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Home : Macbeth : Act 1, scene iii : page 14 Read the Study Guide: Macbeth
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Macbeth
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 MACBETH
  Speak, if you can: what are you?
MACBETH
Speak, if you can. What kind of creatures are you?
 FIRST WITCH
  All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis!
FIRST WITCH
All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Glamis!
 SECOND WITCH
50 All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!
SECOND WITCH
All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Cawdor!
 THIRD WITCH
  All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!
THIRD WITCH
All hail, Macbeth, the future king!
 BANQUO
  Good sir, why do you start and seem to fear
  Things that do sound so fair? (to the WITCHES) I' th' name of truth,
  Are ye fantastical, or that indeed
55 Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner
  You greet with present grace and great prediction
  Of noble having and of royal hope,
  That he seems rapt withal. To me you speak not.
  If you can look into the seeds of time
60 And say which grain will grow and which will not,
  Speak, then, to me, who neither beg nor fear
  Your favors nor your hate.
BANQUO
My dear Macbeth, why do you look so startled and afraid of these nice things they're saying? (to the WITCHES) Tell me honestly, are you illusions, or are you really what you seem to be? You've greeted my noble friend with honors and talk of a future so glorious that you've made him speechless. But you don't say anything to me. If you can see the future and say how things will turn out, tell me. I don't want your favors and I'm not afraid of your hatred.
 FIRST WITCH
  Hail!
FIRST WITCH
Hail!
 SECOND WITCH
  Hail!
SECOND WITCH
Hail!
 THIRD WITCH
65 Hail!
THIRD WITCH
Hail!
 FIRST WITCH
  Lesser than Macbeth and greater.
FIRST WITCH
You are lesser than Macbeth but also greater.
 SECOND WITCH
  Not so happy, yet much happier.
SECOND WITCH
You are not as happy as Macbeth, yet much happier.
 THIRD WITCH
  Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.
  So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!
THIRD WITCH
Your descendants will be kings, even though you will not be one. So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!

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