No Fear Shakespeare

Macbeth

William Shakespeare

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Act 1, Scene 3, Page 2

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25
Though his bark cannot be lost,
Yet it shall be tempest-tossed.
Look what I have.
Although I can’t make his ship disappear, I can still make his journey miserable. Look what I have here.

SECOND WITCH
Show me, show me.
SECOND WITCH
Show me, show me.


FIRST WITCH
Here I have a pilot’s thumb,
Wrecked as homeward he did come.
FIRST WITCH
Here I have the thumb of a pilot who was drowned while trying to return home.
Drum within
A drum sounds offstage.

30
THIRD WITCH
A drum, a drum!
Macbeth doth come.
THIRD WITCH
A drum, a drum! Macbeth has come.





35

ALL
(dancing together in a circle) The weird sisters, hand in
     hand,
Posters of the sea and land,
Thus do go about, about,
Thrice to thine and thrice to mine
And thrice again, to make up nine.
Peace! The charm’s wound up.
ALL
(dancing together in a circle) We weird sisters, hand in hand, swift travelers over the sea and land, dance around and around like so. Three times to yours, and three times to mine, and three times again, to add up to nine. Enough! The charm is ready.
Enter MACBETH and BANQUO
MACBETH and BANQUO enter.

MACBETH
So foul and fair a day I have not seen.
MACBETH
(to BANQUO) I have never seen a day that was so good and bad at the same time.


40




45

BANQUO
How far is ’t called to Forres?—What are these
So withered and so wild in their attire,
That look not like th' inhabitants o' th' Earth,
And yet are on ’t?—Live you? Or are you aught
That man may question? You seem to understand me,
By each at once her choppy finger laying
Upon her skinny lips. You should be women,
And yet your beards forbid me to interpret
That you are so.
BANQUO
How far is it supposed to be to Forres? (he sees the WITCHES) What are these creatures? They’re so withered-looking and crazily dressed. They don’t look like they belong on this planet, but I see them standing here on Earth. (to the WITCHES) Are you alive? Can you answer questions? You seem to understand me, because each of you has put a gruesome finger to her skinny lips. You look like women, but your beards keep me from believing that you really are.

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