to all. [thirst, [The Ghost rises again. Macb. Avaunt! and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! Lords. Our duties, and the pledge. Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; Thou hast no speculation in those eyes, Which thou dost glare with! Lady. Think of this, good peers, But as a thing of custom: 'tis no other; Only it spoils the pleasure of the time. Macb. What man dare, I dare: Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear, The arm'd rhinoceros, or the Hyrcan tiger; Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves Shall never tremble; or, be alive again, And dare me to the desert with thy sword; If trembling I inhibit thee, protest me The baby of a girl. Hence, horrible shadow! Unreal mockery, hence! Why, so being gone, [The Ghost vanishes. I am a man again.-Pray yon, sit still. [The Lords rise. Lady. You have displac'd the mirth, broke the good meeting. With most admir'd disorder. Rosse. What sights, my lord? Question enrages him at once, good night : Len. Good night, and better health Attend his majesty. Lady. A kind good night to all. [Exeunt Lords. Macb. It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood: [speak; Stones have been known to move, and trees to Augurs, and understood relations, have By magot-pies, and choughs, and rooks, brought The secret'st man of blood. [forth, Macd. Fit to govern! No, not to live.—O nation miserable, Mal. Macduff, this noble passion, Alas! poor country; Almost afraid to know itself! It cannot But who knows nothing, is once seen to smile: Macduff on the Murder of his Wife and Rosse. Would I could answer This comfort with the like! but I have words, |